New machine has knackered control box :-( Need a new one

**ravihotwok** · 27-06-2017

Cheers mate will have a look, this is a long term sort of investment, I have seen numerous comments about the control box I have being of poor quality, so want to start off with the best equipment possible within my budget. Had the machine a few weeks now and not even fitted a tool into it, the fact im having to use a multimetre on a brand new product tells me that this is a poor way to start.
Everyone seems to be using mach 3 so im also a bit gutted ive bought the planet software now :-(

But i dont have a parallel port on the pc I have for the machine

**Boyan Silyavski** · 27-06-2017

Aint there someone local to you to help you? if i was there i could sort that problem for half an hour.

I know the feeling. Thats how i felt when for first time i read my first 350 pages VDF manual, i had no bloody idea what they are talking about. i wanted to cut but couldn't spin the spindle

These crappy 4 pin connectors have bugged me once and it took me all day to find that the connector pin inside was broken??. So when i saw the guy making a box with that connectors, it tells me much what we are talking about. How to tell you to buy a 500+VAt board with the crappiest connectors i know of...

You could try speaking with the guy for money back. In Europe even there is law how many days after purchase you could do that...

Mach3 is crap and try to avoid it if you dont need it for specific purpose machine. Yours is not, so just avoid it. So maybe the first and the last solutions from above post are best for you. I could help you set up the first solution if you have problems understanding it.

Just choose some right direction, many people will help you here

**ravihotwok** · 27-06-2017

Well Boyan, I have sorted a multi-meter so will be online tonight when I am at my workshop with the control box open infront of me. Im trying to read up as much as I can but like you say if someone was here im sure I would be up and running in no time.

Im also wondering if its worth maybe buying the planet cnc 4 axis board and do away with the 3 axis and 4th axis board I currently have? I am buying a new spindle next week which comes with its own controller so that would pretty much mean I have a new box setup? Does that make any sense?

I am getting a partial refund from the seller for the faulty box by the way so that is a help.

**Clive S** · 27-06-2017

But i dont have a parallel port on the pc I have for the machine

If you look here #336 http://www.mycncuk.com/threads/9616-...-be-Zeus/page5 Andrew is donating some pc's with PP for the cost of the postage I believe.

Mach3 is crap and try to avoid it if you dont need it for specific purpose machine. Yours is not, so just avoid it. So maybe the first and the last solutions from above post are best for you. I could help you set up the first solution if you have problems understanding it.

Boyan I don't believe Mach3 is crap there are many many thousands of people using it and it is well supported by fellow members etc.

**ravihotwok** · 27-06-2017

Cheers clive,

dont want to sound thick (although that is inevitable)

what do you mean when you say "Andrew is donating some pc's with PP for the cost of the postage I believe. "

**Clive S** · 27-06-2017

Originally Posted by ravihotwok

Cheers clive,

dont want to sound thick (although that is inevitable)

what do you mean when you say "Andrew is donating some pc's with PP for the cost of the postage I believe. "

Did you follow the link?

**ravihotwok** · 27-06-2017

Originally Posted by Clive S

Did you follow the link?

yep seems to be mid conversation about a Chinese spindle and how fast it will cut lol

**Clive S** · 27-06-2017

Originally Posted by ravihotwok

yep seems to be mid conversation about a Chinese spindle and how fast it will cut lol

Ok did you read post 336 From Andrew

**ravihotwok** · 27-06-2017

really sorry clive my fault for not reading your post correctly, yes thats helpful but ive got a few old pc's I can have access to. That project looks imence that chap is making

**Clive S** · 27-06-2017

Originally Posted by ravihotwok

really sorry clive my fault for not reading your post correctly, yes thats helpful but ive got a few old pc's I can have access to. That project looks imence that chap is making

Ok glad you found it but you did say you did not have a pc with a PP