Step 4: Set Sprockets Vertical
Ok, this is the first somewhat “challenging” step. Your goal is to set one tooth of each sprocket to the 12 o’clock position (i.e., straight up away from the center of the earth). There’s buttons on the right side you can press to move the sprockets clockwise and counterclockwise. I’m not sure of the value of 360 deg rotate…but it’s there if you want to waste time. Click the buttons (start with 5 deg and then go to 1 deg) to get one tooth straight up. Do that for both left and right sprocket. Once done, click “Set Zero”
Frequently asked questions about this step
Can I just press the “Automatic” button and have it do it for me?
Maybe. If this is your first time or you received a message somewhere that the controller has lost the position of the sled, then you need to manually set the sprocket. If you have done this before and no issues, then click automatic. What I’ve done is to mark one tooth on each sprocket as the 12 o’clock tooth (just used a pencil to mark it) and if that tooth doesn’t go to 12 o’clock, I know something is off.
How can I tell if it’s at 12 o’clock?
Do your best or go to this post. It has a great solution using just a few extra parts.
What you need to know to skip this step
If you are going to skip the next step (measuring distance between motors) then you can skip this one as long as the controller knows where the sled is located. That is, there’ve been no errors saying it’s lost its location or you’ve had chain skips. If you are going to measure the distance between motors you have to do this step.