The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: Richy! on June 28, 2002, 06:40:51 pm

Title: Trackballs
Post by: Richy! on June 28, 2002, 06:40:51 pm
I was planning on putting a trackball in my cab, but i don't know what do do. I don't think i'd be able to hack a mouse and buying a trackball and interface seperatly is too expensive. Does anyone know any arcade Trackballs that plug directly into a PC? The Kidsball is the only thing i've found but that looks really bad. I want an authentic looking trackball.
I would really appreciate it if someone could give me some advice.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: Richy! on June 28, 2002, 06:54:26 pm
I know Happ sells things like that, but they are too expensive also. :(
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: Rocket2600 on June 28, 2002, 07:05:56 pm
Hi. Have you looked at the CompUSA Glowing Trackball? Some poeple don't like these, but for the price they are great. I used one in my Joust to MAME for 2 years now without any troubles. If you're a bigtime Centipede player then you'll want a true arcade TB from Happs. For the ocassional play this one is great on my cab. Here's a link to my site. Just look under the Trackball to see how I hacked it into the CP. Good luck.

~Rocket2600

http://www.geocities.com/rocket26000/index.html
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: SirPoonga on June 28, 2002, 07:25:14 pm
watch ebay too.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: OSCAR on June 28, 2002, 07:44:40 pm
You may want to consider the Betson Imperial 3" PS/2 trackball.  It's a true arcade trackball, not a PC one, but it connects directly to your PC's PS/2 port.  They sell for $79, and you don't need a separate interface for them, so that makes them pretty attractive.

I have had a couple of Happ and Imperial 3" trackballs, and I honestly believe the Imperial has a better roll and feel to it.

J_K_M_A_N has a bunch of part numbers and descriptions on his site here:  http://jkman999.tripod.com/Links.html

FYI... a lot of BYOAC's like the translucent trackballs for aesthetic purposes, but they are actually inferior to the cast polymer white trackballs.  The white ones are quite a bit heavier and have a better roll to them because they are more dense.  When I talked to their VP of Sales, I asked about the translucent trackballs.  He told me that they only carry them because misinformed operators and BYOAC'ers (he frequents these boards) request them, but they don't recommend them.  I would have to imagine the same goes for the Happ translucent trackballs, but I don't know for certain.

Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: SirPoonga on June 28, 2002, 08:10:15 pm
What about my black trackball??? Hehe


Hey oscar, got ym Wico to finally work.  madsmurf made me a hack that works:):):)
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: OSCAR on June 28, 2002, 08:49:17 pm
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What about my black trackball??? Hehe


Somewhere in between.  Possibly right in the middle (http://63.249.170.35/files/inthemiddle.mp3).

Quentin Tarantino fans are now grasping their ear...   ;)


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Hey oscar, got ym Wico to finally work.  madsmurf made me a hack that works:):):)

Do you know what kind of mouse he used?  That funkiness never happened with the Happ t-balls I've done before.  I don't remember if I mentioned before, but I tried another mouse pcb on yours, just in case there was something wrong with the one we were using, but it did exactly the same thing.  Very strange...  At any rate, I'm glad everything worked out for you!
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: SirPoonga on June 28, 2002, 09:09:27 pm
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Do you know what kind of mouse he used?
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: OSCAR on June 28, 2002, 09:20:37 pm
Ahh... I only tried USB mice.  At that time, I remember you wanted an all-USB system, so I didn't even bother trying a PS/2 one.

I can't explain it, but my testing has shown that PS/2 mice are much more forgiving than USB ones when it comes to hacks.   It took many dead mice before I found the perfect one to use for the Model 1 spinners.  :)

Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: SirPoonga on June 28, 2002, 09:26:29 pm
I do want USB.  But he used the arcade harness plug which is good enough for me right now.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: OSCAR on June 28, 2002, 09:41:56 pm
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I do want USB.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: SirPoonga on June 28, 2002, 10:56:48 pm
Well, I still want USB.  Someday.  Right now I am unemployed, so PS/2 is good enough.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: J_K_M_A_N on June 29, 2002, 06:45:16 pm
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J_K_M_A_N has a bunch of part numbers and descriptions on his site here:
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: Mameham on June 29, 2002, 07:57:39 pm
In the process of totally redoing my Mameham/Mamehac website, but the cheapest "arcade feel" trackball I've found is the Wico Command Control Trackball for the Atari 2600... open that sucker right up and the plugs that plug into the circuit boards on the trackball match up perfectly with the OptiPac. Just cut the plugs off the wires and screw them right in! Best investment of $5 I ever made.
I found mine at a local electronics store... that's how I got them so cheap... found 'em here online too...

http://www.jackbergsales.com/toys/WICOCommandControlTrackballController.htm

Course, you still need an OptiPac too but since Mamehac already had one... :)
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: SirPoonga on June 30, 2002, 02:22:32 pm
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Well, damn, I wish I would have known you would have settled for "good enough" vs. USB, cause I could've hooked you up in that case.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: 1UP on July 01, 2002, 12:12:09 am
The Kidsball is the only 3" consumer trackball I know of.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: DeafBug on July 02, 2002, 06:48:50 am
Do you have a picture of Betson Imperial TB? I don't see it on anyones website.  J K M A N or Betsons.   Unless it is similar to the Happs version, I guess the mounting is the same.

Since it connects to PS/2 port, does it function like mouse?  You know a computer has two, keyboard and mouse.  Keyboard for sure is taken so does it work like a mouse?  
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: x-wing_ on July 02, 2002, 08:23:54 am
Do a search on this message board.  Somebody (Oscar, I think) took a bunch of pictures of a 3" Imperial PS/2 when somebody asked about it.  IIRC, the pictures were linked in a post.
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: OzStick on July 03, 2002, 02:20:16 am
I agree with 1UP, the Kidsball is a pretty good base to work from.

Although I have not done one myself I have recommended them to a number of customers down here in Australia - partly because there is a retailer of them down here that have them for a good price, but also because they have the 3" diameter ball unlike many others.

As an alternative, if you are the industrious type you could make up your own using 5/8" coach bolts and skateboard bearings to make your rollers and a pool ball (or Happ replacement 3" ball) then mount it all together in your own chassis.
Then you can hack a mouse, attach the encoder wheels to the rollers and all that's left is to figure out how to line up both set of optical readers with the correct wheels.

It's not exactly easy and would no doubt involve a fair bit of trial and error, but it would certainly be heavy duty!!!

My vote still goes to hacking a Kidsball and pretty it up similar to what 1UP did.....

BTW for those that didn't know, the Kidsball has been discontinued by Genius/Kye with no replacement model, so get them while you can!
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: 1UP on July 04, 2002, 02:51:26 am
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BTW for those that didn't know, the Kidsball has been discontinued by Genius/Kye with no replacement model, so get them while you can!


They were also being marketed as the Crayola Kids PC Trackball (http://www.crayola.com/store/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&User_ID=2678154&st=7403&st2=-76649775&st3=-38948748&Product_ID=286&CATID=4), in fact they're still listed at the Crayola online store (http://www.crayola.com/store/showdetl.cfm?&DID=6&User_ID=2678154&st=7403&st2=-76649775&st3=-38948748&Product_ID=286&CATID=4) for $59.99 (though Fry's might have some for $39...)
Title: Re: Trackballs
Post by: Goose on July 04, 2002, 08:51:58 am
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Do you have a picture of Betson Imperial TB? I don't see it on anyones website.