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geekhack Community => Input Devices => Topic started by: typo on Fri, 18 October 2019, 06:24:42

Title: Defective new Elecom Track ball, or just needs some maintenance ?
Post by: typo on Fri, 18 October 2019, 06:24:42
Less than 20 days ago I obtained a "JDM" only Elecom G-Pro Heiss edition Thumb ball. About 120,000 Yen before any tax/import At first it acted erratically on startup. I took this to be the battery "warm up" as stated in the "global" manual. Then it started happening more. Each time I would clean the cavity and it would work for hours/ a day. Then shorter durations. Now cleaning it, simply wiping out the cavity and ball is having little effect at all. It is pretty much completely erratic now. Please advise me if there is some common easy fix for this without taking it apart? Otherwise my window to exchange it is growing short. If this is not replied to by Monday morning with a certain resolution, off to UPS it goes. Logitech is not even close to the same but it just may be more reliable. Unless with my luck I just got the one dud. Thank you.
Title: Re: Defective new Elecom Track ball, or just needs some maintenance ?
Post by: typo on Sat, 19 October 2019, 06:14:45
It was the culprit of using the battery on "low". I hardwired it with a very good USB cable and it is absolutely fine now! Phew. Not taking a trip back to Japan at least. Hardwired, this thing is per pixel precise. More than i can say about almost any other track ball.
Title: Re: Defective new Elecom Track ball, or just needs some maintenance ?
Post by: suicidal_orange on Sat, 19 October 2019, 06:50:28
Battery?  I guess even something that doesn't move can benefit from not having a wire holding it back :))

Glad you got it working, would be a long wait for warranty going to Japan and back.
Title: Re: Defective new Elecom Track ball, or just needs some maintenance ?
Post by: typo on Sat, 19 October 2019, 11:29:13
thank you. i am glad myself. battery will work on high signal strength just like it says it will but then half the battery life. I am not moving it anywhere so I might as well just use a good USB cord. Works fine.
Title: Re: Defective new Elecom Track ball, or just needs some maintenance ?
Post by: tp4tissue on Sat, 19 October 2019, 13:06:58
Gotta use Ultra Clean 5V transformer instead of solid state.
Title: Re: Defective new Elecom Track ball, or just needs some maintenance ?
Post by: Sintpinty on Wed, 27 November 2019, 12:10:59
It was the culprit of using the battery on "low". I hardwired it with a very good USB cable and it is absolutely fine now! Phew. Not taking a trip back to Japan at least. Hardwired, this thing is per pixel precise. More than i can say about almost any other track ball.

Hope you're enjoying your trackball so far.