MachTach Kit information

I think WR Miller does... he recommended it to me.
 
I had three MachTachs running on four machines. You will really like using them. I used the Hall effect sensor on all of my installs, with 6 magnets in each array. (You can easily set the number of input pulses to suit.)

Construction is very easy. Instructions are good. If you aren't very experienced with electronic soldering, it would be worth looking up the principles before you start. You basically want to heat the components until they are hot enough to melt the solder, rather than just melting the solder with the iron and hoping it will stick to the PC board and component leads. And make sure to use solder made for electronics - types with acid flux are not good.

When I get my machines back, I'll try to clean and recondition the MachTachs. I really like built-in tachs and these were designed for the hobby machinist.
 
Hawkeye said:
I had three MachTachs running on four machines. You will really like using them. I used the Hall effect sensor on all of my installs, with 6 magnets in each array. (You can easily set the number of input pulses to suit.)

Construction is very easy. Instructions are good. If you aren't very experienced with electronic soldering, it would be worth looking up the principles before you start. You basically want to heat the components until they are hot enough to melt the solder, rather than just melting the solder with the iron and hoping it will stick to the PC board and component leads. And make sure to use solder made for electronics - types with acid flux are not good.

When I get my machines back, I'll try to clean and recondition the MachTachs. I really like built-in tachs and these were designed for the hobby machinist.
Click to expand...

thanks for the info. I can solder, just not what I would call a professional. I have replaced batteries in iPods and screens on iPads so am not afraid of the process, I am just not familiar with all of the components and how they interact. I am a 35 year construction professional and I am used to knowing what I am doing, so now I feel like a kid again working with all these new fields. I am going to order one and see how it goes. I am also assembling the pieces to do a DRO using Yuri's design. So wish me luck!
 
Hey Brooks,

What Hawkeye said... :)

It is a decent kit and I have talked to the owner but have not personally put one together yet. It's on my list for this year.
 
I built and installed the MachTach on my lathe. The build if fairly strait forward, but you need to be careful of the orientation of the chips, electrolytic caps and the LED. The build supplies may be slightly different then the manual, so check twice before soldering. You need to decide if your going to use the plastic case provided or an alternate enclosure. I ended up with a Hammond metal box, took some planning to get it fitted correctly (I used the double decker circuit boards so it is more compact). I initially tried the optical, and never got it to work properly, the distance between the optical sensor and reflective material is critical to get right. I ended up using the hall sensor with magnetics, works well and very stable display. I did have one gremlin, which was an issue that I finally resolved. The cable between the sensor and the circuit board is shielded, and normally one grounds the shield at one end. When I did this the RPM readings went crazy, this might because of noise from my VFD or something else. So, start out with not grounding the shield in the cable. Another issue sometimes is noise from the power supply which requires a noise filter which he sells. There also are fully built Tach units for about $100. http://mkctools.com/tachoptions.htm

Mactach RPM Display and Hall Sensor.jpg
 
brav65 said:
thanks for the info. I can solder, just not what I would call a professional. I have replaced batteries in iPods and screens on iPads so am not afraid of the process, I am just not familiar with all of the components and how they interact. I am a 35 year construction professional and I am used to knowing what I am doing, so now I feel like a kid again working with all these new fields. I am going to order one and see how it goes. I am also assembling the pieces to do a DRO using Yuri's design. So wish me luck!
Click to expand...


I just finished building the MachTach and have tested it, works great although I have yet to mount it on a machine.
I am a very experianced electronic kit builder and while it was a fairly easy assembly for me. I think it more of an intermediate kit than a beginner kit. It involves some fine soldering and fitting (IC chips) and soldering the female pins on the sensor cable connector are a bit tricky. The instructions are pretty clear and if you take your time it should be a fun project. However, If you don't have any experiance soldering small parts directly to a PC board it might be a good idea to build a practice kit, Velleman and Chaney make some great cheap kits. Also it would be best to use fine solder and a temrature controlled soldering Iron (or at least a low wattage one), as excessive heat can ruin a component.
Good luck with it. If you have any questions pleas feel free to PM me.
 
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