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| AX:
EPCO seems to have some realy ridiculous prices on stuff. also they told us here there is a minimum order of quantity 5 on everything. this true? |
| GearHead:
Epco's distributor, Paramount (actually owned by the same family), will sell you any quantity you'd like. They have a show room so if you're near Medway, MA you can check out lots of balls. Here's what they quoted me on the 4.5" balls (prices do not include shipping.) Solids: 31.23, Glo Balls/Marbleized: 34.76 Novelty Balls like the 8 ball or Eye Ball go for about 38 to 62 dollars each. This link has some pics - Http://www.5pinstuff.com/ProShop/cat2_1.htm They're made with different compounds and are available in different weights so the "feel" of the ball may not be 100% like the old Atari balls. Pricing is pretty much what's on Epco's website but they're still cheaper than Happ's ($47). This guy on sell.com is selling them for $29 but with a "negotiable" price. http://www.sell.com/2CXK9 Looks like most retailers are in Canada. GearHead Paramount Industries, Inc. 42 Milford Street Medway, MA 02053 Tel: 1-800-343-6455 or 1-508-533-8480 (Fax: 1-508-533-5338) Contact: Customer Service, Extension 9 E-Mail: pii@tiac.net |
| MinerAl:
As promised: Before and after. I think it improves the look. The colors are quite complimentary to the rest of the artwork. As for the rest of the CP, yeah, I know the buttons are really close to each other. Until I make metal CPs for these, I'll have to keep the buttons inside the rectangle that the old Atari Football play select screen previously occupied. It kind of restricts the ability to spread out. They are usable, just a little scrunched right now. When I get around to the metal CP, there'll be a sixth button as well as a black mouse button closer to the trackball. |
| Generic Eric:
So MinerAl, how does the new ball feel compared to the old one? Is the material its made out of different? |
| MinerAl:
I'm very pleased with the feel of this set up. The weight of the new balls is so close to the originals that I can't tell the difference, so that hasn't changed. The 25 year old trackballs have been through a lot. I've found a lot of (what I have euphemistically named) "bar wax" inside this machine, and the trackballs were pretty gunked up. The functioning trackball is very smooth now that I've thoroughly washed and re-greased it. The bearings didn't need replacing, just greasing, and the shafts of the rollers are steel and straight, so there isn't much reason to replace them. The original balls had been waxed a number of times, I guess in an attempt to shine them, but the actual effect was to gunk up the mechanism and make the balls roll jerkily. I put the old balls in my dish washer, and they came out nice and smooth, and it improved their feel immensely. (Please never quote this paragraph out of context.) These new balls are (as advertised) so shiny! But they are also well made as candle pin bowling balls; they aren't so slick that you will lose grip on them. The plastic they are made of is, as I've mentioned, very much like a regular bowling ball. These have the same "touch" as a bowling ball. It's not unlike glass. The combination of the smooth rolling and the "touch" of the new balls has marginally improved the feel to me. The new balls are so similar to the originals, except in appearance, that I would call this a mostly cosmetic modification. I'm at the point in this project where it makes me feel good to spend $50 on making the trackballs prettier. That may be an indication that it's time to move on to another cab (or a less expensive hobby :) ). If you had pits or scrapes or other deep defects in the original balls, this would be a more-than-cosmetic swap. The new balls work as well as, or better than, the originals. |
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