Post subject: UltraTec VL digital angle indicator acting up
Posted: Sat Dec 26, 2020 7:28 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:56 am Posts: 7 Location: San Jose, CA
I finally got an UltraTec VL machine last year, very happy with it so far, but this morning I fired up the machine and the digital angle indicator appears to be bugged, just flashing 99.99. I recalled seeing something about that in the manual, so I checked there. It seems the indicator has temporarily lost calibration, so I tried the procedure for resetting it (unplugging it, returning the dop to the vertical position, reconnecting the power, and slowly lowering it to horizontal). However, it never stopped blinking 99.99. I repeated the procedure a few times, going more and more slowly while returning the dop to horizontal, and at least once the readout set itself to 0.00, but would only display 0.00 or 99.99 depending on where it was in the angle range.
Does anyone know how to about resetting it properly? Until it's working again, I'm a bit stuck. I've emailed UltraTec, but it I figure it will be a few days before people are back at their emails.
Post subject: Re: UltraTec VL digital angle indicator acting up
Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 2:57 pm
Gemology Online Veteran
Joined: Sat May 22, 2010 2:51 am Posts: 755 Location: South Africa
I am sure Ultra Tec will get back to you with full instructions. The DAD can lose its calibration, so you need to know how to recalibrate it. I presume you received a calibrating block - a small square block - with the machine. Here is a transcription of the instructions, without the photos. 1. Point the spindle up. 2. Plug the power cord into a live socket. 3. Depress the CLEAR button and hold it down as you plug the power jack into the DAD. 4. Remove the splash pan and set the calibrating block on its narrow side onto a flat lap surface. 5. Loosen the angle stop and lower the mast until the quill rests flush on the upper surface of the block. 6. Hold the quill still and press the SET button once. The display should change from 90.00 to flashing 00.00, otherwise pull the plug and start again. 7. Raise the mast until the spindle points vertically downward. 8. Lock the angle stop so that you can use the fine adjustment to close the gap between the quill and the side of the block. 9. Move the mast towards the lap and adjust the fine adjustment until the quill is flush against the vertical side of the calibrating block. 10. When the gap has closed, hold the quill against the block and press the SET button once.
Post subject: Re: UltraTec VL digital angle indicator acting up
Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 3:40 pm
New to the Forum or The Quiet Type
Joined: Tue Feb 14, 2017 11:56 am Posts: 7 Location: San Jose, CA
Thank you so much, Duncan! I'm glad UltraTec uses keyed dops, so I can swap in the calibrating dop without losing the index on my current stone. I'll gave the procedure a go and it worked! The only tricky bit was ensuring there really was no daylight between the vertical quill and the edge of the alignment block, but as I was dialing it in I found there was less room to wobble the block against the quill as I got closer to alignment. I think that's all I needed to get going again.
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