From: boyd@zeta.cs.fsu.edu (Mickey Boyd)
Newsgroups: comp.sys.atari.st,comp.sys.atari.st.tech
Subject: Re: Where can one get a new mouse quickly?
Date: 14 Apr 92 07:42:25 GMT
Reply-To: boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu
Organization: Florida State University Computer Science Department

In article <1992Apr6.104420.1@galluk>, CADS_COLE@galluk (Kevin Cole; Washington DC) writes:
>Greetings.
>
>We've got an ST with a mouse that appears to be on it's last legs.  (In 
>particular, it seems to be growing less and less sensative to clicks and 
>double-clicks.)  We needs a new mouse before a concert to be given April 24.  I
>called the only local dealer listed in the phone book, and was told that they
>only had rebuilt mice (for $42.00) and that ordering a new one would take a
>month.  Not good enough.  What's the *FASTEST* way to get a reasonably priced
>($60 sounds reasonable to me), decent mouse to Washington, DC?  Any good
>sources? 
>

If you are in the DC area, you have several great ST stores to choose from.
Two notable ones are Toad Computers at (401)544-6943 in Severna Park,MD, and 
L&Y Electronics in Woodbridge VA (My favorite).  You should be able to call 
information in Woodbridge to get L&Y's phone number.  Both of these stores
should have several flavors of mice on the shelf (I know L&Y has some of the
new beetle mice, very neat).  You should definitely check out L&Y, there is 
a huge wall COVERED in ST games, and several glass cases full of the latest 
compilers, DTP, utilities, etc.  

If/when you go to one of these stores GET A COPY OF CURRENT NOTES!!!!!
This is the local area for this mag, so all the local ST dealerships advertise 
in it.  DC is the place to be if you are an Atari owner (my parents live up 
there, and I always bring LOTS of cash when I visit).  You will also find 
lots of great stuff in their PD library (including MIDI stuff, check out 
Arpeggiator).  Every ST owner to whom I have shown an issue has purchased a 
subscription (this is 5 folks so far).  

Also, I suspect your mouse has the "peened button contact" blues.  This 
is relatively common for those that really press hard on the buttons.  This 
is what it looks like:

                   place where you put
		   your finger.

       +-------------------------------------+
       |                                     |
       +-----------------+  +----------------+
                         |  |
                         |  |
                         |  |
                         |  |
                         |  |
                         |  |
                         |  |
                         |  |     <- plastic post
			 |  |        with squished bottom
                         /  \
                        +----+

			 +--+
			 |  |
		      +--+  +--+  <- actual button mechanism
                      |        |
		      |        |

For this, you merely have to add a bit of height to either the button 
mechanism (a blob of epoxy will do it, or a couple of chunks of credit 
card).  If this is the problem, you might want to make your next mouse 
one with microswitches (which seem to last longer for heavy-clickers :-). 

Another possibility it that the button mechanism itself is shot.  One 
easy way to get up and running again is to swap the right and left button 
mechanisms on the little board in the mouse (a bit of soldering is required).
If you are using software that makes heavy use of the right button, this 
will not help much, but most software does not use the right one.  

--
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------
             Mickey R. Boyd          |  "Come to your senses professor  
          FSU Computer Science       |     Fernberg.  You did not transcend 
        Technical Support Group      |     the time-space continuum.  You  
       email:  boyd@nu.cs.fsu.edu    |     got drunk in a topless bar."
    ---------------------------------+-------------------------------------