Info about DROs

[itsme_Bernie]

Instead of ravaging the lithiums have you tried soldering thin-gauge wiring to the battery contacts on the circuit board? After that there's multiple ways of going to the PSU, either via a jack of some type you could make or direct soldering to the PSU wires. You don't need >15W gun to do this and it'd be safer and easier than messing with lithiums.

That's what I was thinking of doing Splat- hooking up a wall-wart and a button of some kind in the scale to power it through the wall.




Bernie

 

[bix]

The reason behind this is that someone on one of the other threads complained about the batteries going dead in the middle of a project.

Chas:

I've never had that happen. The display contrast starts to degrade long before the battery is dead. Whenever I see that starting to happen, I just replace the batteries. With the ebay pricing on bulk batteries, there is no need to run them until they are dead. Using this strategy, a pair of batteries lasts a small number of months, so I'd guess I'm spending a few bucks a year on DRO batteries (as opposed to a few bucks for *each* battery). I thought about the idea of external power, but decided I didn't want any extra wires running around to catch swarf.

bix

 

[Chas]

Chas:

I've never had that happen. The display contrast starts to degrade long before the battery is dead. Whenever I see that starting to happen, I just replace the batteries. With the ebay pricing on bulk batteries, there is no need to run them until they are dead. Using this strategy, a pair of batteries lasts a small number of months, so I'd guess I'm spending a few bucks a year on DRO batteries (as opposed to a few bucks for *each* battery). I thought about the idea of external power, but decided I didn't want any extra wires running around to catch swarf.

bix

Bix: The power supplies (2) are on the way--- two weeks to ship. ---- That should give me time to work out the battery substitute...

 

[stupoty]

Hello, as has been said the batteries are in parallel so it's just the voltage of one cell.

the easiest way for electronics newbies (that includes me as we are all always learning) :jester: to do it would be the use of a regulator,

This is a 3 pin device , one pin is connected to supply ground, one to supply positive and like magic the desired voltage comes out the other pin.

hear is a link to a texas instruments one it cost about 35 pennies.

http://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/linear-voltage-regulators/6616737/

i have linked to one that is rated at 0.5 amps , this would be with a heat sink, without one it will do about 1/3 of that.

it will output 3.3 volts with any dc voltage applied up to a maximum of 25 volts, so any cheep dc supply could be used, it will get hotter with a higher input voltage as it is just wasting some as heat to drop the voltage so closer is better i.e. 5-12 volts seems ok.

Also as someone else mentioned I would recommend soldering direct to the contact pads, you may need to use an abrasive to take the coating off of them as the solder may not adhere to the coating.

also carefull about the solder , newer electronics are lead free and so all fluxes and coatings used dont like lead solder much (experimentation is the only way to find out I find) although if you remove or scratch the coating either should work ok.

One regulator should be ok to run 3 or more as I would think they are very low current draw (a few milli amps) i have a real cheep digi vernier that Is very flaky so i will try to pull that apart and measure current draw.

Hope that all makes sense.

If you need a more detailed description let me know and i will try to do a neat drawing.

Stuart

 

[Chas]

Bix... IT'S ALIVE>>>>> I think that I went way overboard with this one but it shure was fun. I used the power supply that you found. But instead of the batteries,,, I made a sandwich of 2 home made copper washers and a 1 plastic washer. The DRO read outs work great.
I am working on the original post idea and will put it up soon (I hope).
Thanks again for the input.
Chas.

 

[lens42]

I have the stainless scales that you pointed out from Grizzly, and yes, they are indeed worth the extras cost as compared to the black ones. They're accurate, and they don't turn off on you until you're ready to.

Again though, if your work is not that fussy, then the black ones are fine.

Dave

I know i'm re-asking what you just said, but I want to be sure before ordering because this important detail is not mentioned in any product descriptions. Is it the case that the cheaper Grizzly/iGaging scales auto-turn-off and can do so in the middle of a job (but I presume not when moving), while the more expensive (approx $100) SS scales remain on until you manually shut them off?

If the above is true does this impact battery life? That may seem like a dumb question, but I find my Chinese calipers last about the same time, whether on or off, so I could see auto-turn-off not making a difference.

 

[fretsman]

I know i'm re-asking what you just said, but I want to be sure before ordering because this important detail is not mentioned in any product descriptions. Is it the case that the cheaper Grizzly/iGaging scales auto-turn-off and can do so in the middle of a job (but I presume not when moving), while the more expensive (approx $100) SS scales remain on until you manually shut them off?

If the above is true does this impact battery life? That may seem like a dumb question, but I find my Chinese calipers last about the same time, whether on or off, so I could see auto-turn-off not making a difference.

That is correct, I asked Grizzly directly and they informed me that the black igaging scales will indeed turn off with no activity from that axis. This was confirmed by others but unfortunately I can not remember how long until they turn off. I'm sure someone using them here will chime in on that.

The blue Accuremote scales stay on as I have accidentally left them on overnight anic: I have actually not killed any of the batteries as of yet (even the one that was left on) and I'm sure I've put over 100 hours on these now.

Hope that helps-
Dave

 

[nobog]

Fascinating thread!!
Sorry if this is is an off track question.
I am a NOOB, working on a conserving a Cincy Toolmaster 1B.
I respect and would appreciate a good DRO. No question about that.
However, given the price and availability of old dial indicators I am wondering if I could make a dial indicator holder that would give me precision.
I understand that it would be limited by the distance the indicator could travel, and that the indicator only supplements the hand wheels.
I also understand that it would take some time to design and machine (darn, more time in the shop!). However, for a hobbyist, time in the shop is measured differently.
Ideas? criticism?
Does anyone have better pics of such devices different than are what in the Cincy manual?

Already been done. Goggle Trav a dial. Its a dial indicator with a friction wheel - travel is unlimited. The machinists where I worked used them for decades before the DRO became available.

Jim

 

[lens42]

Already been done. Goggle Trav a dial. Its a dial indicator with a friction wheel - travel is unlimited. The machinists where I worked used them for decades before the DRO became available.

Jim

The problem is that Trav a dials cost almost as much (or more) than a decent quality Chinese DRO. To the OP, there are lot of cute ways to mount a standard dial indicator on a mil or lathe. Some Google work should get you pictures. One set up that I always though was clever was on the little German Deckel FP1 mills, where they had narrow trays on sliders along the axis on which you could stack up gauges blocks. Combined with an adjustable stop and/or and indicator mount could get you a precise stop or indication at any size.

 

[davidh]

That is correct, I asked Grizzly directly and they informed me that the black igaging scales will indeed turn off with no activity from that axis. This was confirmed by others but unfortunately I can not remember how long until they turn off. I'm sure someone using them here will chime in on that. . . . . . . . .

Hope that helps-
Dave

my black igage ones do not turn off themselves, in fact two days on and it still has battery and when turned it off and turned it on a bit later it retained the last number. . . more experimenting to do . . .