Accuset problem resolved

[BBTom]

I know there are a mess of WM owners here, and was wondering what their experiences have been with the latest revision of Accuset. 

My revision D died a week ago saturday, and WM sent me a new Rev E to replace it.  As always their service was fast and efficient.  Got the new one last Tuesday afternoon, put it on that evening, and ran Wednesday all day.

I had to fight the system as they took away what I considered one of the nicest features.  Now I have to hit two buttons every time I need to make a pattern cut higher than the one I just finished.  can no longer just let it bump up a couple times and stop it on the way down to reset the starting point.  That "feature" apparently caused problems for some people.

It also had a problem of jumping out of pattern mode, or jumping into pattern 4, all by itself without warning.  Sooo... I called WM and they thought it was a bad panel button, and overnighted another one to me.   

I put it on Thursday noon and ran that afternoon, but still had exactly the same problem.  It only happens once in a while, just about the time you get comfortable with it and don't look before tapping the down lever. 

I called agin and it was put to me that it must be a problem with the wires in the cat track.  I did not have any problem with my Rev D accuset in any way until it just died.  But I do respect the guys at WM and their experience, so that evening I yanked the Accuset wires out of the cat track and spent half of Friday trying to find some in town.  I could have gotten 1000' of it for $165.  I probably should have as the wait is costing me more than that. But I called WM and ordered the cable I need.   As I am typing this UPS came by and dropped off a package, probably the cable from WM. They have always been great about getting parts out to me, but I have essentially been down now for a week and it is starting to hurt the pocketbook. 

I really want them to load one up with the Rev D software, but they refused. 

So my question is,  Am I the only one with this problem??  Or am I the only one with Rev E accuset? 

Tom


PS it was a package from WM, but someone misunderstood and I got two sensor cables instead of Accuset cables.  Easy mixup. but another delay,  guess I will buy the big roll in the morning!!! and make my own.

[Kirk_Allen]

I have Revision 4.08. I have never heard of the revisions as letters. 

I had a problem with my version 2.11 and decided to take the mill with me to Indy since I had to be there.  Sure glad I did.  Sparks was great and after a couple hours we had the problem identified and fixed. 

The revision I have is the latest (same as Bibbymans except I didnt get the bigger pully to make it go faster) and although It appears to be working great I wont know for sure until Wed wen I cut some logs. I only cut one log at the WM today and all went well.  I wish I had the bigger pully though to speed up the drop. Right now its to slow but I have to say it no longer studders getting to the drop point.  It just stops when its there. 

[Jason_WI]

It also had a problem of jumping out of pattern mode, or jumping into pattern 4, all by itself without warning.  Sooo... I called WM and they thought it was a bad panel button, and overnighted another one to me.

Most buttons that are connected to a micro controller have either a pullup or pull down resistor connected to that input of the micro. The pullup/pulldown keeps that input at a known state when the button is not pressed. If there is a bad solder connection on that resistor or on that pin of the micro you will see intermittent "button press". I am just speculating here as I have never seen the guts of an accuset but have seen dozens of schematics with buttons and microcontrollers and they are all simular- no matter who designed them.

Jason

[BBTom]

Jason--  I think Rick was thinking along those lines, that is why he sent the second one overnight to me, but when it did exactly the same thing...There must be something else wrong -- Right???

Kirk --- If you look on back of the accuset box.  there should be a label with the Rev number on it. 

Gary -- do you have to go out of pattern mode to raise the next cut up?  I know we had discussed before that it was a great shortcut to be able to just run it up and stop in in mid-drop to reset the next cut.

[Kirk_Allen]

Mine says Revision 4.08

What do you mean by "raise the next cut up"

If I am in pattern mode I hit the down switch, head drops to the pre programmed spot.  Make the cut, then before returning I BUMP the up switch and the new version raises the head 1/4 inch (pre-set to what you want) then I return. 
Once returned I hit the down switch and the head drops to the next pre programmed spot. 

I am guessing I dont understand what your asking and since your asking Gary (Bibbymand) I probably should shut up and learn something.  This new version has several fetures I am not familiar with yet. 

[Bibbyman]

Gary -- do you have to go out of pattern mode to raise the next cut up?  I know we had discussed before that it was a great shortcut to be able to just run it up and stop in in mid-drop to reset the next cut.

If I understood right,  Lets say you're cant is 6" across one way and even taller the other way.  You've just made a cut in pattern mode at 6" and now you want to flip the cant 90 and raise the head and start the pattern mode again at some higher point.

Then yes,  you have to go to manual and back to pattern.   I guess I just got over it.  It's even more of a pain when the board is cold and the buttons are stiff and the display is slow because you've got to be very deliberate in your actions and check you got results.  You can't just poke, poke, poke and assume it all happened.

Kirk,  Is your mill a Standard HD?  If so, maybe they didn't have a bigger pulley to speed it up.

[Kirk_Allen]

Yeh its a standard.  Sparks said it wont be released until after the first of the year.  There tweaking and he thought they had made up there minds on the  size of the pulley for the best performance with the new board.

I will have to wait as I am not yet of the privileged status :D

[BBTom]

I see the software sticker on mine says 4.07, so I guess that is what mine is.   Bibby has it right.  used to be we could roll the log and bump up three times then tap down and while it is going down, tap up to stop it, then it would drop to the next pattern cut under where we stopped it.  saved so much time and effort when it is under 20 degrees or under and buttons are stiff and display is slow.   I suppose I will get over it too, but I don't understand what the problem was.  It worked fantastic for me for the last couple years. 

I am installing my new cables today,  and praying that they were bad. even tho they looked just fine.

I really need to work day and night now just to catch up. 

Merry Christmas to all, and at the risk of being politically incorrect, God bless each and every one, let us remember that His son's birthday is what it is all about.

[BBTom]

I finished installing the new wiring last night and ran all morning today without a single problem.  Kudos go out to Rick at WM for his correct and timely nailing this one.  I would not have believed it from the look of the wires I pulled out, but it has fixed the problem, so they must have been bad. 

Now if I could talk them into giving me a "pattern reset" button -- it would save me half of my button pushes.  and why not have the pattern bump-up be set like kerf is set,  I would like it to be 1/2 inch at all times.  and why doesn't bump up work in any pattern but the ones on button 1 ? 

I better get back to sawing before I get myself in trouble.

Again,  THANKS RICK, AND THE REST OF THE WM CREW.

[Bibbyman]

We program the "1" button for 1/4",1/2",3/4" and 1" and use it only when we want to make an adjustment cuts.  (like sometimes you make an opening face and it's just not quite open enough so we hit the autodown and one of the sets to take a little more off.)

Otherwise, all the sawing programs are under the 2,3,4 buttons.  We find we still have plenty.  Then you avoid the dreaded 1/2" always bump-up.  ;)

[Kirk_Allen]

I talked with Rick today and from what I understand the Bump Up can be set to any measurement you want. I have mine set to 1/4".  He said its going to bump up to the last Auto Down setting used.  We programmed #16 to 1/4" and use that as our bump up.   

The Bump up will only work on the #1 button, which has 4 settings.  If you dont want to use the Bump up stick with the #2, 3, & 4 buttons for you settings as Bibbyman descibed.

I cut most of the day and compared to 2.11 version that I had I think the big difference for me is the fact that I can program the first entry and hit one button and all the rest are changed to that setting.  That is a big time saver.

What I dont like is the fact that when in the Bump up mode you can not stop it by hitting the drum switch.  You have to go to manual fist to stop it.  After talking with Rick I simply made all my settings under the #2, 3, & 4 buttons and use the up switch like I always have. 

I will simply use the #1 buttton settings for when I am pulling every board each cut.  When I am by myself I tend to leave a stack of boards making the bump up option a pain. 

I cant say enough about Rick and his expertise on these mills.  Thanks so much Rick for you patience with us nut cases that complain about button pushing ;D

One thing I am desperatly waiting on is the new pully to make the head go up and down faster.  This smaller pully realy sucks compared to the old one.  However with this new one the head STOPS where its supposed to and doesnt bump its way to the setting, which is nice.