The NEW Build Your Own Arcade Controls
Main => Reviews => Topic started by: darkSSide on May 19, 2013, 11:57:40 pm
-
This is my review of rablack97's refurbed T-ball and new T-ball interface.
You can get the T-balls here http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,129928.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,129928.0.html)
And the new T-ball USB/PS2 interface here http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131695.0.html (http://forum.arcadecontrols.com/index.php/topic,131695.0.html)
First off the T-ball review:
I got to tell you when I was shopping around for a T-ball I saw many used ones on ebay and of course new ones from some of the vendors from our forum. Then I came across rablack97's post and saw how clean he refurbed them and decided to order one from him.
rablack97 communication is excellent and priority mails your T-ball and is well packaged. This is what you get: 1 refurbed 3"Happ T-ball (LOOKS LIKE NEW!) and a wiring harness (female molex on one end and all the wires to hook up to whatever interface you have on the other end)
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_118_zps9c5856e3.jpg)(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_119_zps2ab947b0.jpg)(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_120_zpsa6e50578.jpg)
This unit is extra clean! The black plastic housing is nice and shining, like straight from Happs. The T-ball itself not new but white,bright and smooth! The action on the T-ball rolls smooth and what you expect from a new T-ball. These units have the newer red optic boards and not the green ones. According to rablack97 "All were pulled apart, washed, bearings re-oiled by vacuum pressure, trackballs scrubbed back to a nice white."
All in all these are EXCELLENT DEALS and I 100% recommend these T-balls. If you are looking for a real arcade T-ball but don't want to spend a chunk of change or can't trust other used ones these are the ones to get!
Side note rablack97 now offers an upgraded clear translucent T-ball for these!
-
New T-ball USB/PS2 interface review:
Same as the T-ball rablack97 offers these units are packed well and ship out fast!
This is what you get: The actual interface board with a female USB "B" connection on one end,the molex female connection on there other end and the connections for the 3 mouse buttons,a USB A/B male cable and a USB to PS/2 adapter.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_121_zps1ae774b0.jpg)(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_122_zpsf40274ea.jpg)(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_123_zpsd3e26c6c.jpg)
This has got to be the easiest T-ball interface out there. rablack97 made this to be inexpensive and easy as possible to plug and play. Now this particular unit is V1 because according to rablack97 "Reason being is I accidentally left off the labeling for the buttons and I'm going with a simpler wiring scheme for V2." If you pick up a V1 rablack97 will wright down a simple wiring diagram for the mouse buttons. Just make sure if you do wire mouse buttons DO NOT DAISY CHAIN THE GROUND WIRES I did this and the buttons did not work correctly. You need to wire the connections to the interface accordingly: Left button positive - Left ground - Right button positive - Right ground - Middle button positive - Middle button ground. The board itself is well put together,looks sharp and has a bright blue LED light up when power is turned on. Once hooked up to the T-ball unit my laptop running Windows 7 recognized it immediately and the buttons worked perfectly. According to rablack97 "When using Windows XP it likes to have the thing plugged in at boot-up, you can wait until after if you want but from what I've seen if you plug and unplug alot it will scramble the synch with the pc and you have to reboot and then all is well."
Here it is hooked up and powered on.
(http://i7.photobucket.com/albums/y253/EYEZAK-G/th_125_zpsd22eb9c5.jpg)
I 100% recommend this! The final say on this if you have only one T-ball unit to hook up and don't have a PHD on wiring, this is for you. Also did I mention it's the most inexpensive interface you will come across! Don't think about it just get it if you need it! Or even if you don't!