Dan wrote:
Wanting to add a DRO to my mill/drill (RF30 clone) and am considering
theSchumatech DIY DRO. My question is do you have to be concerned about
backlash when using a DRO or does the scale compensate for it. Seems as
though the DRO gives actual position and Backlash is no longer a problem?

Fo those of you who have built this DRO before, is this a project someone
with little electronics experience can do?

Thanks all

i bought Chinese DRO's as shown in:
http://www.shumatech.com/support/chinese_scales.htm
I bought them as a kit with the readout and all I had to do was install
and plug in the wires.
As far as I can tell the accuracy is OK, with a resolution of .0005"
and it compensates for backlash in the machine. There is a button that
will rezero the reading at any point but I have had a lot of trouble
with the scales losing synchronization with the readout due to the
flimsy nature of the electrical connection. When this happens you must
take out the batteries and leave them out for 1 minute, then replace.
Someone has suggested soldering the connections together but this would
be difficult as they are encased in plastic.
The battery covers and the contacts are very poorly made and have given

me much trouble. The contacts that the battery touches are .005" thick
and I had one break off when replacing the battery. It was replaced by
the vendor but I feel that These Chinese scales arev too pooly made to
bother with.
Engineman