[klevabuga]

Armed with new hope and fresh enthusiasm, I decided to setup the rotary attachment. After an hour or so I had the step adjustment set correctly and was engraving perfect 20mm squares on an old glass bottle.
I had a job waiting to be done on a pair of beer handles for a 21st birthday so I laid out the design consisting of a bitmap image & some simple text, put a bottle in the rotary attachment to test the layout, set the origin and pressed start on the computer.
The graphic was engraved but none of the text. After another hour of trying to solve this issue I concluded that it is caused by another damn software glitch!!! Right about now I feel like committing suicide via an overdose of Jack Daniels…..
I built up another computer running windows xp and installed rdcam on it to see if the software exhibits the same symptoms as it does on windows vista. The result was yes.
All the same Quirks & faults are present on xp. After many hours of anguish I discovered a way to engrave the text. I have to select the text and convert it to a bitmap before there is any tool path present to engrave. The solution is not ideal & previous versions of lasercut did not require this step. The next discovery was that if the text layer is set to cut rather than scan, this step is not required as the toolpath is there from the get go. Go figure…
The situation at present is that the engraver can be used only if jobs are run directly from the computer. Every job sent to memory on the engraver fails spectacularly, requiring a complete restart to enable origins to be set & distance to be accurately reported on the control panel. But at least I have some use from it now.
I have repeatedly requested a replacement controller board from Hillery at EC Laser.
She responded:
Dear friend, our manager contacted supplier several times, but they still insist, only when they get the old one, can they send replacement to you. Sorry, although I know your situation and I want to help you, but they didn’t agree to send replacement control card to you first.
I reminded Hillery that EC Laser supplied my unit, not SHENZHEN READER TECHNOLOGY CO. LTD and EC Laser should send me a replacement board under warranty. She responded:
Yes, we have responsibility to send you spare parts, we didn’t say we would not provide you control card. Only hope you can send faulty card to us first according to supplier request. We try our best to have been in communication with supplier, you know control card is not our products. If you use our control card, we definitely would send new one to you. But you use RD company’s, we specially buy it from RD company according to your request, we have only one, so we have no choice but to ask supplier to send you. What’s more, they can’t confirm that the control card is faulty one, how can they agree to send new one us? We understand your situation; we also hope you can understand us. Of course, we don’t blame anyone; just want to explain it clearly.
Regarding the illegal shipping charge, the forwarder insists that this charge was not produced in China; so they refuse to return money to you. We've asked the legal aid.
Any doubts, pls kindly contact me freely.
If East Creation Laser ever do honor the 12 month warranty and resolve this situation I will post here, but in my opinion any person wishing to purchase a chinese laser engraver would be well advised to avoid EC Laser at all costs, not only due to the theft of my money which demonstrates how dishonest they are, but also the poor quality of the machines they sell & the lack of support provided so far. If you are intending to buy a laser from China I would recommend you contact Julia at Foshan Beyond Laser Technology Co., Ltd For a better machine, attractive pricing & wonderful service.

[Rodney Gold]

Do you actually HAVE a Foshan machine so you can comment on their wonderful service and great machines?
I always import a raft of spares when I bring in a chinese machine (I use Shenuis) I include spare motors , stepper drivers , tube , power supply , motherboard , LCD panel , bearings , lenses , belts , mirrors , they are so cheap its great "insurance".
As to service , well I brought in 2 machines and spares in may last year and a month after I bought Shenui changed/upgraded to the RDLC320 controllers , they sent me 3 motherboards and LCD displays free of charge and the only condition was that I send the old stuff back after I installed the nesw , cost me $100 freight to send back.. now THAT's great service...
Their tech ppl are on skype and if you have an issue , the tech guy uses remote to get into your system and correct any configuration issues.

Yes , you have not been treated well , but you actually have a machine that DOES work with a few niggling issues , it sounds like YOU specified the control system , which obviously your supplier was not au fait with..I'm sure your software issues can be sorted out relatively easily....
See these threads re my "adventures" in china and experiences with lasers
Chinese/Shenui/Laserworks tips and tricks thread
I don't sell lasers etc and have no affiliation with any chinese laser co , these are my experiences as a user... I have no reason to promote one brand over another.

[geekinesis]

Its really hard to follow a story over 5 posts, but in the UK (and other countries) if money is mistakenly paid to the wrong company electronically, the responsibility lies with the bank or the person paying the money..(clicking on the wrong name etc) These mistakes happen, but if as you say, its the banks fault then would it not have been better to have taken the matter up with the bank. Continuing to order the laser you didnt want from a company you didnt want to order from has just complicated the problem?

I dont understand why you have spread the story over five posts anyway as it negates the whole purpose of discussing something in a forum....

[Melody-gweike]

Hi, Klevabuga,

As for controlling card replacement. Indeed, we suppliers have to ask the broken one back. That is also the agreement between we and the spare part manufacturer.

But sometimes, we can send the good one to customer first and after the problem is solved, the customer mail the broken one back.

Melody

[Jimi Nep]

I can't wait for the PREQUAL's to this post. Way to go George Lucas!

(Seriously, 1 post would have been enough.)