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Giant Balls!

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MinerAl:

I've got these two Atari Football 4.5" track balls.  The balls in them are made of what looks/feels very much like black bowling ball material (Ebonite).  They weigh about what a 4.5" bowling ball would weigh too, I'd say at least 3 pounds (I don't have a precise scale handy).

The black balls are cool and all, but they have 20 years of wear on them and are a little dull looking.

So I was crusing eBay the other day and came across an auction for these.

I took a chance that an actual 4.5" bowling ball would be a close replacement for the 4.5" track ball that seemed to be made of bowling ball stuff, and bought 2 from them (via e-mail rather than bidding and waiting).

Two flame-swirled orange and yellow balls arrived today and they are exactly  the same size and weight as the black originals.  They fit perfectly and look AWESOME.  (I'll post pics if anyone wants to see it).

I would go so far as to propose that the reason Atari went with 4.5" track balls on their first roller-controller games is because ebonite 4.5" bowling balls were readily available for old school electronic bowling machines.

Happs still sells 4.5" trackball mechanisms and translucent balls for them.  I got both of these shipped to me for less than one translucent ball from Happs would cost me.  They don't glow, but they're still pretty durn cool, I think.

I realize this will only be helpful if you have a giant track ball in your CP, but I was proud and wanted to share.

Frostillicus:

looks cool - post pics!!! we wants ta see the big ball in the CP.  

AlanS17:

You can see the originals in the Atari Football machine at klov.com

It says that Atari football was the first game to ever use a trackball...

SirPoonga:

I want to see the trackball for hyperbowl...

nipsmg:

OOH!  Ever since I installed the Plus! Pack for Windows XP (which has Hyperbowl Plus! on it) I've wanted to make a hyperbowl trackball! :)  I'm just WAY too lazy to figure out how to make a trackball mechanism that'll handle a bowling ball :-/

Playing that in the arcade is wicked fun however! :)  The ball has got some serious spin.. it's even kinda hard to stop once you REALLY get it going..



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