TOPigeon pad question

[Journey]

I have an opportunity to buy a used TOPigeon V8 system and I'm most likely going to go ahead and get it, but a couple guys in the racing club were saying that the pad can only have a very thin piece of plywood over it, like a 1/4 inch (.635 centimeters), because it won't reliably read pigeons crossing it if you use anything thicker. My landing boards are 1/2 inch (1.27 centimeters) so I'd like to know if this is a common thing that will require me to rethink my landing board and/or pad placement or not.

[AdamArcher]

I use a ToPigeon and have found it less reliable than the more expensive brands, however, when a single pigeon is crossing it very rarely misses. It is only when a lot of birds are trying to enter at once that it struggles.

That being said, I did change from a 4mm ply to a thin sheet of plastic over the pad this year to try and help.