Trackball Issues

[baddog5]

I have a SlikStik Classic control panel on my MAME cabinet.  Recently, the 3" trackball quit moving vertically.  It still moves horizontally just fine.  I've e-mailed SlikStik numerous times but have received no response (surprise, surprise).  As a side rant, it's too bad they have taken the route they have, they made nice controllers.

I've read that some of their trackballs had issues with the circuit boards.  Would it be a good idea to try a new "red board" from Happ or should I just buy a complete, new track ball instead?

Thanks in advance.

[Fozzy The Bear]

OK Here's a checklist to go through first.

1) First of all check it's not just needing a good clean out and that the rollers are actually turning the encoder.
2) Check for loose plugs and sockets. Especially molex type as they do have a habit of failing to contact sometimes.
3) Buzz through the wiring and make sure there are no in line breaks anywhere.
4) Check the solder joints on the encoder boards they also have a habit of failing (Happs solder joints are quite crap sometimes)
5) If all the above is OK get a new red board.... cheaper to try Divemaster or Ponyboy than go direct to Happ. Other than that, Bob Robberts stocks encoder boards as well.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

[baddog5]

Update:  Tonight, my kids were playing 2-player Rampage on the cabinet.  The right joystick (player 2 stick) is also having movement issues now.  It moves right and down just fine but is jerky and unpredictable moving left and up.  Coincidence or is there more going one here?   If I remember correctly, the trackball doesn't connect to the IPAC, so more than likely coincidence?

I have an old X-Arcade stick laying around...I guess to troublehoot, I could try one of it's joysticks.  Maybe slikstik doesn't make just nice panels after all, as it seems mine is going to hell in a handbasket 

[Warborg]

OK Here's a checklist to go through first.

1) First of all check it's not just needing a good clean out and that the rollers are actually turning the encoder.
2) Check for loose plugs and sockets. Especially molex type as they do have a habit of failing to contact sometimes.
3) Buzz through the wiring and make sure there are no in line breaks anywhere.
4) Check the solder joints on the encoder boards they also have a habit of failing (Happs solder joints are quite crap sometimes)
5) If all the above is OK get a new red board.... cheaper to try Divemaster or Ponyboy than go direct to Happ. Other than that, Bob Robberts stocks encoder boards as well.

Best Regards,
Julian (Fozzy The Bear)

As a final confirmation, couldn't a final diagnostic step be to swap the encoder boards to see if the functioning axis changes, confirming that the existing board is or is not bad?