All problems with Tarantula RS
I recently purchased the Tarantula RS printer, and at this point I am LIVID with all the problems found so far. And this is perhaps not even all of it.
1) Tarantula RS is advertised with 32-bit mainboard MKS SGenL v1.0. However, it is shipped with an 8-bit mainboard MKS GenL v1.0.
2) It is advertised with WiFi printing, but there's absolutely no information in any manuals how to do this. No info about any PC software or smartphone apps.
3) The included installation PDF does not show anything about any wire connections. The touchscreen display is completely different from the well documented Tarantula Pro model. The Pro model comes with 2x 10-pin ribbon cables. The RS comes with 1x 8-pin ribbon cable, and there's no instructions where to connect it. the LCD board has 2 identical ports, one marked as AUX, the other as WiFi. I'm guessing perhaps the ribbon should connect to AUX, but then what goes into WiFi? The RS is supposed to have WiFi enabled.
4) The "Homers" technical support is very hard to reach, and usually reply with short cryptic and ambiguous answers. The only person always replying there is Chris Leonardo. When I reported to him that my RS printer came with a wrong board, he said they are all manufactured like that because during COVID-19 they could not get 32-bit boards, so they are advertising 32-bit boards, but sending with 8-bit boards!! That is criminal deception!!
5) Chris offered they can send me 32-bit board from China - this would take about a month or so. I found the replacement board on Amazon for $23, available in 2 days. Chris said they will refund me $23 for the board within 24hrs. It's now been 4 days and there's still no refund!
6) I have never installed 3D printers before, this was my first time. Because of extensive research for every questionable detail, it took me about 2 days (on/off) to fully assemble the printer (also replacing the incorrect board). Chris said I can download firmware for SGenL from their website, and so I did, but when I open up the files, the firmware is for SKR board, NOT for MKS SGenL! The included files on the SD card also do not include anything for SGenlL. There are no instruction videos anywhere on installing SGenL board for Tarantula printer. So now I have to spend additional few days researching tons of videos and info on how to create firmware for this board that would be compatible with Tarantula RS hardware.
7) When I took the TMC2208 drivers off the GenL board (when replacing it) I found 3 jumpers installed. This is incorrect, there should be only 2 jumpers for TMC2208. How was this thing even tested??
8) The TMC2208 drivers are not marked on the circuit boards. I had to take a zoom-in picture of the chip to verify they are actually TMC2208. But nowhere are they even marked what version they are... v1.1, 1.2, 2.0, 3.0 ???
Homers, you took excellent Tevo products and are butchering them! I demand STEP-BY-STEP instructions explaining every one of the issues above. And I demand a firmware file configured EXACTLY for MKS SGenL with TMC2208, for Tarantula RS. THIS IS WHAT I PAID FOR !!!
2 gennaio 2021
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