Cobalt Flux Dance Platform

[Quad]

[Jupichan]

I just left the lexan there. Whether I'm right in doing that is beyond me.

[Jedo]

Don't take the lexan off. The center panel gets raised by puttign the clear one under it.
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At midnight all the agents and the superhuman crew, go to round up everyone who knows more than they do

[Ketchup345]

The black corner panels are supposed to replace the lexan. The clear one goes under the existing center panel.

[Kalek]

I just bought a Flux used (the description said used about 10 times). I've gotten it to work better by loosening the screws so that it has better sensitivity. It still gives me some random way offs and every once in a while, I notice me stepping and it waits a second to register then gives me a great. I can easily SDG songs without any difficulty on my ignitions (including Max 300) and on the flux (its with an arcade mod kit, so I can feel my way around, and I'm used to the pad) I can't even FC 1998. I have not FC'd a single song since I've started using it, and I've been getting like 4% lower than usual on ITG. Any ideas on how to make it work better?

[pags]

playing with shoes helps



also, are you playing w/ it hooked up to stepmania? because global offset can eff you up with it being registered late.


adjust the screws for better sensitivity. Clean the metal off too.




as for the wiring/electrical problem with the dead arrow, sounds like you need to re-weld one of the wires. Find someone who has experience with soldering. Get a solder, flux gel, and some solder rosin. resolder that wire
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werd

[AA Bob]

[Evank]

[Kalek]

[DJZylch]

You definitely want to clean it, especailly since you bought it used. Whatever you use to clean it with will probably look pretty nasty when you're done too =\
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cartoonhero91089 wrote:

u put ur RFI u put ur RFO u put ur RFI and ya shake it all about..

Miike wrote:

Hello Kitty wouldn't be half as cool if it was like, Hello Parakeet

Evilhawk 78 wrote:

That's not fair! That's like trading a Charizard for a Weedle!

[Cynamon]

I need to know if CFwill stand up to 4 to 5 hours of play from heavy to light on a daily basis with around 5 to 15 people playing on it on any given day. Playing styles vary from the I stomp so hard it sounds like the floor will break to the effortless play of someone who has been playing ddr on heavy since they were in high school. Also, I go to college and do plan on holding tournaments every six months or so on the pair of pads and need to them to stand up to that as well. Do you think CF is a good option for this? Thanks!

cynamon

[Jupichan]

[imisswinter]

Just a warning:

If you are purchasing a used Cobalt Flux from eBay, please note that there is a seller working with a bidding friend whom has posted the same CF over 3 times. The bid starts at $150, but this outsider bidder will continue to raise it. I stopped around $210, but who knows how high he/she will actually go. Just know that this buyer/seller team is a fake, since the buyer has won 3 times and the pad was still posted again and again.

Seller is: megaloaf3000
Bidder is: xsess17

Thought you guys should know!
Winter

[Emptyeye]

Question that I think I already know the answer to, but may as well get confirmation from people who would know better than me:

My PS2 is currently in a room with carpet that looks like this. If I decide to invest the $300 in a CF, a piece of plywood or similar substance to rest it on would also be highly recommended, correct?

[Jupichan]

[MountainKing]

Hey, I have looked through the entire thread and I still have a lot of questions I would like you guys to help we with. I'm new to DDR, but the need for a good pad has shown itself. For the background story, read the next paragraph. To get to the meat of my questions, just skip it.

I have very little experience with DDR, but have enjoyed it immensely over the last month. Four years ago I played bust a groove at my buddy’s house, and a month and a half ago I played DDR (only three songs) at the arcade. It was enough to convince me to buy the game, and I’ve been getting my money’s worth- sort of. I started with a soft pad (horrible,) but quickly bought an Intec ignition rip-off to stop the sliding. This pad also broke down, so I moved up to an ignition. The first one didn’t work, (X button always pressed,) the second one held out for only 5 hours, and the third one is holding on for the time being (only been played on for an hour.) Long story short, the need for a decent pad is clear. I'm thinking of getting a flux. However, being a neophyte dance, I do have some question that need answering before putting my money were my mouth is.

Here are my questions.
1. I have seen that most parts that break/wear down for the flux are sold via the manufacturer. The only thing I can see happening is the inner guts of the thing having problems. If such were to occur am I out 300 bucks, or is there a way to fix any internal problems?
2. I am a new dancer, and my skill level is probably moderate at best- my best feat at the moment is getting an A on Midnite Blaze (Standard) on an iffy ignition. That said, my dancing style isn't set yet, and I tend to change more based upon soft-pad deformations than skill development. That said, should I get the normal flux or the arcade style flux? Does it make any difference besides being easier to feel the arrows, (life-span, etc.)? Keep in mind that I have only played at the arcade once, so if it is mostly to help DDR veterans feel at home, I probably don’t need it. So the question: should I get an arcade mod?
2a.) If I do get an arcade mod, which should I get? The clear mod or the black mod? Is there any real difference between the two? If so, tell me in as much as you can.
2.b) If I get the black mod, should I take the clear center or the black center?
2c.) I couldn’t find pictures of the different mods as compared to the standard flux in the thread. If you can post them for a side by side analysis, it would be great.
3. I am accustomed to playing barefoot. Is it better to play with shoes on the flux? Will using shoes greatly affect the lifespan? I heard you can cut open your feet on the screws if you play barefoot on the flux. True or false?
4. Does passing a flux through an airline x-ray machine or metal detector mess up anything? I ask because when I fly back home for break I will bring it back with me, but not if it will fry the circuitry.

That is about it for my flux questions. If you can help out, I’d appreciate it. I have a few other non-flux related questions/comments below that you can answer if you please, posted here to save space and avoid creating an unnecessary topic elsewhere.

MountainKing
Additional Questions:

1. I have DDRMax and DDRExtreme2. Overall I enjoy DDRMax way better, because it has more “stomping” type songs e.g. Midnite Blaze, Healing Vision, Japan, Exotic Ethnic, etc. I find the Extreme songs way too low key for my liking. That said, if I am to expand my library, what would be a good purchase? DDRMax2? Some other third party DDR rip-off? If said rip-off is good, does it require additional tinkering to work with a flux?
2. Is there someway to make the songs more difficult in Dance Master Mode? Obviously you can’t adjust mid-session a la DDR Max. Songs are way too easy.
3. Just a final comment-It is amazing how much better you get after only a little time. It seems like just yesterday I was happy to get a C on anything in light mode, and now I can get A’s on normal difficulty songs.

[v4]

the cobalt flux arcade mod is designed just to help you know where the arrows are with your feet. This makes the pad not completely flat making it more similar to the arcade. It also makes the buttons excluding the arrows on the pad a bit harder to press with the arcade modkit at least the black one

I can't provide a comparison between both modkits since i don't own both

Otherwise the durability should be the same with or without the arcade style mod kit because you are using the arrows mostly anyways.

The black arcade mod style kit if i am correct does not come anymore with a black centre panel anymore just a clear one

The internal parts of this pad aren't the most accessible (wiring) but my old metal pad which was a redoctane metal pad clone were also not very accessible either

The only pad that would probably have easily accessible wiring would be a homemade pad.

However internal wiring having problems is very rare and cobalt flux offers excellent e-mail technical support and you can pay extra for a 1 year warranty on the pad instead of 6 months

You should be fine playing with shoes on the flux but it does scuff up the lexan and leaves marks but if u don't care about that i would recommend shoes because without them it can be painful.

shoes shouldn't really affect the lifespan tremendously. It probably depends more on how much you weigh that would affect the lifespan and how intense you play (how hard you hit the panels and what level you play on).

about travelling with a flux i have no clue

p.s. for the other dance games max2 is good compared to max. Extreme is only good for lom (legend of max). ITG (in the groove) is a good recommendation for a dance game that requires no tinkering with the flux (has more different songs, and more difficult stepcharts than ddr plus hands and mines).
-dance master mode gets harder the farther u get into it (until it gets too hard unless ur amazingly good at ddr)
-and lastly progress seems to increase in a square root x function. Meaning the farther u get the slower the improvement is until its barely noticeable or to the point where it is not noticeable on a daily basis.

[Jedo]

[Anguirel]

1) I haven't had my CF for long, but it is extremely tough and I don't imagine it will break soon or easily. Lexan is tough stuff and the contacts are pieces of sheet metal. No fear of those breaking. The wiring is the most likely part to break, and as long as you are careful when cleaning it you shouldn't have any problems. (I also hear that control boxes can flake out,but I'm yet to have problems with mine)

2) If you plan on playing in the arcade then I would reccomend the mod kit. I personally have the black/textured style, and I love it. This is mostly a matter of preference though. Sorry I can't give you any kind of comparison here.

2b) so far as I know, you can't get one with a black center panel. Mine shipped with 4 black panels (one for each corner) and 1 clear panel for the center.

2c) Can't really help you here since I just have the one. My opinion: The unmodded flux is great, but sometimes hard to tell where you are. The modded pad is easier to judge placement, but slightly harder to hit the arrows (ie: hitting the edge of the raiser and missing or hitting the arrow panel late, etc.)

3) You can play barefoot, but I recommend shoes. If you get the mod kit then DEFINITELY wear shoes. The edges can be a bit sharp. As said previously, shoes will scuff it a bit, but it's made to be danced on, not to be an art piece.

4) Though I'm not totally sure, I can't imagine that passing the pad through a metal detector would damage it. There is no magnetic data storage (that I know of) that could be erased or messed up. Xrays don't usually mess up electronics either (it's the magnetic scans that do a number on them). I can't give you a definite answer here, but I think you should be fine flying with it. If you fly with an airline that gives you a luggage weight limit it may put you pretty close...the pad is about 40 pounds.

Additional Questions:

1) I've played the DDRs and ITG. They are all good. This is mostly opinion. If you see a mix with songs you like, go for it.

2) Just keep playing, DMM will get much harder...much harder.

3) Congrats on getting better! As with anything, the answer is to practice. Keep it up and happy Arrow Smash!

Sorry for the long post. I hope this answered some of your questions
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[Anguirel]

I know this is a double post, and it's normally a big no-no, but this is completely separate from the above topic.

I have searched high and low to find word of a USB adapter that will work with the CF. I've read through tons of pages here and elsewhere and no one seems to have an answer. I keep hearing that if you have "Version X, revision Y of this adapter that was made under the right phase of the moon" then you might see semi decent results and only have to adjust your timing windows a bit.

Has anyone found an adapter that actually works consistently with the Cobalt Flux?
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