longer cables

[clamdigger1964]

hello to all i own a plasma cam table 4ftx4ft i recently converted it to 4ftx8ft i need longer cables from control box to servo motors called plasmacam and tried to buy cables for a 5ftx10ft table they will not sell them to me because i dont own a 5ftx10ft table could anyone please help me where to buy these longer cables thanks.

[weldor2005]

If you own one, go to the owners community and ask around there. Seems to me that they should be more than willing to sell you sometihng.

[beefy]

Crikey, the more crap I hear about Plasmacam the worse it gets.

Did they tell you the "why" behind the "why". Why do you need to own the larger table to purchase the longer cable. However good or bad the tables themselves are, that company seems to take every step to get more money out of customers, maybe you have to buy a bigger table to get the longer cable. I've also heard if you sell the table within the warranty period, the warranty is not transferable, is that true ? Maybe that way a new customer goes and buys a brand new one so he has the warranty This effectively means the resale value of a brand new table drops massively because it has no warranty / support in the warranty period, very clever of Plasmacam management.

Do the homework on this mob before buying.

[Garysbiz]

When I pulled the trigger on my table it was between plasma cam and Torchmate and I called plasma cam and found out they charge for tech support after 3 years, Torchmate is free for life. I did not buy the plasma cam.

[fergy]

can second that garysbiz im the second owner of a old torchmate table that was shipped to Australia and tech support from torchmate has been second to none

[Garysbiz]

I agree Fergy, I have never experienced a company with customer support like Torchmate, there is none better!

[dgeorgester]

FYI about the cable connecting to the plasma cutter. Be very careful when extending this particular cable. Before you cut your cable, carefully measure the resistance. It's the circuit for automatic height control. If this small resistor in accidentally removed, as soon as you start the first arc, you will fry your controller. I fried two controllers before I called Plasmacam and they explained what happened. The high frequency of the plasma cutter on startup loops back into the controller if there's not this resistance installed.

I can tell you that the smoke is brown and stinks. TWICE!!!

[Leeway]

Wow. I was going to suggest just buying another set of the shorter cables and connect them together, but now not so sure about that. The longer cables may very well have or need a different resistor value.

I did consider plasma cam before I decided to build my own. What turned me off eventually was the proprietary everything.

[jimcolt]

The cable between the control box and the plasma is different than the motor drive cables. There is a voltage divider built in (uses a two resistor voltage divider circuit that is built inside the cable, about 18" back from the plasma end.) The voltage divider function is to reduce the Raw Arc voltage feedback level from the (up to 300 VDC) dangerous level present in the plasma to a safe level. Of course if you cut these vital parts out of the cable it will no longer work. It is not high frequency that "loops back"...rather, by cutting the voltage divider out of the interface cable you have increased the arc voltage feedback (used for height control) by over 20x.....feeding 300 volts dc into a circuit designed for less than 10 volts is never good!

Every cnc plasma that has a height control system has to access the raw arc voltage output of the plasma system. Some send this high voltage through a cable the entire distance between the plasma and the height control electronics...this can be considered pretty dangerous! Most companies supply a voltage divider circuit board that mounts at the plasma or inside the plasma that lowers the DC voltage level, then sends it to the electronics, this is good and safe, but costs more and is more complicated than Plasma Cams solution.

If you have a Hypertherm Powermax 65, 85 or 105 with a machine torch and the CPC connector...there is a guy that produces a "plug and play" cable to interface the PlasmaCam directly to the plasma with not hard wiring involved, and safe voltages through the interconnect cable. These Hypertherm systems have a built in 21.1/1 ratio voltage divider that is designed for use with the PlasmaCam system, making the wiring easy....and you can extend the cable to 150' if you desire! That is the way my PlasmaCam is wired.

The original poster was talking about extending the motor drive cables....which is easy to do if you source the mating plugs.....simply make longer cables! It will require a little soldering expertise as well as making sure you don't cross the wiring, but any electronics shop could probably do it easily.

Jim Colt

FYI about the cable connecting to the plasma cutter. Be very careful when extending this particular cable. Before you cut your cable, carefully measure the resistance. It's the circuit for automatic height control. If this small resistor in accidentally removed, as soon as you start the first arc, you will fry your controller. I fried two controllers before I called Plasmacam and they explained what happened. The high frequency of the plasma cutter on startup loops back into the controller if there's not this resistance installed.

I can tell you that the smoke is brown and stinks. TWICE!!!

[jimcolt]

Not sure what you mean by "proprietary everything" in regards to PlasmaCam?

Jim Colt

Wow. I was going to suggest just buying another set of the shorter cables and connect them together, but now not so sure about that. The longer cables may very well have or need a different resistor value.

I did consider plasma cam before I decided to build my own. What turned me off eventually was the proprietary everything.

[Leeway]

They use their own software and drive electronics. Not Mach 3 and Gecko's that you could use different CAM software packages with. At least that was the way I understood they were when I looked into it.

If that is the case, it isn't a bad thing. That is unless you already use different software like I do. That means less learning curve on the software side and a variety of replacement parts and sources as well as easy upgrades.

[Dan-PlasmaCAM]

When I pulled the trigger on my table it was between plasma cam and Torchmate and I called plasma cam and found out they charge for tech support after 3 years, Torchmate is free for life. I did not buy the plasma cam.

We still service and support machines made in 1998. There is no other CNC company listed here on Plasma Spider that can say the same thing.

[itsnotlevel]

Can I please say that would everyone shut the F**k up about this table or that table, jesus dude....lets talk about projects and creativity. Everyone wants to chime in when its time to bash someone, but no one wants to talk about the cool stuff. Every table is good and bad for someone....people have different experiences and learning curves....I dont have a biased opinion, I am just saying jesus guys.....how do you get any work done with all the bitching? And lets be clear here, this is a forum but im not looking to get any replies to this, its all rhetorical.....Lets get cuttin!


Paul Wilson
DHC2 #86887 - 7 year owner
Hypertherm PM45

[Dan-PlasmaCAM]

hello to all i own a plasma cam table 4ftx4ft i recently converted it to 4ftx8ft i need longer cables from control box to servo motors called plasmacam and tried to buy cables for a 5ftx10ft table they will not sell them to me because i dont own a 5ftx10ft table could anyone please help me where to buy these longer cables thanks.

FYI- Usually you will put the boom in the center of a 4x8 table. Take a look at the pictures here (http://www.samsoncnc.com) You would not need a longer cable this way. For custom cable lengths that are non standard PlasmaCAM parts please go to the owners community. This has been done by various owners in a number of ways they could be a big help in your particular case.

[BrianMick]

hello to all i own a plasma cam table 4ftx4ft i recently converted it to 4ftx8ft i need longer cables from control box to servo motors called plasmacam and tried to buy cables for a 5ftx10ft table they will not sell them to me because i dont own a 5ftx10ft table could anyone please help me where to buy these longer cables thanks.

FYI- Usually you will put the boom in the center of a 4x8 table. Take a look at the pictures here (http://www.samson.com) You would not need a longer cable this way. For custom cable lengths that are non standard PlasmaCAM parts please go to the owners community. This has been done by various owners in a number of ways they could be a big help in your particular case.

Fyi Dan I think that link you posted is incorrect.
Brian

[BrianMick]

I believe this is the correct link.....
http://www.samsoncnc.com/
Brian

[jimcolt]

Everyone has to use their own operating software. PlasmaCam has its own driver software that also controls the plasma and the height control. Mach 3 is a proprietary software that controls motion and plasma and some height functions (yes, I realize mach 3 is widely used if you consider all of its use, if just considering cnc plasma the PlasmaCam outsells them!) Torchmate has its own proprietary software. Ditto Dynatorch. Even the industrial plasma CNC controls...Hypertherm Automation has proprietary motion control software and so does Burny.

With all of them you can use any CAD that can output a .dxf file.

PlasmaCams servodrive control box is proprietary.....but then so is Torchmates and many others. Gecko drives are widely used in industry, I'll give you that.....but not so sure it is an avantage!

I personally do not see any issues regarding the argument about proprietary components from machine to machine.

Jim Colt

They use their own software and drive electronics. Not Mach 3 and Gecko's that you could use different CAM software packages with. At least that was the way I understood they were when I looked into it.

If that is the case, it isn't a bad thing. That is unless you already use different software like I do. That means less learning curve on the software side and a variety of replacement parts and sources as well as easy upgrades.

[Dan-PlasmaCAM]

hello to all i own a plasma cam table 4ftx4ft i recently converted it to 4ftx8ft i need longer cables from control box to servo motors called plasmacam and tried to buy cables for a 5ftx10ft table they will not sell them to me because i dont own a 5ftx10ft table could anyone please help me where to buy these longer cables thanks.

FYI- Usually you will put the boom in the center of a 4x8 table. Take a look at the pictures here (http://www.samson.com) You would not need a longer cable this way. For custom cable lengths that are non standard PlasmaCAM parts please go to the owners community. This has been done by various owners in a number of ways they could be a big help in your particular case.

Fyi Dan I think that link you posted is incorrect.
Brian

Thanks Brian- Updated!

Dan-PlasmaCAM

[jmsrbrt]

When I pulled the trigger on my table it was between plasma cam and Torchmate and I called plasma cam and found out they charge for tech support after 3 years, Torchmate is free for life. I did not buy the plasma cam.

We still service and support machines made in 1998. There is no other CNC company listed here on Plasma Spider that can say the same thing.

I don't have a pre-1998 Torchmate, but given that I DO have a Torchmate, and it is 8 years old to me, so I take exception with your comment. I have called Torchmate numerous times, and never, I repeat NEVER have I been passed over, or ignored when I needed help. I've had their Tech Support call ME back, and exchange emails and phone calls for nada.

[Leeway]

I personally do not see any issues regarding the argument about proprietary components from machine to machine.

Jim Colt

Jim, my comment was mainly to relay why I chose to make my own machine rather than buy a ready built model. I wasn't trying to make an argument. I've only been a member here a very short time and didn't realize this subject is the "Saw Stop" of the Plasma world.

I had narrowed my choices down to where PC was the one I would go with if I decided to buy. I even got a quote and financing figures.
With the parts and electronics packages available from CNC Router parts and CandCNC, the choice was not so clear anymore. I could still build a pretty good machine fairly quickly. Time was a mild factor, but still a factor.

I already used Mach 3 and Sheetcam and I'm very familiar with Gecko's. I have built several cnc machines and have the cnc equipment here to make building my own pretty painless.

Being painless was my main deciding factor.

[dgeorgester]

Would a fuse have helped me avoiding the frying of my PM controllers?