Thanks so much for this series of videos. You saved me $300! The only thing I added, just for a little more convenience, was running them thru female to male USB cables with on/off switches. Once again, thank you! Not all heroes wear capes! Some make RU-vid videos…
Awesome! So glad you worked out a solution for your setup. I usually run mine through a USB power block for constant power now as well. Thanks for letting me know. Cheers!
I tried it in my Gea Knight swingaway mounted to thier custom rolling stand. I soldered all four lasers to one USB cable and the system works perfectly. side note I'm using a walmart USB battery and lasers stay on continuously for over an hour with no issues. thank you for this wonderful system, brilliantly explained.
Great news! That’s awesome. Good to know four will work in on cable. I hadn’t tried that many. Also, good info on the battery. I figured it had to be my pack that was doing it. I honestly only use the pack here and there when needed as a standard USB charging block works great and keeps the battery out of the equation. It’s helpful though if there’s only a single outlet close by given the power draw of the presses. Im sure this info will help others! Glad it worked for you and thanks for sharing your tweaks! Cheers
Thank you so much for this idea and video! Its really helped me with quicker alignment. I've been using this set up for about a month now and did about 1000-1200 prints on it. What i learned quickly was that the lasers i bought on amazon would lose focus quick because the threads on the lens would wobble a lot. To solve this i just put two loops of teflon tape on the threads and now its way more accurate and wont move. Even the repeated movement from the clamshell pressing down with heavy pressure wouldn't move it. I still check focus every day just to be safe. I also have my press clamped to the table to make sure it doesn't move. Thanks again!
Awesome! I had the same issue with one of my lenses as well. For some reason the best focus was kind of loose on the lens. So, I used electrical tape. So glad it’s working for you!
@@lennyhipp depending on which lasers you bought, the head on the laser will move a lot with some movement. So putting teflon tape on the threads will help tons. Now if i accidentally bump the set up, the lasers won't move
Hummm. Not sure. Is the connection point loose on the back of the platen or only when set in the device? Also, is it the actual platen or the slide out tray itself? Not sure what the fix would be, but knowing WHERE the movement is will help you pinpoint the problem and then I would reach out to Hotronix.
Thanks for this! I'm a screen printer and have been wanting to DIY a solution for a long time. I need mine to be taller and stand off to the side of my press, and I've figured out how to do that. Question though, and maybe I missed it. Is there a particular reason for plugging them into/using a power bank versus say a multi-port phone charger/brick?
NOPE! It’s a just in case. For example, they recommend running the press in an outlet without other things in use. In my case, there wasn’t a convenient second outlet, so I used the battery block. If you plug them into a USB power block and into an outlet, it works perfectly without any cutoffs (time outs), etc. Hope that helps!
Check out the other video I linked. It demonstrates creating lasers powered via USB cables. Then I plug those cables into a USB wall plug and into the wall/extension cord. Basically, just like charging your cell phone.
@@OneDegreeLife is there a minimum output for the charger? i tried using an old iphone brick and my lasers would not come on but when plugged into my power bank the function with no issues. i would like the constant power on when pressing multiple shirts instead of having to push the on button every few seconds.
@@po123gsxr Hum... I have two different ones. One is a dual-USB block that delivers 4.8A total, so 2.4a each, and another that has 4 outlets {amzn.to/35I32EZ} and both of those work perfectly with constant power running 2 lasers per USB (4 lasers across two USB outlets). And I run that off a regular home extension cord with no issues. I used the power block when I was only near one outlet that needed to power the press solo. I'm no electrician, but if the block supplies 2.4 A per USB port, I think it should work. Both of mine were purchased in 2017, so I'm guessing virtually any decent quality plug would work.
how long do your lasers last? those little Harbor Freight ones only lasted a few hours! :((( i've watched all 3 of your vids. ordered the ONN monitor mount, and just today ordered the O-ring things and the ball/socket swivel mounts. Now all i need to do is do the wire stripping and build the laser kits themselves. Looking forward to getting it all set up!
Yes, the HF wont last as long work and the lines aren’t as thin as the others. I think it depends on load. I was pressing for 3-4 hours a few days a week with zero issues. Some other viewers have indiccafed their setups using this/similar gear are able to run full-time work, but I would hesitate to try and verify longevity. I simply wanted to offer a more cost-effective solution to the Hottroix setup.
