New A30 owner, lost with Firmware

[William]

Hi,you can refer to this:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7zTJFtwL4O0

[ScienceofSpock]

Hi, that's the video I have been using, and it doesn't actually apply to my printer. I am getting REALLY tired of these one line answers that link to stuff I have already found that doesn't actually help. Listen, You have sold me a device which has no instructions and which is now preventing me from using my printer.

This video shows a different firmware version than mine does, and different auto-level options than mine does. At 4:20 in the video, they go into the auto-level options. I do not have the 3D Touch/CAS option, and I do not have the pin up/pin down option.



So I ask again, Where are the installation instructions for my printer? Seriously, why is this so hard to provide? You must have a step by step process that YOU followed to install this on the same exact setup that I have, right? I mean, you tested this with all the different configurations of the printer, right?

[ScienceofSpock]

Still waiting.

[ScienceofSpock]

Nevermind. I have requested a refund and will be removing the 3D Touch sensor from my printer when I get home tonight. If you are going to sell accessories for a printer, you better be sure they actually work on that printer.

For anyone considering buying the 3D Touch sensor for use with the A30 printer (Might also apply to Geetech's other printers too): DON'T. At least until you confirm that they have and will provide instructions for your specific printer configuration. This device clearly hasn't been installed or tested on some of the printer configurations, and rather than admit that, they link you to videos that don't apply to your printer.

[ScienceofSpock]

Part of the problem is that I have no idea which board is in my printer. When I ordered, there was an option for "New version" which was an extra $36 or something like that. Shortly after my order, I got an email and was asked if they could ship me the previous version (plus some extra nozzles and filament to make up the price difference), because the California warehouse didn't have any of the "new version" and it would take several more weeks to get one. I asked what the difference was, and was told "New version uses GTM32 Pro VD board, and previous version uses GTM32 Mini S board". I agreed to the previous version because a friend told me I should avoid the Pro board because it's not open source.

Part of the confusion is that firmware readme.txt says the firmware (that I was instructed to download and install here) is for the Pro VD board (going by the file naming conventions in the txt file), but according to the email, I *should* have a GTM32 Mini S.
So I don't even know *which* board I actually have in my printer! Either I have the GTM32 Mini S (per the email) and I installed the wrong software on it, or I have the GTM32 Pro VD, which wasn't supposed to be available in the Cali warehouse, OR the firmware naming conventions went out the door after the first version and it actually works with both boards.

In any case, I'm not sure these guys know exactly what they're doing. The printer itself seems to be built pretty well (Despite a few screws falling out for lack of loctite). They certainly can't be bothered to document or test anything, apparently.

[ScienceofSpock]

I get that there might be just minor differences between the board versions, I was just trying to point out that aside from ME not being sure which board I have, THEY don't seem to know definitively either. I think I'm going to need to open it up to know for sure.

[bjoerngiesler]

@ScienceOfSpock, I feel your pain. Recent owner of an A30Pro, because someone recommended it to me as a workhorse printer with a big print bed. Of course it's not; it shows the usual cheap-Bowden cheap-hotend symptoms: PTFE tube working loose, partial clogs, not enough pressure exerted by the extruder etc etc. I'm used to that.

What I'm not used to is: not just proprietary board but proprietary FIRMWARE, configuration through proprietary tool , standard GCode commands not working, motor steps/mm showing very very strange results indeed, and the official firmware site giving a "Forbidden" message. Needless to say I am not so very happy with my recent purchase.

Thinking of exploring @vert's Marlin port, or throwing out the GTM32 board (if indeed that is what I have, haven't looked yet and your message trail makes me a bit nervous) and putting in a Duet Wifi.