Trackball option?

[bigjase]

I'm planning on adding a trackball to my controls. I was looking at trackball options and ran into this. Has anyone tried to purchase this and remove the trackball for MAME use? It would be a great way to save a few bucks.

http://www.amazon.com/Radica-I6001-PlayTV-Golden-Golf/dp/B000EYF7YQ

[severdhed]

have one, tried it, it sucks.  the rollers are tiny and have little rubber sleeves onthem.  you can roll it as hard as you can, and it stops spinning almost immediately.

dont waste your money

[drventure]

The reviews aren't very positive and the ball looks small.

I picked up two HAPP 3" USB trackballs and couldn't be happier. They were a bit pricy, but worth it. Solid steel roller bearings, heavy duty construction all around.

You could probably find an old trackball on ebay, then hook it up to a controller, but the all in one USB version was so easy to get going, I wouldn't bother with anything else for a mame cab.

[bigjase]

Thanks all for the advice. I will plan on getting a usb version that is 2 1/4 in diameter. On a side note, should the hole I cut for that be 2 1/4 or a little smaller/larger?

[bigjase]

I noticed another trackball on eBay. They are pretty good about letting you know what you are getting. Would this work well for games like Golden Tee/Simpsons bowling, or are these just crap?

http://cgi.ebay.com/Computer-Trackball-2-1-4-MAME-ARCADE-PS2-PS-2-LED-/130412182975?cmd=ViewItem&pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item1e5d2bfdbf

[DirtyDachshunds]

On a side note.  I am debating between a 3" Happ trackball or the U-Trak from Ultimarc.  Has anyone tried both of these or have any opinion on one over the other?

I am leaning towards the U-Trak because of the easy USB interface.

[jimmy2x2x]

Im close to buying my first trackball, this seems like the best deal Ive found.

Comes with everything USB and PS2 wired up ready to go, harness for 3 mouse buttons attached (with both sizes of quick disconnects)
Free mounting plate, variety of colours, 3" happ trackball

I think pretty much everything you would need is there, along with tried an tested build quality

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=380253381655&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT#ht_6884wt_1137

Im from the UK and that seems like the best deal for me, ymmv

[severdhed]

i love my utrak from ultimarc.  it was easy to interface and very easy to mount in a wooden panel, plus it looks great when lit from below.  at work we have a 3" happ trackball the we interfaced using a mouse hack..it works very well also, i can't say i prefer one over the other in terms of feel, but the ease of mounting makes me lean towards the utrak