Baslinux mailing list

[sindi keesan <keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org>]

On Thu, 8 Dec 2005, Anthony Albert wrote:

> On 7 Dec 2005 at 22:35, sindi keesan wrote:
> > QMS finally called back while I was here and explained that the flash rom
> > (eeprom?) on the 'controller' (motherboard) is bad ('image checksum
> > error') and no, we can't solder in a new one with a soldering iron, but I
> > can buy a replacement controller.  They named two wholesalers.
>
> Ahhhh... this explains much.  Though, I would bet that you could
> replace it with a sufficiently skilled touch.  However, you'd probably
> need to find another printer of the same model first, from which you
> could download the contents of the flash, to program the new one before
> soldering it into place.

They implied that it could not be soldered by hand. But my partner fixed 
three dead motherboards by replacing capacitors and two of them still 
work.  I thought the rom (is this the CMOS?) is usually socketed.

> > One of them found the part number and can order the controller for
> > $823.85.  For about $500 I can buy the entire unit, refurbished.
>
> That's often the case these days - replacement parts are more expensive
> than purchasing a replacement.  You may be able to find another used
> one, cheap, as a source of parts - that's what I was able to do with
> mine.

Some other places sell the board for $400-500 (new).

The shipping on a dead printer would be rather high but maybe someone will 
sell just the board.  I found a site where people were giving away various 
HPs 'for refurbishing', or selling refurbished laser printers newer than 
this one for $100-300.  Probably all mono.

I am investigating the larger HP now - 22"x24"x30" and takes 1.2 amps peak 
current, 1100 watts while printing.  I could use some extra heat this 
month.  I may need to open it to add SIMMs for 600 dpi, so I can print the 
200 dpi scanned documents people insist on sending instead of 300 dpi.
Netpbm lets me scale them from 200 to 600 dpi first.

The idiots at HP posted the pdf manual in color, so you can't print it on 
that printer without first converting it (pdftopbm, or maybe gs has some 
filter.  One time I was able to manually edit a pdf file to remove the 
color.)  It displays okay in mono.

> > QMS support suggested selling the toner cartridges on ebay.  They are at
> > least $50 each new and there are four of them.  Anyone want them?
>
> Definitely a possibility that you could sell them.  I would suggest
> going around to local businesses, first, though.  Surely there's some
> that have the same model, that could use some inexpensive toner.  What
> make and model is the printer, anyway - you've never said?

QMS Magicolor 2, about 7-8 years old.  The larger HP is LJ 4si, 1995.
The local fax repair place did not want either of them, for anything, 
free.  He says the parts for the QMS cost too much.

> > I will try out the older HP si monochrome printer instead.  It is said to
> > have fed some sheets of paper (after the roller was lightly sanded)
> > and printed a page from DOS (printscreen?).  I am hoping it will work with
> > netpbm as a deskjet printer at 600x600 dpi.  Have not looked inside for
> > hard drives or memory.

No hard drive, needs 4MB RAM for 600 dpi and comes with only 2MB.
My older HP came with 1.5MB, because 300 dpi legal needs 1.2MB.

> HP printers (and most lasers), when hooked up to the parallel port,
> will work pretty much like line printers, if all you're feeding them is
> plain text.  In DOS, you can do "copy file1.txt lpt1: " and it'll print
> out okay.

Great, I will try printing text with it first.
It does PCL (no mention of 5) and if you add something optional, also ps.
Is PCL what the deskjets use?

> Good luck,
> Anthony Albert
> ===========================================================
> Anthony J. Albert                     albert AT umpi.maine.edu
> Systems and Software Support Specialist          Postmaster
> Computer Services - University of Maine, Presque Isle
>         "This is only temporary, unless it works."
>                         --- Red Green
>
>
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keesan AT sdf.lonestar.org
SDF Public Access UNIX System - http://sdf.lonestar.org