So in the interests of honesty and transparency,
A nice young lady from Ratrig contacted me just now, and explained that they had local holidays and a huge backlog of emails, and that my order was shipping today.
I'm not fussed about how long it takes, as long as they communicate it, so as far as I'm concerned my experience is still all good.
I am keen to see this kit!
Hi Ian, how you been old fella?
The cameras are for my rural property, which has no power. My home where I live (and print) not only has power, we also have internet and hot running water. It's amazing all the shit we're getting these days!
Just winding you up... We've just had a few issues on the farm recently with trespassers and thieving, and even a crazy bloody real estate agent coming on the place and leaving me notes. It's time to catch them in the act!
I share your fears about the border. This "covid thing" is like a blank check for pollies, and don't even get me started on the media coverage. It's like everyone caught Stockholm syndrome rather than covid.
I kind of put my thoughts in the other thread that Corexy posted but regarding accelerations, try something like diagonal infill on a 100mm x 100mm cube (or 50X50 - doesn't really matter) and just observe how it looks as the moves get shorter and shorter. I'd think that at 9,000 it'll try and shake itself to bits or at least look pretty alarming. If it does, reduce it down until the speed "looks right". I've found that 1200 acceleration works well for my CoreXY (but it has a seriously heavy hot end).
It's hard this…you get such wildly different answers.
I'll play it safer:
M566 X900 Y900 Z12 E800 ; Set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X12000 Y12000 Z1200 E8000 ; Set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X2000 Y2000 Z20 E500 ; Set accelerations (mm/s^2)
I've never had any problem with the stepper motors like skipping or any thing, they seem strong. I know the standard Zortrax extruder setting was 400mA, but they had trouble with it and some people including myself wound it up to 600mA. Over 600 it started to show wavy patterns in the prints.
There's also one speed I can't get to change, the Z axis when it homes at the start of a print. I can get it to move faster when I move it manually, but the homing speed is always the same, and it's too slow and makes an annoying resonating noise.
I just want to step it up 50%. Can anyone tell me where I find that?
Back on point,
I've spoken to the Rat Rig guy, and he's been right on it with the responses and advice.
I did mention the lead time, and he said they got behind a little at one stage, but they were right up on it now.
For me the decision is to go with their 400x400x400 V slot model with the 3rd Z screw option, just need the money which will likely push the order date out to June.
I've really had enough of Z screws I must admit...I'll look at the belt option harder in the meantime.
Bugger it, I bought all of them. They cost bugger all from Triangle Labs, so I grabbed an assortment of PT100's, 1000's and other bits for the bits box. Was no point getting their standard thermistor cartridges, as they only rated to 280degC and if I'm buying the ludicrously expensive Mosquito/BMG combo, I at least want the option to heat it right up, even if I never do.
Plus a nice member here sent me a spare Slice thermistor he had laying around (cheers Deckers!!), so I'm now spoilt for choices when the time comes.
Now if only it all gets here before the bombs start dropping or the next exotic disease....
@Dkos said in Print quality issue:
@deckingman Yes, that is what i figured as well. Currently I switched to bolts with an unthreaded section while i am waiting for the order of shoulder-bolts with 5mm shoulder diameter. Rookie mistake from my side when I first assembled my printer.
I've noticed the use of screws in bearings/pulleys/etc as a normal in 3D printers, when they are just not meant to be used that way. Any precision ID should be mounted on the correct size shaft or shoulder bolt with precision spacers to align them.
Obviously it'll work with screws, but I wonder how much finer a print can be had with precision mounting of the pulleys. I'll test the theory on my E3 soon enough.
Those little ally idlers are rubbish IMHO. I've got plenty of them here, and half the bearings are rough straight out of the bag.
Hi all.
Looks like my birthday's coming early, as I've squirreled away enough money to pull the trigger on a V-core kit.
I've been in touch with them with a million questions, and I must say the responses have been excellent, even including a call direct to my mobile in Australia from Portugal last night.
I was going to go with the 500x500x500 model, as it only costs a little more, but funnily enough the Keenovo mats almost double in price from 400 to 500mm, and it seems build surface options become much more limited as well.
They have offered that if I buy the 400mm model but pay the 500mm price (only about 20 euro more), they will extend the Z height to 600mm. I'm wondering if that will be worthwhile, or should I just go with the 400mm all round size?
I'm going with the triple Z axis leadscrew option, but without the motors as I plan to run a single belt/motor. I do wonder about their Z setup as they run 4 upright V slot channels with rollers, which may defeat the purpose of the triple leadscrews, but I'll look at that when the time comes. I'm still open to the possibility of a belt driven Z axis.
It comes with the 400mm build plate, but it's only 4mm thick. If it's flat that will be fine, if not I'll go with 10mm cast ally precision plate.
I've got a ton of gear here including a Duet wifi/paneldue, E3D V6, Meanwell supply, plus/wire...all sorts of goodies.
It'll probably take a long time until it's done, but I'm quite excited to get started. Also glad I didn't go the Tronxy route, as it seems they are a pile of junk for almost the same money. Cheers to those who advised against it.
As it goes, I'd gotten my wires crossed...literally.
It turns out that the 2 center wires need to be reversed in the stepper motor plug on the wiring loom for the Bondtech BMG extruder pancake stepper to work.
While I did pull the plug with the power on, it was after the print had finished so I'm assuming the stepper was powered down anyway.
On top of that, when I tried the original stepper again it didn't work due to the fact that the hot end had cooled down, therefore not allowing the extruder stepper to activate. It was late at night and I'd just plain forgot about heating the hot end.
The next day I checked the steppers with a multimeter and realized the difference in the 2 motors, swapped the wires and heated up the hot end, and now it's all good.
Very good in fact. My first try of the Bondtech, and I'm quite impressed with it.
M92 X1280.00 Y1280.00 Z400.00 E410 ; set steps per mm
M566 X600.00 Y600.00 Z60.00 E300.00 ; set maximum instantaneous speed changes (mm/min)
M203 X6000.00 Y6000.00 Z6000.00 E1200.00 ; set maximum speeds (mm/min)
M201 X200.00 Y200.00 Z100.00 E250.00 ; set accelerations (mm/s^2)
M906 X700 Y700 Z760 E800 I30 ; set motor currents (mA) and motor idle factor in per cent
I'm wondering about the 410 steps/mm for an Ender 3... mine runs at 99-101, but I'm on an Ender 3 Pro with the plastic extruder. All the same it seems a LOT bigger feed rate.
Have you calibrated your extruder esteps? If not almost certainly that.
Some of your stepper motor currents seem a little odd too (to me, I could be wrong). I wonder about XYZ currents being lower than the extruder current. I don't think it's got anything to do with your skipping problem, but it doesn't seem to be right.
Mind you, when I have a look at mine, the extruder motor is much larger than the others, so it could be correct.
I'm tipping feed rate.
I'm certainly not worried about getting ripped off or anything like that. I don't even mind waiting a month or so. And yes, I did note it was a regular occurrence with them.
I guess in my opinion, saying a week or two then just stopping replying after the order is taken is just a little bit of a bad look. I actually asked him specifically about lead time and delays with other orders when he rang, and he said they'd had delays in the past but it would ship in about a week. I said 2 weeks lead time would be fine.
I am a particularly grumpy hater of FB and Google (I'm a parent of teenagers), so you will NEVER see me on there.
It's certainly not as bad as a fake tracking number from Banggood or Aliexpress, which never ever works lol.
Hi Ian, how you been old fella?
The cameras are for my rural property, which has no power. My home where I live (and print) not only has power, we also have internet and hot running water. It's amazing all the shit we're getting these days!
Just winding you up... We've just had a few issues on the farm recently with trespassers and thieving, and even a crazy bloody real estate agent coming on the place and leaving me notes. It's time to catch them in the act!
I share your fears about the border. This "covid thing" is like a blank check for pollies, and don't even get me started on the media coverage. It's like everyone caught Stockholm syndrome rather than covid.
How can I post my config.g without access to the DWC? I'll just have to set up the usb cable and go through the connection procedure again I guess. I certainly didn't change my config.g files, this thing's got a mind of its own sometimes.
I'm very busy with work this week, so I'll get back to it soon. Thank you in advance for all your help.
Mate I'm a bit more resilient than that, but it's time to be well aware of the possibility down here. No use having one's head in the sand. I'm mostly interested in how to protect the retirement fund these days.
Don't worry about the emus, they're the last of your problems. It's the "dropbears" you've got to worry about...
Here's what I'm getting.
Literally nothing has been touched or changed since I used it last. The IP address shown on the paneldue is neither the IP address on my laptop that links to the DWC, nor the IP address of the mobile phone that I use as a wifi hotspot. I have no idea why that would change... it's not like I have the computer skills to go in there and change it lol.
I've got no DWC at this stage, and I've got to pull a cover off (and clean the bench, but not the end of the world) to get at the USB plug on the board. Can I do anything via the paneldue to get it connecting again?
Home and other functions work via the paneldue by the way.
I should have known better than to mention it, more so just worrying a little openly as it is getting a bit heavy and I have 2 conscription age sons.
We've given up on the phone idea, and just gone with 2 of these, which we can claim on tax:
https://www.thegoodguys.com.au/uniden-4g-wire-free-full-hd-security-camera-solo4gkit
Of course they are made in China, but they're only 100 or so that an ebay cheapy, and Uniden has always been a good brand down here.
Chinese telecommunications is a dirty word down under at the moment, I'm reluctant to use much of theirs, which is pretty much all of them. Makes it hard.
Then there's the little matter that we're literally one little incident away from a shooting war with them right now... maybe I can find something from Korea or Taiwan while they're still there.
Thank you.
I should have mentioned that it's rural Australia on a farm with no power.
Phone signal is OK, not great.
I'd love something that was in something like a waterproof junction box or whatever with antennas and the sim card port, so I could bolt it to a post or something with a solar panel, then connect the phones/cameras to it via wifi.
Hi all,
Odd question, but I'm sure it'll be easy for our tech heads here.
I have a rural property and we're having some trouble with thieves/vandals. There's no power, but there is phone signal.
Farm cams with back to base are expensive here, but I'm looking at trying that Alfred app with some of Galaxy S5's (waterproof) on solar chargers. We've had a little fiddle back at the house connected to our home wifi and it looks promising.
Question is, how would I get internet access out on the property? I can set one of the phones up as a mobile hotspot with a cheap sim card and connect a couple more to it, but the signal isn't best.
Is there some sort of cheaper Banggood etc router/extender/point of access that I can put a sim in with some sort of cheap data plan, then connect the phones to that?
The free app looks alright, and for a small yearly fee I can have higher res and a month of history storage or something like that. I can even flick a switch and yell and swear at them in real time, looking forward to that.
Please advise how I can do this on a micro budget.
Thank you
Hi Ian, how you been?
No, the blue light is flashing on and off, which I figured was no good.
The IP address shouldn't have changed. This thing seems to go wrong if you leave it without using it for months.
I have to pull the bottom plate off the printer to access the usb, I'll clean the bench off and make a job of it soon.
Thank you,
Neil.
Hi all, been a while.
Done it again, left it sitting idle for a long time and now I want to use it, it won't play dice.
It's starting up and seems to be connecting at the printer end, but the DWC won't open on the computer.
Absolutely nothing has changed since I last used it and it worked fine, it's a fickle bugger lol. It's a Duet 2 board with the last firmware version. Been pretty reliable generally.
Can't see anything in the docs specifically relating to this... where would I start?
Cheers in advance for any assistance.