A couple of pads from [b]down under[/b] with some home mods!

[xenonkuraz]

As I live in Australia, it is still quite hard to find a decent metal pad. I've always been eager to get my hands on something like a cobalt flux but to ship one down here is still out of my budget.

Recently I found a seller on eBay offering 'high quality metal pads' for an affordable price. I managed to pick up a pair for $400 shipped:



These are probably abundant in the U.S. and probably looked down on too. I thought they were quite sturdy and decent...until a few songs later all the lexan/plexiglass cracked. Not suprising considering the pieces are 2mm thick cheap plastic.

This invited me to open up the pad and alas, discovered the cheap sensors that I read most people complaining about (foil stuck under the graphic to complete the circuit).

To remedy my problem, I bought some large sheets of 4mm polycarbonate and cut them up with an electric jigsaw. I used two big sheets costing me $70 with enough left over to make another set for one pad. Fitted:



Next I realised I needed to come up with some graphics as the original ones were stuck on to the lexan. I searched these forums for ideas/templates and came across something I thought looked different (and cool):



(thanks darktech & cartoonhero29 for making the graphics available)

I modified these a bit using the theme from the pad's original arrows and came up with this:



The thicker lexan makes the pads feel much sturdier when playing. With the new graphics in...I'm still not sure whether I like it more than the original or not.

Here's both of them completed (can't believe it cost me $50 to print the graphics out!):



What do you guys think?

Any ideas on what sensors I could upgrade to?

[Shuma Gorath]

Whoa those graphics looks really nice and cool, may I request the files of those graphics?

And about the new sensors. Well, thats kinda difficult, because you dont have almost any space there to fit sensors inside. You could try maybe putting a pair of square metal plates(per arrow) with some piece of velcro/foam on each arrow corner to replicate cobal flux sensors. If as result you get rised arrows, then use some washers or little nuts on each of the non-arrow panels to make all the panels stay at the same height(or slightly recessed height for arrow panels if you want some arcade feeling).

You could also get 2 thick metal stripes to join the 2 pads to play doubles. In a near future you could make a whole wood bay to put the pads inside and then attach handle bars at the end of the wood structure.

[necorn]

whoa those are almost exactly like my mat when i first bought them
good job on replacing all the panels

btw im from australia too, so where did you go to get all your materials and how much did it cost in total?

[xenonkuraz]

Shuma I will forward you the graphics when I finish work.

Necorn it cost me $120 in total; $70 for the perspex and $50 to print the graphics at Officeworks. I printed them on 200gsm A3 paper.