trackball problem

[markrvp]

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

He had two separate problems with two separate trackball systems.

Problem 1:  Happ PS2/USB trackball (trackball #1) stopped working correctly.  For some reason the optical sensors will not immediately recognize movement.  I don't know why, but probably the only easy fix would be to replace the whole board/sensor pcbs.

Problem 2:  He bought a Golden Tee trackball with red boards (trackball #2) with arcade harness and Opti-Pac to interface it to his computer.  That combo did not work.  We had to determine if the problem was the Opti-Pac or the trackball.  We hooked the trackball up to a USB mousehack and tested it.  The trackball worked perfectly indicating that the problem was the Opti-Pac.

Now, I personally own two separate Happ PS2/USB 3" trackballs that I use for MAME Golden Tee Golf on two separate cabinets.  Both trackballs work perfectly after a lot of Golden Tee/Tiger Woods Golf play.  I have yet to experience the problem I witnessed with Boodroe's trackball.  However, mccoy178 has reported having a similar problem, so the best I can guess is that some units are lemons.

[mccoy178]

First thing is for Mark from Houston, spend your oil money in better ways.  If you can send them back, you should.  You can buy them for under $70 each on this board or on ebay by the texascointech Markrvp mentioned.  I believe the problem came from both a usb version and the optipac of the other ball the guy had.  So in affect, he had a different problem with two styles of trackball.  I am currently having the problem with two usb versions.  I'm waiting on the red boards from Kremmit.

[Kremmit]

He had two separate problems with two separate trackball systems.

If his Happ interface went bad, and then his Opti-Pac went bad, then maybe he's plugging them into something that fries boards.

[markrvp]

If his Happ interface went bad, and then his Opti-Pac went bad, then maybe he's plugging them into something that fries boards.

That's a sobering thought.  I was under the impression that the Opti-pac never worked from the beginning.  The USB trackball stopped working over time.  The only way to test that theory would be to plug in a third trackball interface and see if it fries.

The mouse-hack I gave him was a PS2 mouse and not USB, so maybe that one will work okay.

[mark6437]

To mccoy178
I bought them straight from Happ because of two reasons. One was I used good ol american money (plastic) and two I needed them quick (I wanted to get the dang cab finished).
I appreciate you wanting to save me money but I can't send them back now.

I sure hope mine does not do what ya'll's are doing.

I will post a pick of my cab if anyone is interested. This is actually my third cab. My first cab is here http://home.houston.rr.com/mark6437/history.html

The second cab I built for a friend of mine can be seen here
http://www.mameworld.info/ubbthreads/showthreaded.php?Cat=&Number=59783&page=0&view=expanded&sb=5&o=&fpart=1&vc=1

Yes that is me.
My cab looks alot like that cab but with a bigger control panel and my speakers are level to the ground, not shooting right in your face.

Mark
Hou TX

[boodroe]

First of all I want to thank Mark for letting me come over and helping me out with the trackballs.
I dont think I fried them while hooking them up. The first one was pretty simple, just plugged it into the ps2 port when the computer was off. It worked for about two or three months great and started to get progressivly worse as we played so I dont think it got fried from being hooked up wrong, im not really sure what happend to it. Like Mark said I think that some are just limons. As for the second one,  I either did somthing wrong or I am exteamly unlucky. Im just glad golden tee is up and running again. Thanks Mark for the extra mouse hake, I owe ya one buddy. Oh ya, I want a rematch at Golden Tee .

[markrvp]

You're welcome.  Come back and play anytime.  Hopefully next time I'll have my dedicated GT FORE COMPLETE cabinet up and running.

[mccoy178]

Okay Mark, where can I find this hack of yours?  I was just thinking about who I was voting for just today.....................

[markrvp]

Okay Mark, where can I find this hack of yours?  I was just thinking about who I was voting for just today.....................

It's just a regular Microsoft PS2 mouse that I hacked myself using the tutorial in Saint's book.

Please vote for me.  Due to some shenanigans, I went from up by 1 to down by 2.

[mccoy178]

You tell me how that you got "true genius" under your name and I'll think about it.  You had the key to my vote and let it slip right out in your reply.