HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

How are other systems alike/different from the Shark?

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SceroGuitars
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 6:17 pm

HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by SceroGuitars »

Just received my HD4 last Friday, and after two hours of use, the handheld pendant decided to start freaking out, and controlling things I wasn't telling it too. Jogging the wrong axis', not responding to my touch. So, turned the controller off and back on, and the pendant went into a "touch screen calibration" mode (which it didn't the first time I turned it on). I spent 2 days trying to touch the four bubbles to calibrate, with absolute no luck. Would not respond to my touch.

Called NWA on Monday, and the tech support advised me how to put it into the touch calibration mode (but never explained why it freaked out), so I did that, and THEN it let me calibrate it. Machine and pendant worked well for two more days, til yesterday, when after running a program, I went back to the pendant to run a dif program, and the pendant screen was dead. Have tried multiple times resetting it, putting into calibration mode, and even anew VGA cable. Absolutely nothing has worked, and NWA has no idea why it's doing that.

So, I will be returning the machine to WoodCraft for a refund. Sadly, this has been a HIGE let down and I really couldn't be more disappointed with NWA/Shark.

balbritton
Posts: 15
Joined: Wed Apr 06, 2016 11:17 am
Location: Holland, OH

Re: HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by balbritton »

We're very sorry your HD4 didn't work out for you. We've been reviewing your issues, and the pendant seems to be the problem, as we haven't had any of these problems since the release of the HD4.
Brandon Albritton
Sales/Engineering - Next Wave Automation

studio-n
Posts: 180
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Location: Dallas, TX
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Re: HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by studio-n »

I'm not a fan of pendant controls.
I like being able to do it all from the PC.
"Out of my mind.....back in 5 minutes"
Rockler 60th Anniversary CNC Shark
w/digital probe, and 4th axis attachment.
ULS M300 Laser Engraver 50 Watt
Aspire and Corel Draw
NextEngine 2020i 3D scanner

SceroGuitars
Posts: 2
Joined: Fri Oct 14, 2016 6:17 pm

Re: HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by SceroGuitars »

studio-n wrote:I'm not a fan of pendant controls.
I like being able to do it all from the PC.
Well, I'm not a huge fan of the Touchscreen one shark supplied I have many buddies with Laguna's and Axiom's, who's machines use the RichAuto DSP, and have little to no issues at all.

Larry Stobbs
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:56 pm

Re: HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by Larry Stobbs »

the question I have is that if the pendent on the other manufacturers machines is better, can someone buy a different pendent and install it on a shark? or are they a proprietary item?

Larry Stobbs
Posts: 20
Joined: Mon Sep 27, 2010 5:56 pm

Re: HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by Larry Stobbs »

I hate to say this but I think I made a very big mistake in buying the HD. I have one of the original White CNC Sharks that I have made a ton of stuff on and was a big fan. Unfortunately customer service and quality control issues have turned me to the point I contacted Rockler and asked them to send me instructions on how to return this piece of junk.

Over a month after ordering this unti, I got it in the week of Christmas. While waiting for it to come in, I started working on the other things I needed to set this up including dust collection. While waiting for the machine to get here, I got the dust boot from NWA and found that it wasn't made correctly. The hole that a standard vacuum hose should insert into was made way to small and I filled out the email contact with NWA. After no responses I ended up calling and spoke to a lady in the office who sent me return label (the response to the email I sent didn't actually get responded to from the company until three weeks later). I put the machine together and I did manage to actually talk to a human being once during that week with some basic questions I had about the pendant (and that is the only time I have been able to talk to a human being there).

I got the machine put together, I made spoil boards for it so I wouldn't risk damaging the top, I ordered the controller bracket from Rockler (which by the way has to modified so the x,w and z connections can be made on the back) and I got everything powered up and then found out that the pendant will not let you jog the system a specific increment like you could on the older machines. At the slowest speed setting I could get to work, I found that I typically had a movement of several thousandths with the slightest touch of the pendant controller. I contacted NWA about that issue and when I got a reply the basic answer was to type in a number in the boxes to move the controller. That is a stupid and very painstaking method to use to jog the machine a small amount so the pendant is basically a useless piece of junk for doing anything with accuracy in an expedient manner and in this case I would have probably been better off buying the Axiom that Rockler sells.

I also got the replacement dust collection system in and I thought I was moving forward because the vacuum hose would fit on this one. I got everything installed on the machine and wen to put the magnetic base on and guess what? It would fit. Seems that no one had bother to actually look at the mounting bolts they sent to install the dust boot with because the recess that needed to be in the magnetic part that holds the brushes was not properly machined with a large enough relief around the bolt heads (or the nuts depending on how they were installed) to allow the lower brush plate to attach. I ended up using forstner bit and very carefully modifying the dust collector so it would work.

I figured that I would just take my lumps and install the controller on my computer and run the machine that way (like my old white shark) but no matter what you do the controller will not work. I had no difficulty registering the pendant with NWA but all I got for my effort with this computer install was a ton of pop up messages telling me the various steps over and over again on how to accomplish this but nothing seems to work. Six weeks after ordering it and spending over $5,500 for everything I don't know if this can make anything because I still cant get it to run and unfortunately if I do get it to run I will be stuck using a computer controller to accurately jog the machine to were it needs to be set.

I would bet that If NWA would have spent a little more time on resolving customer service complaints and actually having a human being answer their phone calls so they could resolve issues they would probably keep more customers, I am left feeling that they don't care that I spent a chunk of money on a piece of equipment that I cant to work.

Joseph Poirier
Posts: 107
Joined: Fri Nov 08, 2013 10:03 am
Location: Toledo, Ohio
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Re: HD4: A huge let down, sadly.

Post by Joseph Poirier »

try your machine with the latest control panel software and let me know if that works any better for you.

http://nextwaveautomation.com/Downloads ... 0_Beta.exe

it is HD 4.0 only, has both virtual and 4th Axis features built in. Please review. I get some of my best information from our biggest critics.

Best Regards, Joseph Poirier Sr. Software Engineer

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