Thalestris24

Maybe the ender 5 has better springs?

There is a mention of a spring upgrade here Maybe I'll get some replacement springs and give them a whirl.

I don't know - does anyone else here have an ender 3 pro?

Hmm... my bed seems to move a bit between prints. That's what I was saying about the adjusters/wheel nuts being loose and 'sloppy'. I'll have to have a close look at it tomorrow. I see you can get replacement 'upgrade' springs and metal nuts but it's not clear whether they improve the bed stability. Maybe it's just my printer that has this problem? Maybe it's just me... Louise

Hmm... I think I don't understand how it works. What happens when the bed moves - as it always does (and needs re-levelling pretty much each time I print something)? Louise

Thanks Paul Yeah I'd glanced at this before. It involves changing the firmware which is something I didn't really want to mess about with... Plus it still relies on judging a piece of paper... Plus doesn't do anything about the tendency of the bed height to move. I'll look into maybe adding locknuts. I'll watch the above video properly when I get time. I have the Ender 3 Pro with the magnetic bed - not sure how that affects things. Louise

Hmm... well... thanks for the suggestions, guys! Something to think about. Louise

Yeah, I can do a ROI but the camera itself is still slow (low qe) and noisy (db). The qhy183m will be much better, quicker, and much more sensitive 🙂. I'd really prefer to see the whole spectrum to focus on also. I'll try the qhy out tomorrow 🙂. Louise

Yeah, I think I understand that the way 3d printers work mean the beds can't be too rigid - I just think they could be better! I might have a proper look at the underneath of the bed of my printer to see whether maybe just putting in stronger springs might improve things. It was quite a cheap printer and I suppose you tend to get what you pay for... Louise

ps there must be something better than the current thumbwheels used for adjusting the level - they are sloppy, to say the least, and seem to come loose when you breathe on them! I've not seen any upgrades/improvements for these, but I'm not in the know. Surely there must be something better that will help keep the level once it's set? Louise

Hi Gina I only have a 'standard' ex factory Ender 3 Pro... Of course, I've seen the BL touch sensor kits but I don't really understand what's required for installation. There are lots of 'different' kits on Amazon, so not even sure if they are the same or not. It's a jungle out there! I don't want perfection - just better than I seem to be able to do with bits of paper! Hopefully someone here can advise 🙂 Louise

Paper isn't that bad - it's my senile judgement that's 'that bad'!

Does anyone know how straightforward it is to install a bed levelling device and how good they are? I'm getting fed up with trying to level my Ender 3 Pro with bits of paper. It nearly always comes out unlevel for larger prints and levelling mechanism isn't great to start with 😞. I'm a bit worried about having to flash firmware etc - please reassure me if you can! Thanks Louise

Oh ok, thanks Ken! I knew there had to be a way of doing it as lots of people seem to use cameras with smaller sensors. I'll give it a try sometime this week 🙂 Louise

Hi I'm thinking of swapping over my Atik383l+ with a qhy183m. The Atik has been driving me nuts - it takes about 12 secs to download a full frame so trying to focus it, is difficult and frustrating. The 183 has a smaller sensor so won't cover as much of the spectrum in one go. The big Atik covers 4037-6963A, the 183 only covers 4416-6584A (SimSpec v4.3). But the 183 is a lot more sensitive, lower noise, a lot quicker - and a lot quieter! Am I right in thinking I'd just take two exposures with rotation of the grating position using the micrometer? Plus calibration exposures for each position? Presumably I'd also have to adjust focus for each position, but maybe that's really a good thing, if a bit of a pain. Louise

Does it show up in device manager? Try reinstalling Canon Eos utilities.

Hi again What computer, Windows version and cable are you using? Make sure your usb cable isn't too long, is shielded, and is making good contact. If you have a short usb 2.0 cable then try that. Make sure the camera mode button is set to 'M'. I don't know the 450d - check any other settings on the camera you need to have set. Is it working ok with the Canon EOS utilities? If all else fails, try posting your problem on the APT forum. Good luck! Louise

Maybe try changing the setting in APT to not connect automatically. Sometimes it's worth powering everything down and doing a cold boot. Louise

Yeah, most likely a connectivity, camera or power/battery problem. Avoid connecting via a hub if you can. Also, can be best to stick to usb 2.0 at the computer end. You can double check connectivity with Canon or Canon compatible software though I'm not specifically familiar with the 450d. Louise

It wasn't glued - since I'd had so much trouble with the threads. It is glued in place now! If I were building it now I'd use a metal t2 insert. I've had trouble with the slit holder also and wondering whether to reprint it. It's difficult to keep the slit aligned. At the moment I can't get a sharp focus - not sure if that's something to do with the slit. The camera is ok. It fell out of the scope because thumbscrews on the scope must have come slightly loose. I'm double checking, now, when the Lowspec is attached. Louise

Yeah, I think because it's sealed the measured humidity will rise with temperature. I think the whole idea of 'humidity' in this context is what it is as applied to the atmosphere, which is clearly an open system. Louise

I've had enough trouble just trying to focus mine manually... Also, was testing it out last Friday and had a bit of a disaster. The whole assembly fell off the scope and crashed to the floor 😮. The Atik broke off (the pla T2 insert came out). I put it all back together ok (though it's now nicknamed 'Humpty'). I couldn't get a spectrum out of it It was only later that I realised that the grating assembly had jumped out of place. Fortunately, it was easy enough to push the grating assembly back in place but I've had trouble getting a sharp focus on a starter bulb. I have recorded spectra of the cloudy sky, the Moon and a floodlight. Will have a go at processing them in BASS Project when I can. Louise

The guided performance of the heq5 with a belt mod is much better than that of the AVX. There's no need to use Synscan when you have computer control. The mount control via usb is basically the same between the two mounts. Plus the Heq5 is supported by eqmod. Louise

I have both the Heq5 (belt mod) and the AVX - the HEQ5 is a much better mount! I use both via PC and effectively without the hand controllers. I have to use the AVX hand controller to interface to the PC with, but not otherwise. Louise

I just braved the windy gusts to do some shopping at Lidl. #intrepidme #raiderofthebusyaisles Louise