Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: menace on November 23, 2007, 04:11:05 pm

Title: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: menace on November 23, 2007, 04:11:05 pm
The point is to see how MUCH, not how LITTLE you would pay for a ready made hack that plugs into a betson or happ and is interfaced to the pc via a ps/2 connection?  What about the uninitiated how much do you think they would pay? 

Just curious if its worth my time to make a batch of ready made mouse hacks.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: crummy on November 23, 2007, 04:20:23 pm
I'm not too experienced here, but is this some kind of adapter that would let a trackball work as a PS/2 mouse? Because my USB connected trackball does this already. Am I missing something?
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: shardian on November 23, 2007, 04:45:59 pm
I think I payed $10 for a nicely done USB hack that I've never got around to using. I also have 3 or 4 mice that I partially hacked to sell on here. I got sidetracked and never finished them.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: DaOld Man on November 23, 2007, 07:03:54 pm
"$0" should be an option.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: NoOne=NBA= on November 23, 2007, 07:22:51 pm
Oscar was selling USB ones for $12 before he shut down.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: mahuti on November 23, 2007, 07:24:44 pm
Yeah. 0$. The only reason I see to use a mouse hack is because you have a dead mouse and some solder. I don't think it's worth your time, unless your time comes very cheap.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: menace on November 23, 2007, 07:59:11 pm
The reason for the post was that as part of my ebay sales I invariably get the "how do I connect this" question--So I was curious how many people had difficulty with this--of course asking here is heavily biased, but the feedback is interesting...I'm sensing a "don't waste your time theme"  which is fine cause I haven't commited anything other than this post to the venture. :cheers:
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: DaOld Man on November 23, 2007, 10:28:01 pm
Well, I suggested the $0 option because I would build it myself, which I think most people on here would also.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: Kremmit on November 24, 2007, 02:48:44 am
I used to sell 'em for $9.00 with no Molex, $11-ish with the connector.   :dunno
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: brandon on November 25, 2007, 04:54:49 am
problem is you can buy and OptiWiz for 14.95 so anything more for a mouse hack seems... ???
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: Namco on November 25, 2007, 02:31:47 pm
As an dummy who knows what a Happ trackball as, a mouse, and a $39 OptiPac is, I'd have to say that I'd pay $25 for such a device. I've done no research at all on mouse hacking and trackaballs. However if I do some poking around and read a tutorial on how to hack a spare mouse as an interface to get a Happ trackball connected to my USB/PS2 port, that $25 price would significantly drop.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: brandon on November 25, 2007, 04:54:49 pm
$25 would be too much... for $39 the opti-pac lets you connect  two trackballs and up to four spinners and automatically switches between the active device.  The Optiwiz is $15 and lets you connect a trackball and a spinner..  I just cant see why anybody would use a hacked mouse anymore.  Its sort of like keyboard hacks.. encoders are so affordable now it really makes no sense to hack something when there is a dedicated device that's fairly inexpensive and performs much better than a hack.

 maybe if you got them for $10 each and you wanted to make a removable Grid Iron, Warlords, Marble Madness panel ;)
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: SirPeale on November 25, 2007, 07:51:44 pm
Good luck.  A year and a half ago I tried doing the same thing - pre-hacked PS/2 mice with Molex connector.  Offered them up @ $10 shipped.  Guess how many I sold?

Zero.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: Havok on November 25, 2007, 09:58:36 pm
I think $10 would be reasonable, for a non-BYOAC person - probably just the price point for your Ebay trackball sales...
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: menace on November 26, 2007, 06:16:05 am
I think peale's experience governs on this--although I might sell the odd one through ebay, i would be farther ahead just to point them at GGG or ultimarc both of whom make execellent products and provide phenominal service.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: ptistheboss on November 27, 2007, 07:13:28 am
Good luck.  A year and a half ago I tried doing the same thing - pre-hacked PS/2 mice with Molex connector.  Offered them up @ $10 shipped.  Guess how many I sold?

Zero.

do you still have em? I cant solder worth spit.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: SirPeale on November 27, 2007, 01:34:06 pm
Good luck.  A year and a half ago I tried doing the same thing - pre-hacked PS/2 mice with Molex connector.  Offered them up @ $10 shipped.  Guess how many I sold?

Zero.

do you still have em? I cant solder worth spit.

Yep!
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: G@M3FR3@K on June 18, 2008, 10:38:24 pm
Good luck.  A year and a half ago I tried doing the same thing - pre-hacked PS/2 mice with Molex connector.  Offered them up @ $10 shipped.  Guess how many I sold?

Zero.

do you still have em? I cant solder worth spit.

Yep!

Peale, you happen to have at least 1 of these left?
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: NickG on June 19, 2008, 01:06:59 am
voted 10 - for the "uninitiated" acceptable cost.
  I can get mice for three dollars, so I would only buy something else if it took up less space than an uncased mouse or came with drilled mounting points.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: vidmouse on June 19, 2008, 03:58:11 pm
Nothing beats the fun of doing it yourself:

My Mouse Hack (http://www.freewebs.com/vidmouse/trackballmousehack.htm)


Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: Ummon on June 19, 2008, 07:30:13 pm
I happen to have two mice I got for free and found a decent deal on two trackballs, so thought I'd go the hack route.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: SirPeale on June 19, 2008, 08:05:18 pm
Good luck.  A year and a half ago I tried doing the same thing - pre-hacked PS/2 mice with Molex connector.  Offered them up @ $10 shipped.  Guess how many I sold?

Zero.

do you still have em? I cant solder worth spit.

Yep!

Peale, you happen to have at least 1 of these left?

At least.  Likely more.  Have to pull them from storage.  Do you want a Molex connector on the end?
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: G@M3FR3@K on June 20, 2008, 03:28:11 pm
Good luck.  A year and a half ago I tried doing the same thing - pre-hacked PS/2 mice with Molex connector.  Offered them up @ $10 shipped.  Guess how many I sold?

Zero.

do you still have em? I cant solder worth spit.

Yep!

Peale, you happen to have at least 1 of these left?

At least.  Likely more.  Have to pull them from storage.  Do you want a Molex connector on the end?

Yes, I need a 6-pin molex connector which will plug-and-play into a Betson/Imperial Trackball.  Let me know, I will take one or two off your hands. TIA!  :)
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: SirPeale on June 20, 2008, 04:58:00 pm
Cool, I can totally do that.  Let you know when I get them.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: briktop11b on June 23, 2008, 09:38:42 pm
 Hey peale. If you have 2 more i will take them. I have 2 of those small plug n play GT golf games that i would like to strip the ball out of and use for some cabinets. Does anybody have the link to the pinout for those. I saw it on here before but cant find it.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: Pongo on June 27, 2008, 08:40:54 pm
If anyone has another one I'm interested as well.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: SirPeale on June 27, 2008, 11:02:04 pm
Where the heck were you guys when I was originally doing this?  :D
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: Timstuff on June 28, 2008, 01:16:56 am
I don't really see a lot of use for a pre-hacked mouse in this day and age, unless it's VERY inexpensive (as in, like $5). Back when the $40 Opti-Pac was the only professionally-made optic encoder, a pre-hacked mouse was a pretty tasty looking option. However, now there's the Opti-wiz from GGG for only $15, so there's not much reason to use a mouse hack unless you're doing it yourself for free.
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: ark_ader on June 28, 2008, 04:55:09 am
I'm staring at two trackball mountings from that Wally Mart Radica Golden Tee I just liberated today, thinking they will look ace in my mini cabs, will involve a pain in the as$ (and several burns on my fingers) soldering job to get them to work via the mouse hacks.

I would gladly pay some kind person $10 to unsolder the points I need to interface them. 

Soldering Irons and my fingers do not coexist very well.  :laugh2:
Title: Re: How much would you pay for a ready made mouse hack for a trackball?
Post by: ark_ader on June 28, 2008, 05:00:33 am
If anyone has another one I'm interested as well.


Two for me too if you have them please.