CGP-115 plotter
Ade V
I recently (read: this morning) acquired a CGP-115 4-colour
plotter/printer. Unfortunately, it comes without instructions, PSU or
appropriate cable...
The manual (or some variation thereof) still exists on the Radio Shack
website, so I've managed to glean some info, however, some questions
remain outstanding...
1) What voltage does it require? I'm reluctant to just stick 9vdc on it,
in case it's 6vdc; also, I don't know the polarity. Can anyone help?
2) Is it possible to obtain replacement pens? Naturally, the four in it
are dry as a bone. Whilst I may be able to breath life back into the
existing ones using appropriate solvents, elbow grease, and a
considerable amount of TLC, and lots and lots of patience, it'd be so
much easier to simply replace them.
3) Is it easy enough to fabricate a cable suitable for a TRS-80 Model 1,
and also a TRS-80 Model 102, as I have examples of both machines?
Alternatively, are cables still available anywhere.
Of course, if anyone reading is willing to donate/sell appropriate
parts, I'm all ears!
Cheers!
Ade.
--
"EDS herding cats? EDS couldn't herd a tortoise in a barrel
without fucking it up!" - Anon
Leonard Erickson
>Hi,
>
>I recently (read: this morning) acquired a CGP-115 4-colour
>plotter/printer. Unfortunately, it comes without instructions, PSU or
>appropriate cable...
>
>The manual (or some variation thereof) still exists on the Radio Shack
>website, so I've managed to glean some info, however, some questions
>remain outstanding...
>
>
>1) What voltage does it require? I'm reluctant to just stick 9vdc on it,
>in case it's 6vdc; also, I don't know the polarity. Can anyone help?
Bad news. It's 9.8 VDC, 1.2 A.
Center negative, outside positive. I'm reading this off the power pack
for mine as I type this, btw.
>2) Is it possible to obtain replacement pens? Naturally, the four in it
>are dry as a bone. Whilst I may be able to breath life back into the
>existing ones using appropriate solvents, elbow grease, and a
>considerable amount of TLC, and lots and lots of patience, it'd be so
>much easier to simply replace them.
They quit listing them in the catalog a while back.
I know that the same mechanism was used in several other printers for
other *brands* of computer. So they may be findable.
>3) Is it easy enough to fabricate a cable suitable for a TRS-80 Model 1,
>and also a TRS-80 Model 102, as I have examples of both machines?
>Alternatively, are cables still available anywhere.
Those seem to have dropped out of the catalog as of last year.
For the model I and Model 102, the cable is simple. Just run pin 1 to
pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2, etc. Pins 35 and 36 on the printer end of the
cable are left unconnected.
Crimp on connectors will work just fine.
>Of course, if anyone reading is willing to donate/sell appropriate
>parts, I'm all ears!
Sorry, but I'm hanging on to my cables. And I'm hanging on to the pens
as well, as I have *two* printers that use them.
If you find a source for the pens, please post it!
Be warned that the plastic gears in the printing mechanism wear out...
and once they do, that's it unless you can get a new mechanism. :-(
--
Leonard Erickson (aka shadow{G})
sha...@krypton.rain.com <--preferred
leo...@qiclab.scn.rain.com <--last resort
Ade V
> On Sat, 3 Aug 2002 18:54:53 +0100, Ade V <javi...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote:
>
> >Hi,
> >
> >I recently (read: this morning) acquired a CGP-115 4-colour
> >plotter/printer. Unfortunately, it comes without instructions, PSU or
> >appropriate cable...
> >
> >The manual (or some variation thereof) still exists on the Radio Shack
> >website, so I've managed to glean some info, however, some questions
> >remain outstanding...
> >
> >
> >1) What voltage does it require? I'm reluctant to just stick 9vdc on it,
> >in case it's 6vdc; also, I don't know the polarity. Can anyone help?
>
> Bad news. It's 9.8 VDC, 1.2 A.
>
> Center negative, outside positive. I'm reading this off the power pack
> for mine as I type this, btw.
9.8 is no problem, that means it will *probably* take up to 12v without
serious harm (just potential overheating), but certainly 10v. I can
probably source a powerpack to do that.
Just out of interest, does the adaptor state whether it's regulated or
unregulated?
>
> >2) Is it possible to obtain replacement pens? Naturally, the four in it
> >are dry as a bone. Whilst I may be able to breath life back into the
> >existing ones using appropriate solvents, elbow grease, and a
> >considerable amount of TLC, and lots and lots of patience, it'd be so
> >much easier to simply replace them.
>
> They quit listing them in the catalog a while back.
>
> I know that the same mechanism was used in several other printers for
> other *brands* of computer. So they may be findable.
True, I found a few references to other brand machines in the Google
usenet archive. In some ways, it's a PITA that computer h/w ages so
quickly - it does make getting consumables hard work :(
>
> >3) Is it easy enough to fabricate a cable suitable for a TRS-80 Model 1,
> >and also a TRS-80 Model 102, as I have examples of both machines?
> >Alternatively, are cables still available anywhere.
>
> Those seem to have dropped out of the catalog as of last year.
>
> For the model I and Model 102, the cable is simple. Just run pin 1 to
> pin 1, pin 2 to pin 2, etc. Pins 35 and 36 on the printer end of the
> cable are left unconnected.
>
> Crimp on connectors will work just fine.
Cool, I'll probably have a go at making my own connectors then.
>
> >Of course, if anyone reading is willing to donate/sell appropriate
> >parts, I'm all ears!
>
> Sorry, but I'm hanging on to my cables. And I'm hanging on to the pens
> as well, as I have *two* printers that use them.
Annoying, but understandable and unsurprising... :)
>
> If you find a source for the pens, please post it!
>
Will do.
> Be warned that the plastic gears in the printing mechanism wear out...
> and once they do, that's it unless you can get a new mechanism. :-(
It's not like this is going to get any serious use... It's merely an
addition to the collection.
Incidentally, they claim a 12 CPS text output - how does it actually
form the characters? Does it draw each one complete, or does it use a
dot-matrix type of setup? If the former, how the heck does it manage
12/second? It must be going ballistic...
Charles Richmond
> [snip...] [snip...] [snip...]
>
> It's not like this is going to get any serious use... It's merely an
> addition to the collection.
>
version called the "Atari 1020 Color Printer".
>
> Incidentally, they claim a 12 CPS text output - how does it actually
> form the characters? Does it draw each one complete, or does it use a
> dot-matrix type of setup? If the former, how the heck does it manage
> 12/second? It must be going ballistic...
>
Incidently, if you hold down the "PAPER FEED" switch when
turning on the CGP-115...it prints a self-test alphabet.
On the following page, photocopied manuals are sold for many
Radio Shack products, including the CGP-115. The guy wants
$10 for the plotter manual:
< http://www.netspace.net.au/~ianmav/trs80/manuals.htm>
--
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
| Charles and Francis Richmond <rich...@plano.net> |
+-------------------------------------------------------------+
Charles Richmond
>
> Hi,
>
> I recently (read: this morning) acquired a CGP-115 4-colour
> plotter/printer. Unfortunately, it comes without instructions, PSU or
> appropriate cable...
>
used in the Radio Shack CGP-115, the Atari 1020 Color Printer
and the Commodore 1520 printer. If that is any help...
Neil Morrison
"Ade V" <javi...@yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message
news:MPG.17b62947e32c7d8b989b18@slave...
> Hi,
>
> I recently (read: this morning) acquired a CGP-115 4-colour
> plotter/printer. Unfortunately, it comes without instructions, PSU
or
> appropriate cable...
>
> The manual (or some variation thereof) still exists on the Radio
Shack
> website, so I've managed to glean some info, however, some
questions
> remain outstanding...
>
>
> 1) What voltage does it require? I'm reluctant to just stick 9vdc
on it,
> in case it's 6vdc; also, I don't know the polarity. Can anyone
help?
9.8 VDC at 1.8 Amps, center pin negative.
> 2) Is it possible to obtain replacement pens? Naturally, the four
in it
> are dry as a bone. Whilst I may be able to breath life back into
the
> existing ones using appropriate solvents, elbow grease, and a
> considerable amount of TLC, and lots and lots of patience, it'd be
so
> much easier to simply replace them.
Try 1-800-THE-SHACK
I have heard of people refilling them. I bought some on eBay, but
they are rare.
Same pens are used for the PC-2.
> 3) Is it easy enough to fabricate a cable suitable for a TRS-80
Model 1,
> and also a TRS-80 Model 102, as I have examples of both machines?
> Alternatively, are cables still available anywhere.
You can watch eBay. They are also not too hard to make.
If you burrow down into the depths of the Radio Shack site, you may
find some info.
Mo
disk drive. I believe they were 9.5V DC- probably a different style
connector though. The Atari PSU's are pretty common on Ebay.
Mo
"Charles Richmond" <rich...@ev1.net> wrote in message
news:3D4D6337...@ev1.net...
Leonard Erickson
wrote:
>Ade V wrote:
>>
>> Hi,
>>
>> I recently (read: this morning) acquired a CGP-115 4-colour
>> plotter/printer. Unfortunately, it comes without instructions, PSU or
>> appropriate cable...
>>
>Supposedly, the mechanism is made by ALPS Electronics, and was
>used in the Radio Shack CGP-115, the Atari 1020 Color Printer
>and the Commodore 1520 printer. If that is any help...
And in the printer interface for the Pocket Computer 2.
Aside from narrower paper, it's the same thing, right down to the pens.
Leonard Erickson
>> Center negative, outside positive. I'm reading this off the power pack
>> for mine as I type this, btw.
>
>9.8 is no problem, that means it will *probably* take up to 12v without
>serious harm (just potential overheating), but certainly 10v. I can
>probably source a powerpack to do that.
>
>Just out of interest, does the adaptor state whether it's regulated or
>unregulated?
Nope.
>> Be warned that the plastic gears in the printing mechanism wear out...
>> and once they do, that's it unless you can get a new mechanism. :-(
>
>It's not like this is going to get any serious use... It's merely an
>addition to the collection.
>
>Incidentally, they claim a 12 CPS text output - how does it actually
>form the characters? Does it draw each one complete, or does it use a
>dot-matrix type of setup? If the former, how the heck does it manage
>12/second? It must be going ballistic...
It draws them. But at the smallest character size, it can get *80*
characters on a line. And they are rather simplified.
I may fire mine up and have it print the entire character set at maximum
size (and sideways), then scan the result.
It may not hit 12 cps but it *does* go damned fast. Do the self test
someone mentioned and you'll be amazed at the sound.
Leonard Erickson
wrote:
>> Incidentally, they claim a 12 CPS text output - how does it actually
>> form the characters? Does it draw each one complete, or does it use a
>> dot-matrix type of setup? If the former, how the heck does it manage
>> 12/second? It must be going ballistic...
>>
>Each character is drawn with the pen. No way that it prints 12 cps.
That means (at the default 40 characters per line) that it'd take about
3.3 seconds to do a line. I don't think it's *that* fast, but it's not
super slow either.
Bill Marcum
Mo <mygranny-nospam-@swbell-nospam-.net> wrote:
>As for that power supply, you may be able to rig an Atari PSU for a 1050
>disk drive. I believe they were 9.5V DC- probably a different style
>connector though. The Atari PSU's are pretty common on Ebay.
>Mo
>
and 800 computers, 810 disk drive and 850 interface. The XL and XE
computers used 5VDC.