B&C confounding CX80 response

[Swami]

My question to B&C:

Hello,

 

Do you have any CX-80 trackballs that you know are compatible with XE and ST systems (versus the ones that operate like CX-22) and are in good+ condition? Thank you,

 

Their response:

The CX-80 is not compatible with the CX-80 or the CX-22.

We do not have any for sale right now.

 

This msg is sent to you by Bruce at Atari Sales & Service B & C ComputerVisions.

 

...how to respond?

[jaybird3rd]

They probably meant to say "the XE or the ST." Probably dashed it off in a hurry.

[CPUWIZ]

Either way, he clearly doesn't have any.

[alex_79]

There's no evidence that an ST-compatible version of the CX80 was ever sold by Atari.

The very few ST-conmpatible ones out there might very well be the result of modifications made by end users (or possibly also local distributors).

Many magazines and mailing lists in late '80s and early '90s published articles describing how to modify various trackballs (including CX22s and CX80s) to make them compatible with Atari ST, Amiga or other computers.

If you search the forums, you can see that basically everyone who have a cx80 and tried the 2600 trackball hacks, reported that his unit works with the cx22 roms, not the ST mouse ones.

So if you need to use an atari trackball with the Atari ST, consider that you'll have to mod it yourself (or have someone do it for you). The chances of buying an already modified unit are very low.

Edited August 31, 2017 by alex_79

[MrMaddog]

Or just get The Best Trackball from Best Electronics which is already ST compatible without having to do any modding.

[Swami]

They probably meant to say "the XE or the ST." Probably dashed it off in a hurry.

 

Either way, he clearly doesn't have any.

Thanks for the responses everyone. Since the first part didn't make sense, I didn't know how much stock to put in the second part. Even if you replace the first "CX80" with "ST" it still did not make sense from what I'd read in posts here that later production batches of the CX80 were factory modded to be ST compatible. However, if Bruce takes alex_79's view, then it all makes sense. That would mean the posts about factory modded cx80's would be an urban legend. There was a similar phenomenon with the Champ keypad adapter for the Colecovision where some units had a 2- button/2-function mod that werethought to be mostly due to a later factory revision, but could have also been due to all post- purchase mods.

 

Although I have heard the two cx80 versions are externally indistinguishable, I thought they might have some open box stock they had tested. But, sounds like they have none in stock either way.

 

Edit: Here are a couple of several posts postulating "retailer" or factory modded CX80s to ST internals:

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/243453-atari-2600-trak-ball-games/?p=3338900

 

http://atariage.com/forums/topic/19754-cx22-vs-cx80-trak-balls/?p=210999