modding my homebuilt pad

VelocityWave · Trick Member Joined: 02 Apr 2006

OK so heres the deal. A few months ago I built a metal pad using riptide's design. Aesthetically, I love the pad. It looks absolutely great. But I'm not really happy with the way it performs. I think I have to much travel on the buttons, and they're not sensitive enough. To cut a long story short, I can get better scores on my softpad, which was a little disappointing. Anyway I want to get rid of the screw contacts all together and fit it with a new, more sensitive system. Does anyone have any ideas for a contact system that is more sensitive than the one i am currently using?

Matrlx · Trick Member Joined: 22 Jan 2006

*Shameless plug*

You can take a look at the sensor design I came up with for my pad, it's pretty simple, and it's been working great for me. Basically you get the same idea with the screws and mending brackets in Riptide's design, but this way around you don't have to worry about/adjust the sensitivity and you don't have to worry about metal on the bottom of your arrow panels.

The active and common wires are attached to either of the mending brackets, and the whole sensor can be held together with just a couple strips of tape wrapped around width-wise.

You can check out the link in my signature for more detail and pictures of what my pad and sensor setup looks like.
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Matrix Arcade Style DDRHomepad: http://members.shaw.ca/lluk/ddrpad/

ceraf · Posted: Thu Aug 10, 2006 8:03 pm Post subject:

time to cut up my old mousepads.... =)

VelocityWave · Trick Member Joined: 02 Apr 2006

Great, that looks like a really good idea for the sensors. I've been trying the design most people use with two sheet metal contacts on the top and bottom but im haveing trouble getting the sensitivity I want. When I put them too close i end up shorting the whole thing out. I'm gonna swing by the hardware today and pick up those mending brackets and see how your design works.

VelocityWave · Trick Member Joined: 02 Apr 2006

Well I just bought my local hardware store out of mending brackets. Didn't come cheap either. It was $23 for the brackets, screws, and washers. Well I'm looking forward to installing the sensors tonight and once again thanks for the design.

VelocityWave · Trick Member Joined: 02 Apr 2006

Yikes Triple Post!!

Sorry I just felt this deserved a bump.

Matrix, I just finished installing the contacts using your system and I absolutely LOVE IT. The feel is amazing, and so thank you sooo much.

Also to anyone else building a pad I HIGHLY suggest you use this method, it works better than any of the other contact systems I've used. Anyway thanks!