Dr_Ju_ju

It may be that the grub screws have worn down or even scored the inside of the receptacle that the puck goes into. If so you can try longer grub screws. I think they are either M4 or M5 but I may be wrong...

What saddle are you using? as a standard SW (wedge shaped) will be gripped securely, and I have the same mount, with no issues clamping saddle etc...

Its not a case of being made 'better', its always a case of where a part can be made for the lowest cost, so it all comes down to maximising profit....

If not China, it would be Thailand, Vietnam, Philippines, Mexico etc. even the 'big' brands don't make anything local anymore.

All existing profiles stay as is, so just run the update.....

Life on this planet arose in an oxygen free atmosphere, even though there was plenty of water, as provided by comets etc., Anaerobic bacteria formed the first life & reigned supreme for a few billion years, it was only when Cyanobacteria evolved, that the atmosphere started becoming rich in oxygen, as they produced oxygen as a by-product, i.e. photo-synthesis. I don't believe that planets start off with an Oxygen atmosphere, as that would mean that the planet has an oxygen rich environment at its birth, which is highly unlikely, as the prevailing temperatures, of an early life cycle planet, would bind any free oxygen radicals to other elements, locking it away.

Although we can't see inside, but as an additional safety measure, I'd recommend\ensure that the rear metal plate, of the SSR, is connected to ground, such that any 'internal' failure, will blow the fuse...

If you want to only take images, have you tried ASICap or ASIStudio....

Have you tried the Ascom drivers for the cameras & not the native drivers ?? and as you're using Win10 have you disabled the USB sleep modes etc....

If you are using Windows, you can try the in-built MSPaint https://www.wikihow.com/Invert-Colours-in-MS-Paint

Looks like I've been a bit more luckier, the AC one on the left is genuine, whereas the DC one isn't. Note that both types were bought from the same eBay supplier, who probably doesn't even realise whether they sell genuine or fakes (or may not even care...)

Ahh, it takes me back a looong way, & it involves differential calculus, which I'll readily admit, is now well buried in the grey matter..... But a starting point for you would be https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alternating_current

who knows the circuitry that's buried inside... and as will all things, you get what you pay for.....

It will depend on where in the frequency cycle the switching occurs, if you are switching at the mid point of frequency cycle, you'll be ok, as you'll effectively be switching 0v, but if you are switching at the peaks, then you will be switching at full voltage, which then could have high voltage\current switching transients, very much dependent on load type, i.e. resistance\inductance etc. For it to always to be switching at the mid point, would require some form of frequency synchronisation, which isn't available in these 'simple' systems, although I have used it in broadcast equipment for certain type of equipment.

It would then be doing its 'job', i.e. dissipating any heat build up (if bolted to something substantial), but also as a general safety precaution, in the case where a 'live' voltage gets connected to the plate, forcing any safety device e..g. fuse\trip, to cut the power. From my days, when I used to build systems for the BBC, where safety was fanatically pursued, ALL metalwork would be earth bonded, so that even now, I ensure earth continuity through all the metalwork, additionally, I also tie down all the 0v lines to earth as well....

But what was the SSR bolted to ?? as the back metal plate of the SSR should have been connected to earth ......

Another thought, how is the printer earthed ?? as if the ssr was bolted to the frame, with the frame itself bonded to the incoming earth (note that anodised aluminium is a very good insulator), that should then have blown any trips RCD's etc....

Correct, as Gina has said, these devices are not deigned for fast switching of mains voltages (or even DC for that matter). You must consider them as simple switches i.e. on or off switches and not the 'normal' bed driven system, switching a purely resistive load, which is what a bed heater panel is.....

If your bed driver is PWM based, and not a simple on\off switch, what frequency were you driving it at ? as it may well have started internally arcing, as these devices are designed to be 'simple' switches and not expecting fast on\off cycles, which may well coincide with the local mains frequency (50Hz) thereby creating far higher transient current spikes, which would have the potential to 'punch through' any insulation....

It would just be measuring the temperature of the bed, and wired in series with the incoming mains power \ relay coils, and not any part of the 'normal' control system(s) , so would not be affected by any PWM signals etc....

You could probably use a bimetalic thermostat (e.g. https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/thermostatic-switches/2282614/) that would be used to drive an external double pole power relay, wired in dead-man's mode, such that when it 'opens' it kills the supply keeping the relay powered....

KISS -- Keep it simple stupid, the more technical\complicated you make it, the more that can, and probably will, go wrong......

Everything is made in PRC\Vietnam\etc. , we've effectively given up basic component manufacture, unless you are supplying top end \ dollar components, when it may well then be economically viable, but even name brand parts are also sub-contracted out to the far east.....

Nooo, you can buy from RS\Farnell directly, I do it all the time....

You can get non-resetting thermal fuses (https://uk.rs-online.com/web/p/thermal-fuses/7976055/), but you'd then have more mains potential wires floating around, which could have other safety issues....