"He who marches out of step hears another drum." ~ Ken Kesey
My unit had fluorescents, I removed the base and put the 300 Saati lamp on the floor,(at the moment it on two pieces of wood until I fix it up) 32" from the glass. At the distance I can expose two 23x31 screens.For one screen I'm sure you could put it closer and shorted the time.The LED box has two fans in the back so needs a bit of space from the floor/wall.My unit looks similar to the Ryonet, but it's home made. I have it set up with two timers, after the vacuum works for a set time the light comes on.I have a air piston on the lid to open and close it.Some things you have to buy but a exposure unit is so simple I done think it's worth what they are charging.
I was going to start a new thread (I will at some point) but I can briefly talk about the Starlight I got to shoot 5 screens on a few weeks ago. We set it up right next to the Vastex, plugged it into the same outlet, and we shot 5 screens, all different mesh counts and spot colors, fine lines and halftones. The longest exposure was 6 seconds and the fastest was 4 seconds. None of the screens had scumming on the inside of the screen, and I was able to spray out the finer details with much much less effort compared to the Vastex. I can get rid of the scumming on the Vastex if I increase the exposure time to 25-30 seconds, but then I lose the ability to get the fine detail out. The vacuum draw down on the Starlight was about 12 seconds, exposure 5 seconds, which means the single screen Starlight outperforms the double screen Vastex by almost double the production rate. Vastex: 2 screens=90 seconds Starlight: 1 screen=18 seconds, roughly 50 seconds to shoot 2 screens including taking the 1st one out and putting the second one in. Starlight wins in detail, vacuum draw down, exposure time, blanket quality (our vacuum blanket on the Vastex already has air leaks and is dry rotting in the corners), control panel/operational features, viewing lights, and probably a few other areas I can't think of right now. In simple terms, Starlight=what I thought LED was going to be Vastex=A disappointment in just about every area. I feel bad saying those things, but I have to be honest, I have to give the facts as I see them and not prop up a decision I made to make myself look good. I made a bad decision on our latest equipment purchase, it sucks, but I'm making the best out of it.
Quote from: alan802 on August 06, 2015, 09:21:39 AMI was going to start a new thread (I will at some point) but I can briefly talk about the Starlight I got to shoot 5 screens on a few weeks ago. We set it up right next to the Vastex, plugged it into the same outlet, and we shot 5 screens, all different mesh counts and spot colors, fine lines and halftones. The longest exposure was 6 seconds and the fastest was 4 seconds. None of the screens had scumming on the inside of the screen, and I was able to spray out the finer details with much much less effort compared to the Vastex. I can get rid of the scumming on the Vastex if I increase the exposure time to 25-30 seconds, but then I lose the ability to get the fine detail out. The vacuum draw down on the Starlight was about 12 seconds, exposure 5 seconds, which means the single screen Starlight outperforms the double screen Vastex by almost double the production rate. Vastex: 2 screens=90 seconds Starlight: 1 screen=18 seconds, roughly 50 seconds to shoot 2 screens including taking the 1st one out and putting the second one in. Starlight wins in detail, vacuum draw down, exposure time, blanket quality (our vacuum blanket on the Vastex already has air leaks and is dry rotting in the corners), control panel/operational features, viewing lights, and probably a few other areas I can't think of right now. In simple terms, Starlight=what I thought LED was going to be Vastex=A disappointment in just about every area. I feel bad saying those things, but I have to be honest, I have to give the facts as I see them and not prop up a decision I made to make myself look good. I made a bad decision on our latest equipment purchase, it sucks, but I'm making the best out of it. Unfortunately I have to agree with Alan. We too bought a Vastex LED unit and it does disappoint big time. Screens are either underexposed or you can`t hold much fine detail. I would not attempt to burn any halftone screens with it. In the end it`s a Baby Joe 2000 kind of unit as they use LDtronix light bars in the Vastex one too.If I would have known that before hand I would probably not have purchased it, but then at the time of the purchase we were really busy and were in need of an upgrade and the Starlight had to long lead times back then while the Vastex was available right away. Just glad we kept our 3140 as backup. Now I`m considering asking the guys at M&R if there is any chance of getting rid of the LDtronix light bars and using M&R ones instead even if that means having to change a lot inside the unit.
I have seen this unit in person and in my opinion it is a really really great unit! The exposure app is awesome and it works in milliseconds for really dialed in exposure! The light source simulates a single point and works just as well as the best single point light source on the market but uses a fraction of the energy. This unit kicks ass and when you see it in person I am sure you will all agree.
I have been doing all of the Beta Testing for the FX LED Exporsure unit. Ryonet asked me to handle the production testing before they released to the market. I have enjoyed the unit a lot. I use SP-1400 and I print 100% waterbased inks and discharge. This unit has had great results with exposure keeping detail and making a durable emulsion. 305 mesh is burning 81 lpi, keep all halftones, is at 35 seconds. 230 mech is at 45 seconds and holds all halftones at 55 lpi. 180LX mesh is burning at 1:00.Part of the unit being app enabled is that soon you will be able to have the app on your phone and be able to control the unit from anywhere. It also will notify you when the exposure is complete if you have to walk away from the unit. I will be performing testing soon with 450 mech at 100+ lpi which I am very confident in the unit to be able to hold all of the halftones. I have read through a lot of the posts and I am very surprise on how many people resort to bashing a product that has only been out for a few days without even seeing it in person or working with one. I have been working with this unit for over a month now and I have no complaints on the unit at all.
81 to 100+ LPI waterbase work is impressive, I mean impossible. Why don't you post up a pic of that shirt. Keeping "all the halftones" at that LPI means one of two things. Your setting for LPI is way off or your just full of it. I really don't care to prove you wrong. I want to make sure no one believes this and spends money on the unit only to be disappointed. Please post a pic of that shirt in waterbase at 81 lpi.