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need opinions for a dro
- Thread starter goofin
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 5,039
ShumaTech has a yahoo group. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ShumaTech/?yguid=444321927
The nice thing with the dro550 is if mony is an isue you can start with cheep chin. scales and upgrade to glass scales as the funs and need comes along just my 2 cents worth
The nice thing with the dro550 is if mony is an isue you can start with cheep chin. scales and upgrade to glass scales as the funs and need comes along just my 2 cents worth
Looks like I'll start with the 350 and build that, if in when the 550 board comes available ill upgrade then.(looks like its not in production, but correct me if im wrong) plus it will let me piece meal it together over time. I don't get a lot of free time right now being a alarm panel tech and things are busy.
- Joined
- Feb 7, 2011
- Messages
- 5,039
here is the best deal on the dro-350 http://www.wildhorse-innovations.com/index.php?_a=viewProd&productId=2
you get everything in one pak. and there is a board out to upgrade it later
you get everything in one pak. and there is a board out to upgrade it later
You may want to check the the availability of the 350 and the DPU-550 upgrade. To my knowledge Scott stopped offering the 350 some time ago and the DPU-550 also seemed to be in short supply. Even the DRO-550 is unavailable until Scott gets time to order another batch of boards. You will see several requests for boards on the Yahoo group and Scott's explanation about why it might be a while before they are available.
I will suggest that "availability" is the major shortcoming of the the product. After you get one the Yahoo group seems to be able to provide reasonable support.
Depending on how "home grown" you want to get you could try http://www.cnczone.com/forums/benchtop_machines/141189-dro-550_clone.html. I sent a message to the Yahoo group with this link in it and also directly to Scott because I thought it was interesting in so many ways ... legal, availability relief, intelectual property, etc. ... but he decided to censor the post from the group ... his right to do so as he owns the group.
Note that I do own two DRO-550 kits but have not put them together yet. I also have two 350 kits around here someplace that I have not put together. If you would be interested in the 350 kits PM me.
Arvid
Hi,
I would recommend you go strait to a glass scale DRO package from ebay or similar.
I have heard of many guys over the years fitting the cheap Chinese scales and having problems and glitches(even in a good environment), then they buy a glass scale DRO and wonder why they mucked around with the cheap scales for so long. Glass scales don't have any problems and work flawlessly every time you turn the system on.
If you do go to the Shumatech readout and cheap Chinese scales, it wont be long before you find the cheap scales not reliable or not accurate enough for what your doing, so then you will be looking for glass scales. It is not much more to buy a complete DRO package than it is to buy the glass scales separately.
Going by DRO pros site it will cost $150+ (depending on size) for each scale plus postage on top, when a 2 axis package posted to you will only cost around $420 and $550 for a 3 axis off ebay.
I just had a look around to show you a comparison of the scales in accuracy and resolution, and this is if there are no problems and they are working fine.
Below is from Wikipedia
Ordinary 6-in/150-mm digital calipers are made of stainless steel, have a rated accuracy of 0.001 in (0.02mm) and resolution of 0.0005 in (0.01 mm). The same technology is used to make longer 8-in and 12-in calipers; the accuracy for bigger measurements declines to 0.001 in (0.03 mm) for 100-200 mm and 0.0015 in (0.04 mm) for 200-300 mm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliper
Standard glass scales have a rated accuracy of +/-0.0002 in (0.005mm) at 20 degrees, and a resolution of 0.0002 in (0.005mm) or upgrade to 1um scales (Sino $20-25 each axis extra with the kit) and they have a accuracy/resolution of 0.00004 (0.001mm)
When you look at the Shumatech cost wise, you will be up for
Shumatech read out $159.95
All of the parts in the link below for the through hole components and enclosure parts, looks to be around $50 worth
http://www.shumatech.com/web/products/dro-550/bom
Chinese Scales $50+ each maybe?
Change over to glass scales latter $300+
(And this is if you can buy one as they are unavailable at the moment by the looks of it.)
So as you can see it looks cheap to begin with, but it's just because you can buy each piece one at the time, instead of buying it all together.
I gave David my opinion on DRO's the other day, and it might interest you.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...s-for-Bridgeport&p=33701&highlight=#post33701
Dave
I would recommend you go strait to a glass scale DRO package from ebay or similar.
I have heard of many guys over the years fitting the cheap Chinese scales and having problems and glitches(even in a good environment), then they buy a glass scale DRO and wonder why they mucked around with the cheap scales for so long. Glass scales don't have any problems and work flawlessly every time you turn the system on.
If you do go to the Shumatech readout and cheap Chinese scales, it wont be long before you find the cheap scales not reliable or not accurate enough for what your doing, so then you will be looking for glass scales. It is not much more to buy a complete DRO package than it is to buy the glass scales separately.
Going by DRO pros site it will cost $150+ (depending on size) for each scale plus postage on top, when a 2 axis package posted to you will only cost around $420 and $550 for a 3 axis off ebay.
I just had a look around to show you a comparison of the scales in accuracy and resolution, and this is if there are no problems and they are working fine.
Below is from Wikipedia
Ordinary 6-in/150-mm digital calipers are made of stainless steel, have a rated accuracy of 0.001 in (0.02mm) and resolution of 0.0005 in (0.01 mm). The same technology is used to make longer 8-in and 12-in calipers; the accuracy for bigger measurements declines to 0.001 in (0.03 mm) for 100-200 mm and 0.0015 in (0.04 mm) for 200-300 mm.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Caliper
Standard glass scales have a rated accuracy of +/-0.0002 in (0.005mm) at 20 degrees, and a resolution of 0.0002 in (0.005mm) or upgrade to 1um scales (Sino $20-25 each axis extra with the kit) and they have a accuracy/resolution of 0.00004 (0.001mm)
When you look at the Shumatech cost wise, you will be up for
Shumatech read out $159.95
All of the parts in the link below for the through hole components and enclosure parts, looks to be around $50 worth
http://www.shumatech.com/web/products/dro-550/bom
Chinese Scales $50+ each maybe?
Change over to glass scales latter $300+
(And this is if you can buy one as they are unavailable at the moment by the looks of it.)
So as you can see it looks cheap to begin with, but it's just because you can buy each piece one at the time, instead of buying it all together.
I gave David my opinion on DRO's the other day, and it might interest you.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/show...s-for-Bridgeport&p=33701&highlight=#post33701
Dave