Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum
Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: im_living_large on February 18, 2004, 12:59:17 pm
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I'm a newbie, so I hope I have this in the right forum. Mine is a multi-part question. I have a PS2 Imperial trackball with 3 inch ball. It has a small hole on the underside of the ball. I want to know if I can buy a translucent ball from Happ to put in it? Also, what are the pros and cons of buying a clear trackball from HAPP and changing the color bulb I put underneath to make it whatever color I choose instead of just red, green, yellow, or blue translucent ball? And finally, I have no electrical knowledge whatsoever, so if I do this and get ready to light it up, what is the easiest way to power a bulb underneath it? What bulb/wiring should I buy, and how do I hook it up to my computer power supply (ATX)? I know this is a long list of questions, so I apologize in advance for being long-winded.
UPDATE***I discovered the answers to some of my questions, so will update my questions here in case others may need the info. The clear ball will cause the light to be focused on the ceiling and will not give a good illumination effect, but the ball can be changed out on the Imperial trackballs, just make sure you get the right size. If you're wanting to convert to translucent buy the color ball you want, don't get the clear. And finally, use 1156 or 1157 car lamp bulbs (LED type-http://superbrightleds.com/1157.htm). Now, will somebody just tell me how I connect these type bulbs to my ATX power supply? That's all I need help with, but I need detailed instructions please?!?
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Connecting them to your ATX power supply will be very simple. First clip off an unsed connector from your power supply. Then, Since those LED's require 12V, use the yellow wire and a black wire from the power supply and connect them to your LED.
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Thanks for the help, that's exactly what I needed to know. I just read further down on the super bright LED web page and found that they offer many more types than the 1156 and 1157 bulbs. Which super bright bulb has been found to do the best job of illuminating a trackball, and should I get white or the color of my trackball, which I hope will be green? Also, for the socket and wiring, should I just find a junk car the bulb will fit in and cut the pigtail off?
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If you want to be able to have different colors on your track ball (maybe you could have them cycle or something) you could probably get a clear ball sand blasted or something, that way it wouldn't focus the light on the celing...
Just a thought
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you could probably get a clear ball sand blasted or something, that way it wouldn't focus the light on the celing...
Interesting idea in theory, but I think it would be very difficult to blast the ball evenly all around (I have a lot of blasting experience, both with large scale blasting equipment and with smaller blast cabinets). Unless you were able to to it evenly you'd end up making the ball slightly out of round which would probably effect it's performance.
-S