[mrpackethead]

Hi below is an email i got from Automation Technologies, when i requested some information on how to get the bits they sold me.. The diagrams they have, are not labelled correctly. They show a motor that has 4 wires, and not 8. I found after some time how the motor was supposed to be wired, and pieced all the bits together. It was't simple to say the least.

I then asked for some infomation on the Smooth Stepper and C25 break out board, to confirm a few thigns before i power it up, because i don't' want to blow it. up of i've done it wrong.

" I just need to understand it " - That is an acceptable kind of resposne? In my industry this would be the kind of thign that looses customers. I certainly coud'nt recommend these guys to anyone, They were late shipping, the doco is terrible, and the support is even worse.




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Hi Andrew

we sell this every day

every one get it working based on what we have

You just need to understand it



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Thanks for sending the diagrams etc through. I think have been able to work through the various bits and pieces and work out how the motors should be attached to the drives. The colours on the diagram don't match up, but i've been able to work through it, and work it out.

I now am working with the Ethernet Smooth Stepper and trying to get it to run, and how / where the drives should be connected to the breakout board ( C25 ) that you supplied.. There is a real lack of documentation for this.. I've attached the drives to outputs 2-7 on port 1. Is that ok?

I have attached the ESS to our network, and it is in wakeup mode ( two short pluses, then a long pause ). I have not yet fired up Mach 3, however i have changed my network settings so i can connect to it.. Should i be able to ping the device?=

[mrpackethead]

Got another smart email from them this morning.. Just got a "thanks".

Sadly while their products seem good. I'd have to say their customer service rates extremely poorly. Based on my experiences with them, i certainly would'nt recommend them to anyone.

[ger21]

They're just a reseller. Try contacting the manufacturers for support. Warp9 and CNC4PC.

[mrpackethead]

Warp9 came back with a sensible reply within an hour of me sending them an email. We'll get this going.

Automation Technolgoies appear to be just a reseller, someone who does'nt know much about the products they are selling at all. ANd if they did't know the answer, they simply needed to say " we dont' know ", but heres someone who can help. I know i need to udnerstand it. That was why i was asking. I'll never buy anything from them again.

The've sadly done them selves a big dis-service, by being so rude to a customer asking a simple question.

[109jb]

The title of the thread is "AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGIES - IS THIS LEVEL OF SUPPORT ACCEPTABLE?" Well in my opinion their level of support is acceptable. I have had a few dealings with them and have always been pleased. On one occasion I needed some help with wiring and called and talked to an Asian gentleman who provided about an hour of telephone service on a Saturday. He was very knowledgeable and very helpful. I suspect he was the owner and he was certainly very knowledgeable from what I could tell. He may very well be the only person there that knows anything technical about their products though.

I can attest that they are a small reseller as I have been to their facility. It was about 1:00 pm on a weekday and there were 2 people there. One young man packaging orders and a young woman working in the office. Obviously the Asian man I had talked to was not there and an Asian woman that I had placed phone orders with was not either. Probably at lunch. I can't see the company having more than about 6 total employees.

Some of what you are describing sounds to me like it could be a cultural/language misunderstanding. As I said, the company has at least a few Asians working there and being half Asian myself with a whole host of full-blood Asian relatives I can tell you that the cultural differences can definitely cause misunderstandings. On top of that, I have talked to at least 2 Asian people there that have broken English so were not raised in the USA.

Also, I personally don't expect stellar customer support when I am buying based on lowest price. As an example, I have bought some stuff for my CNC projects on e-bay from sellers that have "Ebay stores", and all I expect is to get the part or product I paid for. Having said that, my experience with Automation Technologies is that they do provide at least some level of support and their prices are most times lower than the E-bay sellers for the same part/product.

Finally, most times the manufacturer is the place to go with questions, not the reseller. I just happened to recently have a problem setting up a flat screen TV that I bought at Walmart, but I didn't call Walmart, I called the manufacturer's tech support line. For many of the products that Automation Tech sells I would do the same. The exceptions would be the things that don't have the OEM's name on it like their stepper motors, etc. That is incidentally what I needed help with when I did call AT for support.

In the end it is your choice, but I have been pleased with Automation Technologies in all of the dealings I have had with them.

[Crevice Reamer]

I have been dealing with John at Keling inc, now Automation Technology, for at least 5 years. They offer excellent products at very reasonable prices. Shipping slow? In my experience they ship extremely quickly. Yes, sometimes documentation suffers, but the info is usually there on the website, albeit maybe hard to find.

The kit choices are more often based on what's in stock than what's the best choice, so you really have to do your own research.

I recommend this supplier wholehearedly.

CR.

[mrpackethead]

i have no problem with their products, as they all seem to be want i need, what i ordered, and the price seemed fair.

* I did order from the web site, which says whats in stock and whats not. Turns out that the web site wasn't accurate, so what i had ordered, thinking it was in stock was actually on backorder. So the order took a few weeks. It was'nt a show stopper as i could'nt use the motors until my mechanicals were sorted out.

* The documentation is really poor. Even on the specific datasheet that is provided for each motor, there are varying guides as to what the colors are. Its was very confusing. I tryed asking for claification, and all i got was " you need to understand it ". Thats a really unhelpful and very dissapointing reponse.

I have a very mixed feeling about them now. Yes you really do need to do a lot of "research" and a "kit" does'nt mean that its going to work. Its just a colleciton of bits.

[hobby1818]

If this is your first CNC project, you need to research it.
We never have any problem with them. Fast shipping, Good service.

[mrpackethead]

That has become painfully obvious. I guess i should count myself lucky that so far i've not blown anything up, or destroyed it.. When i'm finished this, i will put my "How I did it" together online, so maybe it makes it easier for others.

[automatikdonn]

I have bought everything for my cnc conversion from John (electronics). He has been more than helpful. He refunded me half the price of a power supply that blew, and it was MY mistake. I think he does his best trying to explain things, as I don't think English is his native language. I have spent upwards of 1200 dollars so far. I imagine I will be spending more there in the near future as I convert an RF-45 clone. I just ordered parts from them on Monday, and they are being delivered today. YMMV, but MMHBGSF (My Mileage Has Been Good So Far)

Donny

[Arich0908]

Ive had better conversations with my cats then John @ kelling.
That said if you know what you want he is a good middle man if your not ready to order direct from china.
My advice is to wait or get it from some one else if you could. There a horrible company to deal with. CNC4PC is much better.

[simila95]

Ive given a good amount of money to them and will more than likely continue too. He has helped me out with dead drivers and other things no questions asked. I purchased a control box and he swapped it out for a different one (i changed my mind) with no problem. They are about 40 min away from me so I just drive and pick stuff up. The women who work in the office are also very nice and helpful. CNC4PC is also a good place to go and they have also helped me out a lot.