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Showing 1 of 208 conversations about:
donjoan
88
Mar 30, 2017
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Can I turn on/off the backlit? If it is off, the ball turns to black? Please!
Mar 30, 2017
harharhops
27
Mar 30, 2017
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donjoanYou can order without the backlight
Mar 30, 2017
donjoan
88
Mar 30, 2017
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harharhopsI want to get backlit one if I can turn off the backlit and the ball becomes black once turned off
Mar 30, 2017
eizdeb
474
Mar 31, 2017
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donjoan" Interfacing to your computer through a USB connector, the trackball can be further customized with your choice of resolution: 400, 800, or 1,600 dpi. The LED lights only turn on when the ball is moved and automatically turn off after five minutes of inactivity."
In the description, I'm not sure if there's a setting to turn the backlight off but it does do this at least.
Mar 31, 2017
sciro
61
Apr 5, 2017
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donjoanI have the CST2545-5W(GL) which is the 5 button with the blue glow ball. As far as I know, there is no way to turn off the backlight aside from the 5 minute inactivity timeout.
They offer software for Windows (and I believe OS X as well; Linux/UNIX folks are out of luck) that enables extra features which allows you to record macros that can be executed with button presses, as well as program certain buttons to perform configurable actions that can vary from program to program. But, no option to turn off the backlight. I think they said they may add this feature in a later version of the software, but I don't have a source for that statement.
When the backlight is off, the ball is black. However, the ball itself is not the same trackball as used in the other models without the backlight. In fact it's 28% lighter than the other balls and is probably of a different color in order for the blue light to properly diffuse the light throughout the ball evenly.
Something to note: the way the back light works is that there are three LEDs that are positioned triangularly which light up the track ball. It can be quite bright and annoying when it catches your eye. Doesn't happen often and it's easy enough to position the trackball so that none of the lights hit your eyes.
With that said, it's a great trackball and sturdy as hell; I love it and would get it again in a heartbeat if something happened to mine. As far as end-game equipment goes, this trackball mouse is a serious candidate in my book. I haven't yet, but I need to look into some external buttons for full utilization. I've yet to try any other kinds though (I hear the ITAC trackballs are excellent) so I won't call it my final answer, but so far it's well worth the $100 and more.
Apr 5, 2017
Rifleman
69
Sep 3, 2017
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sciroThis is false. The ball does NOT become black when the light shuts off, at least for the red model. The ball is still red but simply not illuminated. Perhaps this is different with the blue backlit model, but I doubt it.
Sep 3, 2017
sciro
61
Sep 3, 2017
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RiflemanYup the ball is blue.
Sep 3, 2017
jrjr2
763
Oct 16, 2017
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sciroOnly thought colors differed on the balls. Since the black vs blue differs 28% in weight, is either one of them considered "better" in terms of performance? Is normal black heavy or blue light? Anyone who tried both?
Im also thinking about which color to pickup.
Oct 16, 2017
sciro
61
Sep 4, 2018
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jrjr2hullo, apologies for the dreadfully late reply.
I haven't tried both but I believe that they are equal in terms of performance; it is a matter of personal preference.
A heavier ball will offer more resistance to your touch and will give the impression of a lower sensitivity than that of a lighter ball, and vice versa for the lighter one. If used for an extended duration of time, the heavier ball may cause fatigue to set in sooner, but that's to be expected. Naturally, the overall weight of the trackball will be affected as well; although nearly negligible and so hardly worth mentioning, the change in weight may matter for special cases.
Since the trackball is conveniently the same size as a billiard ball, you also have the option of swapping out the original for a different look and feel. If you detest billiards, you are free to make or use any ball you want, provided it satisfies two requirements: it is the same size as a billiard ball (I think the diameter is 2.25 inches), and the ball is somewhat opaque so that the lasers can accurately track movement.
I'm also pleased to report that I've been using mine for around two and a half years now and it still works like brand new (it is cleaned occasionally).
Sep 4, 2018
jrjr2
763
Sep 4, 2018
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sciroThanks! Got the regular black version but havent picked up a billiard ball yet :)
Sep 4, 2018
sciro
61
Oct 11, 2018
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jrjr2Cheers! Well wishes for much mileage for your trackball :D
Oct 11, 2018
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