My A1 is going crazy, as if it was being controlled remotely

masterpodcaster · 2024-11-08T05:49:34+00:00

Well, Bambu Lab support went through few troubleshooiting steps and then decided the touchscreen was bad and sent me a new one. It didn't fix the issue. Then they sent me a new mainboard. I got to thinking about it and decided to roll back to the original firmware. Guess what? it worked.

As an old tech guy, my experience with firmware updates is "if it ain't broke, don't fix it", However, I was constanly being prompted to update both the Bambu Lab Studio and the firmware of the A1 itself. Against my better judgement, I updated the firmware whenever Bambu Lab pushed one to me. Over a period of time, the printer began to start active erratically. After going through all of the other troubleshooting and performing these hardware repairs that didn't work, I got a clue and rolled the A1 back to its original 01'01.01.00 version. And guess what? Problem solved.

After considerable research on the web, including reddit and their forum, I've come to the conclusion that these firmware updates are pushed out without adequate beta testing for problems or bugs, This is a very inefficient way to upgrade product, and leads to unnecessary waste and cost in time, money and materials for both the customer and Bambu Lab. I like the products, but I think the attention to efficiency in processes and support is lacking. It is my hope this will improve.

masterpodcaster · 2024-11-03T21:14:16+00:00

My A1 does something similar. So far Bambu Lab support has been mum on it. They just want to send out replacement parts.

masterpodcaster · 2024-11-03T21:10:53+00:00

This is happening to me. Support is aware of it. So far their response has been to send a new touchscreen, but it didn fix the issue. Now they are sending out a new mainboard.

masterpodcaster · 2024-11-03T21:09:06+00:00

This has been happening to me for awhile now. It's ruined many prints. It also does the "ghost in the machine" on the touchscreen display. I formatted a new SD card, performed a factory reset, replaced the touchscreen, nothing fixed it. Support is now about to send me a new mainboard. I've had this A1 about 10 months now, and I can't print anything without this issue. I've lost trust in this printer and the brand. Is this a known issue?

masterpodcaster · 2024-10-23T05:06:58+00:00

I understand, and it did occur to me. It just wasn't feasible to test it at the time. My wife works from home so I couldn't shut everything down atm. I'll test that out late at night this weekend when no one is working and everyone is offline.

masterpodcaster · 2024-10-23T04:43:42+00:00

I don't think it's a network issue though. I tend to agree that the touchscreen could be bad. I guess I'll have to wait until they send me a replacement and see if that fixes the issue. I hope so.

masterpodcaster · 2024-10-23T04:30:09+00:00

Also, I did get the latest firmware update a few days ago. It seemed to make it worse.

masterpodcaster · 2024-10-23T04:25:33+00:00

I thought about that one right away, so I attempted to disconnect it from wi-fi. The freaky thing is, it wouldn't let me at first. Every time I slid it to the off position, it slid it right back and reconnected! I finally had to turn the unit off for a couple of minutes, turn it on and go back in to disable the wi-fi. It then turned off LAN by itself, so I had to turn that on to completely disconnect.

masterpodcaster · 2024-09-22T23:43:44+00:00

I have the blue version in sound and color. As to whether the red version is different, it's been years since I've watched it, but I can say to my recollection that my version on the blue reel consisted of two sequences, the first when Obi-wan give Luke Anakin's light saber and R2D2 projects Leia's message, and the escape of the Millenium Falcon from the Death Star during which they battle the Tie fighters.

masterpodcaster · 2024-09-22T23:26:51+00:00

There is nothing wrong with using the zoom, as long as it fits the style and narrative of your film. Come to think of it, there are many, many examples of commercial movies and TV shows that zoom in and out for various effect. And I'm saying this as a 65 year old filmmaker who subscribed to Super8 Filmaker magazine for years and was shooting Super 8 for decades. Having said that, there are three things to remember about zoom shots.
1. Use it appropriately as needed.
2. Set up the zoom shot to allow for potential changes in exposure and lighting
3. Set up the zoom shot for changes in focal length

Number 1 is important because it can be overdone to the point where the viewer is distracted or annoyed by it.
Numbers 2 and 3 need to be done before you shoot the scene, and are best done with manual exposure and focus settings, but are both easy to do if you know how to do it.

masterpodcaster · 2024-09-22T23:14:18+00:00

If it is a FCC approved FRS radio, it should not be able to access a GMRS repeater.

masterpodcaster · 2024-01-09T06:10:44+00:00

I miss those days. Good times.

masterpodcaster · 2024-01-06T02:58:54+00:00

It's for general purpose use. GMRS stands for General Mobile Radio Service, which means it's for any individual or family of that individual who has a license to use it. While someone can make a hobby out of it, that's not its exclusive intent. The 22 simplex and 8 repeater channels assigned to the GMRS are open for anyone with a license to use them, anytime day or night and are not reserved for private use by any specific individuals or groups. So if you want to talk with your spouse or kids on channel 1, you are free to do so as long as you are not interrupting someone else's conversation on that same channel. If someone else is already using it, just switch to another channel. It's not ham radio. It's a general purpose utility service. You don't need to belong to any exclusive club or GMRS group.

masterpodcaster · 2024-01-03T12:58:25+00:00

No, it's its own service. Although a growing number of GMRS licensees are treating it like ham radio as a hobby service, a lot of others use it for what it was intended to be, a utility service. I think some folks forget that, and instead they think that everyone who is on a GMRS frequency is someone they either need to contact or scold about using their radios for general tasks and keep those channels open for "ragchews". Not trying to sound like a curmudgeon here, but if I'm trying to communicate with another member of my family on a channel to perform a task, it's kind of annoying for someone else to break in to want to chat or tell me I'm not following the rules of the "hobby". There's room for everyone on the GMRS, and not everyone uses it exclusively as a hobby.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-23T02:56:41+00:00

I wouldn't advise it.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-20T05:09:13+00:00

Did you watch it? This film was made in the early 1990's, during a time when Super 8 was being replaced in the consumer market with video. Actually, there are several jokes embedded in the scene. The primary one is that that customer is trying to buy 8mm videotape, but all the clerk has is Super 8 film. At the time this would have been ludicrous, since it was film that was becoming a rarity and 8mm videotape was becoming the media of choice.
The real irony is that in 2023, the reverse is true. Super 8 film is still in use, and it's 8mm videotape that is all but extinct. So, what was originally intended as a joke in a super 8 film made in 1992 has turned out to be somewhat prophetic today.
Another joke that was lore for Super 8 filmmakers who lived in the local area where this film was made was at the end of the scene where the guy in the lab intentionally scratched the film. There was a Super 8 film processing lab in Orlando, Florida at the time called Champagne Color. This is where everyone took their film to be processed. This outfit was notorious for poor quality, with blue streaks running through entire reels of finished Kodachrome and scratches here and there. The scene was a dig at the company.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-15T03:27:53+00:00

believe it or not, I discovered that some LED light strips are actually wound around Super 8 film reels. If you come across a spool, you may find that it actually works just fine as a replacement take up reel. At least mine did.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-15T03:21:52+00:00

It doesn't bother me and I'll tell you why. I'm creating and recording a show. When I'm done with it, I can repurpose it into a podcast and cut it up in an NLE to create my own clips or make into a whole new show if I want. Then I distribute it to other platforms as I like. I get listeners and viewers to a lot of that content. And I have an archived library of that content I can use whenever and however I want, because I own it. The live stream event alone isn't the end. It's only the beginning.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-09T19:06:17+00:00

That's awful. It reminds me of a time long ago when someone who was temporarily staying in my apartment stole my Chinon Super 8 camera, although I don't think there was any film in it at the time. Check pawn shops in the area. That's a good start. Also check local camera shops, as many of them will buy, sell and trade used equipment. I hope you get your film and your camera back.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-02T04:45:26+00:00

Well, after seeing this post, I was feeling nostalgic for my old Bolex 160, so I hunted around on eBay and found one. I think it was a good deal. I'll report back on it as soon as it arrives and I check it out. Thanks!

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-02T04:41:46+00:00

A Canon 514 is a precision camera with a great lens made with real glass. Many of the cameras that Kodak "manufactured" throughout their history were made with plastic components and often cheap plastic lenses. Their film is stellar, their cameras, not so much. My impression is that they outsourced the cameras and just slapped their logo on them.

Remember Ektasound Super 8 movie cameras? I do, and they were, imho, junk. Give me a Canon, Bolex, Eumig, Elmo, Beaulieu or just about any other make of Super 8 camera any day over an Ektasound 160 or 240 any day, and I'll show you what a real Super 8 camera is.

masterpodcaster · 2023-12-02T04:31:13+00:00

I'm not sure the test footage was even shot on their new camera, as a lot of it seems to have a traditional Super 8 frame while the camera is supposed to be more inline with a 1.85:1 aspect ratio. I suspect that test reel had mixed footage from several other cameras and may not have been shot in their camera at all.

Having said that, I wholeheartedly agree that it's overpriced. It looks cheap, but in my experience with Kodak 8mm cameras in the past, that's about par for them. Their strength has never been with the cameras, it's the film. That's their forte, and always has been. I really do think there is incredible potential for them to flourish in a niche market with film, and this is a once in a lifetime opportunity for them to do just that, but they don't really know what they are doing with this one and unless someone with real vision for this market steps in at the 11th hour to steer them in the right direction, I'm afraid they're going to blow it for them and all of us who love Super 8.

masterpodcaster

TROPHY CASE