# Effective battery alternative for iGaging DRO's??



## Terrywerm (Aug 2, 2014)

I know that this was talked about briefly in another thread, but since this is a slightly different subject, I think it warrants a thread of its own. I have a set of iGaging Absolute DRO's for my mill and I am wondering if anyone has had any success with finding an alternative method to power the DRO's other than the CR2032 batteries that they come with. I would think that a simple wall wart transformer, fed through a bridge rectifier, then through a cap/resistor filter should be able to provide clean enough power for these DROs.  Any thoughts??


One other option that may work would be a remote rechargeable battery that feeds all of the DROs on a machine, in my case three, for X, Y, and Z.  One large rechargeable battery would be far better than the small ones in my mind. If nothing else, the battery would be the perfect filter for DC with too much ripple. 

As a final thought, CR2032 batteries can be purchased cheaply enough and should last quite a while in use, especially with the Absolute DROs, as they have an auto shut-off feature. Those with the older Remote DROs do not have the luxury of the auto shut-off if I remember correctly, so those owners could go through a case of CR2032 batteries in no time if they forget to shut the units off.

I am looking forward to hearing what others have done or experienced.


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## John Hasler (Aug 2, 2014)

terrywerm said:


> I know that this was talked about briefly in another thread, but since this is a slightly different subject, I think it warrants a thread of its own. I have a set of iGaging Absolute DRO's for my mill and I am wondering if anyone has had any success with finding an alternative method to power the DRO's other than the CR2032 batteries that they come with. I would think that a simple wall wart transformer, fed through a bridge rectifier, then through a cap/resistor filter should be able to provide clean enough power for these DROs.  Any thoughts??



You will also need a 3V voltage regulator such as this:
http://www.jameco.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/Product_10001_10001_1315492_-1


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## jeff_g1137 (Aug 2, 2014)

Hi
Will a power supply off a PC work at 3.3v or a 
*Variable **30V 10A DC Power Supply Laboratory Lab Grade Digital Precision  Regulate*

jeff


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## John Hasler (Aug 2, 2014)

jeff_g1137 said:


> Hi
> Will a power supply off a PC work at 3.3v or a
> *Variable **30V 10A DC Power Supply Laboratory Lab Grade Digital Precision  Regulate*
> 
> jeff



These devices might not draw enough current to keep the 3.3V output of a pc supply from going over voltage and damaging them.  The lab supply should be fine as long as it goes down to 3V.


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## davidh (Aug 2, 2014)

too complicated,  see the post i just made on "how i mounted my dro's 

but thats just my humble opinion.    and i wired in a little led bulb that will come on when the power is switched on. . .


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## Terrywerm (Aug 2, 2014)

Here is what David had to say on the  ;URL='http://www.hobby-machinist.com/showthread.php?t=18818#post218628'   B;other thread[/B][/URL;:



davidh said:


> i bought a handful of battery holders with little on / off switch installed that take two triple a batterys.  then i made a little disc with wires on it to take the place of one of the batterys in the dro, and to be hooked to this little battery holder.  according to the calculations made, these two batterys should last a couple years if you left the scales on...............
> i'd be happy to share the information or even sell some of them, just because i really don't need all that i have. . . . . . . email me.





Thanks for that info, David. I was thinking along the same lines as you, making a two sided plastic disk of some sort with wires attached that could be installed in place of one of the CR 2032 cells and go from there. A pair of AA or larger cells would probably last a very long time if a person were to rig something up with them.


I do not yet have my Absolute DROs installed on my mill, but I can see where the power supply for them may become an issue over time. Just thinking ahead I guess.


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## Hawkeye (Aug 3, 2014)

Keep in mind that the circuits in these DROs are 'on' all the time, whether the display is on or off. You can check this by turning off the display, then moving the slider. When you turn the display back on, it will show the correct value, not the one that was displayed when you turned it off.

The other side of that coin is that, if you use a power supply that you can turn on and off, you will find the display showing the factory default every time you turn them on. If you make up a regulated power supply with a rechargeable battery included, it will keep your settings even if the power goes off line for a number of hours.


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## Terrywerm (Aug 3, 2014)

Mike, your line of thinking is exactly what I had in mind to begin with as I realized that turning the power off totally would cause the readout to go back to the defaults, requiring a re-zero every time it was powered on. Not good. Same thing if there is a power outage. Thus, my thought was some sort of rechargeable battery to power the units, and the battery charger itself could simply be powered up on a regular basis. This method also introduces the possibility of the battery developing 'memory' and dying an early death. 

My most recent thoughts are much simpler, and are similar to DavidH's plan.  I would have to create some small discs with wires attached to insert in the read outs in place of the CR2032 cells, then attach some AA or maybe even C or D cell holders to the wires. The holders would use two dry cells to provide the necessary 3 VDC. There would be two of these battery holders set up, wired in parallel. This would allow a fresh set of dry cells to be installed when one set is getting low, but would mean that the DROs would never lose power. With parallel pairs of batteries, the new ones could be installed before the old ones are removed.  

The only hard part is setting up a reliable method to determine when the dry cells require replacement. Perhaps measuring voltage occasionally with a VOM would be the best bet.

This method would not get rid of the need to purchase batteries, but it would make it much easier to replace them, and one could do so without losing power to the DROs, a definite improvement over using the stock CR 2032s.


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## kd4gij (Aug 3, 2014)

There is 2 outher options out there bouth provide power to the scales first is Yuriy's touch dro.
http://www.yuriystoys.com/

The outher is Shumayech dro 350  kit sold here.
http://www.wildhorse-innovations.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=1


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## Hawkeye (Aug 3, 2014)

Terry already has the DROs. I've got them on four machines and they work quite well_ for the price_. 

The large-battery solution has one more advantage. You could power all the DROs on one or several machines from the same supply. If you used a sealed lead acid battery with a 3 volt regulator, it wouldn't have any memory problems. They work best when they are kept charged with a trickle charger.


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## Wobbles (Aug 6, 2014)

2 pair of Nickel-Hydride rechargeable batteries in parallel would do nicely.  Those batteries and the recharger units are easily available for digital cameras at Wal-Mart.

It's only the older Ni-Cad batteries that have the charging "memory" issue. And that comes from being charged too often.  Ni-Cad works great in applications where you can allow them to run all the way down, then charge.  Such is not going to be your case.


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## hman (Aug 7, 2014)

kd4gij said:


> The outher is Shumayech dro 350  kit sold here.
> http://www.wildhorse-innovations.com/index.php?_a=viewCat&catId=1



I just got done building a DRO350 kit and setting it up to use iGaging scales.  Had to make the following mods:

(1) The DRO350 is designed to supply 1.5 volts, used by typical Chinese scales.  The iGaging scales (and variations) require 3.3 volts.  You need to change one resistor on the PC board.

(2) The connectors that come with the DRO350 are mini-DIN.  The iGaging scaled use mini-USB connectors.

(2A and 3) In addition, the iGaging scales use a different protocol than older Chinese scales.  I ordered three "21bit Convertor with MiniUSB socket" (conversion Dongles) from MEDW.  http://medw.co.uk/wiki/view/Conversion+Dongles
They're 12 GBP each, plus 8.5 GBP shipping for the order, or about $60 total.  The Dongles come with the requisite mini-USB connectors

(4) You have to change the "count per inch" setting for the scales from the default 20480 to 2560.  Easy to do.  See the manual.

Once all that is done, it's a *GREAT* DRO system, and about as inexpensive as you can get, especially for a full-featured DRO.  

The scales are powered from the DRO350 itself.  You can do a power-off function (F...9), which turns off the displays but retains power to the scales, thus preserving zero.  However, if you unplug the wall-wart powering the DRO or have a (mains) power failure, you do lose zero.


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## davidh (Aug 7, 2014)

terry i sent you a sample of what i was talking about.  you would need one for each unit, all wired to a single source power supply.


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## chip maker (Aug 7, 2014)

You guys got to be kidding me or us. These battery replacement ideas sound way out of line for a cheap 50 cent battery. I don't think that the cost would out way the means of these upgrades. This money could be well spent on many other more usable tools for the mill or lathe. I have these iGages mounted on my mini mill and my lathe that's 6 gages in all and still would not spend the money to not have to change out the batteries in all these units. May be that some people just have a lot more money to spend on unneeded updates. Just my opinion!!!!


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## kd4gij (Aug 7, 2014)

Chip Maker said:


> You guys got to be kidding me or us. These battery replacement ideas sound way out of line for a cheap 50 cent battery. I don't think that the cost would out way the means of these upgrades. This money could be well spent on many other more usable tools for the mill or lathe. I have these iGages mounted on my mini mill and my lathe that's 6 gages in all and still would not spend the money to not have to change out the batteries in all these units. May be that some people just have a lot more money to spend on unneeded updates. Just my opinion!!!!





 Each scale takes 2 batterys. 3 scales on a mill is 6 batterys so that is $3.00m a set. The $ .50 batterys don't last long in my scales. So it doesn't take long to cover the cost. You can put tocether a system for less then $10.00. So it does pay off.


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## atunguyd (Aug 8, 2014)

Chip maker, the touch DRO or  DRO350 solutions are way more than a battery alternative, these convert your iGaging DROs from a simple readout to a full blown DRO system complete with all the advanced features like racks cut, home pattern, point memory, tool offset etc... 

Sent from my SM-P605 using Tapatalk


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## Terrywerm (Aug 8, 2014)

Thanks for all the ideas, guys. They are all good!

I was out of town all week again, didn't get any chance to catch up in here at all until now. 

Chipmaker, no, we're not kidding anyone. You have most likely figured this out already, but some of us just can't leave well enough alone, and we are always looking for ways to make things work better, even if it just means using a different battery system. We're just perpetual tinkerers! 

Initially, I will just be using the CR2032 batteries, and see how long they last. If their life seems a little short, another method for providing power might be more convenient, especially if power can be supplied in an uninterruptible fashion. Let's face it, having the batteries go dead in the middle of machining a complex part could prove to be disastrous in some cases. Granted, one can replace the batteries, pick up a reference surface again, and go from there, but that can be a pain the rump. I just think that with a little forethought, a person could improve the existing equipment to make it more dependable and easier to use.

Going back a little further in the thread, as has been pointed out, I already have the iGaging Absolute DROs for my mill. They are a little different that the IGaging Remote DROs and some of the features are different. The Absolutes also have greater accuracy than the Remotes, so I suspect they may be using yet another rate for points per inch on the scales, but that is only a consideration if one intends to use a different display with them. I am not planning on upgrading the display or anything like that. If I have holes to lay out, I can do it in CAD, then dimension them and just use the DRO to place them on the work, no need to program the DRO just to get a pattern of holes in a specific layout. I can see the advantages of such a system, but it is not something I need. I am happy just having the read outs!

DavidH, you mention a sample that you sent.  I suspect you mean a photo in an email or PM??


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## GarageGuy (Aug 9, 2014)

I think I would wire up a pair of "D" cell alkaline batteries to the displays and let them run continuously for years!  I have the older iGaging DROs on my mill, and have forgotten them on for a day or two several times.  It still seems like the 2032 batteries last quite awhile.  Harbor Freight has them dirt cheap.

Re-chargeable batteries like Ni-Cad and N-Mh will discharge on their own over time, sometimes in as little as 2 or 3 months.

I like to tinker to a certain extent, but I have a nasty practical streak in me.

GG


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## davidh (Aug 9, 2014)

terrywerm said:


> Thanks for all the ideas, guys. They are all good!
> 
> 
> 
> DavidH, you mention a sample that you sent.  I suspect you mean a photo in an email or PM??



no terry, i actually mailed you a little gadget. . . in a small padded envelope.


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## Rick Leslie (Aug 9, 2014)

I've had a set of David's Igaging scales on my mill for over a year now and no battery replacement to date. That includes forgetting and leaving them on for days at a time. I can see modding for a permanent power source such as a wall wart/ recharger set-up, but battery to battery change doesn't make sense in my case. Of course, most f my projects don't make sense... Will be interesting to see what you come up with.


My next step will be the tablet readout mod.


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## Terrywerm (Aug 10, 2014)

davidh said:


> no terry, i actually mailed you a little gadget. . . in a small padded envelope.



Thanks David!  It arrived yesterday while I was at work. You are far too kind, and you really didn't have to send that, but I do appreciate it. Shouldn't be too hard to make something similar or just like it. I did see your photos of those gadgets and thought they looked pretty good!


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## Rick Leslie (Aug 10, 2014)

terrywerm said:


> Thanks David!  It arrived yesterday while I was at work. You are far too kind, and you really didn't have to send that, but I do appreciate it. Shouldn't be too hard to make something similar or just like it. _*I did see your photos of those gadgets and thought they looked pretty good!*_




Please do share. I like gadgets!!


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## SEK_22Hornet (Aug 10, 2014)

I understand the desire to reduce the number of batteries used in a system of this sort, since I am installing these on my G0704 and probably on my RF-30 type mill as well. Even at  half a buck each for batteries,  having to have 6 batteries on hand and changing them out is just a hassle. And those battery covers won't last all that long. I'll probably solder wires to the contacts at some point, since whatever I do will be permanent. What about using a single larger 3 volt cell like the CR123 used in the surefire flashlights and such? Holders are available and the batteries are pretty widely available now as well. These are much less prone to leak and have a shelf life in the years, with extremely low self discharge. Ni-cad and nickel metal hydride would only give you 2.4 to 2.7 volts with 2 in series (not parallel - parallel only increases the capacity, not the voltage) and also have a fairly fast self discharge rate, meaning they will go dead on their own in a few weeks to a few months without being re-charged.  Regular alkaline cells would give the right voltage with 2 in series, but tend to to be more prone to leakage and have shorter shelf life. A wall wart with a regulator introduces problems with possible damage from power line surges and noise. Using two CR123 battery holders wired in parallel would also allow changing the battery without losing zero, if desired, or just extending the time between changes by using two batteries like the Igaging DRO's do.


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## Terrywerm (Aug 14, 2014)

Rick Leslie said:


> Please do share. I like gadgets!!



Take a look here, Rick.  David sent me one of the little buttons with the wires attached, and they are pretty slick!  Shouldn't be too hard to make, either.  I definitely have them on my to-do list.


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## davidh (Aug 14, 2014)

picture of the gadgets. . . .


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