09-10-2025 — Successful Failure

Howdy all. Quick update on Fiber Optic Cable issue. My brother and I were chatting and I mentioned seeing in the description on Amazon that it said it was Unidirectional. I thought that was strange, since just about every thing I’ve ever connected via USB, from a computer, also sent back information. In the case of a laser, things like, STOP I’M ON FIRE, can be important. I also mentioned that the “A” side of the A to C cable had the word Host on it. Well, the laser needs an male A as input, and the short cable the company had included was A to C also.

Brother said switch cable ends and use a converter on the laser side to switch the C connector on the cable to the male A needed. I tried that this morning. And even if I just plug the A Host end into the USB hub connected to the laptop, the laser was found. UGH. I should have figured this out almost the moment I originally saw the word Host. But, I just refused to believe that a USB cable couldn’t work both ways. My mistake.

However, the fiber optic cable has a connector that is over 2 inches long on the C side, and, adding an inch plus long C to A male converter, made the laser have to be moved 3 1/2 inches plus from the wall, and the actual cable still was bending 90 degrees at the wall. Can’t be good for fibers.

So, I will still hope one of the “normal” USB cables I ordered can go the 25-26 foot needed.

Thus, the Fiber Optic USB cable is successful, but the application of it is a Fail in my book.

Also a Fail is this 3D printing of Christmas trees. I downsized a model and made a bunch of copies. This was the result this morning.

The slicing of the updated model seems to have forgotten something meaningful.

I’m trying a different model now. Right now it looks like this, with about 10 hours of printing to go.

Each couple of layers seems to help make them look less like a failure. We will see later today.

No rain, chilly start to the day, and no rain in longer forecast. Not a way to Enjoy Life