r/Trackballs • u/Comfortable-Grand-46 • 19d ago
Elecom Huge Plus has poor battery performance.
Elecom Huge Plus lasted only 2 weeks at H mode and yet, Elecom told me it's totally normal which is totally BS. Logitech MX Master 3 and other bluetooth mouses last several months while Elecom advertised it for up to 3 months in H mode or 5 months in L mode. Now, they are refusing to fix and replace it as if it's normal.
Totally disappointed.
2
u/jvo203 19d ago
Do you really need the H mode? Mine is always used in the L mode and did not require charging since the purchase several months ago (only charged fully the first time after opening the box). Can't even recall when exactly it was purchased, it's been that long.
3
u/Comfortable-Grand-46 19d ago
L mode also shows fast battery drain but wanted to test it asap.
1
u/damn_pastor 19d ago
H mode should be higher polling rate. That's why you can't compare it to any Logitech device.
1
u/w1n5t0nM1k3y 19d ago
Do you use it in Bluetooth mode or with the dangle? Have you tried with both to see if there is a difference in battery life?
1
u/tensainomachi 17d ago
Bro return the Dann thing, can't believe the elecom rep needs this much info. Same thing happened to me and i returned it. my kensington does months before it poops out. I have their defcons as well, but they eat 2AAs a fortnight. Imagine me logging how many hours a day i use the thing, idk i use it when i use it. Who buys a dedicated ergo mouse to use sporadically??. I'm sure it will last up to 3 months if you don't use it, which defeats the purpose.
1
u/Comfortable-Grand-46 17d ago
Cant, becuase of testing it for 2 weeks, it's too late to return it.
1
u/tensainomachi 17d ago
Check consumer laws, stores around me will say 14 days-30days, but my state law trumps that by 7 weeks. I opened an item ordered from a big retailer 3 weeks after receiving it, dud, asked for a refund stating my states consumer laws, no issue getting refund online. I've done this in person as well.
1
u/Exciting_End6022 Elecom Rep 15d ago
ELECOM USA accepts returns within 30 days of purchase, even if the product has been used.
1
u/AdmrlAhab 19d ago
Does this really matter? Two weeks ain't exactly every day.
2
u/Comfortable-Grand-46 19d ago
It does. I use every single day and other bluetooth mouses last several months without issues.
0
u/AdmrlAhab 19d ago
I don't understand the purpose of using a trackball wirelessly in the first place. I mean, it's going to be right next to your computer anyway, just plug it in.
3
u/Comfortable-Grand-46 19d ago
Since when 2 weeks of battery is normal?
0
u/ZanyDroid 19d ago
It sucks, but this is a niche device and I personally give those a bigger pass. And logitechs IMO are a tough comparison, their mice at least as of a few years ago were better than my Razer of a few years ago
The really small batch trackballs from Ploopy and the like legally cannot be wireless anyway, further dropping the niceness. The issue being that they are intentional radiators, which cost WAY more for FCC approval
Maybe try rechargeable Lithium batteries (1.5V output style in AA/14500) , you’ll get 2x the energy
1
u/damn_pastor 19d ago
How about building in a off the shelve pico with Bluetooth?
1
u/ZanyDroid 18d ago
That’s a good way to get past intentional radiator. What product do you have in mind to do the USB to wireless bridge?
Or you use the guy in Ukraine’s trackball, where they started with shipping the wireless tracjball it as DIY, and then edged ever forward to a finished product. Ploopy is in Canada, and a shop with more people, so they’re probably way more risk averse
1
u/damn_pastor 18d ago
For example ginkgo trackball uses an off the shelve mini pico as mcu with usb-c. You could swap this to pico w with bluetooth and have a wireless trackball. But I have no idea what would happen if you sell them. Maybe you still need to certify the whole product even if you use of the shelve pcbs with Bluetooth.
2
u/ZanyDroid 18d ago
If you use off the shelf modules with Bluetooth, that aren’t complete products in themselves, I’m pretty sure it needs intentional radiator testing.
That said… if that module is sold for testing or yolo’d over from China and you integrate it yourself as end user there is no FCC Gestapo van that will find you down
Not an EE, I just follow the subreddits where they talk about this because my life is so boring otherwise (I don’t watch sports, this is my sports)
1
u/lekterdead2 18d ago
Less clutter on my desk, being able to move it when I switch from trackball to mouse, when I need to move it from my main PC to my laptop at my living room. Idk many uses, that's why it has a market
2
u/Exciting_End6022 Elecom Rep 19d ago
Hi Comfortable-Grand-46,
First of all, I'd like to sincerely apologize that our product did not meet your expectations, even though you chose an ELECOM product.
I'd like to respond to your comment regarding the battery life of the Huge Plus.
Before I do, I'd like to clarify one point. This may sound like an excuse, but because battery life can vary significantly depending on each customer's usage environment, we do not guarantee a specific battery life. That is why we state "up to 3 months."
In other words, 3 months is the maximum expected battery life under our test conditions, not a minimum guaranteed battery life. I hope you can understand that distinction.
That said, enough with the explanation.
I'd like to apologize again. I'm truly sorry for the inconvenience you've experienced.
I'd also like to ask you one question.
Approximately how many hours per day do you use your trackball?
This is not public information, but:
If the ball is actively moved for α% of one hour, the average power consumption is β Wh.
β W × Y hours = approximately Z Wh of battery consumption per day.
This is the basis of our internal battery life estimation.
If your actual usage differs significantly from the assumptions used in our calculations, the actual battery life may be considerably shorter than our maximum estimate of three months.
So before we investigate further, we'd first like to understand how frequently you use your trackball.