My home built metal DDR pad (Part IV)

[Weston]

How so? I checked all the links and they work fine.

EDIT: Sometimes the page just doesn't show up. Crappy webhosting I guess.

[infamous360]

looks pretty good... i might make a pair if i dont get sharks. how much did it cost you for both?
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proud owner hacked itg2 dedi running openitg PUMP PRO FX,

[spritemanjc]

Lately ive been trying to make the "matrix sensors" but for some reason they just rapidfire a lot. Im using Pan head phillips #10x1 screws and a 1/4 mouse pad and i even use weatherstripping on the sides but the panel is too sensitive. any ideas?


Shot at 2007-07-03
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"Dance Dance Contra Revolucion"
Bueno, Bueno, Grande, Perfecto

[Weston]

sprite: Get double-sided tape and cardboard from a cereal box. Cut out small rectangles in the cardboard and attach the tape to it. Put each rectangle piece between the top mending bracket and the opposing mousepad on the bottom bracket. Each rectangle will act as a spacer and reduce the autofire problem.

infamous: About $170 for the newest pad.

[ChilliumBromide]

Cool, man. Anyone have a link for matrlx's pad, or more specifically, a good tutorial for the sensors?
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I used to be active here lol

[spritemanjc]

[Hertigen]

I just went to some company specialized in Plexiglas, and when I told them I was looking for something to be jumped on, they were like, "huh?" They told me, I shouldn't risk getting plexiglas because it's so insanely expensive and will probably break. nor polycarbonate (lexan) (which is btw, even more expensive).

so uh... I don't really know what to think about this. I could just go with wood, but since I'd like to add lights that's a little bit annoying. But most of you guys have built your arrow panels with plexiglas, right?

btw, neat, sprite

[Tenchi50]

haha

someone correct me if i'm wrong, but i believe most everyone uses lexan, maybe some people still use regular acrylic but i doubt it
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Recall|Goovestats Challenges please
[quote:2aaeee914c="Xantar"]I'm not even posting my name after Guy Love. He frick won the thread I don't even know what this thread is about but he won it.[/quote]

[Hertigen]

I was told by this company, lexan is sturdier than plexiglas but it still kinda bends a bit. Is this ok anyway?
(but this stuff is expensive...like hell.)

I believe I could add a sensor in the center of the arrow well for extra safety?

[spritemanjc]

[Agent]

LOL, Cobalt Fluxes use lexan. It will be fine.

[ChilliumBromide]

Tomorrow, when it's light out, I might make a video of myself hitting a 1/4"x11"x11" Lexan panel with a steel bat (I'm kind of hesitant to really push the strength of the Lexan panels I have because they cost about $8 each, and, while I know that can stand up to being stomped on with a couple hundred pounds of force, I don't know how well they'd hold up to something like a bat, sledgehammer, et cetera). Although I think the fact that 3/8" Lexan is enough to stop most bullets should be good enough for you.

Sprite, that's a pretty good tutorial you made, but it's not for me; I want a link for my homebrews page on my site. I'd be willing to set up the tutorial there if necessary, but I'd like to have some external link I could use, 'cause I have kind of limited bandwidth, and I'm guessing that would probably get a lot of traffic, you know?


EDIT: Looks like I don't need to make a video after all. This one tells it all.

Other uses of Lexan:
Riot Shields and Visors
Bulletproof Glass
Museum viewing cases
Water bottles (lolol 1/16" Lexan)
CD's
Animal Enclosures
Lenses
Instrument Cases
Basically anything you need to be able to see through that also needs to be effectively indestructible.

Also, you will not experience excessive bending. It takes a phenomenal amount of force to bend polycarbonates any significant amount, and despite the fact that they're mildly ductile, they will most likely not bend noticeably when used in a dance pad application.
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I used to be active here lol

[Hertigen]

Thanks for these explainations

[spritemanjc]

Soymilkcharlie: Just reference this exact page of the topic on you're site, or you could wait for matrix tut which he promised would be up soon.
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"Dance Dance Contra Revolucion"
Bueno, Bueno, Grande, Perfecto

[Ghettobarney]

What I really need to know is what size screws I should use for matrix sensors.
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OMG I BEETS MACKS 300!

[spritemanjc]

[Ghettobarney]

Nice pad, make a vid of it upclose.
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OMG I BEETS MACKS 300!

[DMS]

So, for my birthday I will be getting enough money to build my own metal pad. I plan to use RipTide's design, but with matr1x sensors instead of sheet metal/screws, and I have a few questions.

1. Would it be better to use my old PSX analog controller, or my old soft pad's control box for the circuit board?

2. What's an alternative to the stickied thread on lighting the panels. I am no where near tech savvy enough to do it that way.

3. I want my pad to be as close a replica of an ITG2 dedicab pad, and I know the arrows are less recessed than a DDR machine. How would I go about making it closer to an ITG2 pad, and where could I get the arrow decals?

4. Could I put some kind of feet on the bottom of the pad, like at the arcade, to help replicate the arcade feel, or would it mess it up since the pad base is wood?

5. What is the best way to construct a trick bar, and how difficult would it be to install the buttons for start/select in the bar, instead of the pad?

Thanks in advance.

[ChilliumBromide]

1. The softpad chip would be better. Many PSX controllers have an axis programming that doesn't allow opposite D-Pad buttons to be pressed.

2. Wire up seperate circuits for the lights and the button. If you do this, I'd suggest making 8 sensors; 4 in the corners and 4 on the edges. Wire up 3 to the lights and 5 to the button.

3. Simply use parts with different dimensions. The recession on an ITG cab is 1/16" IIRC. Make sure to consider the thickness of the sheet metal when getting your materials.

4. You can buy the feet at Channelbeat or Benson. Buy 1 for the center of the pad if you're worried about the base cracking.

5. Probably the best bet would be to order on of those bars used for locking up your bicycle. I know for a fact that those can handle a few hundred pounds. However, if you're exceptionally tall, it may be hard to find one of the right height, and I don't know how expensive they are. As an alternative, you could use PVC pipe, fence post component, solid steel bars if you have welding skills, or really anything else long, hard, and round that you can cut to size and make a bar-shaped thing out of.

5.1 you may even be able to buy a bar from benson, channelbeat, or andamiro.

5.2 if you use piping to make your bar, it's just a matter of shoving some wires up the pipe, drilling a couple holes in it, wiring up the buttons, then sticking them in their holes.

If any of those answers are unsatisfactory, please modify your questions with more specifics. The more specific you are, the harder it is for us to come up with answers that don't work.

Oh, and a budget would be nice, too.
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I used to be active here lol

[DMS]

No, that pretty much answers all I needed to know. Well, except, I am still a bit confused on how to wire everything up inside the pad, as I can't find a really good guide for this.

Also, my budgest is roughly $400, I would say. Maybe a bit less, but definitely over $300.