CompuServe Thread

#Mouse "jitters"…

4 messages in this thread
#110602From: Andrew RakowskiJul 1, 1990 9:27 AM
My mouse has started to develop an annoying "jitter" when I move it slowly upward. I'm using ClockDJ to speed up the mouse movements, so I can see that it's actually "backstepping" occassionally. I've done the usual cleaning (usual means when it starts to act funny…8^), but the jitter is still there. Does anyone know what's going wrong? Has this happened to anyone else? The worst thought is that the poor thing will bite it entirely, and… I don't really want to have to use the keyboard for all my mouse moves and clicks… -Andrew
#110622From: Bill RobertsJul 1, 1990 2:07 PM
I will bet that the mouse is dirty. Clean it out well with a small brush. Remember to that mice do die. Mine went sick in the left button, which made it hard to select things. I got a Marconi RB2 track ball to replace it, which seems to work well.
#110735From: Andrew RakowskiJul 2, 1990 8:41 AM
Thanx for the tip Bill…I'm hoping it's just some hard to reach dirt on one of the rollers inside the mouse. I tried cleaning it with a cotton swab and some high-test alcohol, but using a brush is probably better. I was considering just taking the whole thing apart to completely clean it up. My main worry was that the jitter is only in the upward direction…I'm always suspicious of non-symmetrical problems. How do you like using the RB2 track ball instead of a mouse? Is it as easy to do things with, or do you end up contorting your hand to roll the ball while holding down a menu button? BTW – I have a file of that gives some sources for replacement mouse button micro-switches. I think I may have gotten it from this forum someplace, but if not I can always upload it here. Just let me know. -Andrew
#110771From: John LemoineJul 2, 1990 5:39 PM
It is also possible to have a broken wire in the mouse cable. I recently had problems with my old mouse (4.5 years). It would occaisionally not move properly, I eventually found if you held the cable a certain way it would work ok. I had to chop out the last five inches of cable as it goes into the mouse and reterminate the cable to the P.C. board in the mouse. The cable and switches on a mouse are most likely to wear out. John Lemoine 75320,143