u/Database121

This is my third printer in about 6 months as I've rapidly descended down the 3d printing rabbit hole. Started with a used Ankermake M5C that I got for $50. Then I wanted something enclosed and core xy so I got a flashforge AD5M. I'd kind of been avoiding Bambu Lab. I've not been and still aren't a fan of their proclivity to try and lock down their software and potential open source license violations, but I could never deny the quality of the machines they make, and as I went further down the rabbit hole and got a better and better handle on what it is I actually want my 3d printers to be able to do, I couldn't shake the feeling that the X2D was aim at me personally. Good build volume, heated chamber, nozzles that get hot enough to handle most of the reasonably priced engineering filaments, with a auxiliary extruder obviously optimized for support/support interface printing. For me 3d printing is primarily an enabler for my other hobbies, and nobody really seems to make a printer quite like the X2D, laser focused on printing the kind of engineering filaments most people are actually going to print with any regularity at an astonishing price for what you're getting with in the box.

First benchy coming out now. Still familiarizing myself with the printer and Bambu studio. But very much looking forward to putting the machine through it's paces over the next few weeks.

For those who don't know, Meshtastic is a decentralized, off grid, digital messaging system that uses low power mesh radios. It's has a limited bandwidth restricting it to mostly text messaging and gps position sharing. But it can be legally encrypted and allows users to message and track (when desired) each other without relying on cellular or internet infrastructure when that is unavailable or undesired.

Large meshtastic networks already exist in DC and through much of Northern Virginia. Working with some of the local Ham Radio folks, me, and some friends have been working to get meshtastic nodes set up on major buildings in the area. We currently have nodes up on the City Center Building downtown and the Spotsy Regional Medical Center, with more hopefully to come.

For those interested and looking to learn more there are lots of good explainers and beginner guides online. I'll link a couple below.

What Is Meshtastic? Off Grid Communication Explained in 3 minutes (Beginner Friendly)

https://youtu.be/n_Cie7uGu4c?si=h1wjCv930DaJHGEw

https://youtube.com/shorts/oUkBUACALFY?si=Elx9iU_ER226BL_U

The nodes we have up so far setup using the NOVAMesh configuration which is a little different from the default settings. For anyone in the area who hasn't seen our nodes, this is probably why. This page gives you a run down of the suggested settings with QR Code links to the NOVAMesh map, signal, and groups.io pages.

novamesh_config.pdf

(The signal invite is stale but this link should work. Hopefully. https://signal.group/#CjQKIC1ef3BaLuECuPQn-tJFVpBvNY0J0al7_k7mia8QlrauEhDAksC8OMmcwDLZIophUqd0 The link to the map also comes up bad. The link is actually good, the map is just down right now. Hopefully it will be back up soon.)

I am happy to help those with questions about meshtastic, or help people get nodes they may already set up correctly to work with the nodes we are putting up.

I may have gotten carried away with the fuzzy skin settings 😂.

Pretty sure he likes the heat leaking out of the enclosure. The rhythmic movements and vibrations probably doesn't hurt either.

Safe to say the pit was pretty intense 😂. Got absolutely launched halfway across the pit when a gap opened up at one point. It was absolutely awesome.

Lots of odd things to fit into random corners at a Civil War Battlefield Park. Been slowly designing and printing different things to help keep things organized. Biggest things so far has been improving the organization of the drawer that hold all out Jr ranger stuff, and the storage locker for the parks reproduction muskets used in weapons demonstrations. Not fancy or exactly complicated. But proving to be very useful, dare I say, functional even?

I work on a park that includes US Civil War battlefields, and we keep a small cache of reproduction muskets and uniforms for living history programs. We recently upgraded our musket storage from an unused closet to a dedicated storage locker. I only recently got into 3d printer, but the Void Star Lab videos played a big role in me pulling the trigger (pun intended). Gridfinity seemed like a good way to structure the inside of the locker to keep everything secure and organized. It's nothing fancy. Two 3x10 grids with bins shaped to trap the sticks of the muskets. Still working out how best to secure things at the top. But since that likely won't be gridfinity based I figured I'd go ahead and post what I had.

Previous post did lousy pictures (though the lighting in the building is still garbage so there's only so much I could do). Hopefully these are better, and provide more angles so it's easier to see whats going on inside. Having an empty row opposite the full row also probably helps.

Been working on upgrading the musket storage for my workplace. Gridfinity ended up being a great solution. Kind of a mismatch of filaments. Combination of Flashforge black pla and a Coex3D PCTG mystery color spool I picked up to experiment with (which is why it goes from translucent white to borderline clear). Still working on exactly how to stabilize things up at the top. But a huge improvement.

3d printed friction primer box insert. I apologize for nothing.

Take two on my dual protocol node seeking to address several of the criticisms offered when I first posted a little while ago. I did not address every comment, but I did my best to address the ones I felt were most important.

Turns out my prior problems that I blamed on the controller was just me doing an incredibly smooth brained job of cable routing. So all power is running through the controller now to get the most out of the batteries and solar panel.

I reduced the size of the pack slightly from a max of 10 to a max of 8 batteries. Effectively 4 per radio to match units like the Seeed Studio P1 repeater. This also has the benefit of making it much easier to access the bolts holding the mounting plate to the enclosure.

One of the comments mentioned the necessity for a fuse considering the very high current the battery pack could push in the event of a short. So a 3a fuse has been added in between the batteries and the charge controller.

The pack has now been fully electrically insulated from the aluminum interior of the enclosure with Kapton tape to reduce/eliminate the chances of a short if something comes lose on the inside.

People also pointed out that the antennas are closer together as currently configured than would be ideal. Part of this was driven by constraints at the installation site. Two physically separate nodes is not currently and option. In my personal testing it didn't seem to cause any problems even when spamming both radios simultaneously. If it does prove to be an issue once deployed it would be pretty simple to just flip one of the antenna upside down so at least they aren't in the same horizontal plane. Should that also proves insufficient I will have to see about exploring options to get the antennas further apart, trying to convince the building owner into allowing a second unit, or simply shutting off and abandoning one of the two sides of the system to preserve the functionality of the other. That would likely mean shut down/removing the non-meshtastic unit. As meshtastic is the far more dominant protocol in my region.

The mounting plate and component sleds were all 3d printed out of a glass fiber filled PBT. Which if the manufacturer can be trusted, should be capable of handling the local weather. The mounting plate is screwed into the preexisting standoffs built into the enclosure.

In addition I have two of the new Heltec T096s on the way that I plan to use in what I am hoping will be an improved version of this concept. I will likely hold off on posting any of the 3d printing files until I have that version done.

Take two on my dual protocol node seeking to address several of the criticisms offered when I first posted a little while ago. I did not address every comment, but I did my best to address the ones I felt were most important.

Turns out my prior problems that I blamed on the controller was just me doing an incredibly smooth brained job of cable routing. So all power is running through the controller now to get the most out of the batteries and solar panel.

I reduced the size of the pack slightly from a max of 10 to a max of 8 batteries. Effectively 4 per radio to match units like the Seeed Studio P1 repeater. This also has the benefit of making it much easier to access the bolts holding the mounting plate to the enclosure.

One of the comments mentioned the necessity for a fuse considering the very high current the battery pack could push in the event of a short. So a 3a fuse has been added in between the batteries and the charge controller.

The pack has now been fully electrically insulated from the aluminum interior of the enclosure with Kapton tape to reduce/eliminate the chances of a short if something comes lose on the inside.

People also pointed out that the antennas are closer together as currently configured than would be ideal. Part of this was driven by constraints at the installation site. Two physically separate nodes is not currently an option. In my personal testing it didn't seem to cause any problems even when spamming both radios simultaneously. If it does prove to be an issue once deployed it would be pretty simple to just flip one of the antenna upside down so at least they aren't in the same horizontal plane. Should that also proves insufficient I will have to see about exploring options to get the antennas further apart, trying to convince the building owner into allowing a second unit, or simply shutting off and abandoning one of the two sides of the system to preserve the functionality of the other. Unfortunately that would likely mean shutting down the meshcore radio as meshtastic is by far the dominate protocol in my region.

The mounting plate and component sleds were all 3d printed out of a glass fiber filled PBT. Which if the manufacturer can be trusted, should be capable of handling the local weather. The mounting plate is screwed into the preexisting standoffs built into the enclosure.

In addition I have two of the new Heltec T096s on the way that I plan to use in what I am hoping will be an improved version of this concept. I will likely hold off on posting any of the 3d printing files until I have that version done.