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Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: ncflagg on June 09, 2008, 10:24:34 pm

Title: What Trackball is this?
Post by: ncflagg on June 09, 2008, 10:24:34 pm

What kind of 3" trackball is this? This is out of my Capcom Bowling cab. I would like to Mameify the cab. What's the best way to convert it for PC use?

Title: Re: What Trackball is this?
Post by: RayB on June 10, 2008, 12:10:18 am

Probably a Wico. Have you looked at the bottom for names molded into the case?

Title: Re: What Trackball is this?
Post by: Crowquill on June 10, 2008, 03:43:51 am

Are there any markings on the case?

I have a similar one with a marble ball that was supposedly pulled from a Millipede. The boards say "OAK" on them just like many of the atari's 2600 PCBs. To me this was a sign that it most definitely was an Atari Midi-Trakball. Your optic boards seem to be different as the plastic is curved (like would go in a steering wheel). Any markings on the optic PCBs?

Title: Re: What Trackball is this?
Post by: ncflagg on June 10, 2008, 07:40:42 am

PCBs say Atari 80 & SBC 2AI & 94V-O. Don't see anything written into the plastic.

Title: Re: What Trackball is this?
Post by: u_rebelscum on June 10, 2008, 01:13:30 pm

It's an Atari/Happs TB.  (Happs now "owns" the license.)

The sensors look like original old-school atari sensors
The encoder wheel looks like original atari 24 teeth metal wheel
The ball looks "special" (aka non-standard)
The top looks like a happs high lip top (measure the height of the lip/ring around the ball: if 3/16" = happs high lip, 1/16" either atari or happs old school lip)


As for hooking to PC, optipac  (http://ultimarc.com/optipac1.html)or optiwiz (http://groovygamegear.com/webstore/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=76_85) are the most common, with minipac  (http://ultimarc.com/minipac.html)other common choice if hooking up joystick & buttons too.

edit: speeling