Sideshow 1/6 Imperial Probe Droid

[TonTon]

Not sure how SS came up with 4 lbs. The actual probe droid is only about a pound with legs attached. The base may be the rest, which as suggested is to keep the whole thing very stable when displayed. There were so many warnings from people about the weight that I don't know how it can come as a surprise to anyone who buys it. It's so light I plan to use fishing wire to display it eventually.

 

[OutLander]

It's likely the designers kept the weight down in order to avoid putting unecessary strain on the support stand. Also having it top heavy would make it more likely to topple over by accident.

 

[Deeznutz6]

Not sure how SS came up with 4 lbs. The actual probe droid is only about a pound with legs attached. The base may be the rest, which as suggested is to keep the whole thing very stable when displayed. There were so many warnings from people about the weight that I don't know how it can come as a surprise to anyone who buys it. It's so light I plan to use fishing wire to display it eventually.

It wasn't a surprise at all, simply stating that for the money the overall piece for my reasons was underwhelming.

 

[Pixelpiper]

It wasn't a surprise at all, simply stating that for the money the overall piece for my reasons was underwhelming.

When I factor price, all of HT and Sideshow's pieces are underwhelming honestly. I find I have to let go of the pricing issue to enjoy the hobby.

 

[Deeznutz6]

When I factor price, all of HT and Sideshow's pieces are underwhelming honestly. I find I have to let go of the pricing issue to enjoy the hobby.

In some cases yes, but do you feel this piece is equally as good as the second vader or general g?

 

[Invictus Sol]

Holy, I'd say it smokes them both (and I have all three). It's the most unique and most likely to never be made, again. On display the weight isn't an issue and it has huge shelf presence and iconic sci-fi design. I don't know, I can't think of another figure that's more WYSIWYG than this one. If you were a big enough fan of the Probe Droid design to purchase this in the first place, then I don't know what there is to be disappointed with.

In regards to price, maybe check out the customs threads to get an idea of the cost for something like this if it were a small run. Would easily be over $1k. Personally I'm really glad SSC took a chance on this design and gave us the opportunity to buy.

 

[haveblue]

The weight doesn't affect the finish nor how the piece will look being displayed. A seam is a production issue, a flaw, and if it's visible while displayed it detracts from the appearance of the figure and the sense of realism.

If the figure weighs 4 lbs as listed on Sideshow's site, that's a scaled 864 lbs - just in case.

I agree with this completely. The only time you notice the weight is when you're assembling it or moving it...unless you're actually treating this like an action figure. Once it's on display, you won't be able to tell how much it weighs, but you'll definitely be able to see a seam that is right in your face.

 

[Redleg007]

All I know is I love mine and plan to have lots of fun with it.

 

[TonTon]

Haha. Awesome. So that's what all those legs are for.

 

[jkno]

For a high-end Probot you have a few options:

1. 1:5 scale Attakus statue. Pros: very nice size, pretty impressive on display. Cons: uber fragile (many arrived with broken parts), less accurate than SSC version, non-movable parts (it's a statue);

2. Studio scale model. You can assemble it yourself or pay (big bucks) to be assembled and finished by a professional. Pros: the most accurate Probe Droid, movable parts, a bit larger than both Attakus and SSC. Cons: huge price, hard to find (this could be a pro when re-selling), if assembled by a pro, even more expensive;

3. 1:6 scale SSC figure. Pros: very cool on display, snow base, lights and sound included, movable arms, more accurate than Attakus, a bit less accurate than studio scale (though made with the help of the talented RPF member MoffEaton who also worked on EFX TIE Fighter - check the COA). Cons: the smaller of the bunch, lightweight (this is not an issue for me, but since more than one person addressed it, I decided to put it at cons)

All three versions are fragile, these are not made of titanium with armored bodies, they are not battle tanks, they are high-end collectibles. The Attakus is made of polystone/resin, studio scale is made of a combo of resin, metal and plastic, and SSC is made of ABS plastic and some metal.

 

[marker2037]

Mine was delivered yesterday to Florida. Now I've got to wait another 2 1/2 weeks or so until I have it in had.

 

[Pixelpiper]

Mine was delivered yesterday to Florida. Now I've got to wait another 2 1/2 weeks or so until I have it in had.

Mwhaha, mine will be delivered to NY on Thursday and with any luck, I'll pick it up the same day. Wooo! So many hacking ideas, so little time.

EDIT: Looks like I'll pick it up Friday for certain, so I'll have it taken apart, guts out by the end of the weekend.

 

[Pixelpiper]

He's now in hand. Still need to open the box. Don't know if I should wait until tomorrow...

 

[Pixelpiper]

Good news, bad news, good news and good news.

Good news: Making battery eliminator modules for both top and bottom parts of this guy is a go. Already figured out.

Bad news: The switching for the LED is solid state - that is, the button isn't the switch, it just triggers the switching which is done by a small chip on a board inside the head. The problem is the fact that this circuit defaults to OFF whenever the power is reset, which means the LED can't be controlled by an external switch on a power wire - the button on the head always needs to be newly pushed (can't keep it jammed) to turn ON the light.

Good news: I'm going to offer battery eliminator modules for this guy despite the bad news above. Connecting it to full-time power means no batteries to leak or replace.

Good news: I'm going to offer battery modules with an optional replacement LED that can be controlled externally - that means it can come on/off with other figures in your display or your room lighting, controlled by remote, whatever other options I offer and you desire. Replacing the LED is super simple - the existing one pulls right out of its socket with some mild force to release a tiny blob of hot glue. The replacement will slide right into the same hole as it will be the same size. They'll be single color only, but any LED color is possible. White, yellow, amber, red, green, whatever you want.

Next I'll be looking at an easy way for a customer to install a remote control module to trigger the sound.

If you guys have any other ideas, let me know. I might look into making him rotate on his post, as rotating only the head won't be possible without a lot of modification, not something easily installed/doable by a customer.

 

[Mavhas]

Looks like some more of my money will be going your way, PixelPiper!

 

[jkno]

Pixel, you need to make it hover too

 

[Mad Old Lu]

I'd love to see a picture of the probe droid gutted, Pix!

 

[Pixelpiper]

I'd love to see a picture of the probe droid gutted, Pix!

They make it pretty easy because the top cover of the bottom half comes off.

Did the instructions shipping with the first batch last year include any information about the buttons to light up the eye and produce the sound? They were easy enough to find, but the included instructions don't show them at all, nor do they mention anything about attaching the top "head" to the body. Given the price and size of the box, I feel they should have included a standard 8.5x11" printed page for the instructions instead of the palm-sized leaflet.

 

[TonTon]

You didn't like the 2/3" instruction sheet? Did yours not come with a magnifying glass?

 

[jkno]

For a bigger instruction sheet, SSC would have made us pay $20 more.