Repair of Logic 3 metal pad

ddrenthusiast · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jun 2009

I was going to post in this thread:
http://www.ddrfreak.com/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=98557
But discovered mine is slightly different. It has over 90 rubber feet. A later version, in other words.

Bear with me, this is a long story.

When I bought mine, it was the last one sold by the importer. They were discontinuing selling them because of too many errors with them.

Right away, the right panel on my pad started acting up. But because it was the last one sold, and there was a risk they wouldn't fix it, I didn't chance sending it in.

I learned that if I landed far out on the panel, the step would register. I also shuffled the panels a little. Not sure if it helped, but I was working on the theory the space might be slightly too small for the panel, so maybe another panel would fit better.

Over time, the problems lessened. For months the pad worked practically perfectly.

Then it lay unused for a while. I used it occasionally, and would occasionally have the whole pad cut out during a song. I slightly jiggled (not actually moving) the connections and it would start again. Last time it happened, it didn't actually work until I jiggled the connection where the cable go into the playstation2 player.

Then the right panel started acting up again.

This time, although sometimes I wonder if it's related to where I put pressure on it, I'm not so sure that's at the heart of it. It will start malfunctioning in the middle of a song, then it's OK, then it's not. Sometimes it'll cut in and out between steps. I also get quite a few Almosts and Good.

It's so bad, songs I normally get A or AA on, I will now either fail or get a B on.

The pad has been sheet metal modded, and apart from that, no maintenance. I opened up the offending panel, and it looks just fine.

Any ideas on what to do? Buying a new one is not an option, while repairing this one is. Though I don't solder myself, I have access to people who are really good at finding bad solder points and fixing those.

ddrenthusiast · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jun 2009

I'm leaning towards my pad having two separate problems. The initial problem seem to have more or less corrected itself, or I've adapted to it.

But the right pad intermittently cutting out might be a contact failure of some sort. Last time it lasted virtually without errors through several songs in the middle of the pass. But it started failing again.

So, I'm thinking, I need to approach this from a troubleshooting angle.

How about removing the "arrow", and completing the circuit with something else. Something metal. That arrow is used for choosing songs, so I'd have a pretty reliable test to see if it works or not.

That would enable me to see if it works consistently, fails consistently, or maybe me messing with some wires in the vicinity would make it work or fail.

Any thoughts?

ddrenthusiast · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jun 2009

I believe in miracles...

The pad seems to have repaired itself! Today it behaved as usual, and then suddenly stopped cutting out in the middle of a song, and kept working for the rest of the looong pass.

I'm very happy. Will probably still work on modding a home pad I've already started working on, but if this holds, that's the best solution for me.

ddrenthusiast · Trick Member Joined: 20 Jun 2009

It didn't stay fixed...

But it is now. Turns out there was a miniscule break in the copper. After some solder in the right spot, it works again. Perfectly.

So if you have problems like mine, look into that. You may not see there's a problem, but someone used to soldering and fixing things, will see it.