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Would someone consult to a newbie with a used Amaya XT?

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  • Would someone consult to a newbie with a used Amaya XT?

    Hello, I am a newbie to the professional embroidery world with 2 used Amaya XTs - 11 and 12 yr old machines that we purchased privately from a business that closed. I am not operating as a business. I wanted to stop tormenting my single needle Bernina and invest in a good multi-needle. The package price included the O/S and DS Pro each with necessary dongles.

    I really only need one machine to work and only wish to use the larger hoops so I can continue on with my hobby. I currently use Bernina V7 and have been digitizing since 2005 - but beginning/intermediate at best. In my Interior Design business I used AutoCAD and Photoshop so I know my way around software.

    Please don't laugh, I know these are professional grade machines and harder to learn than home embroidery models but I just can't afford $800 per day for the pro training but would gladly pay someone a reasonable amount who might be willing to answer my questions and to tell me all I don't know via Skype.

    I know you are all busy shop owners and having been a retail owner and consultant - fashion/footwear/home decor for almost 30 yrs - I can only imagine how hard this business is so I don't wish to become another statistic. I just can't afford to pay for the professional training - though I am sure it is worth every penny.

    I have threaded the machines and cabled appropriately via videos plus installed all the software but can't communicate with the machines - I keep getting the Ethernet communication error message - I have seen it come up for other site members in other threads but no real solution applies to me so far.

    We recently began receiving a serious error message too.

    My tech thinks we may have a corrupt disc?

    Could anyone sell me the old O/S disc with dongle?

    Also, for the Ethernet error issue - we tried installing on XP and Windows 7 operating as XP - no luck - and tried multiple computers with 32 and 64 running.

    I simply wish to stitch out my own keepsake gifts for friends and family without having to multihoop on my single needle machine any longer. A 16 needle is perfect for my purposes and better - in my opinion than the reviews i saw for home machines!

    I have no reason to believe the seller sold me something that doesn't work because they had them professionally serviced prior to selling - confirmed by the distrib.

    Would anyone know if the machines will still work with a broken thread break sensor - the $15,000.00 priced home models do?

    I may consider a business one day but for now it is a little too intimidating - and better left to you pros! If someone could help me to get set up I'd be really greatful? Maybe I can help you in return with some cool looking but budget priced store design concepts - in trade?
    Last edited by wifflepoof; 08-20-2015, 01:51 PM. Reason: to clarify no charge

  • #2
    So, some basics...

    You say 11 and 12 years old - but I can't remember the year the XT's were released. At 11 and 12 that would put them at 2003/2004 which is around when we bought our first machine (a big red). I have a suspicion you may have original Amaya's - not that it matters a whole lot. Cue someone to tell me I'm wrong in 3, 2....

    Anyway - what version of software were you given and what are your dongle's licensed for?

    I doubt that you have a corrupt disc/dongle.

    With two machines, you'd set them up with a standard Ethernet cable out of your network card, go into a SWITCH (not a hub), and then hook your two machines up to ports on that switch again with standard Ethernet cables.

    If you are hooking ONLY ONE machine directly up to the Network Card, you would use a crossover cable to go to the machine.

    You also said you began receiving a serious message too - but didn't mention what it was.

    I have a spare set of AOS and DS dongles if that was truly the problem and am looking to sell them. Also might be able to talk you thru some of the issues a first time user has - as we all were there once (we came from a brother single needle way back when).

    Oh, and I have a spare thread break sensor or two. I upgraded all of our machines a while back, and just did a machine we picked up the other day. If you need the old style and don't have the upgraded version, I'd be glad to sell those as well.

    Anyway, Private Message me here on the boards or head to the site url in my sig file for my phone number.
    John Yaglenski
    Amayausers.com - Webmaster
    Levelbest Embroidery - Owner

    Living the life on Hilton Head Island, SC and serving the world via our website! http://www.levelbestembroidery.com

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    • #3
      Melco also has a guide for configuring your network card:




      John Yaglenski
      Amayausers.com - Webmaster
      Levelbest Embroidery - Owner

      Living the life on Hilton Head Island, SC and serving the world via our website! http://www.levelbestembroidery.com

      Comment


      • #4
        I too bought a used Amaya XT and had similar connectivity problems. My problem was my virus protection software had an active network threat protection component that would prevent me from seeing the machine. Once I stooped the active port scanning, everything worked as advertised.

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        • #5
          I own 4 of the original big reds, and the thing that always stuck with me is that the ethernet connection had nothing but issues if it shared the network connections with other computers or the internet.
          For the less than $20 that an ethernet card costs we added one in and it only runs the amaya group and the other is for our inhouse lan network and internet. If possible that was the solution that worked for many people in the beginning. Good luck!
          Ron
          Ron Vinyard<br />Body Cover Design<br /><br />Grants Pass, Oregon

          Comment


          • #6
            Thank you all so kindly for your input.

            For other people who might find themselves with a similar situation - if no one minds - I'll type my general responses in open forum but will contact via private email for specifics.

            My machines are 2003 and 2004 - one from California and the other Canadian!!!

            Does this mean something other than how pleased I am to finally have something from California?!!! LOL?!

            My O/S is 700.00.018 same for Design Shop Pro though one of the discs - says 2009 installation on it. I actually have two discs. One appears to be factory ripped as it is labled the other appears to be a burned copy. Both install the same - so it appears but not knowing the software intimately yet we don't know the differences if there are any.

            I have connected - with the help of my electrical contractor husband - he loved the line conditoner - which everything is plugged into.

            White - cat 6 goes from computer to DLINK switch/ethernet - are they the same thing?

            Standard blues going from switch/ethernet to each machine.

            Had to update the dongle driver to get the software to install. Would that cause some issue?

            Have taken the wireless stick out of the computer to avoid any confusion or access to internet - and computer is dedicated to machines only - I am typing and communicating with you on my lap top.

            I don't seem to have a cross over cable so will purchase one at Staples today.

            Tried installing software on Windows XP tablet - several years old but still kicking butt - no luck.

            Tried the tower that came with the system - no luck. We realised early the prior owner had removed the software from the tower prior to selling it to us - but of course they had included the discs and dongles so we weren't concerned.

            I will confirm the second ERROR message specifics with my tech.

            Ethernet communication problem comes up everytime I boot the AO/S.

            Anti-virus is turned off too - though will check Cutchy32's suggestion with tech re: active port scan issue.

            Did I answer everything? Thank you so much to all of you.

            This site is really comprehensive and the best one - for me - having checked out a few - you do a great job making it so user friendly too.

            Comment


            • #7
              Sorry - forgot to answer this question Dongle anwer appears to be Flex? My tech has it with him so I will confirm later but that is what I recall - if that makes any sense at all!!
              Many, many thanks!

              Comment


              • #8
                Software wise, you are good -

                Recommended OS - XT
                7.00.018 or higher

                Dongle wise, having to download the Sentinel driver to get it working is normal.

                Sent you a PM with my contact info. Bottom line, if we get this figured out - we'll share with everyone what it took so it's here and searchable

                John Yaglenski
                Amayausers.com - Webmaster
                Levelbest Embroidery - Owner

                Living the life on Hilton Head Island, SC and serving the world via our website! http://www.levelbestembroidery.com

                Comment


                • #9
                  AOS Flex would make sense if the original owner had multiple machines...
                  John Yaglenski
                  Amayausers.com - Webmaster
                  Levelbest Embroidery - Owner

                  Living the life on Hilton Head Island, SC and serving the world via our website! http://www.levelbestembroidery.com

                  Comment


                  • #10
                    You did not say what version AOS and DS you have but I have an instruction sheet from Melco tech support for installing AOS V9 on a Windows 7 machine. Don't know if it will assist you but here it is.

                    Installing and running AOS in Windows 7
                    1. Insert Melco Software DVD into your computers DVD reader.
                    2. Left click 'computer' under start.
                    3. Right click on the 'DVD Drive' that the Melco Software DVD is located and then left click
                    on 'Open'. Do not click on 'Open Auto Plan . . .'.
                    4. Right click on the Setup.exe and then left click on properties.
                    5. Left click on compatibility.
                    6. Left click the 'Run this program in compatibility mode for' and then select Windows Vista
                    from the drop down. (I clicked on Windows XP instead of Vista.)
                    7. Left click the Run this program as an administrator under 'Privilege Level'.
                    8. Left click on ok.
                    9. Run the installer and install AOS.
                    10. After installing right click on the AOS icon.exe on the desktop and left click properties.
                    11. Follow steps 5 - 8 from above.
                    Now AOS will run in Windows 7 (32 bit and 64 bit)

                    You will receive some great advice from all the experts on this list. They are all very generous with their time to help new owners get started.
                    Marcelle Lewis
                    http://embroideryavenue.com
                    http://embroidery.gotop100.com

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Very kind of you Marcelle we will give this a try! So far we have it running on my old XP tablet but the screen is far too small to be helpful so your suggestion would be terrific. I'll keep you all posted!
                      Many thanks for your time and effort!

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        Problem solved!! Thank you to all of you. We completely ditched Windows 7 - even though we tried in the XP mode - we still kept having issues - likely our version. I followed almost every suggestion you all posted and my machines are happily showing themselves to the O/S and ready to go.

                        We ultimately tried 4 different computers with various 7's and even XPs an old Tablet worked too but finally settled on an XP Professional installation and all systems go. We went through Ethernet connectivity issues, an error message due to a corrupt file and at one point only one machine communicating which was our error in that it wasn't turned on!!

                        We turned on and off so many times trying to configure it got missed but - an interesting exercise proved useful and that was - with one off and one turned on - after the first was configured - we changed the name of the server - just for fun - and the newly turned on machine showed up.

                        We didn't leave it like this preferring a totally clean installation and configuration set up of Amaya O/S 2009 though 2006 worked perfectly too so everything was done perfectly on Windows XP Pro as per your suggestions.

                        If anyone else you notice runs into trouble trying to connect these older models - though likely rare these days as most of you have the newer machines - please send them my way as I believe I experienced almost every issue possible - completely 100% due to operator error so I would be happy to assist.

                        Also note - for others reference too - the installation of 2006 worked on a Virtual XP program as well - a free download - if they don't have access to a free copy of XP Pro.

                        Greatly appreciated all of your help - you guys/gals rock!!

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