DRO help needed

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DRO help needed

This topic has 4 replies, 4 voices, and was last updated 17 February 2024 at 21:31 by Paul Lousick.

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17 February 2024 at 17:41 #714926
KenL
Participant
@kenl
Hi everyone

I’m looking for some help with a DRO problem please.

Item in question is a M-DRO BC10

It was fitted to a used Warco mill that I bought about 6 months ago but unfortunately I didn’t get a user manual with it and never having used a DRO before I’m no expert on them and have just used it for simple positioning. I’ve Emailed M-DRO to see if they could supply a manual but apart from an Email to say they’d referred my query to their technical dept I’ve had no response.

It worked fine until the weather got colder and it started playing up when first turned on. I read somewhere that this was common with DROs in low temperatures so tried pointing a fan heater at it for a few minutes before turning it on. EUREKA – it worked until………

A few days ago I turned it on without pre-heating (weather had improved) and it threw a “wobbler”. Now it appears to work OK but is stuck in “SDM Mode” according to the display and no way can I get it to revert to the usual “ABS” mode. I’ve tried every button combination on the panel but nothing seems to work.

Has anyone got some experience or a manual for this model (BC10-2MI according to the display or BC10-2MAD according to the label on the back).

Any other suggestions also welcome.

Ken
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17 February 2024 at 18:18 #714949
Harry Wilkes
Participant
@harrywilkes58467
Ken M-DRO have a youtube channel maybe something of use on there https://www.youtube.com/@MachineDRO

H
17 February 2024 at 19:26 #714958
DC31k
Participant
@dc31k
It is an old product.

BC10 appears to have been a common DRO model, sold under many brands.

See if any of these three look like your one:

https://www.precisionmatthews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Mill-Lathe-DRO-use-manual.pdf

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/pm-dro-manual.97090/

The Meister Top10 one looks to have most potential.

For SDM mode, see this post from 2008 showing how old your system could be:

https://www.homemodelenginemachinist.com/threads/making-the-valve-block-and-valve-guides-for-the-webster.1160/

Note that the post mentions that Easson displays look and feel similar, so search for their manuals as well.

This one from Cheater has SDM mode:

https://www.chesterhobbystore.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Quark-DRO-Manual.pdf

Something here about entering setup mode:

https://www.hobby-machinist.com/threads/dro-problem.58744/

Most of the scales are compatible with most of the heads. The TouchDRO site has extensive information on scale operation and pin outs. Hence, at the worst, you might only have to replace the head and would be able to re-use the old scales.

I am sorry the above is a bit of a scattergun approach, but something useful might appear out of the mess.
17 February 2024 at 21:23 #714972
KenL
Participant
@kenl
DC31k

You’re a genius!

Thanks for the comprehensive reply, allow me to explain……….

I had suspected ages ago that my DRO was the same generic model as the Chester one (Quark) that you provided a link to so had downloaded the manual. Unfortunately though the stated sequence for resetting parameters didn’t work for my machine so I assumed there was a small difference in the two.

It turns out that the Quark pdf manual tells you to press the “9” button during boot-up to enter the parameter menu – which is what I had tried countless times without success (along with lots of other buttons). As you quite correctly state, the button to be pressed is “6” NOT “9”.

Looking at the manual with a critical eye reveals why the manual is wrong.

Instead of simply using the “6” character they’ve used an image inserted into the pdf of the actual button – but it’s been inserted upside down thus reading “9”.

So all is now back to correct configuration.

Many thanks for your excellent advice.

Ken
17 February 2024 at 21:31 #714974
Paul Lousick
Participant
@paullousick59116
DRO PROS have some excellent instruction videos.

They may not be for the same model of DRO that you have but will have many of the same features and operation.

https://www.dropros.com/
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