This WordClock 2025 variant covers mostly every input I got from users in the last year for the previous models. =)
All features and the code are the same as for the WordClock 16x8 (2023-V2/V3) models and WordClock 16x8 - 2024 (V4/V5) variants. So “just“ the design is changed and needed quite a few changes to make this work. It again uses a printed diffuser instead of the piece of paper like 2023-V1 does. That is why V1 was not updated for this model here. This model requires 2 color changes during printing of the front part. More to that later…
Hope you like this new variant! =)
Here are some pictures:
New functions and options:
A new, now 5th free font is available, which I think is the most interesting to read. Check it out yourself. =)
From many users in 2023/2024 was reported the “way to complicated ESP32 software flashing actions", which were all sorted out in 2024 with the new script to flash the ESP32 without the need of the Arduino IDE. All the instructions videos and notes did not work out for all the users in the end, so this is the best way to setup the device and I can now say after some weeks, that this change really makes a difference to an easy setup.
Please watch this video if you do not know what I am writing about now: ;-)
I also received many messages and notes that the last action of the build, where the 2 case parts have to slide together, was a bit tricky and some users asked if I could not flip the 3 WAGO clamps around 90° to have a slightly longer cable to the matrix then. So this is what I tried and after about 3 prototypes I got to the new solution, where the WAGO clamps are now located at the top of the lid and therefore the cable to the matrix is a bit longer, so that you can close the lid now more easily. =)
I also thought of some comments, where users asked if the case could not be kept closed and still be able to flash the ESP32 again - if ever needed. So this is why the ESP32 was flipped 180°, moved to the bottom of the lid and I added a little hole to attach an USB-C cable to from the outside. This should come in handy if you ever need this and the hole still is not really visible.
Now you may ask yourself: “The lid is improved, but I like the previous fonts V4 or V5 of the 2024 model more… Can I use the new lid also on the 2024 model?”. The short answer is: Yes you can! The lid is still compatible with the 2024 models of WordClock 16x8 if you like to add it there too. I prevented remodeling the whole case to make it even more fast to print and therefore you can use the new lid design on the older models too. =)
Speaking of faster print times: Through the slight changes of the lid I found out that the print time went down significantly down to a total around 15 hours for my Prusa MK3.5/MK4S printers. I think this is also a good improvement. I did not have a closer look why this in detail, but faster should be always better - right? =)
There are also a few more little changes to the lid that you might find too, like a better light seal around the edges, which are way less important to write about them here. But one of them I like to mention, because I tried this many, many, many times and now found a good working way to add such big screws to such printed cases. So to make it short: The 4 screws are also redesigned including the threads they go into the lid part and they now screw in much more easy and smoothly. So this might be an improvement as well, because they could go in a bit fiddly before too. =)
These languages are available in the font variants V2/V3/V4/V5/V6:
German
English
Dutch
Swedish
Italian
French
Swiss German
Swabian German
Bavarian
Luxembourgish
East German
Austrian
Spanish
Greek (font does not fully support this language)
For the following details, please refer to the previous model article: WordClock 16x8 - 2024
AWSW
