Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Wierd behavior from Apple 'Mighty Mouse'

This is topic Wierd behavior from Apple 'Mighty Mouse' in forum Film-Yak at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

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Posted by Stephen Furley (Member # 1277) on 12-27-2005, 07:22 AM:

I've just scanned a couple of old glass plate negatives, using my Epson Perfection 1640SU scanner with film attachment, on an Apple computer with one of the new 'Mighty Mouse' mice. Everything worked fine. I then scanned some 35mm filmstrips, using the same set-up. The filmstrips had been stored for years coiled very tightly, and would not lay flat in the film holder. I ended up putting some small pieces of plastic foam just outside the scanned area, and pressing down lightly on the film attachment lid with my left hand. At this point the mouse started behaving strangely; before I even touched it, when my hand was anout 2-2.5mm away, it would act as if the two extra side buttons had been squeezed. When this happened there was a very slight click, a bit like a magnetic reed switch, from the mouse. This only happens if my hand is near the front of the mouse, and my other hand is on the film attachment lid. Right hand towards back of mouse, or left hand on the main body of the scanner, and nothing happens. Any idea what is going on? The only thing I can think of is that my body is getting a static charge from the scanner, and something in the mouse is reacting to that, but if I was getting enough of a charge to affect the mouse in this way I would have thought that I would feel it. I think the light source in the film attachment is some sort of cold cathode tube, so there may be relativly high Voltages involved, but I wouldn't have thought high enough to produce any significant static charge, and this does not happen when the film attachment is removed, and the normal back put on the scanner.

I've just discovered that if I put my right hand on, or near, the
mouse, and then bring my left hand close to the scanner that I can get this to happen without actually touching either, in fact it will happen when my hand is anything up to about 20mm from the scanner.

The only other thing I can think of is some sort of RF radiation from high-frequency electronic control gear for the lamp.

Posted by Mike Olpin (Member # 1115) on 12-27-2005, 11:15 AM:

Its the static electricity from the film and styrofoam.

I recomend getting a microsoft intellimouse.

Posted by Joe Redifer (Member # 3) on 12-27-2005, 12:15 PM:

Yeah. But don't install the software since two button mice and scrollwheels work natively in OS Ecks.