Main > Main Forum

Happ USB Trackball - bad optical encoder - fourth time

Pages: (1/3) > >>

fiscap:

I'm wondering if someone can help shed some insight as to what's happening with my Happ USB Trackball. My optical encoders keep dying on me for no apparent reason. It seems like they only last for about six months, slowly stop responding and then die altogether. It keeps alternating too, between the optic encoder sets on the 'x' and 'y' axes. The thing that really sucks about these things dying is that they're each $20+ w/shipping each time they die.

Is anyone else having this issue? This seems to be an issue of very poor engineering on Happ's behalf. I can understand having to replace idler parts on a regular basis with heavy use, but I'm not using this trackball enough to warrant replacement of solid-state parts.

2600:

Do you have your trackball grounded?

AndyWarne:

Unfortunately this is a known problem with the Happ boards. You should not have to pay for replacements though. Happ should be well aware of the problem and send free replacements.
Andy

2600:

I thought they had fixed that problem.  Do you know what the problem was or which component gets damaged?

fiscap:

I've got the set of green wires run to chassis ground. I'm assuming these green wires are to dissipate any static charge.

There's really not much to the optics on the USB version of the trackball. In this particular case, the board on the left 'PCB (B) 55-0301-00', which controls movement on the x-axis is no longer working. The only thing on this board is the optic gate and the 4-pin connector that goes to PCB (A), so I assume the optic gate is going bad when these die. Does anyone know where I can get just the 8-pin optic gate fairly cheap? I wouldn't mind stocking up on them at a few bucks a piece and just re-solder the 8 joints each time these fail - would sure beat $20 a pop with Happ.

Andy - do you know the best way to get Happ to replace these at no cost? I went back through my order history with Happ and I replaced PCB (A) on 4/6/06 and 3/26/07, and I replaced PCB (B) on 2/8/06 - this will be the second time replacing PCB (B).


Pages: (1/3) > >>

Go to full version