doing a 9C to 9A conversion and thought I want a DRO while im at it. which one ?

what DRO should I buy? and how should I mount it? Thanks guys !!

What is your budget, DRO's can be very cheap, to very expensive. For a low-budget set up, go to.

TouchDRO Project
|
Yuriy's Toys

This is a very inexpensive and flexible system that uses a android phone as a display. and it is currently supported/underdevelopment.

You also might want to take a look at this site. Although I do not advise building one of these, they are very expensive, And I don't believe the circuit boards are available any longer. but it has a lot of good information. go to,

Home Page | shumatech.com


You need to ask yourself several questions.

what is your budget,

What features do you need,

How accurate does the DRO need to be.

something else you need to ask yourself, Do you have the skills to make your own DRO. It's not as difficult as you might think. But unless you know programming, and have good math skills, you won't be able to put in very many features.

we can better advise you if we know what your needs are, and what your budget is.

Stay safe and have fun.

Joe.

When I put a DRO on my heavy 10, I'll be doing a TouchDRO setup.

I have two machines using the TouchDRO technology, my mill and my 9A.
The first "box" was homemade, second one I used the pre-manufactured one. A few bucks more than what it costs to build yourself, but they're well built and time is money:
TouchDRO ....Now your DRO runs on an Android....not some antiquated relic from the past!blu-DRO | Wireless Bluetooth Digital Readout Controller

It's not "cheap", when all is done including the tablet around $350 or more using the Accuremote stainless scales.

Mounting the long Z axis scale and especially the X axis cross-feed took a lot of head scratching and creativity. I often need one thou accuracy on turning, and this is the way to get it without worrying about leadscrewwear wear that is uneven and can throw off dial readings.

Has anyone HERE purchased 2 axis DRO for mill, from Amazon, lately? Which one? Experience with the scales and vendor? There are Amazon replies and ratings, but mostly from "just received" and "can't believe it actually was a DRO, but little actual experience to write about. Suspect they are either fake news or hobbyists.

TouchDRO looks like the latest tech, if you either have scales or can buy scales. Seems you either buy whole kit with display and scales or you get Yuri's interface, his free up-to-date free software, then scrounge used scales off existing mill or find new scales. New scales are over-priced vs a complete kit.

The correct answer is...it depends on your budget.

I've seen a lot of good feedback from users of the DRO Pros units. I don't own one myself, but would consider their product for my 16" South Bend lathe. That setup will cost me between $1500 and $2500 depending on the type of scales I choose. I visited their HQ in northern CA last year and talked to the owner. Very helpful, very aware of his price point relative to commercial units, and he's spent a lot of time making the English manuals very usable compared to his other import competitors.

Definitely not a trivial investment, but having it would sure take away a lot of frustration trying to read tiny dials running on worn leadscrews.

I think DROs are very useful and important on a mill, but on a lathe, the value is way overstated and the cost is much more than money. Consider where you have to mount your scales. The typical location for the cross feed is on the right side of the carriage. In that location you will restrict the mounting of a travel rest and restrict the effective stroke length of the tailstock quill in relation with the spindle. I can't afford to lose that space. A DRO would be handy on the tail stock quill and for longitudinal carriage travel, but other solutions are also readily available on the rare occasion they may be required. So, in my opinion, a DRO on a lathe is a wonderful solution just waiting for a requirement.

thomasutley said:

The correct answer is...it depends on your budget.

I've seen a lot of good feedback from users of the DRO Pros units. I don't own one myself, but would consider their product for my 16" South Bend lathe. That setup will cost me between $1500 and $2500 depending on the type of scales I choose. I visited their HQ in northern CA last year and talked to the owner. Very helpful, very aware of his price point relative to commercial units, and he's spent a lot of time making the English manuals very usable compared to his other import competitors.

Definitely not a trivial investment, but having it would sure take away a lot of frustration trying to read tiny dials running on worn leadscrews.

Click to expand...

I picked up a DRO Pros 3-axis for my Webb Champ 3 mill and it's a great tool. I think I paid around $1250 for it, but I didn't splurge on the Absolute scales. I wish I would have. Lost power and a setup that took me forever to get set back up. Now, I keep the display on, and a battery backup on the DRO.

*ETA* I think Yuri's stuff is awesome for the money. If only Igaging would just sell the scales separately.