Haslab Hasbro Proton Pack And Spengler Wand Keep Alive feature discussion

Equipment Proton Packs
1

Hello Haslab Pack Modders!

I just received my Haslab proton pack so am finally getting to playing around with that. The first thing I want to fix is pack’s auto power down feature that really wants to shut down the pack. This powerdown feature is similar to the Hasbro Spengler Neutrona wand’s sautomatic shutdown and I made a board to fix that a couple of years ago:

And this topic also looks like a great reference thread for additional Hasbro pack mods:

I am prototyping a new version of the Keep Alive board that is very similar to my Spengler Wand Keep Alive board, but will have these features:

  1. Only installed in the Spengler Wand. Similar to the current small board and only has 8 wires that need to be soldered onto the main circuit board in the Spengler wand. No changes to the Hasbro Proton Pack.

  2. Keeps the wand alive even if the rumble motor is running. The wand will only auto-shutdown if you fire too long. (new feature)

  3. Keeps the Hasbro proton pack running indefinitely, even if the wand shuts down after firing too long.

  4. Spengler wand can still turn off and on the Haslab proton pack. But the proton pack’s built in timer will not allow the wand to start it up if the pack is powered down for 5 minutes because the pack will remove power from the wand!

Not really an “interest” thread, so I did not place this in the For Sale section. More of a feature/function discussion thread for something I do plan on offering in a few months. (And I have been bad at estimating lead times, so at least by this summer?!?)

So two main questions:

  1. Does anyone want a similar circuit just for keeping the pack alive without a wand? So the only way to shut off the pack would be with the power switch (when not connected to the wand.)

  2. Any other features wanted from the wand?

2.1) I have an idea on how to have the Spengler wand control a vent relay in the pack so you could add a smoke kit and then control it with the Spengler wand (with the keep alive board installed)

2.2) A way to extend the 5 minute pack shutoff so the wand could power up the pack even after 5 minutes? This would require something (haven’t even looked into this yet) in the pack, so this cannot be done just from the board in the wand.

2.3) Anything else???

2

The only comment I have would be that it would be nice to NOT have the “fire too long shutoff” on the wand, as I’d quite like both things to be basically on and fully functional until off

Possibility of disabling general “pack” idling sounds (such that emit from the WAND speaker) from the wand so that only turn on, off and “shoot” sounds come off it?

And definitely to Number 1

3

I would personally want a way to keep the Pack on that can be installed via the pack itself…just because I’m a bit intimidated on opening the wand, and from what I’ve seen of reference photos, the pack itself seems straightforward to open up.

Of course, it’s a “Git gud” scenario for me, but it’s just something I’d like to see.

4

Would there really be no way to do anything with a watch battery installed something in the powerbar of the wand?

5

This sounds amazing. My wish would be for one of these solutions to be simplified. Something that wouldn’t take heavy modification skills or an electrical degree to install it. I would most likely just mess it up. Just something that can keep the pack on and still have control from the thrower.

6

I have a horrible connection between the pack and wand, and even if I have a faulty hose I can get replaced by Hasbro, I don’t have much confidence in this connection holding up long term. I don’t know how difficult it would be, but I would love if the wand could be more properly wired to the pack as if they were released together as a unit.

7

There may be a way to have the pack always on, but still allowing the wand to control it may be problematic if the wand keeps powering off, the pack would think you want it also powered off. Would you like it if the wand did not control the pack?

The pack only keep alive could also use the new “switch” on the crank generator that currently does not do anything.

8

YES!!! Definitely all these features you mentioned PLUS the vent relay would be an awesome bonus!

9

Yessss! This is great news. I have the Spengler link in my spirit pack and it’s awesome.

So excited about this.

Honestly for me, just keep the pack whirring away and I’ll be happy as Slimer in a hotdog cart.

10

I would like it to be possible to send the audio from the wand to pack speaker like how your current sound blaster board with Spengler link does it. The wand speaker is so weak it’s hard hear the thrower audio especially when I modded the pack speakers. If the wand and pack could share the sound that comes out the pack speaker that would be great.

11

I would be interested in a full upgrade kit including sound amplification similar to what you offer for the Spirit Pack and Spengler wand. Keeping the cyclotron lights stock but reversing the direction if possible for Afterlife. I’m not an electronics engineer, so I don’t even know if that is possible. I’m not afraid of gutting the current electronics in favor of a system that works more seamlessly.

12

I’m interested on anything you do to this hahaha! What you suggets is Awesome!!! Now I wonder… how long will it take to put these on sale??? TAKE MY MONEY!

13

it would be useful (to insert in the backpack or in the gun):

  1. to keep backpack and wand always on and add gb1/gb2 shutdown sound when everything goes off.

  2. synchronize and amplify the sounds of the wand even in the backpack.

  3. add wand grill sound from new movie. 4) make the cyclotron LEDs start slower at the start of ignition and after a few seconds, make them accelerate.

  4. add overheat mode if you shoot for more than 30 seconds but without completely turning off the wand.

  5. make the wand display go out gradually for a few seconds, and not all of a sudden.

  6. add the 2 missing orange LEDs to be inserted manually, 1 next to the grill and the other at the tip of the Gun.

8 ) change the clockwise direction of the cyclotron leds by a switch to put in the proton pack

14

Im ALL for 2.1 and 2.2. Vent relay for smoke, extend pack shutoff times, and if possible, amplify wand sounds?

Spongeface will come to our rescue for sure!!!

15

I’m quite sure all of us would be interested to keep the wand and the pack running indefinitely, as long as we can turn the pack on and off via the Spengler neutrona wand - with minor soldering of course!

The original “Keep Alive” feature requires a lot of electronci knowledge so minor soldering or plug and play would work!

Please keep us posted, Spongface. :slight_smile:

16

As Mardi Gras is rapidly approaching, I wish this were available today. Can’t wait until they are again.

17

My dreams are simple.

  1. Keep the wand on until it is physically switched off, OR until it overheats (which switches it off via software)

  2. Keep the pack on until it is physically switched off, OR until a connected wand is drawing zero power

The simpler the solution, the better.

18

If I could have a wishlist of things I’d want, I would love:

  • a way to extend the timer to restart the pack. (I’d love to up that to like an hour.)

  • disable/modify shutdown timers (on both pack and wand). Even if it were just to be able to set the timers to something like 12 hours.

  • enable/disable the overheat when firing (kind of a movie mode vs game mode if you will).

  • an easy installation method with minimal soldering.

19

YES TO ALL THIS

YES TO ALL THIS too! Having a separate piece for the pack so it doesn’t shut off would be AMAZING.

Features I would add to the Pack part:

-Hability to connect a 12V battery and ditch the D cells.

-Ramp up the cyclotron light effect when turning on startingn slow and increasing speed in the next secconds?

Features I would add to the Wand part:

-Modify the sounds? I’ve seen a mod in here where its replicating the sound effects form Afterlife. Maybe having an option like this would be awesome

20

If I could wish, I would wish that I could take the spirit blaster from my Spirit pack along with my Spengler board-modded wand and use them both with the Hasbro pack. I love the great sound effects piped from the wand to the pack, GB theme, overheat sounds, and ability to power everything from a single Talentcell battery. Plus I would really like to be able to reuse the wand already modded.