Tag Archives: proton pack

Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Proton Pack

OMG, It’s finally here!!!!

I ordered this bad boy way back in 2021 when Hasbro offered it up via the Haslab crowdfunding platform. They needed 7,000 backers to proceed and they received over 19,000 eager Ghostbusters fans with the product scheduled for release in spring 2023.

Well it’s truly hard to believe that even with all the Covid related delays and supply chain issues, the good folks at Hasbro managed to get this out earlier than expected.

The pack connects to the previously released and awesome Hasbro Ghostbusters Plasma Series Spengler’s Neutrona Wand which I had already purchased way back in 2020. They both work together and the pack actually responds to the actions of the wand. This is truly unexpected as the original wand was created as a stand alone item, with no plans at the time to create the entire pack.

Here’s a quick video of the pack in operation.

Of course I’ve made a few little modifications to bring the beast closer to the actual movie prop, but this thing is pretty darn cool right out of the box.

Owning a full size Ghostbusters Proton Pack has been a dream of mine since first seeing the movie way back in 1984. Until Hasbro produced this beauty, the only option was to gather up all the parts, assemble, paint and install all the electronics yourself, or pay someone thousands of dollars to build a pack for you. Although the Hasbro pack is not as authentic as these more expensive options, it’s definitely good enough for me and well exceeded my expectations.

Hasbro teased us Ghostbusters fans by hinting that they may be offering up another item later this year. I’m hoping it’s a ghost trap, or preferably an updated PKE Meter that also doubles as a ghost taser as seen in the Afterlife film.

Until them, “We have the tools, We have the talent…”

Who ya gonna call?

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Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!

So, after thinking I was done with any more major mods to the Ghostbusters pack, I changed my mind and decided to do the wand and sound upgrades.

It wasn’t like I didn’t have any extra time on my hands since everything is still closed. 😉

The sound upgrade wasn’t much of an effort and I had no issues with the install, but the wand upgrade required a lot of cutting and drilling to fit all the lights and electronics. I took my time and made all my cuts with care which resulted in a job well done.

I added a few extra buttons to disable the continuous hum, and also switch between single pack and dual pack (slime) mode which were currently only accessible via a jumper on the sound and wand circuit boards.

I replaced all the stock stickers with weathered versions I found on Etsy. It’s amazing to me how much support there is out on the world wide web for these things.

I added a large frosted LED for the shutdown affect, which flashes through the holes where speaker used to sit. Since I upgraded to the new sound board, I didn’t need that tiny little speak any longer. 🙂

Believe it or not, I still have a few other things I’m going to add before I can call this one complete.

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A few final mods to accommodate the new Spengler wand

More work on the Ghostbusters pack. I wanted to be able to swap out the Rubies wand I use for display, and the Spengler wand I’ll be using for my costume.

I first swapped out the 3D printed v-hook setup I was using with a standard Dixie® Cup bracket that would accommodate both wands. The new v-hook setup strengthen the mount on the inside of the pack, as the Spengler wand is much heaver than the Rubies version.

I added a small four pin quick release connector at the bottom of the pack which allows the four wires needed for the Rubies wand to remain functional when connected. The connector I chose fits prefect in the stock hole, so no additional drilling or modifications was needed.

I didn’t like the way the electrical tape looked on the end of the extra afterlife cable, so I removed the tape and cleaned up the faux plug a bit to make it more presentable. 🙂

The Spengler wand hooks in using the same type of plug, but I didn’t wire anything up as the wand itself handles all the sound. I know a lot of people have opened up the Spengler wand, tied into its speaker and routed it to the pack, but I’m just not ready to do that yet. At this point, I’m happy with the sound emanating from the wand.

I was planning on doing the whole wand light and pack sound kits, but I think I’m happy with the way everything turned out. I’m going to switch my focus towards a full sized pack. Although I love my little Rubies setup, a full size pack with all the bells and whistles is where true Ghostbuster happiness is found. 🙂

Who ya gonna call?

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Okay, last Ghostbusters post for a while… I promise

Well, my quest to create my own motherboard for the Rubies/Spirit Pack was a little harder than I thought. Living in a rural area I couldn’t obtain the MDF I needed to use for my pack. I had seen a pre-cut MDF motherboard on eBay but it was very expensive… but thanks to an eBay coupon that popped up I was able to get it down to a price I could live with.

I was going to go with a larger cut, more like the movie boards that stick out a bit wider than the pack shell, but for this 80% pack I actually like the way this board fits inside the shell. I utilize Doug’s (ghostlab42) A.L.I.C.E. frame mounting hardware so I had to measure and cut out a little rectangle for the middle mount, but after that I threw on a few coats of paint and it was done.

So much better than that flimsy cardboard/cloth motherboard the thing came with. I was finally able to put the “Danger” sticker on the back which I feel really finishes it off.

For now, I think I’m done. I’m pretty happy with the way it looks and I think I will wrangle my efforts into creating a true full size replica.

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A few more mods to the Proton Pack

Added a ghostlab42 Dale PH-25 Replica Resistor and Wand Tube Upgrade to my Ghostbusters pack. Also added a foam neck pad and wand sticker kit. I hooked up the replica resistor to a rotary switch, so now I can easily turn the pack on and off.

Future upgrades include replacing the motherboard with masonite and both the ghostlab42 wand and sound board kits when they are back in stock.

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Hey, anybody see a ghost?

Phase one of the new Ghostbusters Proton Pack. This is a Rubies proton pack that has been modded to look and perform more like the theatrical version. So far I added the light kit, cosmetic dress up kit and full ALICE frame. Next I will concentrate on the Neutrino Wand, adding a clear tip and sticker pack.

Soon, I hope to do a full feature upgrade to the wand, and sound board for the pack which will really bring this thing to life.

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