Been thinking about this Grizzly DRO for my lathe

[Janderso]

This project was a bit more challenging but it was very satisfying!
I just need to secure the cables then reinstall the splash shield with all the goodies I’ve added over time.
Oh, then I need to figure out how to use this gadget.
The cross slide reads actual movement. I need a direct reading off the radius. Not sure what that’s called.

 

[Ischgl99]

On my Sino, it‘s a different model than yours, to change between radius and diameter, you need to go into the setup menu and change the resolution. My cross slide scale is 1 micrometer, so to get diameter, I would change the scale resolution from 1 to 2. If you have a 5 micrometer scale, you would change it from 5 to 10, or the other way around if you want to go from diameter to radius.

Edit: looks like they changed how to change from radius to diameter, I found this document online that shows the procedure for what appears to be your model.

https://images.machineryhouse.com.au/products/D5200/PDF/Changing%20Sino%20DRO%20to%20read%20in%20Radius%20or%20Diameter.pdf

 

[Janderso]

On my Sino, it‘s a different model than yours, to change between radius and diameter, you need to go into the setup menu and change the resolution. My cross slide scale is 1 micrometer, so to get diameter, I would change the scale resolution from 1 to 2. If you have a 5 micrometer scale, you would change it from 5 to 10, or the other way around if you want to go from diameter to radius.

Edit: looks like they changed how to change from radius to diameter, I found this document online that shows the procedure for what appears to be your model.

https://images.machineryhouse.com.au/products/D5200/PDF/Changing%20Sino%20DRO%20to%20read%20in%20Radius%20or%20Diameter.pdf

Yeah, exactly.
Thank you. Right now I’m reading five digits beyond the decimal point. Not gonna work.
The manual is very difficult to read or understand imho.

 

[Ischgl99]

Yeah, exactly.
Thank you. Right now I’m reading five digits beyond the decimal point. Not gonna work.
The manual is very difficult to read or understand imho.

My manual is horrible too, my Chinese wife said don’t even think about asking her to translate it lol. I wanted to play around with the tool library feature, that took a lot of effort to understand until it finally sunk in what they were trying to explain.

I couldn’t find a way to change the number of digits, most people use tape to cover up the last digit, I just got used to it.

 

[Janderso]

My manual is horrible too, my Chinese wife said don’t even think about asking her to translate it lol. I wanted to play around with the tool library feature, that took a lot of effort to understand until it finally sunk in what they were trying to explain.

I couldn’t find a way to change the number of digits, most people use tape to cover up the last digit, I just got used to it.

I guess I could tape off the last two digits!

 

[Janderso]

On my Sino, it‘s a different model than yours, to change between radius and diameter, you need to go into the setup menu and change the resolution. My cross slide scale is 1 micrometer, so to get diameter, I would change the scale resolution from 1 to 2. If you have a 5 micrometer scale, you would change it from 5 to 10, or the other way around if you want to go from diameter to radius.

Edit: looks like they changed how to change from radius to diameter, I found this document online that shows the procedure for what appears to be your model.

https://images.machineryhouse.com.au/products/D5200/PDF/Changing%20Sino%20DRO%20to%20read%20in%20Radius%20or%20Diameter.pdf

I was so excited to see this. I followed by turning on the dro and holding the ENT button. Unfortunately it doesn't work as described. Shoot.

I have been able to get the decimal point moved to the 4th position. I have Imperial set up.
And,I have the radius on diameter working right. Unfortunately the Y or bed length is reading double the movement.???

 

[Ischgl99]

On my DRO, I need to hold the . Button on startup, maybe it's the same for yours. If the bed length is reading double, then it likely has the resolution set to 10 instead of 5. I can change that in the startup menu, you can also change the direction for plus and minus direction in that menu.

 

[Janderso]

Found it!!!!
I have the DRO set to the basic settings so that I can use it as a novice. Hoorah!!

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=2241186979439590

Thanks guys

 

[MikeInOr]

I am half way through my install of a Ditron DRO on my Enco knee mill. So far I am very impressed. I purchased the Ditron Sino (Which appears to be an updated version of their well respected D80) with 4 axis capability plus RPM and 3 custom sized 1um glass scales for $507 delivered (RPM sensor included). I really like the LCD head unit and the custom length glass scales is making the install much easier. I am sure the supplied brackets are good for some mills but angle aluminum is working much better than trying to use the supplied brackets for me (I think you will find this to be the case with all DRO's though).

https://www.aliexpress.us/item/2251832679555104.html?spm=a2g0o.order_list.order_list_main.5.2b8d1802uxre1e&gatewayAdapt=glo2usa

They promised a 3 week delivery, the head unit and Y scale came in 1 week and the other 2 scales arrived 2 days after that. They have been VERY responsive. I contacted and asked them for tracking numbers of the 2 remaining scales. I received an answer in 5 minutes telling me he would send me the tracking numbers as soon as he got to work. Wow. The scales arrived on my door step an hour later so I messaged them that the tracking was no longer needed.

This was my second AliExpress purchase and the only reason I felt comfortable making an AliExpress purchase for this much money is Ditron's very good reputation.

I have been following TouchDRO for what seems like about a decade now??? I am impressed with what the inventor has accomplished, using an Android tablet for a DRO head with a bluetooth interface to the scales. When touch DRO first came out commercial DRO's were $1000+ for the most basic DRO's. With the inexpensive commercial DRO's available these days I didn't want to mess with bluetooth connections or having to keep an Android tablet charged. My experience with Android tablets, even Samsung Android tablets, has been pretty lack luster as far as their durability and longevity. I like that the Ditron has a single 110v cord and no external transformer.

P.S. My Samsung Note 12 Android tablet started out .4" thick. At just about the 1 year mark the lithium battery ballooned and the tablet became ~.75" thick with the back cover mostly detached.

 

[MikeInOr]

I am going to be unpopular with my next statement...

The TouchDro uses a standard commercial device, such as a tablet, phone, etc., for its display. I have pointed out to the developer of TouchDro that you are continuously "charging" the display device. How many cycles will that battery take? What are the fire risks? He points out that there are millions of devices being used every day and they don't start on fire, but that doesn't take into account that most phones for example are only kept for three years. How long do you plan on using the DRO (that's a rhetorical question).

My thoughts exactly. Even if the lithium battery doesn't balloon and destroy the tablet the lithium battery will eventually stop holding a charge. USB charging ports are the bane of phones and tablets, they are MUCH too delicate for their intended purpose. An external block transformer for the TouchDRO interface module and a second one to charge the tablet seems like it would be more of a wiring mess than a clean install to me.