Happ or Ultimarc trackball?.

[Fat_Trucker]

Anyone have any recommendation over whose product to go for?.

I'm going to be installing a 2 1/4 inch trackball (without the mounting plate) as I want a flush finish for the artwork.

[mjrsting]

I have the Ultimarc and it works great, but the biggest issue is how you plan on hooking it up.  If you plan on getting an Optipac at the same time, great!  If you want to hook it up to a mouse interface, you need to put a couple resistors inline to get it to work correctly.  That thread has been posted here already (by me).  I ended up using a mouse interface from Oscar Controls (who helped me get it going)   So rather than buy the $40 Optipac, I bought two $9 mouse interfaces from Oscar Controls...one for the trackball and one for the spinner.

The Happ you don't need to hack, and OC has a wiring harness to integrate it already.  Makes it super easy.

sting

[GGKoul]

Get a 3" Happ trackball. 

[SirPoonga]

Get a used tball off ebay, replace the rollers and bearings.

My happ 3" cost me a total of $30 when all was said and done.

It really doesn't matter which brand as long as you have a way to interface it to the PC.

[Fat_Trucker]

Thanks guys.

Are the outer dimensions of the housing for a 3" ball larger than the outer dimensions of the housing/casing for a 2 1/4"?. The reason I ask is that my CP is going to be fairly compact as I am going to fit it to the original cab (Electrocoin Xenon) dimensions so I need to be very precise in measuring everything to fit and still leave enough space so everything is easy to access and abuse.

[Flinkly]

go over to happ for dimensions, they have dimensions for everything they sell.  as for which is better, i've heard happ considered the industrial trackball, and ultimarc as the home enthusiast trackball.  so if it's gonna get alot of play, and i mean alot, then get the happ.  otherwise, the ultimarc is just fine.  also, the ultimarc has plastic on the outside of it's rollers and the optics are plastic...and people say it isn't as smooth.  quite frankly, i'd get the happs, but many people swear by the ultimarc one...

[Fat_Trucker]

From the feedback here it would seem Happ are the way to go. Thanks for the input chaps.

[mahuti]

The ultimarc works just fine.

[Shape D.]

as for which is better, i've heard happ considered the industrial trackball, and ultimarc as the home enthusiast trackball.

Thats bunk, Andy makes a great product. They are both good trackballs, although I prefer the happs because they make a 3".