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geekhack Projects => Making Stuff Together! => DIY Discussions ARCHIVE => Topic started by: ricercar on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:11:37

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: ricercar on Fri, 26 March 2010, 19:11:37

Nice pictures, good mod, fun commentary ... as usual.

If you're using a Kensington now, Please sell me one of your CST Laser Tracs for cheap.

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: ch_123 on Sat, 27 March 2010, 05:19:40

Ripster, do you find the scroll wheel on the CST is kinda squeaky if you scroll it fast?

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Mon, 29 March 2010, 17:23:20

Interesing, I've got one of those and the scroll wheel is indeed pretty horrible, so I might try that.

Questions about the spray/lube stuff:

1. I live in the Netherlands, so getting the same brand may be difficult. Any descriptions of what that stuff actually is? Can I use WD-40 for example?

2. From the pictures you seem to spray the inside edge of the ring. Is that what you're doing?

Last question: does it make any real difference? :)

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: Superfluous Parentheses on Wed, 31 March 2010, 15:30:07

Quote from: ripster;167932

It's a teflon (PFTE) spray.  I wouldn't use WD-40 - attract too much dirt.  Not sure what the Euro equivalent of the dri-lube is.  Just hit the white bearings and give a spin.

And yeah, it's definitely noticeably better.

Oh, I think I even have some teflon spray around. I'll give it a whirl.

Cheers :)

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: bigpook on Mon, 19 April 2010, 18:24:59

I did this a while back and felt it improved the scrolling of the wheel.  But I ended up with a slimblade and have been using that for about 6 months.

I went back to the expert as my wrist was acting up, and was wanting to change it up a bit.
I noticed the scroll wheel on the kensington was kind of jumpy and hard to dial in. With the magnet in, it was notchy feeling, now without the magnet and the teflon spray, it pretty much spins, but compared to the slimblade is hard to dial in. Its almost sloppy.

So my question is this: is there a way to dampen the scroll wheel on the kensington expert?


I have the expert broken down but don't see how I can take the ball socket apart. I have no clue how I would be able to dampen it, but maybe some one here has an idea.

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: bigpook on Tue, 20 April 2010, 15:31:35

Yeah, it looks like it won't come apart. But I don't need to lube it up any more than I have already. Its the opposite, its too loose.
I was thinking of getting a small rubber wheel and somehow hacking it together where the rubber wheel will roll against the bottom ring, adding some friction.

That would be a hack though. Ideally, it would be like the scroll ring on the lasertrak.

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: RoboKrikit on Sat, 20 November 2010, 02:19:53

What's that little external box with the Sanwa buttons that's hooked up to the CST? I see there's external jacks on some of the models, but didn't see any separate button modules for sale on their site.  Can you just plug in some standard jacks and wire them directly to any regular pushbuttons?

I started using a desktop again recently and broke out my old Kensington Expert Mouse.  I forgot how much I liked trackballs, but as much as I love the ball and buttons, the grinding feel of the scroll wheel has always been a turnoff.

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: RoboKrikit on Sat, 20 November 2010, 18:46:58

Thanks much.  I don't know why I was surprised when I saw the Lego switch box...

Title: Kensington Expert Trackball - Make That Scroll Wheel Usable!
Post by: RoboKrikit on Sat, 20 November 2010, 18:58:06

Works for joysticks too. (Not mine, from Tech Talk on Shoryuken.) :)

(http://lh5.ggpht.com/_C7ktqUX0Daw/THFnQq15aSI/AAAAAAAAAy4/Qu9NQGYU-Ew/s640/45499_1413280778724_1433670048_31069165_2983166_n.jpg)