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Are there any good lightweight metal pads?
 
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JasonMath
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Joined: 07 May 2006
0. PostPosted: Fri Sep 05, 2008 11:42 pm    Post subject: Are there any good lightweight metal pads? Reply with quote
So, one of my pads (the BNS Deluxe pad) with hard foam inserts stopped working on the top arrow. The other pad (a RedOctane Ignition) is still working, but it has about 10 pieces of tape over tears in the top of the pad. I have been through 3 of these pads (including the two mentioned before) since I got into Stepmania with pad in April 2006.

So, are there any good metal pads that are either lightweight (less than 15 pounds) or can easily be taken apart? I want a long-lasting (i.e. more than 12 month) pad, but I don't want to have to haul an solid 30+ pound pad 1-2 blocks with the rest of my gear when I walk to my DDR/bemani club meetings.

If there aren't any metal pads that fit these needs, are there any good brands of the hard foam insert pads that will last me more than 12 months?


P.S. Does modding the pads (even ones with hard foam inserts) make them last longer?
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belink
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Joined: 12 Aug 2007
1. PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 4:59 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you do find a pad less than 15 pounds, you bet it will slip all over the place.

Quote:
P.S. Does modding the pads (even ones with hard foam inserts) make them last longer?
Don't mod your pad like you would with a soft pad (hardwood floor cover/vinyl). If you insist on modding your hard foam pad, slice the pad open and replace the foam with square holes in with green dense foam. Cut the squares manually, tape it back wear the old foam was. Then tape the places you sliced open shut. There was a good tutorial about it, but the site went down. You can still find it on google cache: http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:23bQeERJ0R0J:www.math.wisc.edu/~holden/videogames/ddr/pad%2520mod%2520guide/pad%2520mod%2520guide.html+dance+pad+mod&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a The images don't work though.
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ChilliumBromide
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2. PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 9:20 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
If you get a CF and replace the base with some 1/4" MDF, it shouldn't weigh more than 15 or 20lbs. It's a bit of a task to do though. I am going to try making one from scratch once I find a new workspace. (got kicked out of my grandparents' garage)
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JasonMath
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Joined: 07 May 2006
3. PostPosted: Sat Sep 06, 2008 11:24 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
belink wrote:
If you do find a pad less than 15 pounds, you bet it will slip all over the place.


Actually, the Red Octane Ignition pads don't move too much for me. I have only had them move three feet, maximum during one song (and that was a 7-minute long marathon). Usually they only move about a foot, which is tolerable for me. I did try playing on one of the cheapo pads at a friend's house, and that moved like the floor was covered with grease. riiight.gif

Quote:
]Don't mod your pad like you would with a soft pad (hardwood floor cover/vinyl). If you insist on modding your hard foam pad, slice the pad open and replace the foam with square holes in with green dense foam. Cut the squares manually, tape it back wear the old foam was. Then tape the places you sliced open shut. There was a good tutorial about it, but the site went down. You can still find it on google cache: http://66.102.9.104/search?q=cache:23bQeERJ0R0J:www.math.wisc.edu/~holden/videogames/ddr/pad%2520mod%2520guide/pad%2520mod%2520guide.html+dance+pad+mod&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=1&client=firefox-a The images don't work though.


Any possibility of pictures for that? If not, is it similar to the soft pad mod guides out there?

Quote:
If you get a CF and replace the base with some 1/4" MDF, it shouldn't weigh more than 15 or 20lbs.


Really? That would mean that the base takes up at least 23 pounds, since the whole package is 45 pounds (assuming the control box and packing material are about 2 pounds together). And by MDF, I assume you mean medium density fiberboard, right?
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stuffmonger
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Joined: 08 May 2008
4. PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 8:08 am    Post subject: Reply with quote
JasonMath wrote:

Actually, the Red Octane Ignition pads don't move too much for me. I have only had them move three feet, maximum during one song (and that was a 7-minute long marathon). Usually they only move about a foot, which is tolerable for me. I did try playing on one of the cheapo pads at a friend's house, and that moved like the floor was covered with grease. riiight.gif


... 3 feet is a lot. >_>
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belink
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5. PostPosted: Sun Sep 07, 2008 2:50 pm    Post subject: Reply with quote
Quote:
Any possibility of pictures for that?
I don't have the page saved, but the author's email is on that google cache page. Try asking him.

Quote:
If not, is it similar to the soft pad mod guides out there?
No. Don't mod your foam pad like you would for a soft pad. They don't work the same.

Quote:
Actually, the Red Octane Ignition pads don't move too much for me. I have only had them move three feet, maximum during one song (and that was a 7-minute long marathon). Usually they only move about a foot, which is tolerable for me.
3 FEET?!?! That is HUGE! The most my pad ever moves is about 5 inches to the right, during a MGD3 marathon.
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