Author Topic: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap  (Read 5861 times)

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Offline braaaiiins

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Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« on: Fri, 20 July 2012, 22:32:43 »
Sorry for double posting. Didn't see this subforum when I posted a question earlier in the mouse subforum. Anyways here is my completed trackball with a cherry mx conversion for the left two buttons that I use for left and right click. Hope you like it. Next up is do a bluetooth conversion. Any good ideas on how I can achieve that? I'm thinking the optical sensor can interface directly with a teensy, but i'll have to do some research. Any helpful insight is appreciated.


Offline braaaiiins

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #1 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 06:09:07 »
Here's another picture I got with some new keys on =) I want to add a  third key to the right of the big one so i can incorporate all 3 mouse buttons. Took me like 10 tries to get this picture correct. The LED is an RGB fading variant. It has a really long red phase, medium green phase, short blue phase, super-super-almost-non-existant-short purple phase.

Offline HappyRainbows

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #2 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 06:36:27 »
Part number?

Offline Icarium

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #3 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 07:33:03 »
Here's another picture I got with some new keys on =) I want to add a  third key to the right of the big one so i can incorporate all 3 mouse buttons. Took me like 10 tries to get this picture correct. The LED is an RGB fading variant. It has a really long red phase, medium green phase, short blue phase, super-super-almost-non-existant-short purple phase.

What kind of key is that? Did you do the LED mod yourself?
I had a sig once but it's gone. It used to display an icon of a Kinesis. Just imagine that.

fartq

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #4 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 12:23:23 »
that's awesome but also kind of frightening. isn't the key height kind of uncomfortable?

Offline braaaiiins

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #5 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 17:56:52 »
Happy, what part number are you talking about?

Icarium, what kind of key is what? Yea I did the LED mod on all 6-7 LEDS on the poker. So they all go through a rainbow cycle. Edit: Ohhhh my ESC key is the one you're probably talking about. I casted that myself out of resin as well as a few other designs a few months back. I was never satisfied with the material quality so I kinda put that project to the side, at least until I can find a better way to use better plastic.

fartqq, The key height actually is really comfortable. I've got medium size skinny hands. The black springs prove to be a good choice, but I'm not a fan of the black stems, will probably swap those out for clear stems for some ergo-pandas? I think that's what that combo is called... Over all I am really surprised about how functional it is. I prefer it over the unmodified trackball =)
« Last Edit: Sat, 21 July 2012, 18:11:52 by braaaiiins »

Offline braaaiiins

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #6 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 19:29:45 »
I did some more vigorous testing. I thought the second key (geekhack key) was in an awkward position for right click but it turns out it works out really well. I'm a gamer so right now I'm playing diablo 3 which has a lot of left click right click spamming for some classes. The way the thumb rests on top of the keys lets me "seesaw" my thumb to press both buttons. I press the tip/pad of my thumb down to activate the left click and i press down with the knuckle/joint area for right click. I'm fairly certain this wouldnt work as well with some tactile stems though. Just wouldn't be as easy to "seesaw" without the linear stems.

fartq

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #7 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 19:44:42 »
yep, that's kind of weird, especially since the factory switch is tactile.

also, how did you get the mouse controller to register the third button? doesn't the marble only have two buttons?

Offline braaaiiins

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Re: Logitech Marble Trackball - Cherry MX Switch Swap
« Reply #8 on: Sat, 21 July 2012, 20:23:25 »
I'm still very interested in doing tactile keys, but I won't be doing it on this mouse. I'll be doing it on the next mouse I mod since I kinda messed up with the putty and sealed the switches shut on this one =)

The marble actually has 4 buttons, by default the extra 2 buttons are back and forward for browsing, but logitech has software that lets you add some more functionality to the buttons.

I'll be adding a third cherry mx on this one soon. I need my MButton! I'll have to bust out the dremel to make a cutout on in the casing though. Should be fun.