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Main => Buy/Sell/Trade - non-retail => Topic started by: Chris on February 02, 2003, 09:54:37 pm

Title: Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Chris on February 02, 2003, 09:54:37 pm
I just bought one of these from eBay for $9.50:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11193&item=3400323846

The guy selling them says he has about 30 of them left.  From the looks of the picture, using the 3.5" disk in the picture as a reference, it looks like a 2-1/4" or 2-1/2" ball.

I'll hopefully have mine before the week is out, so I'll let you know how well it works... this is just screaming for an LED to light it up...

--Chris
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Generic Eric on February 03, 2003, 03:00:56 pm
One less now!
Thanks
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Chris on February 03, 2003, 03:04:24 pm
And he immediately put another up at http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11193&item=3400415825 .

I should have mine on Wednesday, so I'll hopefully be able to get a review up... it looks like I'll be able to mount it the same way my old one was mounted, on a 3.5" square piece of fiberboard, making for a very small footprint...

--Chris
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Brax on February 03, 2003, 03:09:35 pm
ARGH!!!!!!
He doesn't take Canadian orders!

Damn him! *kicks dirt!*
 ;D
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: eightbit on February 03, 2003, 03:59:00 pm
ARGH!!!!!!
He doesn't take Canadian orders!

Damn him! *kicks dirt!*
 ;D
Have you ever though about moving to the US?  ;D
Just kidding... I'm sure its nice where you live.
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Chris on February 03, 2003, 05:15:57 pm
He put up two more:

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11193&item=3400425282
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&category=11193&item=3400425412
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Brax on February 03, 2003, 08:34:37 pm
Let us know how they roll.
Do they have bearings?
Do they roll better than the crystal trackball?
Are they actually 2 1/4"?
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: noodles on February 03, 2003, 09:22:15 pm
Chris, you should buy a bunch from that guy and sell them to the Canadians.  ;D
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Brax on February 03, 2003, 11:11:57 pm
Ask him, he may ship to you.
I asked and he'll ship to me for the same price as in the continental US.
I picked one up tonight.
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Generic Eric on February 04, 2003, 01:06:22 am
Did you ask the exact size of his ball?
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Chris on February 05, 2003, 07:25:29 pm
Okay, I just received mine, and it's not completely ideal.  The ball is actually about 2". There is no "whizz" to it; in fac, it doesn't turn particularly smoothly at all.  Thre are no bearings, just a plastic idler wheel.  It does have fairly large encoder wheels, though.

I'm going to try a bit of lube and see if I can wizzz it up.

--Chris
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Silverwind on February 05, 2003, 07:58:12 pm
Okay, I just received mine, and it's not completely ideal.  The ball is actually about 2". There is no "whizz" to it; in fac, it doesn't turn particularly smoothly at all.  Thre are no bearings, just a plastic idler wheel.  It does have fairly large encoder wheels, though.

I'm going to try a bit of lube and see if I can wizzz it up.

--Chris

beavis & butthead voice
you said lube

Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Generic Eric on February 05, 2003, 08:46:53 pm
Well I got my track ball today also.  The ball is smaller then I hoped.  There isn't any wizz as Chris mentioned, but I am optimistic.  I would think to "hack" this you would take it out of its shell, so you could mount the ball accordingly.  So I just opened it up.  I don't like the third support wheel.  The wheel itself is too narrow, and its not supported as well as the two encoder wheels.  I already closed it up, but I think the encoder wheels were about the size of a nickel.  

Having said all of that, I am quite happy with just over $9 trackball.  

<queer joke>

Thanks for the tip Chris even if the guys balls weren't as big as we hoped.

</queer joke>
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Chris on February 05, 2003, 08:52:33 pm
Wel, with the cover on, you get lots of friction; with the cover off, too little support.  A little lube and a bigger ball helped, but I do get lots of backspin. I'm going to try breaking off two out of every three spokes to see if that helps...
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Brax on February 06, 2003, 10:11:41 am
Darn, it doesn't sound very good at all.
Mine is still on the way..
I currently have a crystal trackball mounted. If it isn't any better than that, (in fact it sounds worse) at least I can use the blue ball in place of the clear one.
Title: Re:Translucent blue USB trackballs
Post by: Generic Eric on February 09, 2003, 01:33:46 am
I just played centipede with it.  It makes a world of difference over the keyboard.  I am happy.