Sandstormdesigns

Refine MH-1351 Cutting Crazy!

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I have a Refine MH-1351. It is installed on a Gateway notebook running 32 Bit Vista Home Premium with 4GB of RAM. I use Adobe Illustrator CS3 with Vinyl Master Pro 2.95v as my designing programs. Here's the problem! I sandblast glass and getting into designing signs. When I send anything to the plotter, it starts out fine...then it suddenly draws/cuts a line in the middle of the images. The plotter comes standard with 1Mb of memory. I don't know if I need more memory for the plotter or what! I'm totally baffled! Tried contacting US Cutter by phone and email but haven't heard anything. Any suggestions? Does any know how to upgrade the plotter memory?

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There is a 4mb buffer memory upgrade available for $12- and it is as simple as swapping a chip on the motherboard.

Are you cutting from Vinyl Master?

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Yes I cut on VMP! That would be the problem for $12?  So does the chip snap in like a laptop RAM memory and where is the motherboard on the plotter? I would like to order that immediately. Where to order? Thanks! ;D

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It can be ordered from www.uscutter.com

The motherboard is under the cutter, secured to the right side bottom panel. It is a motherboard chip, but not like RAM.

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Does the Refine 1351-SE come with 1 MB too? Noticed it said 4 MB on the top of the cutter, does that mean it has 4 MB or just will hold up to 4 MB? Thanks

Rick

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does this happen with MORE than one design or just one particular one (please post if it's just one particular one).

Where did you get the vector from?  Is it one you've cut ok before? 

I know everyone is talking about the memory, but I'm just wondering

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It happens with any design I do. I just don't know when or where it will happen. I switched to Serial with a USB converter...thanking that would alleviate the problem....Nope! So I'm going to have to order the memory to see if that's the problem. I thought the memory was $12 but it's $21.99...misquote! I vectorize my work and have vectored work, it doesn't matter...it does it anyway.

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It happens with any design I do. I just don't know when or where it will happen. I switched to Serial with a USB converter...thanking that would alleviate the problem....Nope! So I'm going to have to order the memory to see if that's the problem. I thought the memory was $12 but it's $21.99...misquote! I vectorize my work and have vectored work, it doesn't matter...it does it anyway.

The memory is, in fact, $12. It does not ship for free however, and we have a flat rate of $9.99 for the shipping.

I am also wondering if the problem is related to Vinyl Master Pro. I have never tested this software with our cutters, so it could be a driver issue with VMP as well. Have you tried any other cutting programs to see if it acts the same way?

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I was just looking to order the chip. I see it in UScutter but their not in stock. Does the stated price include the shipping cost? This is what I see. http://www.uscutterdirect.com/4MB-Chip-for-Refine-Series-Plotters_p_6-34.html. I'm wondering if it is Vista...then again I use XP as well. I don't know, I'm so frustrated right now...trying to buy memory, out of stock, bought USB/Serial converter...didn't solve problem. Can't remember if it ever did it before I put 4Gigs in my laptop. I sure appreciate your help. I don't know what to do! Can you direct me to the link to purchase the memory at that price because I sure don't see it and maybe pick up some 60 degree blades as well. Had SignCut X2 when I bought plotter...wasn't pleased with it. Thanks Ken! :- 

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I was just looking to order the chip. I see it in UScutter but their not in stock. Does the stated price include the shipping cost? This is what I see. http://www.uscutterdirect.com/4MB-Chip-for-Refine-Series-Plotters_p_6-34.html. I'm wondering if it is Vista...then again I use XP as well. I don't know, I'm so frustrated right now...trying to buy memory, out of stock, bought USB/Serial converter...didn't solve problem. Can't remember if it ever did it before I put 4Gigs in my laptop. I sure appreciate your help. I don't know what to do! Can you direct me to the link to purchase the memory at that price because I sure don't see it and maybe pick up some 60 degree blades as well. Had SignCut X2 when I bought plotter...wasn't pleased with it. Thanks Ken! :- 

I stand corrected. It appears as though the owner recently changed the price of the chip without making any of us aware........so I apologize.  :-

Looks like he is now charging $21.99 for the chip, and the shipping is still a flat rate of $9.99. We do have them in stock, so I need to let the right person know to update that.

Once again, I apologize, as I had no idea the price had changed recently.

When you used SignCut X2, did you ever have this random cut issue? Would you be willing to try and cut the same Illy file with SignBlazer to see if it does the same as with VMP?

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When I had Signcut X2, I just got a Gateway MT6821 notebook with Vista. This was a replacement for my eMachines M5405 XP, which failed on me. Software was loaded on both computers, we printed from both computers. However I was inexperience with these programs at the time, so I didn't know what errors to look for. I did my research...bought Adobe Illus CS3...SignCut X2 (came with the purchase of plotter.) registery ran out earlier than expected. I was stuck without a bridge program. I bought Vinyl Master Pro because it seem to be an excellent program for starts and pros with all the modules to work with along with drivers for any plotters. I upgrade my computer RAMS from 2 gigs to 4 gigs because of Vista Memory hogging. Now that I learned vectoring and seeing what this plotter is capable of, my work became more detailed and I started noticing things. Sure, I'm willing to try what ever to pin point the problem. As of right now, I have nothing to compare it to, whether it's the VMP 2.95v...Vista...or plotter memory. I don't even know how long the plotter will track and I do anything from coasters, doors and tables. Let me know what I need to do. Thank you for your support. I want to get the memory though.

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Hi ... I'm having exactly the same issue with my Refine MH - 1351 .... It worked OK for a month ... and now ... it drops the blade in the middle of the graphics and stops responding, cutter starts to make a funny noise. If you hit reset - that's the only thing that would do something - it'll bring the blade to start position. I tried different graphics. Sometimes it would cut 12" x 120" writing with no problems, but like today - I've had a 33.5" x 36" rectangle - it cut two times - dropped the blade. The pressure was not equal too. Then it would start cutting - and stop at the same place. I've tried five times - ruined pile of material -  no luck. Shut the cutter down - cut it by hand. Total frustration !!!  :lol: Please let me know if adding memory helped. I was more thinking of changing mother board. Or is it VISTA issue? But - it drops the the blade even if I'm not cutting, but just rewinding the decal. And guess what - the blade was right above some freshly cut graphics! DAMAGED AGAIN !!!  :'( Please help!!!

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Man! I hate to hear that! What program are you running? Well, I upgraded to 4Mb on the plotter. I wish I could say that it solved my problem but it didn't. I even tried plotting from a computer with Windows XP and it drew a line through my work. So now it does it on Vista and XP. I have no idea what the problem could be. Now I'm wondering if it is the motherboard of the plotter or the software I'm using.  :lol:

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Could be a buffer memory issue when it acts like this, or maybe static causing a problem with the carriage. The units are grounded I assume?

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I'm using SignLab 7.1  ... Man ... I was hoping that it is somehow the memory chip. But you saying it's not. I do think it's motherboard then. I wonder what US tech support would say about this issue?

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I'm using SignLab 7.1  ... Man ... I was hoping that it is somehow the memory chip. But you saying it's not. I do think it's motherboard then. I wonder what US tech support would say about this issue?

Usually something like this is related to the carriage going out, or static electricity affecting the carriage.

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Okay...now! Ken, where do you ground your plotter? I have mines coming form the bottom of the plotter panel running down to the floor. Still, I'm having the same problem; regardless of size, Vista or XP. Now that I know it wasn't the memory, I did an upgrade for nothing? I never had these problems before now.  :lol:

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The memory upgrade wasn't for nothing....you now have 4x the buffer memory you had before, which should help performance, especially on large cut jobs. It sounds like maybe a carriage going out, and they are not too difficult to replace- with minimal solering involved.

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Now, I'm pretty frustrated with this plotter now! I'm just about ready to buy another plotter and software to see if it is my plotter or my software. You can't get no full plotting demo software and I'm stuck at guessing. I don't if my plotter is just shot, I can't do any work on it without it plotting crazy!  I was looking at Flexi Starter but I don't know if it is better than Vinyl Master Pro. However I just know that Flexi is used in the sign industry. I was looking at the Copam CP-2500 or the SeikiTech 34" Vinyl Cutter SK-870T with Flexi Starter 8.5 to start all over again! Any advice is appreciated.  :-

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Have you tried SignBlazer? It is free to download and works well with this model of cutter, and might point us in the right direction for the cause of the issue.

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I am having the exact same issue as was mentioned here.

MH1351

Windows XP Pro

SignBlazer Elements

This doesn't happen all the time, and it is trial and error.  But I did some testing today because I had a huge roll of cheap vinyl I could mess with and not care too much about ruining it. 

A note about the design I tested with...it was a simple text, 2" tall, that says "B. $lo

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I downloaded SignBlazer. The first few tries it did alright but then it drew across it again. Now what seems to happen, the plotter freezes when you try to feed or move the carriage back and forth. What the hell is wrong with this thing! I believe I have two problems going on with software and the plotter. I can't do anything...I have an arts and craft show coming up Thursday and I'm shut down. It money wasn't so tight i would just buy the Copam CP-4050 and be through with it. I've tried memory upgrade, USB comm 4, comm 8, USB serial adapter comm 5, regrounding, adjusting Braud rate from 9600 to 4800, changing flow control from Hardware,None, Xon/Xoff, I bought a rubber mat to place plotter on, tried with Windows XP and different programs. I believe my plotter is ruined and Vinyl Master Pro has bugs. I don't know it FlexiStarter any better, it doesn't autovectorize or compare to VMP for the price!  :huh:

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