[PeculiarReality]

So I've got, and have had for a while, the Spirit Halloween proton pack, and recently decided I want to work on modding it, but other than overdoing it with a silver sharpie to add (probably too much) wear. Might even add black and silver paint to try to make the wear more realistic. Anyway, any tips would be appreciated!

I know I need a new back board for it, and an ALICE frame which I can probably get at my local mil surplus store, but I'm not sure what else I'll need, or how much it'll cost.

[PeculiarReality]

Wow, I just realized how bad my sentence structure was in that post... Oops.

[deadderek]

There's TONS of mods available for Spirit Packs, some that make them look almost as good as a real full size one!

Light kits, various mods, etc.

If you're on FB I'd recommend starting out with this group:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/1245009538981995

[PetroMan]

If you do only one upgrade, make it the pack lights. Seriously just adding the lights sequencing on the pack is the most visually distinctive thing you can do. The average casual fan doesn't know any of the other details. (or even exactly what the lights should look like)

I highly recommend getting the pack lights kit from GhostLabs42. Just the pack lights aren't in stock as of my posting so it won't show up on his store page linked there. If you are comfortable using a rotary tool (Dremel) and a little drilling and cutting get the bundle with the pack lights, wand lights, and sound upgrade. Just the pack and wand lights can run off the original battery, but if you install the sound kit you will need a 12v rechargeable battery pack too. (which you probably would want to do anyway.)

He has posted videos showing the three kits in operation:
Single pack mode
Dual pack mode

The only down side is you have to choose and set which of those two modes you want to use before closing up the pack and wand. Technically you can change it later but you have to open everything up again to set the jumper.

I still think that is by far and away best upgrade you can make to a spirit pack and worth every penny.

[PeculiarReality]

If you do only one upgrade, make it the pack lights. Seriously just adding the lights sequencing on the pack is the most visually distinctive thing you can do. The average casual fan doesn't know any of the other details. (or even exactly what the lights should look like)

I highly recommend getting the pack lights kit from GhostLabs42. Just the pack lights aren't in stock as of my posting so it won't show up on his store page linked there. If you are comfortable using a rotary tool (Dremel) and a little drilling and cutting get the bundle with the pack lights, wand lights, and sound upgrade. Just the pack and wand lights can run off the original battery, but if you install the sound kit you will need a 12v rechargeable battery pack too. (which you probably would want to do anyway.)

He has posted videos showing the three kits in operation:
Single pack mode
Dual pack mode

The only down side is you have to choose and set which of those two modes you want to use before closing up the pack and wand. Technically you can change it later but you have to open everything up again to set the jumper.

I still think that is by far and away best upgrade you can make to a spirit pack and worth every penny.

The lights and sound are the biggest issue I've had with the Spirit pack so I'll definitely take this into consideration! I've also been eyeing an ALICE frame that looks pretty accurate on Amazon, to replace the straps. Any tips on replacing the back, though? I know the soft motherboard (that is the word, right?) of the Spirit pack isn't that sturdy, so I'd like to replace it too.

Edit: I'd also like to know how I should mod the thrower. The stock Spirit thrower is *impossible* to grab and put back when worn, and the peg is slightly too small so it's constantly falling out and bashing against the ground... which is why I don't wear my pack much

[tobycj]

If you do only one upgrade, make it the pack lights. Seriously just adding the lights sequencing on the pack is the most visually distinctive thing you can do. The average casual fan doesn't know any of the other details. (or even exactly what the lights should look like)

I highly recommend getting the pack lights kit from GhostLabs42. Just the pack lights aren't in stock as of my posting so it won't show up on his store page linked there. If you are comfortable using a rotary tool (Dremel) and a little drilling and cutting get the bundle with the pack lights, wand lights, and sound upgrade. Just the pack and wand lights can run off the original battery, but if you install the sound kit you will need a 12v rechargeable battery pack too. (which you probably would want to do anyway.)

He has posted videos showing the three kits in operation:
Single pack mode
Dual pack mode

The only down side is you have to choose and set which of those two modes you want to use before closing up the pack and wand. Technically you can change it later but you have to open everything up again to set the jumper.

I still think that is by far and away best upgrade you can make to a spirit pack and worth every penny.

The lights and sound are the biggest issue I've had with the Spirit pack so I'll definitely take this into consideration! I've also been eyeing an ALICE frame that looks pretty accurate on Amazon, to replace the straps. Any tips on replacing the back, though? I know the soft motherboard (that is the word, right?) of the Spirit pack isn't that sturdy, so I'd like to replace it too.

Edit: I'd also like to know how I should mod the thrower. The stock Spirit thrower is *impossible* to grab and put back when worn, and the peg is slightly too small so it's constantly falling out and bashing against the ground... which is why I don't wear my pack much

There are a bunch of sellers on Etsy who sell mods etc. I know that Charlesworth Dynamics and Frankengeek are two that sell replacement MDF motherboards for the Spirit pack. Various sellers also sell 3D printed v-hooks for the wand, some with the gun track for the wand too.

[CitizenBuster]

My vote for the Charlesworth motherboard. And The KLSGhostbusters on Etsy as well sells a very nice v hook upgrade. Very easy install, and no modification to stock wand.

[PetroMan]

Edit: I'd also like to know how I should mod the thrower. The stock Spirit thrower is *impossible* to grab and put back when worn, and the peg is slightly too small so it's constantly falling out and bashing against the ground... which is why I don't wear my pack much

There are multiple options for spirit pack compatible v-hooks. You will find that those are a bit difficult to re-holster even on a full sized pack. It is not impossible on a spirit pack (I had one for a while) but it is not at all as easy as the cartoon made it seem. Remember in the movie they didn't re-holster at all they just hooked the thrower on their belts.

If you want to be able to easily draw and re-holster the thrower, what you really want is a magnetic "hook" like this one from BusterProps. Not film accurate at all but it works really well.

[RiverofSlime]

I agree with the above about lights/sounds. Last year I finally got around to modding my 2017 Spirit pack. Little by little I eventually did almost everything you could do that didn't involve cutting/replacing sections of the shell itself.

If you do the lights and want to do more, I reccomend replacing the bronze looking valves and the colored tubes to be the correct colors and/or actual metal pieces. That goes a long way.

Have fun!

[EctoCaboose]

I’ve got quite a few metal parts from gbfans can I use them to convert a spirit pack?

[tobycj]

I’ve got quite a few metal parts from gbfans can I use them to convert a spirit pack?

Which parts specifically? Most will be too large as the spirit pack is only 80% scale.

[EctoCaboose]

The hga, ion arm, booster tube and some small pieces too

[tobycj]

The hga, ion arm, booster tube and some small pieces too

No, they'll all be too large for the spirit pack. The small pieces might be a case by case, but those major pack components definitely won't work.

[GBDave904]

I’ve got quite a few metal parts from gbfans can I use them to convert a spirit pack?

Likely wont fit right, Spirit is ~ 80-85% scale. Look at Charlesworth Designs and Tacobelli on Etsy, between the 2 of them you can get upgraded Booster tube, booster frame, HGA, lenses, cyclotron/bumper, fittings (brass and elbow), tubing, GB2 style ribbon cable, Ion arm...Theres a few others but those are the 2 I bought most of my upgrades from.

[halliwax]

ghostlabs42 electronics kit, all day long! easy to use, all plug and play, simple instructions, so easy even a halliwax can install it!

[Kieron W]

If you wanna have a look at how I did mine, it's in the post thread in the proton pack list , but I would say take it nice and slow, when you go to mod the Spirit Pack, as it took me a while to change a lot of things around. I would also recommend BenofKentProps if you can on etsy, he has 80% scaled down bits and bobs for the Spirit Pack and if you can't get ghostlabs42 electronics kit (or you're wanting to use the spengler wand instead), frankengeek has some as well as motherboard and pieces to set your ALICE frame up!

[hawkbatsquadron]

Here's how I did mine LINK: MY RUBIES/SPIRIT PACK MODIFICATION

[joezlo]

If you do only one upgrade, make it the pack lights. Seriously just adding the lights sequencing on the pack is the most visually distinctive thing you can do. The average casual fan doesn't know any of the other details. (or even exactly what the lights should look like)

I highly recommend getting the pack lights kit from GhostLabs42. Just the pack lights aren't in stock as of my posting so it won't show up on his store page linked there. If you are comfortable using a rotary tool (Dremel) and a little drilling and cutting get the bundle with the pack lights, wand lights, and sound upgrade. Just the pack and wand lights can run off the original battery, but if you install the sound kit you will need a 12v rechargeable battery pack too. (which you probably would want to do anyway.)

He has posted videos showing the three kits in operation:
Single pack mode
Dual pack mode

The only down side is you have to choose and set which of those two modes you want to use before closing up the pack and wand. Technically you can change it later but you have to open everything up again to set the jumper.

I still think that is by far and away best upgrade you can make to a spirit pack and worth every penny.

The lights and sound are the biggest issue I've had with the Spirit pack so I'll definitely take this into consideration! I've also been eyeing an ALICE frame that looks pretty accurate on Amazon, to replace the straps. Any tips on replacing the back, though? I know the soft motherboard (that is the word, right?) of the Spirit pack isn't that sturdy, so I'd like to replace it too.

Edit: I'd also like to know how I should mod the thrower. The stock Spirit thrower is *impossible* to grab and put back when worn, and the peg is slightly too small so it's constantly falling out and bashing against the ground... which is why I don't wear my pack much

I cut a piece of sheet metal for my MOBO & used some mounting brackets to attach it to the pack. Also made it easy to attach a ALICE Frame.

The wand is bad. Find a scale kit to match your pack - I went with BOK & it was excellent - it is STILL hard to work with a wand that is not 100% scale.


Aside from that:
Replace the ribbon cable
Cut holes in the N filter and put wire screen behind it
Get some cabling hose for the one green wire
Use Yellow Electrical tape to wrap the Ion Arm Wire
Get some copper tubing for the ion arm
BOK has a scale crank arm that you can easily just put right over the top of the molded one and no one is the wiser
Use hot glue to create weld marks - If you're going to repaint it
Use bondo to get rid of the speaker holes - if you're going to repaint it
Find a good sticker kit to replace the spirit ones
Order a red see through plastic school folder & blue see through plastic folder to replace the lenses for the cyclotron & power cell.

I used an arduino to program the powercell, and took one of the leads off of that & manually made a 555 ic timer circuit for the cyclotron.

I also did the lights and barrel extend for the wand myself after I got the BOK kit.

Once I finish my wireless trap, its back to the pack for sound.

[joezlo]

Edit: I'd also like to know how I should mod the thrower. The stock Spirit thrower is *impossible* to grab and put back when worn, and the peg is slightly too small so it's constantly falling out and bashing against the ground... which is why I don't wear my pack much

There are multiple options for spirit pack compatible v-hooks. You will find that those are a bit difficult to re-holster even on a full sized pack. It is not impossible on a spirit pack (I had one for a while) but it is not at all as easy as the cartoon made it seem. Remember in the movie they didn't re-holster at all they just hooked the thrower on their belts.

If you want to be able to easily draw and re-holster the thrower, what you really want is a magnetic "hook" like this one from BusterProps. Not film accurate at all but it works really well.

Exactly, once you undo the V Hook; it goes to the keyfob.

I even angled my thrower's end of the V hook dramatically to make it easier to draw & remove; but it is still not as easy as the RGB made it look.