# Igaging Dro Questions



## Anthony G (Sep 30, 2015)

Looking at DROs today for my lathe. Would like to keep the price reasonable. The Igaging ones seem reasonable at least in price. But, there are a couple things I don't like about them.

I don't like the displays. Are there any alternative displays that someone has used or has gotten to work with their scales? I would rather have a more substantive "box" type enclosure, with both axis readings on the same display. I don't need much as far as functionality either, just basic movement and zeroing and maybe in/metric conversion. I would like to read 1/10ths, though. 

Another thing I don't like about the Igaging DROs is the use of USB cords. I would rather have the cording contained within a metal flexible sheath of some kind. I imagine with the use of USB wires that switching to some other cording would be difficult because of the power supply factor of the USB? 

Also, I'd like some type of covers on the complete DRO, not just the heads, but the scales, too. 

Are there any reasonably priced DRO setups with the features I mentioned above? Or has anyone done any modifications to their Igaging setup?


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## hman (Sep 30, 2015)

You might want to look at Discount Machine Shop on eBay.  They sell Shars DRO displays, as well as scales.  I don't know if their scales are the same as Igaging, but they look similar.  Here's a link to the 2-axis display unit (which IIRC has inch/metric, as well as radius/diameter for the one of the axes:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHARS-XY-2-...DRO-SET-NEW-/350405958491?hash=item5195d29b5b

Note that the cables connect to the display with RJ-11 ("telephone" type) connectors.  The other ends look like they'll fit the Igaging scales.  But for reliability, I'd strongly suggest that you solder directly to the circuit board on the scale head.  I've had a similar setup (3 axis) on my mini-mill for over 5 years now, and electrical noise hasn't been an issue.   The only real inconvenience has been battery life in the scales.  I fixed this by installing capacitors in the scale heads in place of the battery contacts.  Then installed an AA battery in the display housing and ran power to the scales using the "fourth wire" in the connectors/cables.

I have a crude cover over my X axis scale, but both the Y and Z scales are naked.  The Y is underneath the X table.  So far, no problem with swarf or fluids.  I wipe off the scales once in a while.

Finally, you said, "I would like to read 1/10ths, though."  Unfortunately, you can't get there from here.  Igaging and the inexpensive Shars scales (capacitive) will only display to .0005, and even that reading is highly suspect!  If you want tenths, you need to go to glass or magnetic scales, and an entirely new price point.  Discount Machine Shop has a lathe package that will read 0.0002, $580 including shipping:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/SHARS-0-000...GLASS-SCALE-/350494839061?hash=item519b1ed115

I've heard good things about DRO Pros ... www.dropros.com
You should probably give them a call if 0.0001 is really important to you.


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## kd4gij (Sep 30, 2015)

If you can solder. Look at touch dro. You build the interface on an adrino and use an android tablet or old phone. There is a couple of members that have built them.


http://www.yuriystoys.com/p/android-dro.html


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## vtcnc (Oct 2, 2015)

I built the touch DRO for my Taig. Works great. Display, zeroing and such is done from your tablet. However, I am skeptical how well these would work on anything bigger than a hobby lathe or mill.

Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk


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## RJSakowski (Oct 2, 2015)

Anthony G said:


> Looking at DROs today for my lathe. Would like to keep the price reasonable. The Igaging ones seem reasonable at least in price. But, there are a couple things I don't like about them.
> 
> I don't like the displays. Are there any alternative displays that someone has used or has gotten to work with their scales? I would rather have a more substantive "box" type enclosure, with both axis readings on the same display. I don't need much as far as functionality either, just basic movement and zeroing and maybe in/metric conversion. I would like to read 1/10ths, though.
> 
> ...


I used the Igaging scale on my lathe.  I use the TouchDRO app on my smart phone and ran the the cables from the scales through 1/4 flexible stainless steel conduit.  It required cutting  the micro USB connector from the scale  cable and I rewired it the USB connectors after routing through the conduit because I still wanted to retain the capability of using the original displays.

Here is the link to a post that I did on the install.
http://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/another-lathe-dro-install.34106/#post-288084

Bob


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