White LED upgrade / Blue LED Swap

Probably been done before but didn't see anything on first search. Blue LEDs are nice looking but they're not very functional. It's too dim and hard to see details of the print so I'm constantly holding a flashlight when troubleshooting.

I decided to remove the existing blue leds with these white ones, and I added a 3rd set at the very top of the unit facing down. These LEDs come in a set of 6 so 18 total, they're modular, they clip in and daisy chain. These are meant for arcade machine marquee's backlight. I got this off some arcade machine parts store online for about $20. I'll use 3 in the robo 3d and 3 in the arcade machine.

This is a very worth while upgrade as it solves a number of problems:

• Well lit view from IP cam
• Easier to spot issues when printing
• Easier to take no-flash photos from phone
• Easier to inspect print head / filament feed from top down view

To install I just cut out the existing leds, and used crimp connectors to attach the new ones to the existing wires. Three of these is about 220ma so I think the power supply can handle the extra set at the top.

Instead of both being installed at the front, I installed one at the front right and one at the back left to try and get more even coverage. This is a photo from my IP cam, which is at the back of the unit. Having a light at the back facing the center really helps with visibility from the cam.



This is a view from the front. No need for a camera flash, makes taking photos from my phone very easy.



Here's the light mounted at the top. By far this is the biggest improvement it gives me good lighting all around, and the side lights help compensate for the shadow that the printer head causes.


This is a view from the slit at the top of the unit You can see that thanks to the top light, inspecting the print head become very easy.

 

I'm definitely going to have to do this. I'm terrible at changing out the filament. I can never find the hole. To make things easier, I've been setting a small flashlight on top of the printer, but it always tries to fall onto the bed. Do you still have the link you bought those from?

 

I grabbed it off groovygamegear.com I think but I also found the same stuff at my local surplus store.

It's a huge upgrade and ya the reason I did this is because the light source I was using (my phone) kept falling off the lid.

 

It actually just occurred to me that I bought some super bright LEDs to replace the incandescent lights in my car a few months back. Maybe I'll rig those up instead since they're already here.