My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

Kamuii · Basic Member Joined: 09 Jan 2004 Location: on a ddr pad

Also how much would it cost to do it the screw way with lights? (not including bar)
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DDR says, "Get the %@$! up and dance."

Mystik` · Basic Member Joined: 05 Jan 2004 Location: Oklahoma

anyone have the measurements for the bar extension?
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- MySTiK`

TFT122 · Basic Member Joined: 14 Nov 2003

basically is what I'm trying to do is make the CF2.0, i want the capabilities of piu and ddr all in one. any suggestions or premade plans??
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TFT122: the digital revolutions last and only chance...

ChoBo · Basic Member Joined: 26 Dec 2003

I recently got some push-buttons from radio shack, to use for XO start select. The thing is, they have 2 spors for wires, positiive and negitive. MY question is, is the wire that goes from the button to the cicut positive or negitive, and what goes on the other end of this button?

redhotfanboy · Basic Member Joined: 12 Aug 2003

OK thats the controler i am using. Where do i solder my wires to and where is the ground point? for reference its a playstation controller(PS1, non analog)

Also i am just asking this becuase it would make things alot easier for me, but since im using CAT5 cord could i wire the pad and use a RJ45 connector near the pad to make sure the wire dosnt get messed up when the pad has to be put away and wire the other end coming from the controller to a maleRJ45 connector?

And keep the cable length under 10feet right?
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AK's Fastest Computer???
Not so POS 01 score anymore

wesdives · Trick Member Joined: 15 Feb 2003 Location: Utica, New York

I can't really see to well but it looks as though you're using an official sony controller, which is probably a mistake. 1. they're expensive and 2. they have that black coating over the buttons. On an unofficial pad those are exposed copper (or some other metal) that you can solder right to.

As far as finding where to solder to in this case, I would start a game with the bare circuit board plugged in, use a bent peice of solder to make whatever necessary connections on the controller to navigate the menus and play the first song you come to. Next, hold the end of the solder on on gold point ( I would use the one just a little to the left of the right button, as that one I'm pretty sure comes from the right arrow), and start touching random places on the controller that might be a ground. On all the one's I've used (and I've used a lot of different brands), the ground is located along the top of the controller, a silvery looking clump of solder (there's usually a long row of them). If you can find the ground, just repeat the process with one end of the solder on the ground to find the rest of the places to solder to.

Back to my previous question: what kind of sheet metal are you using to make the arrows? Copper is the only thing I know of that can be soldered to and the homebuilt page pics do not look like copper.
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Matrix + DDR:
"Do you believe that my being faster, or having more stamina, has anything to do with my rhythm, in this place. You think that's Stepmania you're playing now? hmph"

SteelFox15 · Basic Member Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: NJ

redhotfanboy · Basic Member Joined: 12 Aug 2003

the reason i am using a sony controler is that i have about 4 controlers laying around and this was the only non analog one so the controler box will look more sexy

thanks for the explanation about the soldering points, but since the cat5 allready comes in twisted pairs doing each wire to a spot should be very easy. Sorry about the small pic, i just assumed posting a 3.2mp pic wouldnt be too good

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AK's Fastest Computer???
Not so POS 01 score anymore

Bioclown · Trick Member Joined: 13 Jan 2004 Location: So Deep

I have a few questions:
1) Can multiple pad wire solder points (more wire on each panel) increase sensitivity?

2) When you drill the solder holes, do you go all the way through or just part of the way?

3) I have a PS1/PS2-toUSB converter for my PC (Athlon XP 2.4 GhZ, 789 MB RAM, Radeon 9600 XT). Can I use that in place of a console?

4) How would I go about installing LEDs?

Answers to these inquiries would be greatly appreciated. I'm working on a limited budget here, seeing as how I spent all of it on my PC

so I cannot waste a cent.

... · Trick Member Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Location: Riverside

ok i have a feq questions, i have a RED OCTANE medal pad, and i knew before hand that it didnt have a trick bar but i got it anyways, now i just recently looked what it looked like under the medal where the trick bar would be, can you buy trick bars that go into the RO medal pads, and if so where?
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... · Trick Member Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Location: Riverside

SteelFox15 · Basic Member Joined: 02 Dec 2003 Location: NJ

tolookah · Posted: Thu Jan 15, 2004 5:29 pm Post subject:

dacandyman · Basic Member Joined: 07 Jan 2004

I just finished building my second pad.

Instead of wiring the controller to the pad, I put and 6-pin plug on the end of the phone cable and then put a 6-pin phone jack on the pad. This is so I can disconnect the controller and use it as normal on other games. Plus its really cool. Just dont cut the plugs off when you but the cable. If you did then buy plugs and a crimper. You could return the crimper for a refund after you are done though. On many cheep crimppers its has a cutting tool but they do not give a clean enough cut so when you but the plug on a crimp there is a short and may cause multiple arrows to go off at once. So use the stripper on the crimper but use a clean cutting tool also.

If you are willing to have metal pad that is not quite as shiny as an arcade then use galvanized steel. You can buy 50 feet of it in a roll at Lowes for $33 or you can get just enough for the pad. Its in the roofing area and is used for flashing.

If using tin-snips bugs you then try to get one of those paper cutters with the big knife that you push down on. It saved me a lot of time and was really accurate with less metal cuts.

To cut sheet metal costs even more you can get ghetto and make the censers out of some thing other than steel. I used a metal table that from an arcade that closed down but I think you could use a tall beer can if you cut both ends off and rolled it out.

Use contact cement to put the censers together. Its strong and bonds on contact.

On my second pad the censers are made of steel on both sides but the actual contact is made by 1 1/8-inch bolts and the resistance is from rubber knobs I cut out of a tire I found on the side of the road. This and much thicker Plexiglas will make a much more arcade feel. To make room for the bolts I used 2x4s for more height.

Has any one tried soldering in to a keyboard? My thought is that two pads could be wired into one and it would save loot with the lack of a USB port controller.

...trying playing Soul Calibur 2 on your pad

scandalous bob · Trick Member Joined: 02 Nov 2003 Location: Naperville

hey everyone, i finished my first pad, building it was a pain in the butt. it works relatively well, still some minor bugs to work out. the mending bracket contact system is a pretty decent way to go if you are thinking of ways to wire your pad.

Patster, are you out there? If so, check your PMs or PM me. thanks.

SpaceMan · Trick Member Joined: 03 Dec 2002

Alright, so I finished my pad a while ago, and it worked pretty responsively.

But now I'm having second thoughts about the contruction of the pad.

I was thinking about rebuilding the thing, resembling the Cobalt Flux pad. I was just wondering if it would be a good idea to have just all 4 panels [including the non-arrows] being just the heavy-duty Acryllic. (The one I used previously was around 1/4'' thick.

To all pad builders. Yay or nay?

Little Firefly · Posted: Mon Jan 19, 2004 11:43 pm Post subject:

My mom just bought 50 ft. of speaker wire from the dollar tree, and I was wondering if i could use this in my pad. it has 2 channels, so i could have four separate wires cut, then soder the grounds together, how does that sound?

I don't know a lot about electronics and I was just wondering if this could possibly work. I am using the screwcontact system btw.
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hooded__paladin · Trick Member Joined: 10 Nov 2003

a wire is a wire is a wire. If it conducts electricity, you can use it.

h2o9753 · Basic Member Joined: 19 Jan 2004

Does anyone know if lexan can be pop riveted? I'm thinking of getting some 0.25" lexan and I would like to put my arrow graphics between 2 0.25" pieces.

goodluckpineapple · Trick Member Joined: 22 Nov 2003 Location: Minnesota

i am going to build pad this summer and i am still a little confused on the grounding. can anyone explain or show pictures of what your ground looks like? and i was also wondering if adding lighting is more trouble than its worth? thanks