Reddit reviews Mean Well NES-350-12 12V 350 Watt Ul Switching Power Supply 110-240 Volt

You should install both the mosfet mod and Skynet firmware.

At full power to the bed and hotend, the A8 will pull a bit over 200 Watts. I'm currently using this power supply, which has been working well for me.

https://www.amazon.com/NES-350-12-Switching-Power-Supply-110-240/dp/B007K2H0GI

If you want a reliable one that is a drop in replacement, get the Mean Well NES 350 12. It's a bit more than the one you listed, but it should be much better quality.

Heated bed, yes or no? If yes, 16A would be the bare minimum - And a safety margin of 20% never hurts. If no, a 7 or 10 Amps 12V PSU would be sufficient. Dont skimp on the quality - there are a WHOLE LOT of cheapo LED PSUs on amazon.

This would be a decent and kinda safe choice. But theres always the risk of getting a counterfeit unit and the genuie price...

Options:

1. Mean Well makes great power supplies. Lulzbot uses 24V versions (or at least did, not sure who their supplier is now) on the Taz printers.
   
2. Get a server power supply and a breakout board. You can find setups designed for Bitcoin mining, where steady, safe 12V in mass quantities is in great demand. I have used this setup to power 12V bots before.
   
   both of these options have fans built in. Unfortunately for ~350W and above it's going to be very difficult to find completely fanless units - most use cases don't necessarily have a chassis fan, and considering ~70-80% efficiency the power supply will be generating upwards of 100W of heat.

Not issues per say, my printer has worked great, but I've had a couple things, one was a support bracket for a computer part, that was 10.7 inches long, I could fit it on the 8x8 print bed by turning it diagonal, but only barely. (Pegasus, by the way, it just Makerfarm's latest model line of printers)

Most printers have a heated bed, I highly recommend it for any plastic, but it is essential if printing with ABS, which is much more sensitive to temperature changes and likes to warp if you look at it sideways. That bed is essentially an aluminum sheet with a circuit board on the back, it may not be perfectly flat and it is easy to damage when removing parts. You put a piece of glass on top of the heated bed to give yourself a smooth, flat, replaceable surface. I got a sheet of 24x36 window glass from the hardware store, mine objected (strongly) so I only got one usable 8x8 piece out of it, but you could theoretically get 12 pieces out of a $14 sheet of glass. You can also get pre-cut borosilicate glass sheets on amazon at around $10 each, but reviews on them are... mixed at best.

Now you have a new issue: adhesion. Molten plastic doesn't like to stick to clean glass, so you need to give it a surface to stick to. There are a number of options: I use hairspray (I usually get 10-15 prints between coatings, clean the glass, and repeat, $6, I've yet to use up a can), some people use blue painters tape ($8 per roll, something like 60 coatings per roll and it doesn't need to be replaced every time), some use gluestick($2 for a 4 pack on amazon), some use a sheet of PEI (another plastic) permanently bonded to the glass ($17, "permanent" but does require refurbishing occasionally, may require replacement as well), it really boils down to personal preference and what works for you.

Tools depends on your printer, I don't know about the Maker Select up there, but mine needs a Screwdriver, set of ball end metric hex keys, needle nose pliers and some small wire snips for cutting filament. Total cost: 10-20 from places like Harbor Fright and Amazon. I would also recommend a razor blade (you can print a handle for it) to scrape bits of plastic off the bed (this is why you don't use your fingernail), you can print a handle for it later.

edit Oh I forgot to mention, most Prusa style printers do NOT include the power supply, $50 on Amazon. Please get the Mean Well brand if you go this route, they are more expensive for a reason.

This is the one that I have:
Mean Well NES-350-12

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007K2H0GI/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'm using a similar unit to this one: https://www.amazon.com/NES-350-12-Switching-Power-Supply-110-240/dp/B007K2H0GI

Only mine is a cheaper version with 36A output, but that is negligible because the 29A that the one above is rated for are more than sufficient for the printer.

So, could I buy

this power supply and this controller ?

> Given the prices you mentioned, that was pretty much what you did imply.

I factored $20 for a power supply and $20 (this is a PTFE lined hotend and has poor reviews, an all-metal would probably be $25+) for a new heater block (I went for the one with the cartridge and thermistor because newer variants need a cartridge thermistor). A Meanwell 12v@30a (360w) costs $47 and a legit E3D replacement would be $20 without a heater cartridge (assuming the A8's fits), and you would still be using a PTFE lined heat-break (assuming the A8's heat-break is compatible with E3Ds).

I'm not trying to imply that you should be using the best parts possible, I'm trying to say that you shouldn't be using the cheapest stuff, you should be using something somewhere in the middle.

> There are some problems with the PSU, maybe not enough to warrant a replacement upon acquisition, but it's not entirely unheard of.

The Duplicator has QC issues, as noted in the printer recommendation list, but no where near as bad as the A8s (I got a screw that wasn't threaded).

>As to the board, there's quite a few(see comments) posts on that

Since you don't understand why the MOSFET mod is needed, go read my explanation. The MOSFET mod prevents the connectors on the Melzi from burning up (and don't forget, the A8 needs the mod too) on the Duplicator v2.1 (again, the Plus does not need the MOSFET mod or a board swap, the amount of current running through the connectors is well within the limits of the connectors).

Well you certainly have been through the mill with this one, sounds like my Monoprice printer, took me a year to get it right, so I feel your pain.

Also explains your problem - that printer went through hell during shipping, that is certainly why the power supply failed.

Technically you can use a PC ATX supply but it's a real PITA to wire up, I know, I did it when troubleshooting my CR-10S temp fluctuation problem.

That's the bad news. The good is that a new supply is cheap. You can get one on Amazon for under $25.

I put this in my Monoprice as an upgrade - https://www.amazon.com/eTopxizu-Universal-Regulated-Switching-Computer/dp/B00D7CWSCG

It will work fine.

If you really want to fix it ONCE, then this is the way to go, it's the one all the clone ones are based on, the Mercedes, if you will...

https://www.amazon.com/NES-350-12-Switching-Power-Supply-110-240/dp/B007K2H0GI

Just bring money... LOL.

One last thought. If you know someone who is an Electronics tech, a real one not someone who pretends... They could probably fix the connection problem in the supply, it's probably one of the larger items has a broken solder joint...

Keep me in the loop my Friend.

PP