[comp.sys.amiga.hardware] Converting Trackballs

w30009@castor (Christopher Bride) (02/13/91)

I was wondering if anyone knew and could tell me if it is possible to convert
one of those old Atari trackballs(for the 2600 and older computers) to work
correctly as a trackball(rather than a joystick) on the Amiga and how I would
go about making this conversion.

Thanks in advance.

m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT) (02/13/91)

In article <10532@aggie.ucdavis.edu> w30009@castor (Christopher Bride) writes:
>I was wondering if anyone knew and could tell me if it is possible to convert
>one of those old Atari trackballs(for the 2600 and older computers) to work
>correctly as a trackball(rather than a joystick) on the Amiga and how I would
>go about making this conversion.
>
>Thanks in advance.


There was a hardware hack presented in Amazing Computing (very good
magazine ... if you don't subscribe, you should) quite a while ago to
do this very thing.  It turns out to be a fairly simple hack.  Check
out Vol 3 Num 8 (Aug 88), the title of the article is "TrackMouse". 
Also check out Vol 4 Num 10 (Oct 89), where they present "Better
TrackMouse" (a one-handed hack for the trackmouse).

Back issues of AC are $5.00 each ($6.00US in Canada & Mexico, $7.00US
overseas) from PiM Publications, PO Box 869, Fall River, MA 02722-0869

Good Luck!

Wildstar

PS: Atari 2600 Trackballs (suitable for the above hack) are still
available from Atari USA at reasonable prices.  The address and
ordering information is in the current issue of Atari Explorer
magazine.  I got mine from WeBToys on clearance.