Re: New to me partner 3 with some questions.
I think you are correct, if it doesn't see the index pulse then it would keep hunting for it. My lathe comes up against the home switch, then reverses direction to the index pulse. But maybe your works in the same direction.
Based on your observations, my best guess is that it is not seeing the home switch reliably. The first thing I would do would be to confirm the home switch is working correctly and that the signal is actually getting to the computer input. I could be that the home switch needs to be moved away from the stop switch, giving more travel to find the index pulse.
It is possible to see the encoder index pulse with a VOM if you can move things slow enough. Preferably an old style VOM with the meter on it rather than the newer digital type.
https://www.amazon.com/s?k=analog+vom&ref=nb_sb_noss_2
A cheap oscilloscope is a nice tool to have in your tool box, might be worth buying one.
https://www.amazon.com/usb-oscillosc...loscope&page=3
Jim Dawson
Sandy, Oregon, USA