Macally Trackball?

[sTyLeS]

Has anyone tried using the Macally iBallPro trackball in a control panel? I just bought one from a local computer shop because it was inexpensive and figured I would give it a try at mounting it. The ball is just slightly larger than 2 inches.

Here's a link http://www.macally.com/spec/usb/input_device/iballpro.html

It's a cool translucent blue ball, plus it's USB.
They're trying to sell it for $29 at the Macally website, but you can find it for $15 dollars anywhere else...that's how much I paid for it.

I was just wondering if anyone else has used this trackball, or one similar, and if you have any recommendations for mounting?

Thanks!

[Lumpy]

It was covered pretty well in this thread along with how it was mounted.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=13366

[Tiger-Heli]

Couple more threads:

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=5687;start=0

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=8386;start=msg61360#msg61360

[NoOne=NBA=]

I picked up 5 of the original I-Balls during the Fry's selloff.
The Pro has faster polling, but is the same size, shape and color.
I haven't mounted any of them yet, but I have hooked them up to test them.

My biggest complaint about them is that they have the "computer pointing device" feel to them, rather than the "arcade controller" feel.
What I mean by that is that they don't "free roll" like an arcade trackball will.
When you stop rolling them, they stop dead, and they have more resistance than an arcade trackball would.
I've also experienced backspin on them trying to do really fast rolls.
I don't know if the faster polling on the Pro will minimize this; but it is definitely something to consider before doing a permanent mount on one into your cabinet.

As it sits, I am probably going to hack one into my cabinet as a temporary measure until I get a "real" one to replace it.
If I do, I'll let you know how it works.

[patrickl]

Yeah, I bought some too based on the other thread and they don't really feel they way I expected of a trackball. I guess playing games where you need to give the ball a good sweep are not gonna work with this (because of the lack of roll and the backspin effect).

[sTyLeS]

It was covered pretty well in this thread along with how it was mounted.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=13366

Well, this trackball was discussed quite a bit in the other threads, but mostly just where to buy them. There's not a whole lot of discussion on the actual mounting process.

I do have some ideas. Since my C.P. box is fairly thin (3 inches), I could probably just build a platform and attach to the bottom of the trackball case, to raise it up high enough. That way it would actually be mounted to the bottom of C.P. box and not the top.

[TheGatesofBill]

I have one. It doesn't seem to do a very good job in games.

[patrickl]

It was covered pretty well in this thread along with how it was mounted.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=10;action=display;threadid=13366

Well, this trackball was discussed quite a bit in the other threads, but mostly just where to buy them. There's not a whole lot of discussion on the actual mounting process.

Read from post #32 onwards. Lumpy got a pretty good answer with 4 very clear pictures. All I was left wondering about is where the light was mounted, but I guess that won't be much of an issue.