RedOctane Ignition v3.0 (PS/Xbox/PC)

limekat · Posted: Thu Sep 07, 2006 10:26 pm Post subject:

Hmm.. have you tried a ps2>usb converter? Maybe the wiring for USB is screwed up or a wire has been cut by accident or something. You're lucky yours works on some sort of console - my two ignitions are both crapped up on ps2 and usb xD.

psisarah · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Location: Toronto

DARREN HAYEZ · Trick Member Joined: 13 Apr 2006 Location: Michigan

I have a similar problem. The computer and Stepmania both recognize the pad and I can register and map every arrow except down. For some reason, it just acts like down isn't even there. I am also running XP.
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AceJay · Trick Member Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Location: Princeton, NJ

Well, it finally happened. The little things inside slid toward the center.

I had to open up the pads, IN SCHOOL, and move them back. Good god is it sticky in there...So I ended up accidentally ripping part of the plastic.

I brought them home so now I have a few extra pads in my room (pic later)

So I'm trying them out and seeing which I should keep and which I should take back to school.
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limekat · Posted: Thu Sep 21, 2006 2:15 am Post subject:

The unthinkable has just happened ._."
Last week, I turned on my computer and -finally- updated my version of stepmania from 3.9 beta or something or rather to the latest version {lol ?}, since themes from the website weren't cooperating with that version. I plugged in my ignitions expecting them to work terribly as usual.

I put on some standard songs {I'm sort of new to DDR and my pads hadn't taken me further being the terrible standard that they were} and to my surprise the pads worked excellently. You could ACTUALLY press two arrows at the same time {a big woop for my ignitions} and hold any arrow down while pressing others. Freeze steps also worked. My scores rose from C's to A's and I got full combos. The pads that I were playing on {I tested both} worked perfectly as initially described and I'm very happy with them both.

Bought them from ebay second-hand and since they began working, I've played regularly morning and night for about a week and now I'm advancing into heavy ^^. I know thats not much for most of you, but some people need to start somewhere

Anyway... good luck to those who have problems.

Orthonormal · Basic Member Joined: 20 Sep 2006

I bought a pair of the Ignition 3.0 pads about 1 year ago, and it wasn't long before they started geting the flickering/stuck button problem. I returned one of them within the warranty period, but the replacement started acting up soon afterward. The problem has gotten worse and worse to the point where for the past few months if I play for very long I start cursing at the pads. I don't play nearly as much as I would like to, because I know how frustrating it is to play with these pads.

I emailed customer service at RedOctane and they told me that my problem was "normal wear" and heavily dependent on "climate". Well, if "normal wear" occurs within the first month of ownership and "climate" refers to the presence of oxygen and gravity, then I will agree with that. The support rep suggested that I look on this forum for repair information. I don't know if they realize how many negative reviews and complaints one has to read through in order to find the repair instructions. They shouldn't be using an independent web forum as their tech support department anyway.

So I read through every page of this thread with an increasing sense of doom and futility, and finally came to Frewt Lewp's message complete with photos of decayed insulation foam. I opened up one of my pads, and sure enough my insulation foam looked almost identical if not worse. The lower disintegrated into several pieces when I tried to lift it up. There were little drifts of dust that used to be foam scattered around inside the pad. I wonder how RedOctane chose that material to use for the insulator in their membrane switches. It obviously doesn't hold up to being stomped on repeatedly, which if the expected usage of their product.

I found a shop that sells rubber products on eBay and asked what he recommended for a foam product that would stand up to being stomped on repeatedly. He recommended open-cell neoprene foam, and I bought two 3-foot squares of the stuff, 1/16" thick. They are $18 each, and the total for the two squares with shipping was $46. Search eBay for neoprene sponge rubber. The shop's email address is [email protected] and it's located in Santa Clarita or Castaic, California.

I made a hole punch out of a brass shell casing from an assault rifle that I found on the ground on one of the trails around Fort Ord. The diameter almost exactly matched the size of the holes in the original foam. So I cut off the narrow end with a Dremel tool, filed the end flat, and then used the file to sharpen the rim. I put the foam down on a large board and punched the holes using my brass punch and a hammer. I have finished the foam insulator for one pad, and I am going to use it as the template to punch holes in the other.

I have a feeling that this is going to work well and last a long time, but it has really killed my enthusiasm for RedOctane's products.

AceJay · Trick Member Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Location: Princeton, NJ

Well that was a surprisingly huge wall of text.

Wow, Red Octane is referring people to DDRFreak for help? I'd enjoy reading exactly what they said about that.

Tell us how that solution works out for you. Also, if possible, post a few pictures of what you've done.

I've kind of given up with RO. I have 2 that I had gotten from a complaint, but in the meantime I had gone and bought 2 Buy 'N Shop DX pads, which are the same things but without the USB connector, slightly lower raised parts, and more cushiony foam. I put my Ignition foam in them and they work much better than the Ignitions ever did. They do however have the same KIND of issues, but are not nearly as bad.

I also now have ordered a Konami Softpad, to see how they work, and I'm going to buy on eof those Official ITG pads from RO as well, hopefully they are similar to the awesomeness that is Pump pads.
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Orthonormal · Basic Member Joined: 20 Sep 2006

RedOctane really didn't have that much to say, just:

AceJay · Trick Member Joined: 15 Oct 2004 Location: Princeton, NJ

LotD · Basic Member Joined: 25 Aug 2006

psisarah · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Location: Toronto

LotD · Basic Member Joined: 25 Aug 2006

Stugein · Basic Member Joined: 02 Oct 2006

Hey folks. Was looking for help with my 3.0 pad and was pointed here. Actually by RedOctane support. As soon as I mentioned that I was outside of the warranty period for my pad, they told me that my best bet would be to come here for assistance. So...yeah.

Basically the left arrow panel on my pad has begun to become unresponsive, intermittently. It is seemingly random. Sometimes I'll hit 30 lefts in a row without an issue, then it will not respond for 10 lefts straight. Sometimes I'll go 3 songs with no problems, then lose input from the left arrow for an entire half a song. It's really frustrating. I was curious if this was a common issue with the 3.0 pads (random unresponsiveness). Do any of you have any experience with home pad repair? Are there any good guides or tech manuals you can recommend that might lead me to a solution? Since RedOctane's support person's solutions were (a) "some of our customers have had luck repairing pads" and (b) "ask on ddrfreak.com"...I'm hoping someone can help me out with some info on this.

If this should be it's own thread or if there is already a pad repair thread that I didn't see, I apologize and a pointer in the right direction would be excellent. Thanks much.
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Stugein
A.D.D. stands for 'Attention Deficit LET'S GO RIDE BIKES!'

dj_sammylvr03 · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jun 2004 Location: Connecticut, US

guariche

After just about giving up on the Ignition 3.0 pad (blue box), and having the "free" Kraft Cheese sitting in my closet, I decided to cut open the Kraft Cheese pad, and take out the foam between the plastic circuit sheets and the plastic under the arrows and put them into my Ignition 3.0 pad.

Carefully, I cut open the RO Ignition 3.0 pad and took out the plastic underneath the arrows touching the thick foam inserts. I also made a U cut around the plastic sheets (not breaking any circuits). Carefully, I took out the bad foam between the circuits. As someone mentioned before, the foam between the plastic circuits is practically disintegrated. Now carefully, I inserted the Kraft Cheese foam between the plastic circuit sheets, ensuring that the holes in the foam lined up with the arrows and that the foam is neatly laid out, etc.

After inserting the foam, carefully close the sheets and put the Kraft Cheese plastic (which is more durable) on the thick foam inserts, and zip up the pad. I could have stapled the plastic, but I wanted to try it out first.

It works great for now. I don't have a left arrow triggering constantly anymore, and I can step in the center without triggering any arrows. We shall see how long this lasts.

At least I found a use for the Kraft Cheese pad.

Guariche

Maverickdebater · Trick Member Joined: 10 Jul 2006

Would using shoes on an Ignition 2.0/3.0 totally destroy it? Or would it be sturdy enough not to need shoes?

psisarah · Trick Member Joined: 06 Jul 2005 Location: Toronto

Orthonormal · Basic Member Joined: 20 Sep 2006

Maverickdebater · Trick Member Joined: 10 Jul 2006

Er.. i use my Converse/Airwalks on my Softpad already

monkeywithnauzi · Basic Member Joined: 15 Oct 2006

Hmmm...I'm here 'cos of Red Octane too. Worse yet, I got screwed...bought an Ignition Pad a year ago (version? How do you check? I don't see any version info on the pad or on the box), life took a turn, a year later I finally open it...only to find a stuck button. Lovely.

Wonder if we should ban together and send Red Octane a nasty-gram?

Good info anyways....gonna look at the solutions here to fix it. Just getting into this whole DDR/In the Groove thing, hopin' it's fun.