Introduction:
In the profound journey of commemorating our loved ones and cherished pets, the choice of laser engraved memorial plaques has emerged as a timeless and deeply personal tribute. This article delves into the artistry behind these plaques, placing a special focus on the significance of two distinct materials: wood and slate. Both options offer unique qualities that elevate the memorialization process, providing a canvas for lasting tributes. For those considering the creation of these personalized memorials, From Bytes to Bits LLC stands ready to bring your vision to life. Customize your memorial plaque with a subtle touch that resonates with your unique connection to the departed.
Wood: A Warm Embrace of Nature's Elegance
Wooden memorial plaques evoke a sense of warmth and timelessness. The choice of wood, whether it be oak, mahogany, cherry, or another hardwood, brings a natural elegance to the memorialization process. The laser engraving process on wood allows for a rich interplay of textures, bringing out the grain and character of each piece. This creates a unique, bespoke feel for every memorial.
One of the standout features of wooden plaques is their versatility in design. From simple, classic engravings to intricate graphics, the engraving process on wood allows for a wide range of customization. This versatility ensures that each memorial plaque is as unique as the individual or pet it honors. The organic beauty of wood adds a comforting touch, making these plaques ideal for both indoor and outdoor settings.
Additionally, wood's durability ensures that these memorial plaques will stand the test of time, becoming lasting tributes that can be passed down through generations. The tactile and visual appeal of wood adds a layer of connection and intimacy to the memorial, creating a tangible representation of the enduring love and memories shared.
Slate: Timeless Elegance with Natural Resilience
Slate, with its earthy tones and distinctive texture, has become a popular choice for laser engraved memorial plaques. The unique characteristics of slate make each plaque a work of art, with no two pieces being exactly alike. The laser engraving process on slate creates a contrasting, textured finish that enhances the natural beauty of the material.
One of the standout features of slate is its resilience to the elements. This makes slate memorial plaques particularly well-suited for outdoor settings such as gardens, parks, and private landscapes. The inherent durability of slate ensures that these memorials withstand the passage of time and changing weather conditions, maintaining their beauty for years to come.
The earthy elegance of slate allows for a seamless integration into natural surroundings. Whether nestled among the foliage in a garden or placed against a backdrop of stone, slate memorial plaques harmonize effortlessly with their environment. The material's inherent elegance, combined with the precision of laser engraving, results in a memorial that captures the essence of the individual or pet being commemorated.
In conclusion, both wood and slate offer unique and meaningful options for laser engraved memorial plaques. Whether choosing the warm embrace of wood or the timeless elegance of slate, individuals and families can create personalized tributes that beautifully capture the spirit of those they hold dear. From Bytes to Bits LLC is ready to assist in bringing these visions to life, ensuring that each memorial plaque is a truly special and enduring testament to a life well-lived. Request a custom quote here.
An all too common problem with the Artillery Sidewinder X1 3D printers is the message "Error: MINTEMP triggered, system stopped! Heater_ID: bed". The symptoms of the problem tend to be that you will be printing a project and at some random point during the print, the printer stops and throws this error. You clear the printer and restart the print, only to again have it at some random point stop with this error. The most common reason for this error is the wires to the heat bed thermistor break. This is due to the poor quality wires used for not only the thermistor, but for the heater power as well. I have had both fail. 
One of the easiest ways to check for this is to 
2 crimp on lug or spade connectors for the power wires to replace the ones on the power wires that you are cutting off. These can be the cheap ones you get from the hardware or auto parts store.
Cut and save the small white connector that plugs into the motherboard for the thermistor with an inch or so of wire for splicing. If you have the connectors and proper crimp tool you can use that to crimp a new end on the thermistor, which would be better, but most people don't have those laying around.
Start by cutting the wires and original braided sleve about 2 inches (5 centimeters) from the bed heater. Next, with a razor blade, carefully cut away about an inch of the braided sleve that is left to expose the wires that we will splice. Strip and solder on the new thermistor and power wires and put the heat shrink tubing over your connections. Next, slide on your section of braided sleve over all 4 of the new wires and slide the larger heat shrink tube down where your new splices are by the bed and shrink it down covering both the braided sleve and th original sleve. It is easiest to slide the wires through the braided sleve with no connectors on the ends as the connectors will bind in the sleve making it harder to get through. Once that is all together, splice on the connector for the thermistor. Make sure to slide a piece of heat shrink tube on both of the wires befor making the splice. I can't tell you the number of times I have for gotten that step. Then crimp on the 2 lug/spade connectors to the power wires. Last, feed the new wire assembly through the hole in the back of the printer and connect the wires for the 
If you have reached this page, you have undoubtedly been looking for a solution for the E02 error that is showing up on your pump/heater unit, AKA the egg, that is preventing you from relaxing in your hot tub right now. In this guide we'll go over the many things that cause this error to appear. We'll then show you what you need to do to fix it. Keep reading and we'll have your tub back up and running in no time.
For the procedures you will be doing in this article you will need some basic tools to perform the tasks. A phillips #2 and flat head screwdriver. For some things it may be easiest to have a cordless drill with a screwdiver attachment. 
A volt meter that can check continuity may also be needed. You should also have your black caps for your water ports handy as it may be necessary to disconnect the egg when the tub is filled. These prevent water from flowing out when the hoses are disconnected.
Believe it or not, your filters being dirty can actually cause this error. A buildup of dirt and other things on the filters can slow the flow of water through the system. If the water slows enough, the water flow sensor paddle will not move enough to trigger the 
Another thing that can restrict water flow is a dirt and junk buildup in the debris filter that is on the output side of the pump directly above one of the filter housings. On some models it is the piece that your ChemConnect attaches to. Remove this piece and look inside. If you see a bunch of junk in there, it is probably restricting the water flow enough to cause the error. The easiest way to clen this is to back flush this with your garden hose. In some cases you may need a brush to get it clean. Then re-attach it to the liner.
First, flush water through the egg in both directions to help loosen and remove any other debris that may be hanging around inside. To do this , run your hose into the top port on your egg for one to two minutes as seen in the picture. Then switch the hose to the port just below that one and do the same thing from that end. Now look inside the top port again and see if the debris has cleared. Once flushed, re-attach the egg to the tub and re-test. Remember to remove the black stoppers from the ports inside the tub. Forgetting this will DEFINITELY cause an E02 error.
A crushed or kinked inlet or outlet pipe can be caused from different things. One reason could be that your liner is low on air. The main reason for this is usually due to a kink in one of the hoses that goes through the liner from the egg because of a sag in the liner. The loss of air will allow the hose to bend which will restrict the water flow. Simply fill your liner with air can straighten the pipes out and if that was the issue you should be good. Other things such as pipes going soft over time can cause this. Another option to solve this would be to get a short piece of rigid pipe to fit inside this pipe to keep it from collapsing. This may be helpful to do to both the top and bottom water pipes.the pipe should fit inside the gray end and be long enough to go through the liner but not come out the other side. This length can be different depending on your tub model.
If you cleaned out your debris filter in the previous steps and found white flaky bits in it, you most likely have a limescale problem. These bits can get on and into various things and cause problems. The image to the right, thanks to Dean Masters from the UK, is a heater unit that is caked with limescale. You can see how this could easily restrict water flow. One this bad in addition to restricting water flow can also trip the electrical line or the GFCI plug to your tub, which was the problem Dean was having. You may have heard of people talking about descaling their egg.
A simple descaler can be seen to the left. The square tube with connectors is attached to the pump inlet and outlet and filled with cold water just a bit above the top tube. You will then need some sort of descaling solution. These can come in powder or liquid form. A common brand is made by a company called 
The impeller is the part of the pump that actually makes the water move. The motor spins this and the paddles push the water. There are a number of things that can fail with regards to the impeller, one being the impeller shaft. The impeller shaft in the image to the right is the pin that goes through the center of the impeller with the two small black caps on it. Many of the impellers used in the egg have an impeller shaft that is made of ceramic. These shafts have been known to break on occasion. When this breaks, the impeller will not spin freely and can lead to a decrease or complete stop of the water flow. If the impeller is moving with a broken shaft the egg can be very noisy and making a rattling sound.
Another thing with the impeller can be a rusty or damaged magnet. To the left is an example of a rusty impeller magnet. When a magnet gets rusty, it gets weaker. When the magnet gets weaker it cannot spin as efficiently, or at all. In this case you will need to replace the impeller. Some of these have the magnet encased in plastic like the one to the left, and some have the magnet exposed like the one shown above. Replacemtns can be found on 
There are a few things that can cause the sensor to not trigger the magnetic switch. One of the main causes of this is broken plastic around the magnet that causes the magnet to get wet and rust. As a magnet gets rusty, it gets weaker and if it gets weak enough, it can't trigger the sensor mounted at the top. If this is the case, the paddle will need to be replaced. You will need to remove the cover to access the sensor. 
Start by putting your black stoppers on the inlet and outlet ports on the inside of the tub and disconnect the pump from the tub. Once disconnected, remove the screws on the lip about half way up the pump. Slowly lift the cover off, but watch for the ribbon cable that is attached. You may be able to just set the lid aside with the ribbon cable attached. If you need to disconnect it for any reason, grab the black connector on the sides and squeeze it, then pull the connector apart. 
Once the lid is off, look just behind the top outlet pipe and you will see the water flow sensor. 
Remove the four screws on the top of the 
Do you own a Bestway, Coleman, Lay-Z-Spa or Mspa brand inflatable hot tub? Have you seen hot tubs lit at night with colored LED lighting and wondered how you can get that effect with your tub. In this article I will go over options for adding color changing LED lights to just about any one of these brands and models of airjet and hydrojet inflatable hot tubs. Get the night time glow and ambiance that you see in some of the more expensive hot tubs, from your cheaper model tub.
The first 
The next lighting option will only work for Bestway, Coleman or Lay-Z-Spa brands of tubs. It uses a small remote controlled puck style light with an adapter that will fit the light to the front of the filter housing. The filter housing lock screw is removed and the light is threaded in it's place and acts as to hold the filter together. Because of the way this mounts, this will fit nearly all of the Bestway, Coleman and Lay-Z-Spa brands of tubs giving options to those that don't have a tub with a ChemConnect or a removable debris filter. You can purchase this light set by 
The maority of the lighting options mentioned so far ar mostly meant for the AirJet line of tubs, but what options are there for HydroJet tub users. The light shown to the right is a multi-colored LED light Specifically made for the Bestway, Coleman or Lay-Z-Spa line of Hydrojet and HydroJet Pro tubs and it fits in place of one of the water jets for the tub. One big advantage of these lights vs the lights for the AirJet models is these lights are solely powered by water flow. This means no batteries or charging is required to enjoy its spectacular light show. Just insert in place of the water jet and that's it.
The water flow sensor is just as it's name says, it is use to tell a system that water is flowing. Seen to the right is the water flow sensor used in many of the Bestway, Coleman and Lay-Z-Spa branded inflatable hot tub models. These sensors are one way flow sensors meaning that they will only sense water flowing in one direction. Failure of this sensor is one of the causes of the dreaded E01 or E02 errors seen on the pump/heater unit of many of the listed brands of inflatable hot tubs. 
There are three main components to the sensor. The first part is the main sensor housing. The housing has water inlet and outlet ports for the water to flow through. The second part is the magnetic reed switch, or proximity switch. This part is the small black tubular piece with the two wires coming off of it like the one seen to the right. When this piece senses a magnetic field, a small switch inside makes contact completing the circuit in the two wires. 
The third part of the sensor, quite obviously, is the magnet. The magnet is housed in a small plastic paddle like the one seen to the left. When water is pushed through the sensor housing, this magnetic paddle will get pushed up near the proximity switch triggering it telling the system that water is in fact moving. This sensor is a one way sensor meaning that it will only sense the flow of water in one direction. Because of this, care must be taken to install this sensor in the correct direction for proper operation.
Why do magnets rust? Magnets work because they are made of ferrous metals which contain iron. Magnets need iron to attract, and iron rusts when exposed to oxygen and water. Rust reduces the attraction of a magnet. This is why the sensors fail when the magnet gets rusty. The original sensor paddles have the magnet inset into a hole in the center and then a dab of epoxy glue is put on top. Over time, the dab of epoxy can come loose from the paddle exposing the magnet to the water eventually causing it to rust and fail. The plastic around the magnet will start to crack because of the magnet swelling which allows more water in causing it to snowball into failure.
How do you find out if your sensor has failed or is starting to fail. The first thing is to unplug your pump from the mains socket. Never work 
on your unit with the power plugged in. Now place your black rubber water stopper caps, seen on the left, over the water ports inside your tub. This is to prevent water flowing out of the flow sensor when you take the cap off. Next, remove the cover from your pump/heater unit by removing the six screws in the middle of the unit as indicated in the picture to the right. Once those screws are removed, carefully lift the top off being careful of the ribbon cable. 
Now, separate the black connectors on the ribbon cable slightly down from the control panel inside and set the cover to the side. In the picture to the left, the arrow points to the water flow sensor. Start by disconnecting the small plug on the two wires attached to the top of the sensor. Now remove the four screws from the top of the 
Carefully lift the top of the sensor off being careful not to loose the round o-ring seal under the cap. Inspect the plastic paddle under the cap looking for signs of cracks in the plastic, and signs of rust like the one shown to the right. If you see any of these things or other damage to the paddle, it is best to replace it. While you have the top off, you should also inspect the o-ring for any signs of wear. If there is even the slightest bit of wear on the o-ring, it is best to just replace it. Some would have you replace the entire water flow sensor assembly which can cost you between $50 and $75 US dollars just for the part. On top of that you would have to dismantle the unit even further to be able to remove the old one and install the new one. Why replace the whole sensor when you can just repair it.
To test the water flow sensor you will need a multimeter set to the 
If your multimeter does not have a continuity setting you can put it on a resistance setting to show either infinite resistance or zero ohms (or near zero). You will also need two small pieces of stiff wire like in the picture to the right. The wires will be used to connect to the sensor to do the tests. The part that you will be testing with this is the mgnetic reed switch. The chances that this part would be bad are extremely slim. Unless there is physical damage to the black tube, this part should be considered good. 
Start by wrapping the small wires around the tip of the test probes and inserting them in the two holes in the connector. You will feel a bit of resistance when pushing the wires in, but they should be inserted enough to make a good connection with the connectors inside. Once connected, the water flow sensor should show an open or infinite resistance when the paddle is hanging down and a short or zero ohms when the paddle is in the upward position resting on the cover plate.
If you don't read a shorted condition when the paddle is in the up position, you most likely have a problem with the paddle magnet. The sensor that senses the magnetic paddle is the black tube looking part that the wires connect to. It is extremely rare that that part will fail. If you have another small neodimium rare earth magnet (refrigerator magnets may not be strong enough) you can place it near where the paddle will hit the cover and see if the sensor triggers. If it does, then your paddle needs to be replaced. I sell both the replacement paddles as well as kits that include the paddle and the o-ring seal for the top of the sensor housing. Both the paddle and the kit version come with a replacement nylon pin to attach the paddle as many times these get broken. 
If you decide that you want to go to someon else to purchase the paddle, there are some things that you need to watch out for. Be weary of the ones like the one on the right. In this style, the magnet is mounted directly on the top, completely exposed to the water. Because of this, the magnet will start to rust and fail significantly quicker than the ones that I sell in which the magnet is completely sealed in plasic. The other thing with paddles like this one is that people make these out of PLA plastic. This type of plastic has a lower melting point and if exposed to too much heat, it will start to deform. Once the plastic deforms, the magnet can pop out of it's hole causing another failure. 
Our paddles, seen on the left, are made completely from ABS plastic which is more flexible and has a lot higher melting point making it less prone to deforming and failure. Also the magnets on our sensors are completely encapsulated in plastic with little to no chance of the magnet touching water and rusting. Buy our parts with confidence.
I turned to OpenSCAD and came up with a basic design. The box was vented, it had mounting tabs for the PCB and a place to hold the battery box. 
I decided to make it easy to remove from the wall if needed and made the wall plate with two tabs that the cover could lock on to. 
The first thing I needed to run this was some type of 1-Wire computer interface. After looking at options, I came across 
Now that I had a wiring specification planned out, I had to figure out the temperature sensor nodes. Using the information from the DS18B20 data sheet, I devised a simple circuit that allowed me the option of using parasite power or external power. Using a jumper on a 3 position header I was able to quickly switch between the 2 if needed. In the schematic shown to the left, placing the header jumper across pins 2 and 3 will run the sensor on parasite power. Conversely, by placing the jumper on pins 1 and 2, I could run it on the 5 volt external power.
Since the majority of the nodes were going to be in the house on walls, I wanted something that wasn't going to look unsightly on the wall. I ended up finding someone that was throwing out some old vented covered wall boxes. I then put together a couple of these circuits on some perfboard. I even made an etched board that although it turned out good took too much time. The perfboard versions were much easier to do in the small quantity that I needed, and they worked just as well. To the right is one of my perfboard sensors mounted on the wall plate ready to be installed. I connected each one individually and used the software that came with the 1-Wire adapter to get the built in hardware address of each sensor and labeled each one.
For now, this is not an issue, but I do have a plan for fixing it which I still need to implement. The idea is to use an RJ45 splitter adapter similar to the one shown to the left. By crimping modular plugs to the ends of each cable coming to the temp sensors and plugging them into the 2 jacks on the adapter, this will pass all signal and power lines through. I can then clip the wire that comes off of the adapter and use it to connect to the temp sensor or whatever other sensor I try to install.