Just received my crowdfunded Lite3DP #3Dprinter and it didn't work as expected.

Error

Switching on the printer the touchscreen stayed black even though I could see the backlight going on. The pause/play button on the right side allowed to drive the platform up.

I initially thought my power supply (which is not delivered alongside with the printer) would be bad and exchanged it for a different one. I measured the currency and found it at 12.1V as expected.

Switching on and of a few times I found that sometimes the menu came up completely and I could for some time operate the touchscreen until all froze again.

Sometimes the picture on the screen broken and the device froze.

I wrote an email via crowdsupply requesting help not expecting much more than a "sorry" and an offer to exchange the printer.

Repairing 1^st^ try

I've been quite astonished when I received within hours an apologetic answer that this shouldn't have happened and the kind request to take of the touchscreen and check the flat cable connection including a nice illustration.

Doing so didn't change much. Still the printer most times didn't show the menu and reported back by email about the outcome of disconnecting and reconnecting the cable.

Repairing 2^nd^ try

Again within hours I received an email asking me to take the printer out of its metal back and bottom and look whether the mainboard had been scratched by parts of the construction thereby shorting paths on the pcb.

The email explained this could have happened due to vibrations during transport.

I found scratches leaving bare metal on the paths on the pcb exposed.

As suggested I isolated the metal part touching the pcb with thin plastic tape, re-assembled the printer and tested successufully.

Additionally to Alfredos recommendation to put tape between the mainboard and the metal tube I taped the bottom plate where the metal parts touch to protect the paths to led lights. I do not know yet whether the tape I used will survive the temperature of the bottom plate near the leds.

Owning a device

Now I own a working #Lite3DP Gen2 printer. I do not just possess it, I own it, because I #repair︀ed it.

Open Hardware

This is all #OpenHardware is about: as a user you're not dependend on the producer when it comes to repairing. You've got the chance to understand what you use, repair it and modify it.

knowing your stuff

I've been really impressed by the speed and accuracy of Alfredo pointing at the possible causes of the problem.

How many commercial products did you buy that you needed help with? And how many times did you communicate with a person really knowing the product and being able to help?

crowdfounding

You might think I could have been angry, because I received a device with some flaw.

I'm not: I consciously decided to support the development of a new product accepting the related risks. I still believe it went really well.

I believe that the cause of the error is something that couldn't be exepected to be found while constructing and testing a the device.

I paid less than the printer is sold for now, I took a risk and the Lite3DP Gen2 arrived, fullfilled all promises and even hasn't been really late.

Thanks again for the wonderful product and the great starting adventure.