How often do you clean your balls?

[ahofle]

...trackballs that is.

I just bought a brand new Happ highball trackball and ever since I hooked it up, it's constantly getting stuck like an old PS/2 ball mouse.  Very irritating.  I can barely use it to select icons in windows it's so unreliable.  Is this normal for a new Happ trackball?  Should I contact them for an exchange?  Or does it just need to be cleaned?

[Brax]

Once a year and never.
You figure out which is which.

[SNAAAKE]

I clean it almost everyday....
and I dont have any trackball !
get the picture !

[jhsmith321]

Every single day!!!!  
About the trackballs, it depends of how frecuently you use them, I usually clean them every six months.....

[u_rebelscum]

...trackballs that is.

I just bought a brand new Happ highball trackball and ever since I hooked it up, it's constantly getting stuck like an old PS/2 ball mouse.  Very irritating.  I can barely use it to select icons in windows it's so unreliable.  Is this normal for a new Happ trackball?  Should I contact them for an exchange?  Or does it just need to be cleaned?

I don't have that problem with my highlip (not high ball) happs TB, or any other of the arcade TBs I have.  However, I have a PC kensington expert mouse trackball that sits very high like the happs high ball, and I have to clean that ball about once a day.  Hair gets in the kensington TB very easily due to it's "open" design, and messes up the rollers.  I guess people with cats, dogs, or receeding hairlines have this problem the most, and I don't have pets.

Try (with a cleaned ball & rollers) rolling the trackball a bunch to break it in.  This should increase the bearings' spin time and ease of spin.

Also, I'm wondering how you mounted your TB.  If you tried to mount under plexi/lexan and didn't cut the hole right, you might be rubbing against the plexi.

So to sum it up:
a) maybe it's a problem the high ball model is more susceptible toward.
b) maybe your ball needs to rolled to break it in.
c) maybe your ball is rubbing against something it shouldn't.
d) maybe the hands that touch your ball are very very dirty.
e) always make sure the ball is hairless.
f) and finally, maybe your ---Bad words, bad words, whatcha gonna do? Whatcha gonna do when saint censors you?---(cat) sleeps on your ball.

Well, you started it.  I had to throw those last two in.

[rampy]

are your bearings lubed/broken in?  how do the rollers roll by themselves (sans ball)?

that doesn't sound right at all...  

Rampy

[Magnet_Eye]

yeah.. be sure to LUBE YOUR BALLS BEFORE PLAY!

 

[Unkis17]

I ended up having to losen the two screws in the front of the TB, by the grounding!  Happ tightened the hell out of mine.  After backing of the threads about 1/2 turn the ball doubled it's spin time!  Don't loosen it too much though

[ahofle]

I have not lubed my ball (hahaha) or even taken it apart -- it's brand new.  Should I lube it?  Forgive my ignorance, this is my first experience with an arcade trackball.  And I'm positive the lexan is wide enough and not hitting the ball.  In fact, the weird thing is it rolls perfectly on the x axis.  It's just the Y axis that doesn't work right.  It's a good thing I made a molex connector for quick removal and maintenance.  Is there a quick reference on how to clean trackballs out there?  I don't want to use anything that might damage it.

I'll also try playing with the screw near the ball to see if that helps.  

[RacerX]

I have not lubed my ball (hahaha) or even taken it apart -- it's brand new.  Should I lube it?  Forgive my ignorance, this is my first experience with an arcade trackball.  And I'm positive the lexan is wide enough and not hitting the ball.  In fact, the weird thing is it rolls perfectly on the x axis.  It's just the Y axis that doesn't work right.  It's a good thing I made a molex connector for quick removal and maintenance.  Is there a quick reference on how to clean trackballs out there?  I don't want to use anything that might damage it.

I'll also try playing with the screw near the ball to see if that helps.  

I have had a similar issue with my Happ trackball (it's not a highball).  My issue was that the third bearing that is not hooked up to either encoder wheel but just keeps the ball in place needed lubing.  Unlubed the trackball would "jump" out of place when you rolled it towards this third bearing, but it would roll smoothly when you rolled it any other direction because the other two bearings were rolling freely.

[tmasman]

Simple instructions to clean it (them)...

Lather, rinse, repeat...

[ahofle]

That sounds like joystick cleaning instructions!

[Magnet_Eye]

yeah, be sure to use care when handling the joystick. don't yank on it too hard or you might break something.

it's fun to play with, but be cautious!

 

[ahofle]

Hahah.
OK, OK, I took apart the trackball during lunch and it was as clean as a whistle.  The Y axis roller just seems to have too much friction and it sometimes won't roll from the pressure of the trackball.  I couldn't figure out why.  I'm hoping Happ will either replace this or fix it.  Between this and my malfunctioning Opti-PAC, I have the worst luck.

[Dartful Dodger]

I clean it almost everyday....
and I dont have any trackball !
get the picture !

You don't have any trackball, but you clean IT everyday.  

I get the picture.

You have only one ball.
 

[ahofle]

OMG, that's the best animated GIF. EVER!

[Dartful Dodger]

OMG, that's the best animated GIF. EVER!

<<   This one?
I just took some screen shots of my favorite arcade game as a kid, and the game that pulled the adult me back into this, and made me buy a Sega Genesis.  

On the marque I'm designing there will be a still with the hit and the blood.  When I'm done with the marque I'll post it in the artwork Forum.

I use it for my AOL IM too. Once I forgot I had it and I was IM'n a client .... oooops.  
She never mentioned it, but she did pay her bill promptly.

[SNAAAKE]

I clean it almost everyday....
and I dont have any trackball !
get the picture !

You don't have any trackball, but you clean IT everyday.  

I get the picture.

You have only one ball.
 

I have a baseball and I clean it everyday... LOL ! happy?
I gotta start writing carefully....

[u_rebelscum]

Hahah.
OK, OK, I took apart the trackball during lunch and it was as clean as a whistle.  The Y axis roller just seems to have too much friction and it sometimes won't roll from the pressure of the trackball.  I couldn't figure out why.  I'm hoping Happ will either replace this or fix it.  Between this and my malfunctioning Opti-PAC, I have the worst luck.

Try lubing the two bearings.  Use "3 in 1" oil or a light grease; do not use wd-40 since that is not for long term lubing.  After lubing the bearings, put them on the roller and spin the roller (by hand if needed) in both directions to distribute the oil and break in the bearings.  You can use a hand drill also/instead.

Remove any oil or grease from the ball and rollers.

[StLouisRod]

I had a similar problem with a brand new high ball Happ trackball and ended up swaping the rollers (x-axis to y-axis and vice versa).  This cured the problem, as the bearings worked better on the other rollers.  Weird huh?