Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.

[AndyWarne]

Full details on this page:http://www.ultimarc.com/trackball.html

So the winner of the name contest is....

Well actually there are three winners.
The name U-Trak was suggested by Thy, so hes the lucky main prize winner!

But... I have also used two suggestions from other posters. So there will be another prize, split between two.

Spidermonkey suggested using names for each variant and I have used two of his names, Pearl and CueBall
For the third name I have used a suggestion, Fireball, from Protokatie.

So all three winners please drop me an email to choose your free stuff!
andy@ultimarc.com

[shardian]

I gladly take the honor of being the first to say:

Congrats!

[arzoo]

Very nice!
Love the RGB LED lighting option 

[Bender]

Hi Andy,

Fantastic work once again!
what ate the dimensions?
I have aproject that the happ ball I have is too deep for, and I thought this might fit

Thanks,
Bender

[AndyWarne]

I will get this dimension added to the diagram. It is 2 in deep from the underside of the panel.
Andy

[dmworking247]

Brilliant!

Recently I discovered that 'MCA' joysticks (the most common joystick used in Australian arcade cabinets back in the day) were very similar to the way you've made this trackball - ie that they had a longer neck and could be mounted neatly from underneath through a simple hole in the control panel. Unfortunately MCAs are no longer made. MCAs' didn't even need skirts.

Are there any joysticks currently on the market that are like this? Perhaps your next challenge as a companion product to this trackball?

[AndyWarne]

Well the E-Stiks we sell are along the same lines. Is this what you meant?
Andy

[dmworking247]

Hmm, thats close but it has a 'skirt' of sorts so doesn't suit minamalist control panels or panels with artwork/perspex. 

The MCA sticks I'm refering to are much like this new trackball - nothing but the surround which comes up through the hole.

This is an original MCA stick, but this one is for metal panels... I can't find a picture of the ones made for wood panels up to 3/4 thick, it basically has a thick 'neck' at the bottom and the shaft is longer.




This isn't an MCA (I don't know what it is) but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about:

[Bender]

I will get this dimension added to the diagram. It is 2 in deep from the underside of the panel.
Andy

FANTASTIC!!!!!

[DeLuSioNal29]

Congrats to the winners of the contest!

And congrats to Andy for such a fine product!  I may use this for a future build!

~ DeLuSioNaL

[Havok]

Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?

[Ummon]

Hmm, thats close but it has a 'skirt' of sorts so doesn't suit minamalist control panels or panels with artwork/perspex. 

The MCA sticks I'm refering to are much like this new trackball - nothing but the surround which comes up through the hole.

This is an original MCA stick, but this one is for metal panels... I can't find a picture of the ones made for wood panels up to 3/4 thick, it basically has a thick 'neck' at the bottom and the shaft is longer.




This isn't an MCA (I don't know what it is) but it gives you an idea of what I'm talking about:

That looks like an inductive stick. MCA just made it blue I guess. Look up Suzo.

[Level42]

Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?

Andy was going to send me something IIRC

But that was until I mentioned the 2.25" size of the Centi trackball

[AndyWarne]

Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?

Andy was going to send me something IIRC

But that was until I mentioned the 2.25" size of the Centi trackball

I can certainly provide one for review. Drop me an email or PM. I cant remember what the 2.25" issue was...
Andy

[Turnarcades]

Love the design, shame none of my suggestions won (ha!), but as an arcade builder I'd be interested in testing one.

[Grasshopper]

Brilliant!

Recently I discovered that 'MCA' joysticks (the most common joystick used in Australian arcade cabinets back in the day) were very similar to the way you've made this trackball - ie that they had a longer neck and could be mounted neatly from underneath through a simple hole in the control panel. Unfortunately MCAs are no longer made. MCAs' didn't even need skirts.

Are there any joysticks currently on the market that are like this? Perhaps your next challenge as a companion product to this trackball?

One of Industrias Lorenzo's joysticks is designed like that.

ref: A03111 - Joystick P/SM-45

link

[Level42]

Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?

Andy was going to send me something IIRC

But that was until I mentioned the 2.25" size of the Centi trackball

I can certainly provide one for review. Drop me an email or PM. I cant remember what the 2.25" issue was...
Andy

Well the U-track is 3" right ? And we were discussing translucent balls and lighting them. I had installed a GGG ICE V2.0 translucent ball in my Centipede trackball, which is of course a 2.25" trackball.

Think you considered having the balls made in 2.25" as well. I can't really give a 3" trackball a fair review as I don't have a cab in which I can test it. My Mame cab is in storage and doesn't have the CP space for it.

Anyway, I'd love to compare the 2.25" ball (if/when it's there) with the GGG and some other balls.

[dmworking247]

Well the U-track is 3" right ? And we were discussing translucent balls and lighting them. I had installed a GGG ICE V2.0 translucent ball in my Centipede trackball, which is of course a 2.25" trackball.

I'm confused, don't GGG ICE trackballs come in 3" too?

This URL says they do

[Hurray Banana]

I love it.

Can you show us some example images showing this mounted in wood panels?

 

[Level42]

Well the U-track is 3" right ? And we were discussing translucent balls and lighting them. I had installed a GGG ICE V2.0 translucent ball in my Centipede trackball, which is of course a 2.25" trackball.

I'm confused, don't GGG ICE trackballs come in 3" too?

This URL says they do

Centipede trackball = 2.25"
Electric ICE trackball = 2.25" OR 3"
U-trak = 3"

I never claimed anything else did I ?

[AndyWarne]

There is a last-minute spec change on the U-Trak. I decided to port across the USB interface code from the U-HID onto the trackball USB board (which is actually the same PCB as the U-HID nano).
The result of this is the USB interface, as well as being full-speed USB 2.0, now has 16 bit resolution and a refresh rate 4 times higher than any other USB trackball interface.
I held back shipments for a couple of days of all initial orders so they will all ship with the 16 bit version.
Andy
 

[billpa]

Andy,

On the website, there are some schematics but neither of them have a measurement for how tall the unit is....specifically how tall the base is. Can you post that measurement? I am just trying to figure out if this can be mounted in my portable CP.

Thanks,
Bill

[AndyWarne]

Its 2 inches tall. I will get that measurement added.

Andy

[billpa]

Thanks Andy!