Good idea to use a computer trackball?

[romid]

I am building a mame cabinet and am considering installing a trackball.  Only problem is Im trying to keep costs llloooowwww...very low.

My question is two-fold:
1) What is the dissadvantages of using a standard computer trackball mouse that i pick up from compusa over ordering an original trackball for arcades from happcontrols?

2) The cabinet i purchased has a trackball in it.  Can I use that trackball on my new cabinet?  How would the hookup work?  Here is a link to the control panel of the original cabinet which has the trackball:
http://www.omid.org/mame/original/controls.JPG

[ripzone]

You can use your trackball. Just remove it from the original panel buy a new /use your current mounting plate and do a mouse hack to keep the costs low. Or if you want just use the Opti-Pac from Ultimarc.com!

[Peeper]

1) AUthenticity....that's the only drawback I can think of.

2) If the trackball is functional, I don't see why you can't use it. I basically did that. BUT you'll need some kind  of interface so the computer thinks it's a mouse: Optipac, etc.

[ripzone]

  ;DYes, the Opti-Pac is the best interface but is expensive. That's what I use!

You can just do a Mouse hack to keep the costs down!  

[romid]

Is there a standard/cheap trackball that the majority of the people use?  For example, one that has a big enough ball or works well for other reasons when mounted on a control panel?

[eightbit]

Is there a standard/cheap trackball that the majority of the people use?  For example, one that has a big enough ball or works well for other reasons when mounted on a control panel?

The crayola kids ball seems to be popular.

Do a trackball search back and few months on the message archive and you'll find many detailed threads on different trackballs.

[romid]

You can use your trackball. Just remove it from the original panel buy a new /use your current mounting plate and do a mouse hack to keep the costs low. Or if you want just use the Opti-Pac from Ultimarc.com!

This sounds like my best bet!  I have searched the "mouse hack" that you mentioned, but was not able to find anything regarding it.  Does anyone have a link or can maybe point me in the right directon regarding some documentation to do this?  thanks!!

[MrBond]

romid, you came to the right place.  I found all the info I needed to do a mouse hack from the great (but possibly all insane) people here at BYOAC...
It was surprisingly simple, and very cheap   (I like cheap).
Check these links for directions:

http://www.mameworld.net/pc2jamma/trackball.html
http://www.members.shaw.ca/bakaye/tballhack.htm

You will need a soldering iron, flux, an arcade trackball with wires coming from it, a mouse, and a steady hand...
I used an old mouse I had just sitting around and a Wico trackball.  You don't need to modify the trackball wiring at all.  You just solder the wires coming from the trackball to the circuitry on the mouse.  you will have to trace the circuit to find what wires go where...basically 2 for x, 2 for y, ground, and +5V power...all solder to the mouse circuit.  (see the links)  Then I used the mouse as a housing for the mouse circuit with the soldered wires coming out the front (made a small hole).
This worked very well right of the bat!!! well...I had to adjust the mouse properties in windows to handle the sensitivity, as well as MAME (each game at a time...anyone figure out how to set analog controls globally???).  I really oiled the trackball rollers and bearings as well, smooth as ice!!!  
If you have any further questions...shoot away!
Good luck with the trackball, and have fun!!!  

[romid]

Well, I cant thank you all enough!  I thought it was going to be much harder, and more expensive but it looks like a $5 cheapo mouse may get me set up perfectly!

thanks again!

[SirPoonga]

Well, I cant thank you all enough!  I thought it was going to be much harder, and more expensive but it looks like a $5 cheapo mouse may get me set up perfectly!

thanks again!

I like my mouse hack, but once I get money I am going to get an optipac.  The mouse hack has given me troubles.

BTW, you may want to get new rollers for your trackball.  goot www.therealbobroberts.com.  He should have what you need.

[SirPoonga]

http://www.omid.org/mame/original/controls.JPG

Dude, a classic!!!  Capcom bowling rules:)  Keep the marquee!  It;s not an original capcom bowling cabinet though.  If so it isn't the popular style.

Do you have the PCB for it?

What's the motorcycle in the pics?

[Chris]

Is there a standard/cheap trackball that the majority of the people use?  For example, one that has a big enough ball or works well for other reasons when mounted on a control panel?

I ordered one of these:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11193&item=3400425282

I'll have it tomorrow and let you know how it works....

--Chris

[ashardin]

Be aware that the crayola trackball does *not* work with Golden Tee PC and the Tiger Woods golf series if you were planning on using it for those two games.

Works great in Mame though.

Just like anything else, I know you are trying to save money but I bet you find that if you put the computer trackball in you will wish you put the authentic one it and end up upgrading.  Imperial/Betson sells their 3 inch trackball refurbished for 29.99.  Its not on their website so you have to call them.  Add an optipac and the mounting hardware and you have the full solution for $100.  I've done two of these and they work *great*.

[Chris]

Be aware that the crayola trackball does *not* work with Golden Tee PC and the Tiger Woods golf series if you were planning on using it for those two games.

This is odd... doesn't it see it as a standard mouse?

Just like anything else, I know you are trying to save money but I bet you find that if you put the computer trackball in you will wish you put the authentic one it and end up upgrading.  Imperial/Betson sells their 3 inch trackball refurbished for 29.99.  Its not on their website so you have to call them.  Add an optipac and the mounting hardware and you have the full solution for $100.  I've done two of these and they work *great*.

As with everything else about a cabinet, that depends on how "into" trrackball games you are.  If my only trackball option was to spend $100, I wouldn't have one.  Heck, before I started tinkering with it a couple of weeks ago (which turned out to be a big mistake), I had only spent $300 on my cabinet total...

The big reason I am using a PC trackball, though, isn't price; it's the small footprint.  I only have a 23" wide by 7" deep control panel, and the PC trackball has only a 3.5" by 3.5" footprint. And I don't have to route out the panel; I simply drilled a 2.5" hole for the ball in the wood and a 2" hole in the plexiglass.  The PC trackball is mounted to a 3.5" fiberboard square, and I use bolts with 1" plastic spacers to hold it in place.

--Chris

[ashardin]

Understood, its completely a question of what is important to you in your cabinet.  One of my major interests was Golden Tee so that was a priority for me.

You are right it is strange that the mouse doesn't work in those two games, and I couldn't figure out the reason why.  Even stranger was Tiger Woods (which uses the same "TrueSwing" as GT).  The trackball would work fine as a mouse in the menus, but would not work at all during the swing.  I emailed EA tech support and they said that they "did not support that device."  

It should just be a simple serial mouse.  I tried all sorts of windows settings (Win98SE), intellimouse drivers, you name it.  Could not get it to work.  Maybe a different OS, on a different machine will get better results.

Good luck on whatever route you chose!

[ashardin]

BTW, I've got a crayola kidsball in the box collecting dust on my shelf, if anyone is looking for one email me at ashardin@yahoo.com.  I'd love to give it a good home with a BYOAC'er on the cheap.

[Chris]

Understood, its completely a question of what is important to you in your cabinet.  One of my major interests was Golden Tee so that was a priority for me.

With my old PC trackball, I replaced the ball with a real arcade ball ($6.00 from Bob Roberts) and had the best of both worlds... it felt great in Golden Tee PC....

Of course, I play Golden Tee with my thumbs... I'm not one of those guys who takes a running start from ten feet away to slam the ball as hard as humanly possible hoping to get an extra three inches on the drive....

The only problem was that the trackball I was using was serial, and the Act-Labs lightgun that I added seems to conflict with the serial mouse... I'll let you all know how the new USB PC ball feels when I get it tomorrow...

--Chris

[romid]

Dude, a classic!!!  Capcom bowling rules:)  Keep the marquee!  It;s not an original capcom bowling cabinet though.  If so it isn't the popular style.

Do you have the PCB for it?

What's the motorcycle in the pics?

Im not 100% sure of its the original cabinet or not, but I dont see any signs of tampering with it.  The cabinet sides were in great shape with just large "capcom bowling" logos on each side.  Definitely no other stickers/artwork underneath them.

The guy I got it from took the PCB out because he had a couple other capcom bowling machines.  Hes going to use it for spare parts.  I cant complain though, he gave me the cabinet for free and its in GREAT shape.

As far as the marquee-->  you guys think it would be better to leave that then make my own "MAME" one?  I know its a classic, but I'm not sure if I want to keep it on there...

The motorcycle is a 1997 Yamaha FZR600.  Luckily, I also have a full size truck, which is what I used when I picked up this cabinet...  Do you ride a bike?

[eightbit]

Sell the marquee on ebay use the money to buy some plexiglass and have your own printed.

http://www.cybertechdesign.net/mameroom/ will print your marquee for a good price.

[romid]

Thanks!  That site seems like a good resource.

Will this be the same quality as printing it at kinkos?  Kinkos wanted about $40 for it, printing it on backlit paper.

Does that site print it on backlit paper?  Does it need to be on backlit paper?  I noticed they said 300dpi-- is that standard for printing marquees or does kinkos (and other places) use a higher resolution printer?

[romid]

kind of sad, but I still havent got the trackball to work.  My first attempt, I fried the ps2 mouse port on my computer-- oh well.  luckily the mouse I normally use is USB.

Are there any other websites you guys can think of that outline how to connect a arcade trackball to the circuitry from a mouse?

The question I have stems from whether or not it is okay to use the existing wires from the trackball, since it has resistors/cap/diodes etc on the small boards next to the LED/Receiver.  Is there a site that has some more pictures of this type of conversion?  Or maybe one of you guys has done this and can show me more detailed pictures...

thanks!

[Jungle]

Assuming that the trackball is a standard Happs/Betson/Wico/etc., I think that the Oscar Controls USB mouse interface would work...

www.oscarcontrols.com

[romid]

I guess I was a little misleading when I mentioned i had fried the ps2 port on my computer-- I meant my actual home computer, not the computer I will be using for mame.

On the other hand, from the oscarcontrols.com website:
"USB mouse interface - $9.00
Connect to Model 3 or Pro spinners for USB compatibility.  Includes spinner wiring harness."

All i need to do is pick up one of these, hook it up to my 1988 happs trackball and plug into my computer, and it should work?