Can you clean a Daisy Wheel?
ne...@webtv.net
of some letters some of the time. For example in the word "training"
everything is fine except the dot over the first "i" is missing. In the
word LEMEN, the upper part of the first E is missing, but not missing on
the second E, but the upper part of the N is missing. Is there some way
to "clean" the daisy wheel? Or do I need to purchase a new wheel?
Would appreciate any suggestions.
Thanks
John
William Meyer
> Is there some way
> to "clean" the daisy wheel?
Start with some alcohol, and a brush. If it's just accumulated crud
from the ribbon, that should do it.
--
Bill
Frankie Zsitvay
Someone else on the planet also had one of
these?? I'm surprised...
<tick> <tap> <tick> <tap> <tick> <tap> <tap> <tap>
<grunt!>
<grunt!>
<grunt!>
I still have mine, and it works. It was the first
printer I ever owned...
John, if you have close access to an Office Depot,
go in and order a film ribbon for an Olivetti Praxis
30/35 and try it. If your printer works fine, then
the problem is with your ribbon. The fabric is
probably worn from lots of use. You can also try
spraying the ribbon container part of the cartridge
with WD40 to try to distribute the remaining ink
onto the ribbon surface. You'll have to pry the
cartridge open slightly and use the tube on the can
to aim the flow.
Unfortunately, fabric ribbons aren't available for
these anymore, so don't throw your fabric ribbon
casing away. With care, you can open it up, remove
the old ribbon, and put in new ribbon stock of the
same width. It's a messy job, but it's the only way
to repair it these days.
-Frank
Jim Bianchi
wrote:
> Unfortunately, fabric ribbons aren't available for these anymore, so
>don't throw your fabric ribbon casing away. With care, you can open it up,
>remove the old ribbon, and put in new ribbon stock of the same width. It's
>a messy job, but it's the only way to repair it these days.
Long ago and far away, I remember seeing an advert for a gizzie
that'd re-ink fabric ribbons. I was about to buy one when someone turned me
on to the WD-40 trick.
Which reminds me, I have an authentic sound proof enclosure on a
stand (with casters) for an NEC Spinwriter or Diablo impact printer. It has
an internal electrical outlet and an exhaust fan. It's avail for free, but I
won't pack or ship it (too big). If anyone wants it, y'gotta come and get
it. I'm in Santa Rosa, California and if you're interested, lemme know by
email and I'll email you back my address and we can work out the details.
--
ji...@sonic.net
Eclectic Garbanzo BBS, (707) 539-1279
"My parents just came back from a planet where the dominant lifeform
had no bilateral symmetry, and all I got was this stupid F-Shirt."
Ross Simpson
> >
> > I have a JUKI 6100 Daisy wheel printer which is missing the upper parts
> > of some letters some of the time. For example in the word "training"
> > everything is fine except the dot over the first "i" is missing. In the
> > word LEMEN, the upper part of the first E is missing, but not missing on
> > the second E, but the upper part of the N is missing. Is there some way
> > to "clean" the daisy wheel? Or do I need to purchase a new wheel?
> > Would appreciate any suggestions.
> > Thanks
> > John
>
> Someone else on the planet also had one of
> these?? I'm surprised...
>
> <tick> <tap> <tick> <tap> <tick> <tap> <tap> <tap>
> <grunt!>
> <grunt!>
> <grunt!>
While I've never owned a Daisy Wheel Printer, I would of thought it was a
perfectly legitimate alternative to a Dot Matrix. Of course the Dot Matrix
has some advantages (just in terms of printing Fonts & Graphics without
wearing out certain characters like a Daisy Wheel might), however for text
it definitely beats an average Dot Matrix any day & oh yeah a Daisy Wheel
should be quieter.
With Regards,
Ross.
john C. Ellingboe
but don't try that on a dot matrix ribbon. The silicone in the oil
will grind the pins down to needles right quick. Use a good quality
gun oil (not "3in1" since it will form a thick gum) and it will work
fine.
Jim Bianchi wrote:
>
> On Sat, 16 Nov 2002 20:32:59 -0800, Frankie Zsitvay <fr...@rdwarf.com>
> wrote:
> > Unfortunately, fabric ribbons aren't available for these anymore, so
> >don't throw your fabric ribbon casing away. With care, you can open it up,
> >remove the old ribbon, and put in new ribbon stock of the same width. It's
> >a messy job, but it's the only way to repair it these days.
>
> Long ago and far away, I remember seeing an advert for a gizzie
> that'd re-ink fabric ribbons. I was about to buy one when someone turned me
> on to the WD-40 trick.
>
>
Snip
>
> --
> ji...@sonic.net
> Eclectic Garbanzo BBS, (707) 539-1279
>
> "My parents just came back from a planet where the dominant lifeform
> had no bilateral symmetry, and all I got was this stupid F-Shirt."
--
John C. Ellingboe - KE4BPW
jo...@guntersville.net
www.guntersville.net
Jim Bianchi
<rosssimpson@my_spammers_address.com.au> wrote:
>While I've never owned a Daisy Wheel Printer, I would of thought it was a
>perfectly legitimate alternative to a Dot Matrix. Of course the Dot Matrix
>has some advantages (just in terms of printing Fonts & Graphics without
>wearing out certain characters like a Daisy Wheel might), however for text
>it definitely beats an average Dot Matrix any day & oh yeah a Daisy Wheel
>should be quieter.
Quieter? Not bloody likely. For true letter quality text, esp when
using a carbon film ribbon, it's hard to tell daisy wheel copy from that
produced by a typewriter, but QUIET? My first printer was a Transtar daisy
wheel, and when it was printing, you knew it, and my neighbors in the next
apt knew it. And it was not a very big one at all. When you got into the
biggies, such as the NEC Spinwriters and Diablo daisy wheels, gadzooks!
There was a whole industry building and selling soundproof
enclosures (of varying degrees of effectiveness) to hold daisy wheel
printers. A roomfull of NEC Spinwriters, all going at once was something to
behold -- from a distance while wearing ear protectors, even when they all
were in soundproof enclosures.
Of course, dot matrix ptrs aren't exactly quiet, but the noise they
make is of a different quality. The vibrations are a much higher frequency,
and are more easily dampened. Whereas a daisy wheel produces a low frequency
<thud> every stroke, which in turn, sets up sympathetic vibrations that can
resonate through the frame.
Ross Simpson
> >While I've never owned a Daisy Wheel Printer, I would of thought it was a
> >perfectly legitimate alternative to a Dot Matrix. Of course the Dot
Matrix
> >has some advantages (just in terms of printing Fonts & Graphics without
> >wearing out certain characters like a Daisy Wheel might), however for
text
> >it definitely beats an average Dot Matrix any day & oh yeah a Daisy Wheel
> >should be quieter.
>
> Quieter? Not bloody likely. For true letter quality text, esp when
> using a carbon film ribbon, it's hard to tell daisy wheel copy from that
> produced by a typewriter, but QUIET? My first printer was a Transtar daisy
> wheel, and when it was printing, you knew it, and my neighbors in the next
> apt knew it. And it was not a very big one at all. When you got into the
> biggies, such as the NEC Spinwriters and Diablo daisy wheels, gadzooks!
Okay. I haven't actually heard a Daisy Wheel & the closest thing I could
compare with one is an electric typewriter, but it sounds like your making
the point that a daisy wheel is louder than an electric typewriter. Only
reason I'm asking is it sounded like someone recently in
alt.folklore.computers was looking to convert a typewriter into some sort of
printing machine for a computer.
> There was a whole industry building and selling soundproof
> enclosures (of varying degrees of effectiveness) to hold daisy wheel
> printers. A roomfull of NEC Spinwriters, all going at once was something
to
> behold -- from a distance while wearing ear protectors, even when they all
> were in soundproof enclosures.
Don't know if your familar with the film the Andromeda Strain. Was just
thinking that there is a Daisy Wheel printer in that movie which didn't seem
to loud (maybe I should turn the sound up!) & was also quite large, I
suppose the quicker they are the nosier they get.
> Of course, dot matrix ptrs aren't exactly quiet, but the noise they
> make is of a different quality. The vibrations are a much higher
frequency,
> and are more easily dampened. Whereas a daisy wheel produces a low
frequency
> <thud> every stroke, which in turn, sets up sympathetic vibrations that
can
> resonate through the frame.
With dot matrix printers it usually depends on the model of printer. I have
a large NEC Prinwriter 7 - 24Pin printer which can get quite loud, but my 9
Pin Star printer takes longer to print something out (in a sense the noise
gets to you after a while).
With Regards,
Ross.
Frankie Zsitvay
>
> "Jim Bianchi" <ji...@sonic.net> wrote in message...
>
> > >While I've never owned a Daisy Wheel Printer, I would of thought it was a
> > >perfectly legitimate alternative to a Dot Matrix. Of course the Dot
> Matrix
> > >has some advantages (just in terms of printing Fonts & Graphics without
> > >wearing out certain characters like a Daisy Wheel might), however for
> text
> > >it definitely beats an average Dot Matrix any day & oh yeah a Daisy Wheel
> > >should be quieter.
> >
> > Quieter? Not bloody likely. For true letter quality text, esp when
> > using a carbon film ribbon, it's hard to tell daisy wheel copy from that
> > produced by a typewriter, but QUIET? My first printer was a Transtar daisy
> > wheel, and when it was printing, you knew it, and my neighbors in the next
> > apt knew it. And it was not a very big one at all. When you got into the
> > biggies, such as the NEC Spinwriters and Diablo daisy wheels, gadzooks!
>
> Okay. I haven't actually heard a Daisy Wheel & the closest thing I could
> compare with one is an electric typewriter, but it sounds like your making
> the point that a daisy wheel is louder than an electric typewriter. Only
> reason I'm asking is it sounded like someone recently in
> alt.folklore.computers was looking to convert a typewriter into some sort of
> printing machine for a computer.
Ok, perhaps I should interject here. The Juki
printer in question (which now I remember mine as
the Juki 6000, not 6100, but the 6100 was just a
somewhat faster and heavier version) was a 3
character per second daisy wheel printer, which
would translate as a normal typist using a daisy
wheel typewriter. By computer standards, this is
amazingly slow and humorous to watch. It used a
ribbon that was about 3/8" tall, and would alternate
the cartridge between high and low ribbon strike
positions on each alternate character. At 3
characters per second, it wasn't very loud. It used
the same mechanism as the Juki typewriter.
The Diablo and Qume daisies, by contrast, would
shoot off characters at a rate of 40 to 60
characters per second! To do that requires some
husky machinery and a great deal of power. If you
tried to run a Selectric at that kind of speed, that
little ball would have come loose and flown across
the room to the next county.
For many years, if you wanted correspondence
quality text, you used some kind of impact character
printer like a daisy, a thimble like the NEC
Sprinwriter, or a drum printer. If you thought a
daisy was loud, then you haven't seen or heard a
drum printer in operation without the mandatory
soundproof enclosure.
-Frank
John Thompson
> You can get by with WD40 to extend a dried out a daisy wheel ribbon,
> but don't try that on a dot matrix ribbon. The silicone in the oil
> will grind the pins down to needles right quick.
There's no "silicone" in WD-40 -- it's purely a petroleum product. I've
been using it (WD-40) on dot matrix ribbons for almost 20 years and the
original printhead on my old Epson still works fine. Diamond pins, maybe?
I guess I'll have to ask Epson...
Did you perhaps mean "silicon," as in silicon dioxide -- which has no
business being in a lubricating product to start with? Think "sandpaper"
&etc. :-) "Silicone" (more correctly, "polysiloxane") OTOH, is a generic
term referring to synthetic silicon-based polymers, some of which have
lubricating properties analogous to those of traditional traditional
hydrocarbon (petroleum) lubricants. Silicone lubricants tend to be more
stable under extreme conditions than hydrocarbon lubricants, but that's
neither here nor there.
The reason the WD-40 trick works for printer ribbons is that the light oil
of which it is comprised acts as a solvent to dissolve dried ink from
parts of the ribbon that are less used and allows the ink to redistribute
more evenly across the ribbon.
> Use a good quality gun oil (not "3in1" since it will form a thick gum)
> and it will work fine.
More precisely, use a mineral-based oil rather than a vegetable based
oil. Gun oil is fine, as you point out, since it is a petroleum (mineral)
product. So is WD-40, for the same reason. But 3-in-1 and some other
cheap oils are vegetable based and will form gums over time. It is
possible to remove such gums with a decent solvent, but why not avoid the
problem in the first place?
--
-John (John.T...@attglobal.net)
Michael J. Mahon
> The Diablo and Qume daisies, by contrast, would
>shoot off characters at a rate of 40 to 60
>characters per second! To do that requires some
>husky machinery and a great deal of power. If you
>tried to run a Selectric at that kind of speed, that
>little ball would have come loose and flown across
>the room to the next county.
There were a lot of Selectric printers driven by computers.
For example, the console printer of every IBM/360 was a
Selectric printer. The speed was around 15 cps (actually,
it was a "strange" number, probably derived by going as
fast as its design reliability would permit).
The noise a dot matrix printer makes (eeeee,eeeee,eeeee)
is of a very different (and, to me, more tolerable) quality than
that made by a computer-driven Selectric (brabrabrappp, brp,
brabrapp).
> For many years, if you wanted correspondence
>quality text, you used some kind of impact character
>printer like a daisy, a thimble like the NEC
>Sprinwriter, or a drum printer. If you thought a
>daisy was loud, then you haven't seen or heard a
>drum printer in operation without the mandatory
>soundproof enclosure.
For sure! Used to play some pretty loud "music" on
those printers! To hear one, check out:
http://www.computerhistory.org/exhibits/highlights/
-michael
Check out 8-bit Apple sound that will amaze you on my
Home page: http://members.aol.com/MJMahon/
Jim Bianchi
<rosssimpson@my_spammers_address.com.au> wrote:
>"Jim Bianchi" <ji...@sonic.net> wrote in message...
>> >While I've never owned a Daisy Wheel Printer, I would of thought it was
>> >a perfectly legitimate alternative to a Dot Matrix. Of course the Dot
>> >Matrix has some advantages (just in terms of printing Fonts & Graphics
>> >without wearing out certain characters like a Daisy Wheel might),
>> >however for text it definitely beats an average Dot Matrix any day & oh
>> >yeah a Daisy Wheel should be quieter.
>>
>> Quieter? Not bloody likely. For true letter quality text, esp when
>> using a carbon film ribbon, it's hard to tell daisy wheel copy from that
>> produced by a typewriter, but QUIET? My first printer was a Transtar daisy
>> wheel, and when it was printing, you knew it, and my neighbors in the next
>> apt knew it. And it was not a very big one at all. When you got into the
>> biggies, such as the NEC Spinwriters and Diablo daisy wheels, gadzooks!
>
>Okay. I haven't actually heard a Daisy Wheel & the closest thing I could
>compare with one is an electric typewriter, but it sounds like your making
>the point that a daisy wheel is louder than an electric typewriter. Only
>reason I'm asking is it sounded like someone recently in
>alt.folklore.computers was looking to convert a typewriter into some sort
>of printing machine for a computer.
Back in the stone age, when first I got into pooters, I had an IBM
Correcting Selectric III. Beautiful machine. Anyway, I recall reading an
advert somewhere about how some company (??) would sell you all the stuff
needed to install a serial port in your Selectric, or maybe they'd exchange
a modified Selectric for yours, plus some dollars, I forget. Whatever, you
ended up with a Selectric with a serial port and you could then cable it to
your computer. Since this was early on, most offices still had Selectrics
instead of pooters with wp pgms loaded, so it was an easy answer ..or so it
seemed. Of course, a Selectric is one hefty typer -- easily the industries
finest --- but hefty as it is, it is STILL not up to the task of printing
constantly at some high speed as would be the case if it were driven by a
computer. Not to mention paper feed. Friction feed only looses largely. (I
ended up selling my Selectric III and using the money ($750) for a Transtar
daisy wheel ptr -- a wise move, since today, a Selectric III will only bring
$150-$250 for a decent example on eBay.)
Early Teletype machines used what were essentially old fashioned
electric typewriters (with the seperate type elements for each char), and
the guy might be able to find and adapt one of these, but heyyy. That seems
a lot of time, effort, and money to get a device that *might* be able to
print 30 wpm -- until it jammed, that is.
It's not really practical to adapt any kind of electric typewriter
to be a computer printer. 1. Too slow. 2. Too expensive. 3. The typical ptr
is made for -- and expected to see -- constant use. This kind of use would
quickly destroy a 'lectric typewriter. 4. The friction paper feed would be
maddening. 5. When the thing broke (not if, when), where would you get
parts? (IBM will laugh at you if you try to get service on a Selectric.)
I've never even used a daisy wheel typewriter, but I suspect the
same reasoning would apply to them (though a coversion might be a bit less
expensive).
bud
Thank you John:
Group: comp.os.cpm Date: Mon, Nov 18, 2002, 2:10am (CST+6) From:
jo...@starfleet.thompson.us (John Thompson)
script:
>There's no "silicone" in WD-40 -- it's
>purely a petroleum product. I've been
>using it (WD-40) on dot matrix ribbons
>for almost 20 years and the original
>printhead on my old Epson still works fine.
There's a lot of claptrap about WD-40. AFAIK, it is just DMSO (waxy
industrial lube used mainly for deep-drawing metal) dissolved in mineral
spirits.
salaam,
dowcom
--
http://community.webtv.net/dowcom/DOWCOMSAMSTRADGUIDE
DOShead Credo:
a) Try it! It might work.
b) GOTO a).
tom
=====snip============
> John, if you have close access to an Office Depot,
> go in and order a film ribbon for an Olivetti Praxis
> 30/35 and try it. If your printer works fine, then
> the problem is with your ribbon. The fabric is
> probably worn from lots of use. You can also try
> spraying the ribbon container part of the cartridge
> with WD40 to try to distribute the remaining ink
> onto the ribbon surface. You'll have to pry the
> cartridge open slightly and use the tube on the can
> to aim the flow.
>
> Unfortunately, fabric ribbons aren't available for
> these anymore, so don't throw your fabric ribbon
> casing away. With care, you can open it up, remove
> the old ribbon, and put in new ribbon stock of the
> same width. It's a messy job, but it's the only way
> to repair it these days.
>
> -Frank
I don't know if this outfit is still in business as I
haven't purchased anything from them in the past 3-4
years, but they used to sell ribbon ink which one
could easily apply. I have used the same ribbons for
years using their ink. When I bought it, it cost about
$5 for 3 or 4 oz which was plenty for me as I would reink
my ribbons and have some left over and that usually
sat in the vial and eventually went bad.
V-Tech Inc. 2223 Rebecca Hatfield PA 199440
(215)822-2989 fax (215)822-6394 ...
ne...@webtv.net
think this was one of them. I removed the daisy wheel, cleaned it with
alcohol and replaced it. The printer made a "spinning" noise which it
often does but when it printed the text the wheel was wayout of whack
and the letters it printed were not at all what the computer monitor
screen showed. So I replace it several time, getting varied text typed
out, but never the correct one. So, I sprayed some WD40 down there on
the metal mechanism of some kind, put the wheel back in and LO AND
BEHOLD, the "spinning" noise was gone AND the text was CORRECT!!!
ALso, the ribbon I've been using is not a fabric ribbon but the IBM
Selectric I which says it uses "Lift Off Tape 5181" and the cartridge is
only good for one run through.
And by the way the cleaning of the wheel seems to have corrected the
original problem - SO THANKS to everyone.
John
John Thompson
> There's a lot of claptrap about WD-40. AFAIK, it is just DMSO (waxy
> industrial lube used mainly for deep-drawing metal) dissolved in mineral
> spirits.
There's no DMSO (dimethysulfoxide) in WD-40 either. BTW, DMSO is not waxy
or particularly lubricating; it is a somewhat volatile liquid solvent with
a distinctive "garlicy" odor used mainly as an industrial aprotic polar
solvent in organic syntheses. It acquired some popular fame a few years
back as an arthritis treatment (never officially sanctioned as such,
AFAIK) because it penetrates the skin quite effectively and apparently
seemed to help people with arthritic joints. Fortunately, it is
non-toxic and leaves the body as readily as it enters.
To steer this back on topic, DMSO might be a decent solvent with which to
clean the printhead you gummed up with some cheap vegetable oil...
--
-John (John.T...@attglobal.net)
bud
'Lo John:
Group: comp.os.cpm Date: Tue, Nov 19, 2002, 11:58pm (CST+6) From:
jo...@starfleet.thompson.us (John Thompson)
script:
>There's no DMSO (dimethysulfoxide)
>in WD-40 either. BTW, DMSO is not
>waxy or particularly lubricating; ...
Rats! Now _I'm_ contributing to the claptrap.
Sorry.
Barry Watzman
(which may well be adjustable) is too low relative to the characters on
the wheel. Look for a way to raise or lower either the platten or the
carriage. The bars that the carriage rides on may have separaate
adjustements on each end.
Barry Watzman
very important: The ink used in dot matrix printers is an integral part
of the printing system because it does lubricate and "get into" the
printhead wires. The wrong ink (or an ink "tampered with" by something
like WD-40, can screw up the printhead forever (although I'm not saying
that WD-40 would, but certainly the potential exists). However, for a
formed-character impact printer (such as a selectric or a daisy-wheel),
not such considerations exist.
Barry Watzman
but [when packed up] mint condition Diablo 1620 printer (which has a
keyboard as well). I bought it new in 1977 for $2,700, it's only been
used in my home as a personal printer. I used it until about 1991, but
it hasn't been taken out or powered up in about ten years.
Part of me wants to see what would happen, but part of me knows what
would almost certainly happen [can you say "Kaboom!, followed by
"smoke"]. As things stand, I can justify keeping it. If I "blew it
up", it would be hard to justify not throwing it out.
Barry Watzman
supply store. It often comes in a bottle with a roller ball applicator
(like old roll-on deoderants).
DO NOT use this for a dot-matrix printer, the ink does not have proper
lubricants.
After reinking, let it sit for a day or more so the fabric will more
evenly disperse the ink.
Barry Watzman
those are still available.
William Meyer
> Sitting in my basement, in the original factory box, is a lightly
> used but [when packed up] mint condition Diablo 1620 printer (which
> has a keyboard as well). I bought it new in 1977 for $2,700, it's
> only been used in my home as a personal printer. I used it until
> about 1991, but it hasn't been taken out or powered up in about ten
> years.
>
> Part of me wants to see what would happen, but part of me knows what
> would almost certainly happen [can you say "Kaboom!, followed by
> "smoke"]. As things stand, I can justify keeping it. If I "blew it
> up", it would be hard to justify not throwing it out.
The blow-up would almost certainly be due to dried out electrolytics,
though, and those can be replaced without much trouble. For that matter,
you could, if you were wild to do it, replace the power supplies with
newer products, and probably reduce the weight a good deal.
OTOH, since any laser delivers prettier print, less noise, and is
faster, why bother?
--
Bill
Posted with XanaNews Version 1.12.3.2
William Meyer
> You can re-ink a ribbon with stamp pad ink, available at any office
> supply store. It often comes in a bottle with a roller ball
> applicator (like old roll-on deoderants).
>
> DO NOT use this for a dot-matrix printer, the ink does not have
> proper lubricants.
>
> After reinking, let it sit for a day or more so the fabric will more
> evenly disperse the ink.
Believe it or not, Computer Friends still offers help for dot-matrix
printers. I used their re-inkers with my 300cps Data Products monster
20 years ago, and they were excellent. They have the inks, too.
William Meyer
> DO NOT use this for a dot-matrix printer, the ink does not have
> proper lubricants.
oops! I left out the URL:
http://www.cfriends.com/macinker.htm
Frankie Zsitvay
>
> Barry Watzman wrote:
>
> > Sitting in my basement, in the original factory box, is a lightly
> > used but [when packed up] mint condition Diablo 1620 printer (which
> > has a keyboard as well). I bought it new in 1977 for $2,700, it's
> > only been used in my home as a personal printer. I used it until
> > about 1991, but it hasn't been taken out or powered up in about ten
> > years.
> >
> > Part of me wants to see what would happen, but part of me knows what
> > would almost certainly happen [can you say "Kaboom!, followed by
> > "smoke"]. As things stand, I can justify keeping it. If I "blew it
> > up", it would be hard to justify not throwing it out.
>
> The blow-up would almost certainly be due to dried out electrolytics,
> though, and those can be replaced without much trouble. For that matter,
> you could, if you were wild to do it, replace the power supplies with
> newer products, and probably reduce the weight a good deal.
Oh no, not another exploding capacitor discussion!
I don't think the caps would blow after sitting for 11 years.
I'd cycle the power a few times, an hour on and several hours
off, and check the big filter caps to see if they are getting
warm. The little tantalum caps are no big deal. If they pop,
just solder in a new one.
> OTOH, since any laser delivers prettier print, less noise, and is
> faster, why bother?
Make the neighbors think you're working on machine guns? Test
the structural integrity of the foundation of your house? Feel
nostalgiac for those "good old days" when printers cost more
than the memory chips in you computer?
Somehow, for an exhibit of historic CP/M machines, a modern
laser printer just doesn't fit in the picture.
-Frank
Ross Simpson
> > > Sitting in my basement, in the original factory box, is a lightly
> > > used but [when packed up] mint condition Diablo 1620 printer (which
> > > has a keyboard as well). I bought it new in 1977 for $2,700, it's
> > > only been used in my home as a personal printer. I used it until
> > > about 1991, but it hasn't been taken out or powered up in about ten
> > > years.
> > >
> > > Part of me wants to see what would happen, but part of me knows what
> > > would almost certainly happen [can you say "Kaboom!, followed by
> > > "smoke"]. As things stand, I can justify keeping it. If I "blew it
> > > up", it would be hard to justify not throwing it out.
Well if you keep it out of the sun you should be right. Back in my first
youth I had to carry a huge desk fan through the elements of the sun & when
we turned the power on 'Kaboom!' (not at all pleasant). Hasn't happened to
my computer hardware as yet. Although my Amstrad monitor died at one stage,
some people in the UK experienced with their monitors too only with a
'Kaboom' when the transformer died in it, fortunately I had some other fault
in mine!
> Oh no, not another exploding capacitor discussion!
>
> I don't think the caps would blow after sitting for 11 years.
> I'd cycle the power a few times, an hour on and several hours
> off, and check the big filter caps to see if they are getting
> warm. The little tantalum caps are no big deal. If they pop,
> just solder in a new one.
I wouldn't think so either, I tend to worry about my old Amstrad though (17
years old now).
> Make the neighbors think you're working on machine guns? Test
> the structural integrity of the foundation of your house? Feel
> nostalgiac for those "good old days" when printers cost more
> than the memory chips in you computer?
Not a good time to be hearing machine guns!
> Somehow, for an exhibit of historic CP/M machines, a modern
> laser printer just doesn't fit in the picture.
You could (assuming that the laser can support native DOS without drivers),
but the costs to maintain Laser printers hasn't exactly decreased. InkJets
tend to have the problem of taking time to dry the spray paint (& are also
expensive for the cartridges!).
With Regards,
Ross.
pzachary
out and clean with an old toothbrush and dishsoap/water (rinse well).
alternatley, new wheels are still around, treat yourself to a new font
or two.
Pavl_
Matthias Paul
>> Someone else on the planet also had one of these?? I'm surprised...
Not your model, but I still have a (rather compact) Microscan MS-15
TTX Teletex Diasy Printer in almost mint & still fully working
condition sitting around here (was ca. EUR/USD 550,- in 1986).
Specs: 15 cps, tractor/friction feed for up to 12" (ca. DIN/ISO A3
portrait) wide fanfold paper, Centronics and RS-232C interfaces
(Commodore VC optional), with four typewheels (two Prestige Pica 10,
Prestige Elite 12, and Mini Gothic 15), and still four Nakamjima
black carbon ribbons.
Since I have no longer a use for it, if someone wants to have it to
nicely complement a CP/M or DOS environment, or to do some driver
testing/development, it's free to a good home (except for the shipping -
since I'm located in Aachen, shipping to Germany, the Netherlands,
or Belgium is preferred for obvious reasons).
> While I've never owned a Daisy Wheel Printer, I would of thought it
> was a perfectly legitimate alternative to a Dot Matrix. Of course
> the Dot Matrix has some advantages (just in terms of printing Fonts &
> Graphics without wearing out certain characters like a Daisy Wheel
> might), however for text it definitely beats an average Dot Matrix
> any day & oh yeah a Daisy Wheel should be quieter.
It really depends. The above mentioned printer is certainly not one
of the louder ones (sounds like a fast touch typist on a typewriter),
but those faster and much heavier "monster" printers could become
quite nerve-racking.
In the Eighties many consumer class dot matrix impact printers (and
even more so the heavy industry types) had an acoustic noise level in
the range of 60..70 dBA. For example the NEC Pinwriter P2/P3 (1984,
18 dots, 180 cps @ 10 cpi) reached 64 dBA. Today, dot matrix impact
printers are not necessarily disturbingly loud anymore.
If I compare the sound of my good old workhorse NEC Pinwriter P9300/P90
(1993, 24 dots, 400 cps @ 12 cpi, 54 dBA) with that of a more recent
(cheap) Hewlett Packard HP 610C inkjet printer (ca. 1999), they sound
different, but I couldn't tell the impact printer would be really
significantly louder (no data sheet for it, unfortunately).
Admitted, the HP 610C is a loud one in its class.
Some of the dot matrix impact printers today, like the NEC Pinwriter
P2000+/P2000/P2X (with 200 cps @ 12cpi) are as silent as 46 dBA -
that's good inkjet class noise level.
OK, I better stop before I get even more off-topic... ;-)
Greetings,
Matthias
--
<mailto:Matthi...@post.rwth-aachen.de>; <mailto:mp...@drdos.org>
http://www.uni-bonn.de/~uzs180/mpdokeng.html; http://mpaul.drdos.org
"Programs are poems for computers."
Barry Watzman
faster, why bother?"
Watching and listening to a laser printer is dull and boring. Sometimes
there is nostalgia value to whatching or listening to an old piece of
equipment. When was the last time you heard and watched a daisywheel
printer or a computer driver selectric ? When was the last time you
heard and watched an old 4-engine fire-breathing propeller driven
transport aircraft (a B-17, a DC-7, a Lochkeed Super Constellation) ?
Funtionality is not everything.
Barry Watzman
to and service switching power supply. It uses some odd voltages (45
volts or so) for the servo systems that spin the wheel and move the
carriage. In addition, the controller that runs the thing is a
full-blown 8080 CPU based system with a 6-slot card cage.
B'ichela
> volts or so) for the servo systems that spin the wheel and move the
> carriage. In addition, the controller that runs the thing is a
> full-blown 8080 CPU based system with a 6-slot card cage.
daisywheel terminal. but due to the seller packing it badly. it was
non-working as styrofoam popcorn jammed the mech, burned out a motor
in the machine. the part was more expensive than the terminal! ARGH! I
had a Diablo printer hooked to my H88 with a H47 system. Power supply
failed due to a old electrolytic.
I still would love to find that Diablo terminal locally. It
had the keyboard on it that allowed one to use it like a printing
typewriter or a computer terminal. it was cool but HEAVY!!! I had the
original manual too. Sigh, oh the things I had at one time! I still
want a working H88 and H47 8" subsystem. or a similar external box
where I cuuld possibly modify one of the drives for 3 1/2" 1.4mb.
If anyone in Connecticut has either in working order with
manuals. let me know by email. Being on Disability, I don't have much
to spend on this stuff, and I stay away from Ebay.
Right now I need to find someone with some Rg58 Coax, crimp on
BNC male plugs, terminators and Ts for my lan. I got two machines
ready for the cables. only I forsee being low on cash this month.
BTW I am the one who had the Rainbow-100. I wish I had it
still. I had to abandon in the sudden move. If anyone has one of those
it goes great with the Diablo. let me know.
--
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B'ichela
Lee Hart
> I still would love to find that Diablo terminal locally.
I don't have a Diablo, but I do have an Alphapro daisywheel printer that
I would be happy to sell for $25 plus shipping (and it's fairly light;
about 15 lbs). It has a parallel interface and cable to work with my
Kaypro, and is a Diablo "clone" as far as software like Wordstar is
concerned. The only problem with it is that the rubber pinch rollers for
the platen (the little black ones that press the paper against the
platen) are cracked from age. It works fine for single sheets, but
doesn't want to feed continuous roll or fanfeed paper straight (have to
reposition it every few pages).
--
Lee A. Hart Ring the bells that still can ring
814 8th Ave. N. Forget your perfect offering
Sartell, MN 56377 USA There is a crack in everything
leeahart_at_earthlink.net That's how the light gets in - Leonard Cohen
Jeff Jonas
*sigh* that's probably what killed mine.
I stripped it for parts, saved the boards, platen, etc.
in case anyone really needs one.
I gotta find the nameplate for the precise model, though.
--
Jeffrey Jonas
jeffj@panix(dot)com
The original Dr. JCL and Mr .hide
William Meyer
> The Diablo has a farily sophisticated, high power and difficult to
> get to and service switching power supply. It uses some odd voltages
> (45 volts or so) for the servo systems that spin the wheel and move
> the carriage. In addition, the controller that runs the thing is a
> full-blown 8080 CPU based system with a 6-slot card cage.
Back in the days when I owned a Diablo, I also owned a DataProducts
M200 dot matrix printer. I am unsure now whether the card cage in that
printer was 6 slots or 8, but it had at least one 8080, and was a
relative monster. OTOH, it also delivered output at 340cps, endlessly.
For that reason alone, it was my mainstay in those days.
Barry Watzman
boards (one for spinning the daisywheel and one for moving the carriage
(actually, there was a 3rd servo for rotating the platten)). On was the
processor board. There were at least two other cards (one slot may have
been empty). This was in a Diablo 1620-3 terminal, looks like an
electric typewriter (had a keyboard and could, in fact, be used as a
typewriter). Interface was RS-232 serial at 110, 300 or 1200 baud (but
if you used 1200 baud you had to use X-ON / X-OFF handshaking).
Barry Watzman
parts. Do you know the model number ?
B'ichela
> I don't remember what all 6 boards were. Two were servo controller
> boards (one for spinning the daisywheel and one for moving the carriage
> (actually, there was a 3rd servo for rotating the platten)). On was the
> processor board. There were at least two other cards (one slot may have
> been empty). This was in a Diablo 1620-3 terminal, looks like an
> electric typewriter (had a keyboard and could, in fact, be used as a
> typewriter). Interface was RS-232 serial at 110, 300 or 1200 baud (but
> if you used 1200 baud you had to use X-ON / X-OFF handshaking).
Ok, so the slots were not totally empty. and of course back then
there was no font cartridges either. Possibly a Parrelle card (centronics)
was an option for one of those slots.
Now where can I find this Diablo 1620-3 terminal. I never got a
chance to really test mine out as the Platten motor burned out before I
even got a chance to use it under Os9 Level II via the Deluxe Rs232 pack
on my Coco3.
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