4 Apr
2011
4 Apr
'11
12:40 p.m.
-----Original Message-----
From: cctalk-bounces at classiccmp.org [mailto:cctalk-
bounces at classiccmp.org] On Behalf Of Dave McGuire
Sent: Monday, April 04, 2011 5:59 AM
To: On-Topic and Off-Topic Posts
Subject: Re: probably OT, but still cool: found an HP large format
printer on the road
Yes, the architecture/engineering (in the "we make buildings"
context) world uses those a lot. The big inkjets replaced pen plotters
a long time ago, but these guys still call them "plotters" even though
that's not what they are. Yet another case of an industry using tools
that they don't understand, but whatever. I love using them for
schematics.
The newer models fetch big bucks (thousands, sometimes more) on the
used market if they work. The older ones typically go for hundreds.
Even parts units typically fetch $100+, so finding one in any condition
for free (or nearly so) is a good score.
A few years ago I got a Calcomp 1043GT pen plotter from a guy who had paid $50 for it at a
garage sale, then realized it wouldn't work with anything he had. He finally got
tired of it sitting in his basement and offered it to me - I bought him a beer. :-)
The most modern driver I ever found for it was for Windows 95. There is a ROM cartridge
that one can plug in that will teach it to speak (ISTR) PCL, but I've never found one
- anyone got one? So it talks a proprietary protocol that's quite obscure. I may try
to reverse-engineer it one of these days if I'm ever really really bored.... But it
draws really nice (and really big) pictures, even if I do have to drive it with a creaky
old version of TurboCAD that runs on Win95. -- Ian