Reprap Protos V2 Advice

I have build my protos v2 from german reprap, but i bought it on the conrad site. It's finished, but there is a problem. I installed the driver for the arduino mega which didn.t work. Then i removed the RAMPS 1.4 board, and tried again: now it went ok. I installed the firmware (from the deutsche reprap site): no problem.
Next i placed the RAMPS back, and put on the 12v PSU. I started up Repetier host, pushed the connect button, and i saw the temperatures of the heated bed and the extruder come up: both about the temperature in my room. I started both heaters manually and they both started heating. But the extruder would only reach about 70 degrees, long time after the heated bed had reached 90. I measured the voltage of the extruder, and it was only 3 volts.
And there was another problem: none of the motors would (and still won't) move. Not a sound, nor an increase of temperature of either the motors or the pololus.
I tried reassembling the pca's several times and rechecked the wiring.
Now i'm afraid the RAMPS and/or the pololu's are defect. I immediately ordered a new set for about 80 euro in china (with express delivery) on the sainsmart site. I was impatient, and assumed it would take longer to try and get replacements from conrad. I asked for that now; haven't heard anything yet (but it's only a day ago now).
I also had a "ticket" on the deutsche reprap site, but this hasn't solved anything as of yet (although they were nice enough and responded promptly).
If anyone has any advice for me i would really appreciate it, and i will keep y'all posted of what happens next.

Best regards and much luck with your builds,
Frans Gelten

Conrad asked me to send them the RAMPS and pololu's; they think it might be a shortcircuit. It can take 2 to 3 weeks as they say; just thought i'd keep you up to date.
Bye!

My assumption was right: the pca's from china came after a few days, and i'm still waiting to hear from conrad. I mounted the chinese boards, and... Everything works! Now i'm in the process of tuning my printer, no hurry... The only trouble was my Y-endstop (from the bed) which didn't work. I put a higher distancepiece under it and now it works.
Also my Z-axis make some squeeking noise, maybe they run too tight. I try some greesing tomorrow see if that helps.

If i get no advice from anyone i intend to quit this topic. Maybe i wasn't very clear about it, maybe nobody wants to help me, i don't know, but i seem to be talking to myself. The main reasons for starting this was 1. to get some advice from fellow 3d builders, and 2. to maybe inspire some others.

So feel free to give me some advice or ask me anything...

Bye now...

I'd not heard of PRotos v2 before, but there are now hundreds of printer designs. The German RepRap scene is quite active but probably has little visibility outside german speaking forums.

So specific advice might be lacking, but general principles can be applied. You seem to be on top of things anyway.

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Ahh, at last a reaction. Thanx for that, Bobc! The protos v2 is a reprap 'clone' i guess, but with a sturdy steal welded frame, which should make it possible to create nicer prints. I got it running now, and am printing my second print; a round box with lid. All seams to be good, result is satisfactory, but when the printspeed increases creating infills, my extruder (directdrive, motoraxle drives filament) can't keep up and 'clicks', while the flow from the nozzle stutters. Increasing the temp to 235 degrees c helps somewhat (PLA) but i think i'll decrease infillspeed in slic3r.

Ok that's it for now, gotta go to sleep, work tomorrow.
Bye!
Frans.

would it be too much to ask for you to post a picture of this printer I'm very curious to see it I am unfamiliar with that machine aswell.

has everyone forgotten how to use google or something?

sheeeeh....

[shop.germanreprap.com]

I like the idea...

Its a prusa 2 in a square frame

Ahh a Prusa 2 ehh.. I'll have to look that up, interesting... The printer functions very well, but i might get too little dough on the plate. I'll try to load up some pictures of the printer and my first prints i made with it, but i can only make some pictures with my smartphone, so dont expect to much of it, it hasn't even got a flash. So i'll have to wait till the weekend when there's daylight, i work during the daytimes. Meanwhile thanks for the reactions, glad to know there are people out there that are interested in exchanging knowledge... Next weekend im going to try to make some improvements on my printer. You'll here from me soon, happy printing and bye!!

Sorry it has taken so long but here it is... the follow-up. The clicking i mentioned in an earlier message was not due to slipping, but the current to the motor was to low; after adjusting the pololu it ended. Mind you, it sounds exactly the same as slipping!
I have printed a lot of pla, but i recently started using abs. Reason: i want to make a cabinet for a monitor (8") with a computer (3,5" board) and a ssd drive (2,5"). I made a cabinet from pla to my full satisfaction, but the temperature of the computer rises above 50 degrees, which is the glass trasnsition temperature of pla, meaning the cabinet can get weak. Well i did not notice this to happen but after a while the cabinet deforms a little at the tension points.
But after a lot of experimenting (and adjusting the bed to ever increasing standards) it became clear that it would never be possible to make this cabinet because of the curling up of the corners. As the print gets higher, the shrinkage increases, until the bottom (the front of the cabinet) became deformed in a way that it would no longer be useable.
Now i discovered "smart-abs" which should be much less shrinking. I'm waiting to get a roll of it; when it comes i will try it out, and i'll keep you informed!


P.S.
I sure would like to show yall some foto's of the printer and the cabinet, but for now i can't. Maybe i'll buy a new smartphone with better photographic qualities.