2.25" Trackball - Happ vs. Ultimarc?

[TVisitor]

Hi all.  I'm relatively new to the game and was doing some research to build a control panel.  I really like Ultimarc's interfaces.  However, in searching for a trackball, I see that Ultimarc has a trackball (with ball) for $26.  Happ has a trackball (with ball) for $88.  The Happ one says it's an Atari Trackball.  The Ultimarc doesn't say.

Anyone have experience with either - Just wondering if something about Happ's Higher price (... The fact that it's an Atari trackball?) makes it worth purchasing over the vastly lower cost Ultimarc one?

Thanks.

[Tiger-Heli]

Hi all.  I'm relatively new to the game and was doing some research to build a control panel.  I really like Ultimarc's interfaces.  However, in searching for a trackball, I see that Ultimarc has a trackball (with ball) for $26.  Happ has a trackball (with ball) for $88.  The Happ one says it's an Atari Trackball.  The Ultimarc doesn't say.

Anyone have experience with either - Just wondering if something about Happ's Higher price (... The fact that it's an Atari trackball?) makes it worth purchasing over the vastly lower cost Ultimarc one?
Thanks.

The ultimarc is the same as the www.wicothesource.com one, which is actually made by SUZO.

Been asked a dozen times before.  Search the FAQ's or the threads.  UrebelScum usually has the goods on which one does what.

[u_rebelscum]

(I have a 3" happs and a 2 1/4" wico TBs.  According to theRealBobRoberts, the happs 3" and 2 1/4" are basically the same thing except at a different size.  I do not have a happs 2 1/4".  With this in mind...)

I think the happs TB will be a slightly higher quality TB, but no where near 3x better than the wico/suzo/ultimarc TB as the prices indicate.  

The happs has three full size rollers w/ 2 bearings each; the wico has two rollers w/ 2 bearings each, but for the third the ball rests directly on a single bearing w/ spring support.  From this and the fact my wico doesn't roll for very long, I'm pretty sure the happs 2 1/4" will free spin a lot longer than the wico.

The ball in my wico fells a little "looser" than the one in my happs, but at least some of that has to be because of the heavier 3" ball in my happs.  [shrug]

The wico has a smaller footprint according to happs dimentions, but OTOH is a little deeper.  Both have approx the same amount of ball showing above the panel top.

I like my wico 2 1/4" TB, except I find the 3 inchers much more my size.  

IMO, do not get the way too expensive 2 1/4 happs.  Either get a 2 1/4" wico/suzo/ultimarc, or a 3" TB (happs, betson, or wico are all fine), especially since the betson and wico 3 inchers are less than the happs 2 1/4", and the happs 3" sometimes is on sale close to the betson prices.