Build Your Own Arcade Controls Forum

Main => Main Forum => Topic started by: ahofle on June 12, 2003, 12:23:46 am

Title: Dumb trackball question - connecting to opti-pac
Post by: ahofle on June 12, 2003, 12:23:46 am
How are you guys connecting your Happ trackballs to your opti-pac?  There is a little 6 conductor plastic female connector at the end, but I wasn't able to find a matching male one at radio shack (they had 4, 9, etc naturally  ::) )  I know the ultimarc site says to just cut it off and splice the wires, but I was hoping for a cleaner solution.  A snap connector would also make detaching the trackball for cleaning easier.
Title: Re:Dumb trackball question - connecting to opti-pac
Post by: SirPoonga on June 12, 2003, 12:31:16 am
I don't know where to get that molex, someone here will reply.  Otherwise get like  db9 connector and make your own connector.
Title: Re:Dumb trackball question - connecting to opti-pac
Post by: JustMichael on June 12, 2003, 01:35:58 am
I believe Bob Roberts carries Molex connectors.
Title: Re:Dumb trackball question - connecting to opti-pac
Post by: skirge66 on June 12, 2003, 01:46:28 am
well I've never seen an opti-pac myself.

I would imagine that it interfaces pretty much the same as mine does to my ME-4 from hagstrom electronics (via an 8 pin connector on the opti-pac?)

hagstrom sells a trackball adapter that replaces the existing wire harness that comes on the happs balls:

http://www.hagstromelectronics.com/accessories.html

KE-TBH3 (cable I'm refering to)

simply disconnect the 4 pin plugs on the optic boards for the trackball and connect the KE-TBH3  4 pin connectors in their place yellow/green to "y", and purple/blue to "x". the cable is 3' long and ends at an 8 pin connector. the pin size is the same size as what is on oscar's pro spinner. Not sure if this helps or not, but hope it does.

ME-4 (not cheap...about 50 bones)

 the 8 pin at the top of this pic is where the trackball connects, the 5 pin next to it is for a spinner
Title: Re:Dumb trackball question - connecting to opti-pac
Post by: u_rebelscum on June 12, 2003, 04:14:21 am
How are you guys connecting your Happ trackballs to your opti-pac?  There is a little 6 conductor plastic female connector at the end, but I wasn't able to find a matching male one at radio shack (they had 4, 9, etc naturally  ::) )  I know the ultimarc site says to just cut it off and splice the wires, but I was hoping for a cleaner solution.  A snap connector would also make detaching the trackball for cleaning easier.

I went with the 6 conductor male molex ( 0.93 molex connector (http://www.molex.com/cgi-bin/bv/molex/home_init.jsp?x=y&BV_SessionID=@@@@0206447955.1055402644@@@@&BV_EngineID=cccgadciidlffldcflgcehedffgdfmk.0&langPref=english&sNav=/cgi-bin/bv/molex/nav/mxleft_nav.jsp%3FBV_SessionID%3D%40%40%40%400206447955.1055402644%40%40%40%40%26BV_EngineID%3Dcccgadciidlffldcflgcehedffgdfmk.0%26channel%3DProducts%26chanName%3DSeries%26series%3D1261r%26oid%3D-8662&mCnt=/cgi-bin/bv/molex/part/parts.jsp%3FBV_SessionID%3D%40%40%40%400206447955.1055402644%40%40%40%40%26BV_EngineID%3Dcccgadciidlffldcflgcehedffgdfmk.0%26series%3D1261r%26pageTitle%3DSeries+1261r&mBar=/cgi-bin/bv/molex/nav/mxtop_menu.jsp%3FBV_SessionID%3D%40%40%40%400206447955.1055402644%40%40%40%40%26BV_EngineID%3Dcccgadciidlffldcflgcehedffgdfmk.0%26pageTitle%3DSeries+1261r)) your couldn't find.  I like the ease of plugging and unplugging with them; I'm "testing" a few trackballs so it helps me, but you might not need that.

There's a bunch of radio shacks around me, and IIRC only 2 out of 4 had the right ones when I was looking. :-\  Fry's electronics had them.  Try looking at a big radio shack or other eletronics store and you'll find them.