Photon problems...

[Chris333]

So I looked up the PhotonS, it's 165mm tall build area. Regular Photon is 155. So I just took the blue top cap off the Z rails.



And now it stops about 1/8" above where it used to hit. No more grinding.

[rodsup9000]

 Can you print a 10mm spacer and put the cap back on???

[Chris333]

The lid to the machine is in the way. I really have no idea what the cap even is there for.

[Chris333]

So my original problem happened again today after about 10-15 prints the last few days. Fail after first layer. Re-loaded the g-code and it's working right now. Hope this doesn't turn into a thing.

[Sokramiketes]

Time for Elegoo Mars instead?

[JoeD]

I have the Photon S and it's been a good experience.  Love the speed and quality of the parts.  The only issue I had was that the stepper motor was not attached to the underside of the bed.  It was press fit.  I'm printing along and all of a sudden there's this pop and the platen drops  4"...I took it apart and found that the motor had been pushed out of it's seating and was now sitting on the lower deck.  Rattling around inside was a single screw and upon scoping it found out it had never been mechanically attached.  A new pair of screws and everything was gravy.  I'm so happy with the tech that I'm getting the Peopoly Magna for bigger projects.   

Joe

[Chris333]

I thought about getting a PhotonS, but at twice the price I figured I'd wait for the next new 4K mono screen printer.

Besides the old printer problems. The new one just doesn't print as well. Here is a full HOn30 loco shell. The same exact file used in each machine.


On the left is the new machine and it looks melted. Right is my old machine and looks crisp to me.

Someone is saying maybe my UV light on the old printer is wearing out so right now I have the same print going on the new printer, but with the exposure time cut in half. Just to see if there's a difference.

[glakedylan]

wow, Chris...i have been following along with this thread
and am sorry you have been having so much trouble with your Photons
and the prints


i hope a solution without cost and need for lots of time is available
i was going to try to take a course in CAD design
that i might print some things not accessible at price i can affford
elsewhere.


can't help but thinking that is not the best option


again, sorry for your problems and i hope you get it working


sincerely


gary

[Chris333]

Gloom and doom. 

Over the 2 years I've had it there have been 100's of good prints from it. So not all bad.

[JoeD]

Are your setting different?   One of the problems with these entry machines is they are hit and miss I guess.  Looking forward to blasting on the larger machine at the end of the month.  Hoping more constancy. 

Joe

I thought about getting a PhotonS, but at twice the price I figured I'd wait for the next new 4K mono screen printer.

Besides the old printer problems. The new one just doesn't print as well. Here is a full HOn30 loco shell. The same exact file used in each machine.


On the left is the new machine and it looks melted. Right is my old machine and looks crisp to me.

Someone is saying maybe my UV light on the old printer is wearing out so right now I have the same print going on the new printer, but with the exposure time cut in half. Just to see if there's a difference.

[Chris333]

Same exact files for both. Since this is a whole loco with a boiler and the boiler needed to be thin I upped the exposure time to 20s (both prints shown). Someone suggested my old printer had a worn out (less bright) UV light in it. So I ran the same file on the new printer with the exposure set to 10s. Same result.

[Chris333]

I ran an exposure test file, same exact file in each machine. The new machine was too exposed.

So I just did the UV detection thingie and got this (old on the left):







I have 100's of files that I should be able to put into the new machine a press play. Now I'm going to have to re-save each file.



So what exactly all is different between old and new machines other than the motherboard?

[rodsup9000]

Wow, that a big difference.

[Baldylox]

So what exactly all is different between old and new machines other than the motherboard?

Board Firmware and Screen manufacturer would be the 2 big ones.   Your image appears to me to show more than just the dieing of the led's but a different bounding box size.  so there is a change to the test, too.