Hi
I have DRO's fitted to the X and Y axis of both my X1 and X3 mills. They absolutely transform the machines and I wouldn't do without them. The type I have are the cheaper scales with remote readouts plugged in. Not as good as the glass scales but are considerably cheaper. Last week after many years of good service the remote readout on the X axis of the X1 mill decided to give up. I checked the batteries and all the contacts etc and then sought the help of my mate Julian (Barneydog) who confirmed it was dead. Unfortunately the type I have with small socket connector on the scale are no longer available which is a great shame as there is nothing wrong with the scale itself although I must admit the connectors can be troublesome, the slightest ingress of dirt or oils can make them stop working.
The latest type are pre wired with a mini usb connection at the dro end, a better idea than the previous type. After a search round I settled on this one from arceurotrade (usual disclaimer) and at ?40.00 isn't too badly priced.
Its a 20" version that had to be cut down to the 16" I needed but cutting was very easy. Fitting didn't take long as all the brackets were already fitted to the table.
Heres the dro's, the new one on the top with old version below
It works fine and well worth the money.
Cheers
Rich