Description
The v1.3 D7 printers (the ones with the vents in the back) had the power switch changed and are really long, so long they backside of the switch assembly hits the UV cooling fan. This button also appeared to have a light ring around it but did not light up on the unit I received and was also reported by others as not being lit. The switch does indeed have a light in it but was not wired to use it. So here are the fixes to make the light work and to move the power button away from the UV assembly. It is recommended that you do both of these mods at the same time since you will have the switch removed.
Fixing the Power Switch Light Ring
The v1.3 (as of the version I received with the vents on the back) did not have the power switch LED wired up. The switch itself does have an LED in it but will need to be modified to work. If your power switch looks like the above image with two black wires in the same hole then your LED will not light. Here is how to modify it.
Tools Required
- Soldering Iron and Solder (here is a cheap kit)
- Single strand of wire (the smaller the better)
Instructions
- Turn off the D7 power and remove all the cables
- Unscrew the front panel (two screws from each side)
- Mark the backside of the power switch with a marker down one side so you can plug it back on correctly since it is not keyed.
- Unplug the back side of the power switch (it just pulls off).
- Look at the back side and find the pin that is marked +12 (should be the one opposite the black wire with the red in the middle)
- Take the thin strand of wire that is about 1″ long and fold it in half
- Put the folded end around the middle pin and the two loose ends on either side of the pin marked +12 (the one located in step 5)
- Twist the two ends together so it pulls tight around the middle pin and the +12V pin.
- Make sure the wire is pressed all the way down so it sits flat agains the base of the switch where the pins go into the body
- Put a small amount of solder on the wire and base each pin being careful not to get it on the rest of the pin so the plug will still seat fully.
- Trim the excess wire where it was twisted together
- Reinstall the switch and plug in the correct orientation using the mark from step 3
- Plug in the power cable and test out the switch
Moving the Power Button
The latest units shipped with a super long power switch assembly and had plenty of threads on the back side so here is a simple mod. I designed a simple STL that can be 3D printed and installed on the front side of the power switch to move it away from the UV Fan. I printed mine in black to match the enclosure but will probably reprint it on the D7 and make it look even better.
Instructions
- Download and print one of these parts from thingiverse: http://www.thingiverse.com/thing:2260559
- Power off the D7 and unplug the cables
- Unscrew the front panel (two screws from each side)
- Mark the backside of the power switch with a marker down one side so you can plug it back on correctly since it is not keyed.
- Unplug the back side of the power switch (it just pulls off).
- Remove the power switch and slice the new spacer on (it may need to be threaded on the last little bit).
- Reinstall the switch and connect the plug in the same orientation it was before using the marker line as a reference.