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Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 9th, 2018, 6:11 pm
by Cambo5150
Hello, I'm a newb. I have proton pack questions. I have a Spirit Halloween pack. I'm wondering if this can be modded to be acceptable for events. I have seen the cosmetic kits, light kits, and it looks like you can mount it to an Alice Frame. Is it worth to mod it as my first pack. Or should I start down the scratch built route? Just wondering because it looks like I could put $200 into the Spirit pack and be "done". Or the sky is the limit on a 1:1 scratch built. Money is a bit of an issue unless I take a long time to accumulate the parts of a scratch built pack. Thoughts? Thanks in advance for your answers for the new guy!

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 9th, 2018, 7:28 pm
by TragicManner
I'm in the same boat, as I am pretty new and just starting to build up my gear. About a year ago I decided to attempt a Proton Pack scratch build, but decision paralysis, having a difficult time figuring out where to start, and my general lack of experience kind of led me to keep putting it aside. Proton pack projects are a pretty difficult place to begin at.

In August, Spirit Halloween released a ghost trap, and when I saw it I decided I needed to mod it. Progress has been pretty good, mostly because it was a relatively simple (keyword here being relatively, because it's still pretty invovled!) but more importantly very paced project where I had the chance to more or less decide along the way what I wanted to change and what I wanted to keep the same. What's more, I have used a ton of resources from countspatula's 3d printed trap, so having documented details on building a similar prop has been incredibly helpful.

I know you're talking about Proton Packs, but I would recommend starting as simple as possible. Whether that be with the spirit halloween proton pack and some mod kits to keep it simple and straight forward, or with a really nice pack shell to build off of (though that is going to be more expensive and pretty involved). Either way, starting off with a proton pack scratch build just kind of left me feeling like a failure, but moving to something more straightforward and introductory helped me get my feet wet, and I'm really feeling positive about building out all my stuff now.

Also, if you get the SH Proton Pack and just mod a few things on it, it can be an ongoing project that immediately provides value. You could buy it and wear it day 1 and it will wow most people. So the instant gratification is pretty helpful. What's more, that proton pack doesn't become worthless if you later build a full-sized scratch build. There are plenty of situations where the smaller size of the SH proton pack is desireable over a bigger, heavier full-sized pack.

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 9th, 2018, 7:51 pm
by NickFame13
The Spirit pack is my first (but not last) pack. I was riding the fence, at first, until the other gear came out. Grabbed them all and started modding. Then I saw how much potential they have. I plan on doing more Spirit pack mods as well as full builds. Money has been an issue for years and this became a helpful avenue.

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 9th, 2018, 7:53 pm
by Quon44
Man it can definitely be modified.
And for less than $200.
Ebay is king. And if not there home depot and your local thrift stores.

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 9th, 2018, 9:09 pm
by randomZERO
This is my spirit pack. I have alot in it so far. I'm still working on it. Lots of 3d printed parts made by very talented people on here to add to it.
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Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 10th, 2018, 8:20 am
by Cambo5150
Thanks for all the replies!

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 10th, 2018, 9:03 am
by tb-1599
My Spirit pack is my first proton pack and I love it.. especially with my Matty Wand and spongeface adapter.. I think it's going to be my favorite prop out if my whole collection.

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 10th, 2018, 12:45 pm
by DarkSpectre
Image

Bear in mind how much smaller the Spirit Pack is. My full size is on the right. Also You get the most benefit gutting it and modding it because the thrower is comically small and the stock electronics are crap.

Image

But with a little spit and polish you can have something great to start with!

Re: Spirit Pack Vs. ???

Posted: October 12th, 2018, 1:31 am
by Acfq48
This post may contain an affiliate link that helps support GBFans.com when you make a purchase at no additional cost to you.

I would definitely go with the Spirit Pack and a lite electronics setup. Last Halloween I went out with a pack that didn't have the full set up of lights, buttons, toggles etc. and people loved it! Check out this post by Count DeMonet with a $15 soldering tool and maybe $30 in parts you can get something that will blow most peoples' costumes out of the water.

https://github.com/CountDeMonet/Arduino ... ircuit.png

Also, a heat gun to remove the decals (they are stuck on there unbelievably well and a heat gun or blow dryer really helps) you can remove all of the stickers, fill the speaker holes with glue or plastic filler, sand and repaint. I recommend a "hammered" black spray paint with a dark glossy black on top. It makes it look like cast iron and costs about $10. Plus you can order a new set of stickers for the pack from ebay for about $12.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ghostbusters-P ... :rk:2:pf:0

https://www.ebay.com/itm/Ghostbusters-S ... :rk:8:pf:0

You could also go this route if you want skip the soldering (which can be very difficult with the small solder pads of the neopixels).

https://www.etsy.com/listing/484137546/ ... ch_click=1

If you do go the solder route you can eventually upgrade the pack to a full functioning spirit pack.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lqbb-O-3d8M

With full upgrades I ended up spending about $350 or so but you could definitely get this under $200 if you went with the more basic route that I've outlined.