New Embroidery Machine

the machine has a built in Compact Flash (CF) card reader.

You obviously need a computer connected to Tinternet. From here you can visit various sites to download patterns.

Next you will require a Compact Flash card reader connected to the computer. If your comp is a desktop an external USB type reader is adequate and if you comp is a notebook/laptop you can have either a PMCIA adaptor or USB adapter.

I found that the sewing machine retailers were selling kits ie a USB card reader and CF card for prices that far exceeded their value. The same equipment is used in the digital photography world and with a little tinternet searching can be purchased much cheaper. EBay is a good place to buy these items fairly cheaply. Search for CF Card and or CF Card Reader.

H

Hi "Henry" the compact flash card reader you are telling me about....is it the same as the one that we would use for taking the pictures from the camera to the computer.......my hubby has that type of card for his camera.....which also is USB....and the CF Cards are of different MegaBite sizes......... Actually i didn't realise the machine had one built in it.....thats a bonus!!...I hadn't seen that anywhere in the ads......... Thank you for your help and info........I think i understand it now.......if you think of anything else that might be helpful...please don't hesitate to tell me...............

Angie...............

I have the Janome 300E machine and adore it...... You will need the software Customiser 10000...plus the update to make it into the 10000 PLUS. The update is on the Janome site and is a free download. This update makes the software compatible with the 300E, (just the plain old 10000 software will NOT transfer the designs from your computer to the Flash Card.) You will also need a compact flash card (just like the camera ones) AND a Reader & writer. That is the important bit, it has to be able to write as well.Dont bother with the Janome Sandisc as that is so expensive, just go to your local computer store and get a Reader/Writer at 1/10th of the cost of the Janome brand. It has to be a "Sandic" which is the name for a reader writer bit. You will have to get the little card attachment from Janome to be able to insert the flash card into the machine though but that is very cheap. After you have all those you will have to Format the Flash Card "in" the machine so it will take your designs and put them in the correct folder on the card. To do that all you do is transfer one of the inbuilt designs on the machine to the new flash card, you actually do this on the 300E. Very easy. Now the card is formatted. Then....in Customiser 10000 Plus Easy Edit Software make a layout of your JEF designs you want to sew out and just write them to card. Sew away. Very Easy.

On Sun, 23 May 2004 17:23:28 GMT, snipped-for-privacy@inwonderland.com wrote:

Yes they are the same as the camera flash cards. Make sure it is a compact flash card and NOT the other type. My friend has a much smaller card in her camera and is NOT the one like my camera uses. Hers would be no good in the 300E but mine is.

The machine has NOT got a built in reader, it can read what is on the flash card so it can sew it out! You still need a reader writer to be able to get the designs from your computer to THE CARD.

yes, same card and available in 4,8,16, 32,64,128, 256, 512, meg + 1G, 2G and I think 4G sizes. There are also a few in between sizes as I have an 80 meg

The 300E has a built in Card Reader (slot)

sounds like you already have the downloading bits to hand.

H

now.......if

Hi Nocturnal and everyone else..........Do i have to purchase the software to go with this machine.........or just stick with the Compact Flash card and get a reader writer to go with it.............. sorry but i am confusing myself now ............I know its upgradable but is it essential to have the Customer 10000 and upgrade download to enable you to use this machine.............

Angie............

No, I am using an old version of Pfaff software to digitise. I then convert in Embird (80$) and send to the card writer. put the card in the machine and sew the pattern out.

You DO NOT need customizer software to ge the designs to the machine, some dealers will try and tell you that you do as its an agencey machine wityh the prices being fixed the same from where ever you buy it as you are buying it from Janome not the dealer, and some dealers will tell you that you need it, that way they make more money from the sale. I even think some dealers truly believe that you do actually need it as thats the way that they were taught to use it and always go through the software. because there is an option within that to write to the card or send direct by usb to the 10000 series. abd have never bothered to try to do it any other way, I am lucky whenever a new machine comes out my dealer will always go through everything like this and make sure what the customer will need.

To write to the card you simply >Hi Nocturnal and everyone else..........Do i have to purchase the software

I'll reply to your message to try to clear up some confusion.

You do not need any embroidery software to use the MC300E, as long as the designs you wish to use are in ".jef" format. You simply copy the designs to the appropriate folder on the CF card, place the card in a PCMCIA adaptor, and insert it into the machine.

There are a number of brands of CF cards that will work. We are using Sandisk, Kodak, Lexar and Verbatim cards in our Janome machines.

If you have a desktop computer with USB ports, you need a Compact Flash reader/writer, unless you have some sort of PCMCIA slot..

If you are using a laptop computer, you can use a PCMCIA slot (with the CF card in a PCMCIA adaptor), and do not need a separate CF reader/writer.

Before putting designs on the card, insert the card into the emb. machine and turn on the machine. It should create a folder called EMBF5 (or something similar) on the CF card. You can also use the machine's "format" function. This step has to be done on the emb. machine, not in Windows Explorer.

Now, you're all set to download designs from the internet, copy them to the proper folder on the CF card (or download directly to the card), and stitch them out with the 300E.

If you want to use designs that are in formats for other brands of machine, you will need software to convert those designs into JEF format. Embird has been mentioned as one program that will do this.

As for updates for the machine, it's expected they will be handled the same way as updates for the MC10000. Janome provided a compressed file for download. The unzipped files from the download were placed on a CF card and inserted into the machine. You then turned on the machine while pressing a couple of the control buttons, and the machine updated itself.

gwh

Thanks to Everyone I am no longer confused....I have the whole picture now...and understand what i need,and why i need it........... I just can't wait now to get one..........I have noticed the price is the same on every site i have looked......But not really put off by that..........It looks a good machine...........

Thanks Again Everyone.........

Angie...............

Thank You G.W. My mail i sent to-day to the group was posted before yours on my computer...( strange but true ) :-)) I have printed your advice off to keep.........So i can refer to it later if i have to.......

Angie............

Sorry about this.its Monday and I am trying to do too many things at once...........:-)) Anyone else know the feeling.??????

About the upgrade what does the upgrade give you ?? Completely slipped my brain to ask before.........

Angie...........

AT the sewing conference in Toronto Janome reps said that they were getting out of the proprietory software as there were so many better and affordable ones on the market that were in no way connected to the machine manufacturers. We always recommend Embird and Embird Studio to those who want to customise change format etc, and digitise. As for the card R/W and the cards they told us to go to Staples as they had the best choice and the best deals. But if the designs are the right size and the right format they can be directly loaded onto the 300e card and used in the machine.

What Prices are you finding? They are about $1600 here.

Hello ..............The price over here is £699 GBP.....i am not sure but i think its close to your dollar price..........Do you like it,or do you prefer something else..............

Angie.........

Just a quick word about the Customiser 10000 plus software. No, you dont have to have it.. .but it is very handy IF you want to be able to place the designs on a layout and use the Clothsetter 10000 with the printed out templates. You could use another program but I find it so much easier to use the Customiser 10000 plus.

Maybe they did tell you at the janome conference in Japan BUT many dealers actually attended this? A very small minority. In the uk the vast majority of the dealers I am sure honestly beleive that you DO need the software to get the designs to the machine, its the way they have been shown to do it in the past and they havent bothered to try anything else. and beleive it or not you say embird and they do not have one clue what you are talking about,they have never heard of it, many dealers here are not on the internet and without the net would they ever come accross embird? I speak to people all over the UK and US from the smallest village in wales as far as New York who have all been told they need the software as well! I have also answered the same question about needing customizer on so many sewing related forums and there are so many people that have been told by their dealers that they need customizer, for the 10000, 10001,

300E and the 9500 and thats the ONLY way you can transfer designs, there is no other way that customizer is an essential part of the process!

"Henry" wrote in news:c8qqvh$i4n$ snipped-for-privacy@sparta.btinternet.com:

Walmart is also a good source for the readers. They have them for about $20.00 with cards at comparably low prices in the camera department.

Hi Nocturnal.................Yes its great isn't it.........I will probably upgrade it after a week or so,after i get it ...it would be sill y not to really wouldnt it...........We dont get chances of upgrades like this come in our favour........

Watch this space as they say......:-)) i shall be back.....will let you know as soon as i have it....I am hoping for about Thursday....... Keep well and happy sewing everyone .....

Angie............