Trackball alternatives

[Generic Eric]

Has anyone found an alternative for an "authentic" trackball?  The largest I have seen was the atari football trackball, which I understand is 4."   The first one I saw was on ebay, and it has a reserve of $100.  I can't bring myself to spend that much.  So I wonder what would be a good alternative, or replacement ball for the trackball.

Bigger is better right?  I am hoping to find something between 3 and 4."

Thanks

[AX]

I think people were modifying the COMPUSA crystal ball.  also there is a section under controls on trackball alternatives.

[Generic Eric]

Are they using the ball?

I want to find a bigger ball.

[marcoval]

Well the two I've heard of are the Easy Ball by MS, and some sort of Crayola one. Both are intended to be trackballs for little kids and I hear they need some adjusting to make them feel right. I too have the dilemma of wanting a trackball on my cab but it's just too expensive to get the happs.

[rampy]

Are they using the ball?

I want to find a bigger ball.

I betchyou do I bet you do.... wink wink nudge nudge...

serious though... uhm... crayola trackball kidsball (also called KYE kidsball)

uhm... the microsoft easy (?) ball was f'in huge if you just want... the.. uh ball....

you can get 3"... uh... balls for not that much from bob roberts...

you can get complete refurbished 3" imperial betsons for 29.99...

*Shrug* does that even remotely help?

rampy

[MinerAl]

Just for the record, my Atari Football trackballs are 4.5" in diameter.

"We've got the biggest balls of them all!"

It would be very difficult to make a 2 player CP with one of these in it.  The mechanism needs about a 7" across by 7" wide by 4" deep space under the CP.  Most people don't have that kind of realestate in an everyday CP; maybe a modular CP though.

[Generic Eric]

Brax:

I haven't seen a kidsball.  Are they as solid as a regular trackball?  Or are they soft like a toy?

MinerAL:

Wow.  I didn't realize they were that big.  I plan on going w/ the modular, rotating or swappable CPs, so do you think I could handle balls that big? ...er I mean the 4.5 atari trackballs in a cp?  Other than a few buttons for each player, that would be it.

[MinerAl]

If you can handle the Big Balls, then by all means, get the Big Balls.

Atari Football is a table game, so there are 2 CPs.  Each CP is 22" (or 24"  I can't recall right now) wide, but clearance issues under the control panel lessen that by 1.5" on the sides.

There is plenty of room on the stock CP (without major surgery) for me to fit a Big Ball, 1 joystick, and 5 buttons, and when I get around to it I will make a custom CP that should easily fit a BB, 1 joy, and 7 buttons.  

The CP will have to be sheet steel though.  I'm sure it's possible to mount this several pound monster under wood, but I'd be very concerned about stability if someone got enthusiastic about their Millipede game.

For modular CPs, I'd make a "classics" CP that had a Big Ball and a leafy Pac-Man style 4-way joystick, enough buttons for Defender / Stargate, and maybe a plateless OSCAR 3 spinner for Tempest.

I'll eventually make a page about the Big Balls, with pictures and dimensions and so on.

[marcoval]

[...

you can get complete refurbished 3" imperial betsons for 29.99...

Where?

[rampy]

[...

you can get complete refurbished 3" imperial betsons for 29.99...

Where?

From imperial betson....  http://www.betson.com/  although their site isn't coming up for me at the moment...

you'll wanna hit the "parts" navigation bar thingie... and do a search.  Their site is a little kludgey to navigate... but if I find the part number i'll edit it here...  

rampy

[Birdtales]

... but if I find the part number i'll edit it here...  

rampy

47-4300-01R

[rampy]

... but if I find the part number i'll edit it here...  
rampy

47-4300-01R

Thanks BT... are you able to reach the site? (i've been having wacky connection issues today)...  I think tommy tutone should do a song based upon that part number =P

rampy

[Generic Eric]

Worked for me.

Iam considering getting one if ebay doesn't pan out soon.  At least this will be a bigger ball than the one I have.  It'll also allow me to find out if I really need one bigger than 3 inches.

[Generic Eric]

MinearAl, this is what I was looking for, thanks.

http://www.arcadecontrols.org/yabbse/index.php?board=1;action=display;threadid=6445