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Author Topic: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.  (Read 4273 times)

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AndyWarne

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    • Ultimarc
Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« on: May 16, 2008, 02:36:48 pm »

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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #1 on: May 16, 2008, 02:47:49 pm »
I gladly take the honor of being the first to say:

Congrats!

arzoo

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #2 on: May 16, 2008, 03:50:45 pm »
Very nice!
Love the RGB LED lighting option  ;)
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Bender

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #3 on: May 16, 2008, 05:27:05 pm »
Hi Andy,

Fantastic work once again! :cheers:
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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2008, 06:10:45 am »
I will get this dimension added to the diagram. It is 2 in deep from the underside of the panel.
Andy
« Last Edit: May 17, 2008, 09:21:50 am by AndyWarne »

dmworking247

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2008, 07:55:58 am »
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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2008, 09:23:50 am »
Well the E-Stiks we sell are along the same lines. Is this what you meant?
Andy

dmworking247

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2008, 09:33:20 am »
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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #8 on: May 17, 2008, 11:18:07 am »
I will get this dimension added to the diagram. It is 2 in deep from the underside of the panel.
Andy

FANTASTIC!!!!!

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #9 on: May 17, 2008, 05:41:53 pm »
Congrats to the winners of the contest!

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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #10 on: May 17, 2008, 11:11:59 pm »
Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #11 on: May 18, 2008, 04:45:26 pm »
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.
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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #12 on: May 18, 2008, 06:47:02 pm »
Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?
Andy was going to send me something IIRC :D

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

AndyWarne

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #13 on: May 20, 2008, 05:32:13 pm »
Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?
Andy was going to send me something IIRC :D

But that was until I mentioned the 2.25" size of the Centi trackball :D
I can certainly provide one for review. Drop me an email or PM. I cant remember what the 2.25" issue was...
Andy

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #14 on: May 20, 2008, 07:49:29 pm »
Love the design, shame none of my suggestions won (ha!), but as an arcade builder I'd be interested in testing one.

Grasshopper

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #15 on: May 21, 2008, 03:41:40 pm »
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
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Level42

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #16 on: May 21, 2008, 06:00:44 pm »
Looks cool. So, who's going to do a 3rd party impartial review of this?
Andy was going to send me something IIRC :D

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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #17 on: May 22, 2008, 09:00:35 am »
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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #18 on: May 22, 2008, 02:33:54 pm »
I love it.

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

 :cheers:
Cheers Eric

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #19 on: May 22, 2008, 03:42:58 pm »
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 ?
« Last Edit: May 22, 2008, 03:45:23 pm by Level42 »

AndyWarne

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #20 on: May 29, 2008, 07:47:21 am »
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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #21 on: May 29, 2008, 10:20:30 am »
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

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #22 on: May 29, 2008, 02:22:44 pm »
Its 2 inches tall. I will get that measurement added.

Andy

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Re: Its Here! Revolutionary new trackball from Ultimarc.
« Reply #23 on: May 29, 2008, 03:42:34 pm »
Thanks Andy!