# Chinese JCS900-3AE DRO - Good Manual found !!!



## Rata222

I purchased a model JC900-3AE DRO for my mill.  The manual is awful.  The screens and buttons shown do not correspond with the unit.  I could not get into some of the functions and the vendor could not help.  New to DRO’s I was frustrated – I searched all the manuals for different DRO’s that I could find to help me understand. I found the manual below and it well written and follows this DRO closely,
  The attached  manual was a BIG help and I wanted to take the opportunity to payback and maybe help someone else have a better experience.
 It was found at  http://www.exoror.com/datasheet/D60.pdf      (In case the attachment doesn't load correctly.)

   This manual also shows access to additional functions  not listed (or I missed) in the supplied manual such as -Tool offsets for the mill, Tool Libs for the lathe, pocketing……
       One thing I did find in the original manual  -in case you missed it as I did at first-  is access to a second set of setup parameters by hitting the in/mm button six times during boot up
      The only function I cannot seem to get to work is the Ref Datum Memory Recall  Function to rehome the table if it gets moved during a power loss.  I cannot get the unit to “flash” and find the reference marks of the scales as described.  If anyone conquered this –please pass it along.

    Hope this helps anyone who purchases one of these DROs!
Jim


----------



## Ed ke6bnl

That looks exactly like the dro readout I have.  I am still lost on many of the functions.  One that I wanted to do is let say set the quill over a area and put a number or my choice as the x or y or both. Have not been able to do that. or use the calculator to do some calculation and use that number in the x or y read out. But love it and the price


----------



## Rata222

Ed ke6bnl said:


> I am still lost on many of the functions. One that I wanted to do is let say set the quill over a area and put a number or my choice as the x or y or both. Have not been able to do that.


      To do that.... Press the X Y or Z button (not the Xo,Yo,Zo) type in the number and press enter.  You may want to do this in Incremental Mode. Then you will still maintain your original origin if you toggle back Absolute Mode.
       I saw a YouTube video - for a different DRO-where the calculator value was transferred to the axis - but I have not figured it out for this model.


----------



## Ed ke6bnl

thanks for your help, will give it a try tomorrow


----------



## Ed ke6bnl

Rata222 said:


> To do that.... Press the X Y or Z button (not the Xo,Yo,Zo) type in the number and press enter.  You may want to do this in Incremental Mode. Then you will still maintain your original origin if you toggle back Absolute Mode.
> I saw a YouTube video - for a different DRO-where the calculator value was transferred to the axis - but I have not figured it out for this model.


Well that worked just fine, thanks for the help.  I also tried differant ways to get the number from the calculator into the X position. Oh well at least the feature you told me about is useful at times.


----------



## SamI

One thing I found is that when the toolroom is open (i.e. you can select different tools with pre-set offsets) you can only modify the values when tool number 1 is selected.  It took me ages to work that out!  Before I was having to close the toolroom, modify the value then open it again which was a bit of a pain.  The real benefit here is that I can zero the Y axis when performing a facing cut in the lathe, turn up to a shoulder then switch to the boring bar and bore out to the correct depth from the face with ease.


----------



## ttabbal

Enough of us have been buying these that we might be able to figure out our own manual. I just got mine installed on a Bridgeport and have been trying to figure out how to use the more advanced features, more than measure and zero. I could use the calculator, but couldn't quite get the result to copy into an axis.


----------



## Rata222

Transfering Caculator result to the DRO.
I believe I  figured out how to transfer the results from the calculator to any axis on the DRO.

Note whether you are in ABS or INC  Mode.   The active mode is where the number will transfer to.
Hit the CALC button
Perform your calculation.
Hit the “UP Arrow” key.    A “T” will appear to the right of the screen. T for Transfer?
Hit Xo,Yo or Zo.  The updated numbers show in the screen,
Hit the CALC button to return to ABS or INC mode with the modified numbers
Also note: If you press the “DOWN Arrow”  it brings up an “R” in the right hand corner, R = Recall?   .  IF I hit the Xo, Yo or Zo it will bring in the value from the active ABS or INC screen into the calculator.  But when trying to perform calculations on this displayed number I would get erroneous results.  The calculator would freeze.  I would hit the “.” button twice.  This would dump me into the ABS mode screen.
If anyone figures out more on this please share.

Hope this helps!!!


----------



## Ed ke6bnl

Rata222 said:


> Transfering Caculator result to the DRO.
> I believe I  figured out how to transfer the results from the calculator to any axis on the DRO.
> 
> Note whether you are in ABS or INC  Mode.   The active mode is where the number will transfer to.
> Hit the CALC button
> Perform your calculation.
> Hit the “UP Arrow” key.    A “T” will appear to the right of the screen. T for Transfer?
> Hit Xo,Yo or Zo.  The updated numbers show in the screen,
> Hit the CALC button to return to ABS or INC mode with the modified numbers
> Also note: If you press the “DOWN Arrow”  it brings up an “R” in the right hand corner, R = Recall?   .  IF I hit the Xo, Yo or Zo it will bring in the value from the active ABS or INC screen into the calculator.  But when trying to perform calculations on this displayed number I would get erroneous results.  The calculator would freeze.  I would hit the “.” button twice.  This would dump me into the ABS mode screen.
> If anyone figures out more on this please share.
> 
> Hope this helps!!!


----------



## rchang1952

I have the JCS 900-3AE DRO and it does not react to the instructions for drilling circular holes (PCD function) in the indicated PDF.  In many of the online manuals you press the up or right arrow to go the the next entry function for setting up the routine.   On my DRO, the first entry after pressing the Circle key, results in Radius, not Diameter as the recommended manual suggests.  Then I had no luck after Enter to access the next setting.  Up arrow did not work and there is no Right arrow.  Turns out the Down arrow moves to the next selection.   The DRO makes drilling in a circle a simple process, select the hole number, zero the X and the Y and drill away.


----------

