Reliable Tracker Ball Wanted

[Bryan]

For years I used a wired Logitech tracker ball which was fine until eventually one of the internal switches failed.

 

I tried to replace it with an identical product but Logitech appears to have abandoned wired kit for wireless. I therefore bought a M570 wireless tracker ball. This gadget is nothing like as reliable as the wired equivalent, I don't know if this is a software issue - I've updated the driver - or a hardware problem, but it's getting worse by the day and driving me crazy!  (And yes I've tried replacing the battery and cleaning the ball and innards - all to no avail. )

 

Weirdly, perhaps because it fears its days are numbered, it's working perfectly at this instant.....

 

Any ideas why these problems are occuring, or can you recommend an alternative tracker ball solution ( don't want a mouse/tablet) that is reliable?

[sooth]

If it's jumpy (this goes for a computer mouse as well), I would...

 

A) see if you can plug the USB wireless receiver either closer, or in sight of the trackball device; there could be interference between the trackball unit and the wireless receiver

 

B. If that doesn't work, then try plugging the wireless receiver into another usb port as ports are sometimes shared/favored by other devices whether you know it or not.

 

Do A before B to eliminate interference as the issue, even if you have to move the computer or trackball next to each other and check your screen.  If you're pretty sure interference is the issue and it's not B, and you feel you can't physically move your computer around (let's say it's sitting under your desk), then I would get some sort of USB extension cable so that tiny wireless receiver can sit on your desk somewhere.

Edited June 22, 2020 by sooth

[spacecadet]

If (a) does work, you could consider putting the receiver (I assume it's like the tiny one I'm looking at, a sliver of plastic on top of a USB plug) on a short USB extension lead and taping it to the trackball. Messy but you want it to work, not pass a design competition.

[Bryan]

Thanks for the suggestions. I've taken your advice and removed the receiver from behind the box and plugged it into a spare socket at the top in sight of the trackerball. So far so good, but time will tell.

Edited June 22, 2020 by Bryan