Metal Pad Mod guide, Make your pad work like the arcade

[deM']

This guide is written with use of the TX-1000/NeoGames/etc. Metal pad, tips apply to all metal pads of same design, not including the CF

The purpose of this guide is to help all the guys and gals out there who went out and bought a tx-1000, and seriously want it to work well.

The TX-1000 Type dance pad is probably the most common metal pad for the home market today, the design of it is great, but with the use of crappy parts and a bad assembly, the tx-1000 is also the most common pad to see in the garbage.

There are 3 main problems with the TX-1000
1) Plastic quality
2) Soldering
3) Sensors

Now the cool thing about the TX-1000, is that for a couple of bucks, you can fix all those problems and make it work just as well as its redoctane brother.

Step 1! Fix the Buttons!
In my opinion the most important fix for this pad, is replacing the plastic buttons

Parts
1/8th" Lexan (Enough to cover (4) 11 inch squares)
Aluminum Foil Tape
Razor Blade
Arrow Design
Spray Adhesive

Ok this step is straight forward
Remove the old buttons, measure them
Cut the lexan down to be the exact same size
Print out Arrow graphics (Staples/kinkos or at home)
Using the spray adhesize, adhear the graphics to the underside of each peice of lex
Take the aluminium foil tape, and apply 3 or 4 peices to the underside middle of the buttons (Contact)
put it all back, wahlah no more cracking panels


Step 2! Soldering!

One of the most common problems with these pads is the lack of a good solder, really easy to fix

Go in and inspect each buttons wire to sensor joint, if its bad, fix it

Step 3! Sensors!

Ok the most EFFECTIVE step for making your tx-1000 feel like the arcade
Now theres a really big difference between your pad, and the arcades pads.
The arcade has sensors on the sides, yours is in the middle... uh oh!

Now this seems like its not that big of a deal, that maybe even, sensors in the middle is better! But oh no, sensors in the middle mean you have to move your foot ALOT more to hit the button, which sucks on anything above a 10

Parts
Razor blade/X-acto knife

Veerrry very simple, remove the panel, look at the sensor, its the big pcb with stripes sitting in front of you.
What your gonna do, is take your blade, and cut the black foam around it so you can remove the entire peice, the PCB with the foam glued to the bottom.

The idea is, to move the sensor about 1 1/2 inchs closer to the middle of the pad.

So cut the foam out in front of it, move it forward stick it down and your good to go, just make sure that the aluminum foil tape reachs to the tip of the sensor.

The END!

So there you go, 3 easy and cheap steps to make your tx-1000 freaking work well!

Comment with anything that you wish to add/change or (comment) on =p

[mtwieg]

very nice. does this apply to other TX models?

[deM']

Yep, well at least up to the 2000 series, i cant speak for anything above that but i would be HIGHLY surpised if TX changed the format of those sensors, so basically, yes

[zrultima]

my bottom arrow not working what can i do please help me i clean the PCB board but it still does not work

[deM']

its probably the wiring or the control box, if you have another control box (friend or whatever) try swapping it out. if that doesnt work your basically frick.

[FlyersPh9]

OMG I love you! My right panel cracked about 1 week ago and for the last few days I've been looking for a fix! YAY!

However, there are somethings I'd like to point out...

I don't like the idea of moving the sensor 1 1/2 inches towards the center...it seems to me the center would be ideal because the panel bends in the center, not the side!
What about the LED lights that are in the TX1000? My lights don't work (could be bad solder, but most people think it's because my rumble feature doesn't work anymore on my PS2) Could you have a write up for LED attatchment?
Last thing...any chance of a write through on how to make a trick bar? I'd love to have one that is detatchable or foldable!

Nice writeup!

[deM']

Well to answer some questions...

[mDaWg]

Any idea where i get arrow graphics that are close to the size of the arrows of the TX-1000?

[deM']

Sure!

http://www.gbazone.com/tweder/blue.png
http://www.gbazone.com/tweder/pink.png

Are the closest to arcade accurate in my personal opinoin, but heres a page with a bunch of em =p
http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?p=7839402&highlight=arrow#7839402

Well, your tx-1000 has 11x11" arrows, just like the arcade, so when you'r having them printed make sure they measure out to be 11x11, you can ask for a proof to check that before printing them all.

[moonlightshadow666]

i had my tx 1000 for about 6 mths b4 it stopped working, the down arrow broke. i cut the cord and pulled on the wire for the down arrow, it was cut in 4 places! i went to radioshack and got rainbow wire, and a female d-sub connector and rewired it. it works perfect now.

[mDaWg]

[slewis78]

I've had my TX-1000 for about a year, and now it's not working. The LED's light up, but the game doesn't respond. When I press SELECT on the black connector box, the LEDs do not light up (but they do when press START).

It's NOT my PS2, because luckily I also have a pair of MyMyBox foam pads. Which are good, but I luv my metal pad

I opened that black box, and all the wires look ok. I've had to remove one panel from the TX-1000 once before, because the left arrow was getting "stuck" and ruining my scores

But now when I press any of the bottoms, the LED lights up (well most of them, some of the LEDs have been out for awhile), but it's like it's not really connected to the PS2. So I guess it's getting power, but the signal is not getting to the PS2.

Dang it, now do I have to reopen the entire thing and check all those solders? I assume the TX-2000 is the same darn thing, just with the extra bar support. It's been a year since I last looked at metal pads -- are there any better metal pads these days for under $300?


Update: I just took all the panels off to check the metal grids underneath. They all look fine, some grim, so I cleaned them all up, but same result. This sucks. Does anyone know a web page or e-mail address of the people who actually make the TX-1000?

[jjang1993]

could you use the arrow replacements for the CB instead of buying the lexan and cutting it and doing the arrow resigning. and buying CB panels would help the crap conductive foil? cause the panels would have sheet metal on the bottom. right? and how do u solder i know nothin about solderin
_________________

My Favorite DDR Song is So Deep.

[Marq(uistadorous)]

Isnt the tx pad already made of lexan panels? Or is it just a crappy plastic? And isnt lexan expensive and hard to cut
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[Bosher]

are the TX pads the ones from ddrgame.com?
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It's not kids in the backseat that cause accidents, it's accidents in the backseat that cause kids.

[gamer4ever]

[Bosher]

so i take it that the tx's are the same pads from DDRGame.com...
_________________

It's not kids in the backseat that cause accidents, it's accidents in the backseat that cause kids.