USB adapter for trackball from HAPP

[caykroyd]

Is there any problem just buying the USB adapter for a Happs trackball?  I see people getting the optipac and hagstrom MEsomething-or-other.  Does the USB not have as good a response or not as much flexibility?  Any cooments?

[Lilwolf]

Being 100% NOT an expert... but what I remember reading.  The rollback problems are fixed with better optic disks compared to better encoders.  Of course the faster the readings the better... but most USB mice are pretty good.  (SOMEONE PLEASE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG)

The cheapest solution

ebay usb mouse for 2 - 3 bucks.  Hack away.

The cheapest easy solution.

Oscar sells hacked USB trackballs for a few bucks.  

The better solution for multiple optical devices

Optipac.

I don't know about happs... but it will be good and expensive.  I wouldnt' go there unless you have a real real reason.  The Optipac is great.

btw, I have an optipac, but the serial version.  I haven't upgraded it yet, but think I might just hack a few mice first to try them.

[Cue-Ball]

USB is a very fast interface for something as low bandwidth as mouse or keyboard input.  The main reason that most people use the OptiPac is because you can easily run multiple optical devices (trackball and spinner, for instance) through one interface.  Also, people who use DOS instead of Windows don't have the option of using USB since it relies on Windows drivers.  I have the OptiPac myself and highly recommend it if you're going to have more than one optical device.  Installation is super easy and it's not a very expensive part in the grand scheme of things.

[BASSOFeeSH]

The newer Optipacs have USB capability as well.

I don't have an USB adapter from Happs, but I DO have a USB trackball from Happs & it works flawlessly IMHO.  Plug it in, it's recognized & all 3 buttons work.  I don't know how this differs from the USB adapter though.

[u_rebelscum]

Is there any problem just buying the USB adapter for a Happs trackball?  I see people getting the optipac and hagstrom MEsomething-or-other.  Does the USB not have as good a response or not as much flexibility?  Any cooments?

I have the happs trackball USB interface as well as a USB optipac.  I don't notice a difference at all while playing or in windows.  Happs, betson, and wico trackballs work fine in both.  Happs USB board is smaller (~1/2 the area) than the optipac, and uses a normal A/B USB cable you can buy any where.  The optipac uses a special serial to USB cable.

I like the optipac better just because I can hook up more than one trackball for about the same price.  But I like multiple trackballs.

BTW, the happs USB and optipac USB can be plugged into the same computer at the same time (and get multiple mice in winME/98 with Mame:Analog+; I've tested three TBs at a time, 2 on the optipac, one on the happs).

FWIW, I noticed happs has a new "red PCB" sensor board included on its (on sale, 3" highlip) trackballs.  I have the old green pcb on my happs TB.

[Dak-ak]

how is that trackball anyways? (the one thats on sale)  sale items are generally.. uhm... "needing a boost to get them moving" but i didn't get the impression thats why happ puts things on sale...

any comments? thinking about getting a trackball, not sure what im needing.. but cheap is cheap :-)

~Dak~

[Tiger-Heli]

The cheapest easy solution.

Oscar sells hacked USB trackballs for a few bucks.  

Correction: OSCAR sells hacked USB trackball interfaces (basically a pre-hacked mouse) for $9.00.

Otherwise, I agree with LilWolf.

If memory serves, the Happ USB interface is somewhere in the $50-75 range, as opposed to about $35-40 for either the optipac or the ME4.  The ME4 was a lot more popular before the opti-pac added USB support.  I think the Happ interface required an external +5V source that the other products did not require.

[u_rebelscum]

how is that trackball anyways? (the one thats on sale)  sale items are generally.. uhm... "needing a boost to get them moving" but i didn't get the impression thats why happ puts things on sale...

any comments? thinking about getting a trackball, not sure what im needing.. but cheap is cheap :-)

~Dak~

The happs 3" highlip "Golden Tee" white trackball?  That's the one I bought last time it was on sale.  I like it better then the wico and betson 3" TBs, but not by much.  Longest free spin, smallest foot print, smoothest lip (so my fingers don't get pinched between the ball and lip as much), but also the loudest.  All arcade quality, I like the happs, betson comes close second, and wico last, but you should be happy with any of them.

I think it's on sale so often is that that it is the highest volume TB sold, but at the normal price, the volume is just below the next price drop.  The sales boost the volume so they get the lower cost.  Also, will the normal price so high, happs sale price is just below betson's normal price.  Not that much of a sale.  I'm just guessing and speculating, though.  "*shrug*"  

[u_rebelscum]

I think the Happ interface required an external +5V source that the other products did not require.

Not the current one. http://www.happcontrols.com/trackballs/56110000.htm  It gets the power off the USB cord.

But, yes, the optipac gets more bang for the buck than the ~$60 happs.