Author Topic: trackball problem (Read 10163 times)

boodroe · « **on:** January 05, 2006, 02:51:37 am »

I have a happcontrols trackball (usb/ps2 connection). When playing games such as golden tee that need fast trackball movement the trackball the trackball will not respond for a second it is hit to fast. It might be my imagination but it seems that the problem is getting worse and worse the more we play. I can hit the track ball fast when the curser is in windows and it will do the same thing but it seems to be much worse in MAME. Do these trackballs need to be cleaned every few months? Does anyone else have this problem?

mccoy178 · « **Reply #1 on:** January 05, 2006, 03:16:05 am »

I have also wrote about this problem. Someone said that sometimes trackballs and mice are limited to a certain speed and wait for the ball to slow down. I agree with that theory, but I also know that one of my trackballs that I put in a control panel worked fine at first and did progressively got worse. It may be something that Happ should be contacted about. Keep this thread updated to what you find.

ptpeter · « **Reply #2 on:** January 05, 2006, 12:17:36 pm »

So your saying that when you spin to fast it messes up and doesnt register the swing in golden tee? I was planning on getting a trackball today in fact from a seller on here but if the trackballs do that i really dont want one. The main reason i wanted a trackball was for golden tee. Anyone know of someone or a company that sells good trackballs?

ahofle · « **Reply #3 on:** January 05, 2006, 01:06:17 pm »

This almost seems to be a USB/PS2 Happs trackball related issue. I have a Happs 3" trackball connected with an optipac and I have no such problems. Just thought I'd throw that out before you 'give up' on trackballs altogether.

mccoy178 · « **Reply #4 on:** January 05, 2006, 02:14:35 pm »

I have the optipac set up as well, and I agree that it works with no issue. So, GET THE TRACKBALL!!!! If you like Golden Tee, it is the real deal. I have only had issues with the usb version. One came right out of the gate with the miss and the other developed over time.

ptpeter · « **Reply #5 on:** January 05, 2006, 03:02:50 pm »

where is a good place and price to get a trackball that can be hooked up to the optipac?

ahofle · « **Reply #6 on:** January 05, 2006, 03:07:43 pm »

This thread was just discussing where to get trackballs:

http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php?topic=48108.0

brophog · « **Reply #7 on:** January 05, 2006, 10:01:24 pm »

I have a new Happ USB trackball and I don't have any backspin related issues. Although, the trackball is rather loud.

mccoy178 · « **Reply #8 on:** January 06, 2006, 06:37:23 am »

Just saw this on the happ site where the golden tee trackball is:

Quote

"Red Board" PCB has improved circuitry to guarantee an optimized performance signal both at low and high rpm speeds

Looks as though the red board may be the solution.

boodroe · « **Reply #9 on:** January 09, 2006, 08:59:51 pm »

So I have done alot of research and this is what i found out. The usb trackball and I am assuming that means other happ trackballs as well.... wear out on games such as golden tee. These trackballs are not ment for being hit and slammed on everyday and lose accuracy, this is why my usb trackball worked at first but almost doesnt even function in golden tee now. The golden tee track ball that happ offers is made with parts that are stronger, reenforced, and more sturdy (not to mention they already have the red board installed in them). I went ahead and purchased this golden tee happ trackball (http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/56010011.htm) and the opti-pac. I hope this will solve the problem. And any advise to the golden tee players out there, get the happ golden tee trackball while you can because it is only $54 as a promotional offer until 1/31/06 and they then go for $92. I will keep you up to date and let you know how this new setup works out. I have my fingers crossed.

brophog · « **Reply #10 on:** January 09, 2006, 09:12:26 pm »

Did Randy ever make his replacement encoder parts for the Happ trackballs?

Kremmit · « **Reply #11 on:** January 09, 2006, 11:13:32 pm »

He made better encoder wheels that I know fit the Betson and Wico trackballs, I don't know if they fit a Happ.

The Golden Tee (High-Lip) trackball is not made more sturdy than the regular Happ 3". They are the same mechanically. Look at the part #s on the mounting diagrams:

http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/560100e.htm
http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/56010011hl_exploded.htm

The top half of the housing is different (one has a lip), but the bottom half is the same. The rollers are the same, the bearings are the same, the ball is the same, the encoder discs are the same.

The optic boards do seem to be different, though.

If your trackball trouble is due to worn rollers and/or bearings (the most common trackball trouble), then you don't need a whole new unit, just a roller & bearing kit. Ponyboy can probably get 'em cheaper than Happ, and I know Bob Roberts can.

mccoy178 · « **Reply #12 on:** January 10, 2006, 02:06:08 am »

I don't believe its a bearing or roller problem. I think it is that board. Based on what I have seen.

boodroe · « **Reply #13 on:** January 10, 2006, 07:41:00 pm »

Mine deffinitly got progressivly worse. It used to work fine. Iv been playing golden tee on in it for about 4 months and i think all the slamming on it has caused it to mess up because it is almost non functional in golden tee now. Do these things wear out fast, i image that if they are putting them on the new golden tee arcade games that they should be pretty good. Maybe mine is defective and somthing broke on it from 4 months of abuse. I hope the new one holds up.

Luckydevil · « **Reply #14 on:** January 16, 2006, 06:12:45 pm »

Why not just send it in to Happ's and see if they will take a look at it?

mccoy178 · « **Reply #15 on:** January 16, 2006, 06:41:59 pm »

You paid for any shipping from them lately? I'm better off buying a new one.

markrvp · « **Reply #16 on:** January 16, 2006, 06:48:01 pm »

I bought a Golden Tee trackball with the RED boards from Ebay seller COINTECHTEXAS for $65.00. Good guys who actually have arcade routes and mainain machines. I got to see their warehouse and they had almost every original arcade game ever made, including a couple of Tempests and Star Wars machines.

Here is the current auction for the trackball:

http://cgi.ebay.com/3-Happ-Track-Ball-Trackball-New-IT-Golden-Tee-Golf_W0QQitemZ6226207925QQcategoryZ13718QQcmdZViewItem

If you play a lot of Golden Tee, I would get one of these trackballs and the Optiwiz from GroovyGameGear and be done with it.

boodroe · « **Reply #17 on:** January 16, 2006, 07:24:39 pm »

I got that same golden tee trackball in today and hooked it up with the optipac and it still doesnt work. Iv emailed happcontrols 3 times over the past 3 weeks about the problem and they wont write me back. Im out of money and im giving up.

markrvp · « **Reply #18 on:** January 16, 2006, 08:13:10 pm »

Quote from: boodroe on January 16, 2006, 07:24:39 pm

I got that same golden tee trackball in today and hooked it up with the optipac and it still doesnt work. Iv emailed happcontrols 3 times over the past 3 weeks about the problem and they wont write me back. Im out of money and im giving up.

It doesn't work at all or it doesn't work well? Do you have a spinner or anything you can use to verify the Optipac is working?

I would really like to do everything I can to help you, so please give me all the information you can.

mccoy178 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 16, 2006, 08:20:48 pm »

Mark,
In my situation, it's a usb connection that is the problem. I haven't tried the red boards yet, but I'm nervous about the investment. I have one hooked up with an optipac, and it's awesome. BTW, I bought two of the usb ones of the place in Texas on Ebay. Super guy.

markrvp · « **Reply #20 on:** January 16, 2006, 08:43:34 pm »

So for the USB/PS2 trackballs have you guys tried hooking them up to the PS2 port instead of USB? If so, was it the same thing?

Also, did it gradually get worse or stop working all at once?

See here is my thinking:

-If neither trackball works at all then it's a computer/mame setting problem.

- If the USB trackball works sort-of and the New one doesn't work at all, then there is a problem with the Opti-pac or it is a connection problem between the trackball-Optipac or Optipac-computer.

boodroe · « **Reply #21 on:** January 16, 2006, 08:55:04 pm »

Ok here is my whole story. First I had the USB/PS2 trackball hooked up to the ps2 port, it worked great for about 3 months. Now when I hit it fast it wont register until it slows down, it is not usable in golden tee anymore (it did not do this at first, i could hit it as hard as i wanted to and it would be fine). So after looking at most peoples threads i decided to change the trackball with a happ 3" golden tee trackball with an optipac connection. The new trackball did not fix the problem it does the same exact thing.

markrvp · « **Reply #22 on:** January 16, 2006, 09:06:46 pm »

Have you adjusted the analog sensitivity in MAME?

boodroe · « **Reply #23 on:** January 16, 2006, 09:12:58 pm »

yes, i tried that, the ball hit further in golden tee with less of a spin but it still doesnt work when hit hard, another observation is, windows' curser will not respond when hit to hard either, but mame seems to be worse.

markrvp · « **Reply #24 on:** January 16, 2006, 09:24:33 pm »

That would seem to indicate it's a Windows problem. Please check the MOUSE control panel and see what speed your mouse is set to. Also check to make sure that "Enhance pinter precision" IS NOT checked.

boodroe · « **Reply #25 on:** January 16, 2006, 09:31:09 pm »

yes, i have tried that, the mouse it at medium speed and enhanced pointer it unchecked. I have tried all the cobination settings with the mouse speeds. One thought I have though and this might be a long shot, but i never connected the green wire ground to discharge the static electricity. Do you think this might have hurt the optics. It probably didnt because both trackballs are doing the same thing, but just a thought.

markrvp · « **Reply #26 on:** January 16, 2006, 10:02:14 pm »

Have you tried the new trackball with the Optipac on a different computer as well?

The thing that throws me is that we shouldn't see two separate trackballs using two different encoders both have the same defect. It's got to be software.

I don't think not having the ground wire hooked up would have damaged the boards, but you may want to hook it up to the computer case (internal frame) just to make sure a static charge isn't affecting it. That is something that could cause two units to show the same problem.

boodroe · « **Reply #27 on:** January 16, 2006, 10:45:15 pm »

I did try the ps2 trackball on a different computer and it had the same results. Ill hook up the optipac trackball really quick and ill let you know what happens.

boodroe · « **Reply #28 on:** January 16, 2006, 11:11:10 pm »

I hooked the optipac trackball up to my other computer and had the same results. I just noticed you are from granbury, im from college station, right down the road.

Kremmit · « **Reply #29 on:** January 17, 2006, 04:14:58 am »

Pretty much everybody ignores the green ground wires.

I'll agree with Mark, if you get the same defect with two different pieces of hardware, then the problem is software, or I suppose possibly the computer hardware.

You haven't made any changes to your system that might affect the mouse lately, have you? New or removed mouse, mouse drivers, software, mobo, anything like that? You don't have any mouse accelleration turned on, do you?

McCoy- Do you actually have the red boards now, or are you sitting on the fence about ordering them?

mccoy178 · « **Reply #30 on:** January 17, 2006, 04:34:52 am »

I'm sitting on the Happ's fence. I bought a whole new usb kit and a bearing set. No help. I'm going to look on their site for a contact # to see if I can talk to someone. Nothing was changes as far as software was concerned what so ever.

boodroe · « **Reply #31 on:** January 17, 2006, 10:01:37 am »

my trackball has red boards in it, i dont think you should waist your money, it didnt help me. Our problem sounds the same.

boodroe · « **Reply #32 on:** January 17, 2006, 06:58:29 pm »

I have now tried both trackballs on 3 different computers with bad results. What do ya'll think, Is it more likely that both trackballs are messed up or that 3 computers are setup wrong?

markrvp · « **Reply #33 on:** January 17, 2006, 07:03:43 pm »

It did work correctly at some point?

boodroe · « **Reply #34 on:** January 17, 2006, 07:33:11 pm »

yes, it worked perfect for about 3 months. I didnt change any settings at all. I only use this computer for my mame machine.

markrvp · « **Reply #35 on:** January 17, 2006, 07:39:48 pm »

That sucks. Did you connect the ground wire to the computer frame?

If you want to send the trackballs to me to test out here I'd be happy to do it and then send them back. PM me if interested.

Kremmit · « **Reply #36 on:** January 17, 2006, 11:36:11 pm »

Careful, Mark, those trackballs have the bad voodoo in them. They hose every system they touch!

I'm gonna loan McCoy a set of red boards just to settle the issue.

markrvp · « **Reply #37 on:** January 20, 2006, 05:39:44 pm »

It turns out Boodroe was just 3 hours away from me, so he came up today and brought both trackballs. Sure enough, the Happ PS2/USB was fried. You hit the trackball and nothing happens for a good 1-1/2 seconds and then it goes. Made playing Golden Tee impossible.

So we hook up the new Happ Golden Tee RED BOARD trackball to a mousehack and it works perfectly. Turns out the problem was the Opti-pac.

I feel bad for Boodroe, because there were two different problems and almost impossible to troubleshoot without buying more stuff. Luckily I had an extra mousehack and he is back in business.

Ain't this a fun hobby?

mark6437 · « **Reply #38 on:** January 20, 2006, 07:36:23 pm »

You said:

Sure enough, the Happ PS2/USB was fried.

And

So we hook up the new Happ Golden Tee RED BOARD trackball to a mousehack and it works perfectly. Turns out the problem was the Opti-pac.

Which one was the problem? The USB/PS2 trackball or the Opti-Pac or both?

I ask because Just spent 300+ dollars on 2 USB/PS2 trackballs rom Happ. If these trackballs start doing what ya'll are talking about I am going to throw my whole machine out the window.

Thx
Mark
Hou TX

brophog · « **Reply #39 on:** January 20, 2006, 08:34:13 pm »

Just bought a USB trackball from Happ myself about a month ago after asking this board specifically if there was anything wrong with it. Havent had a chance to mount it just yet and really put it through it's paces.


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