2 Dec
2014
2 Dec
'14
9:15 p.m.
On 12/1/2014 9:02 AM, Chris Elmquist wrote:
On Sunday (11/30/2014 at 12:28PM -0800), Josh Dersch
wrote:
Yes, it looks very much like that, only not as wide -- only about 7" or so.
Picked this up for nearly nothing at a local
recycler, it was too cute to
pass up. It's a 3M "WhisperPrinter" (model 1904AA), and it's a small
(40
column, 4.5" wide) thermal printer with a serial interface. It appears to
work (runs a self-test if you hold the line feed button while powering on)
but I don't know what the pinout for the interface on the rear is (it's a
20-pin header).
This looks to be a rebadged Trendcom 100 (which I can also find very little
technical info about) used on a number of early home computers (Atari,
TRS-80, PET). Anyone happen to have a manual for this?
I'm not sure if you
included an image or link to one. Didn't get
one here.
I am familiar with a 3M Whisper Writer, which was a complete portable
terminal system including a printer as you describe, a keyboard unit
and an acoustic coupled modem.
Is it like this?
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102638269
And these are the other pieces,
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102638268
http://www.computerhistory.org/collections/catalog/102638267
3M built these themselves.
Interesting. I didn't see those parts at the recycler or I definitely
would have grabbed them.
I had one as a kid. My dad worked for 3M and this ensured an endless
supply of thermal paper and is also why I still have half a dozen TI
Silent 700 terminals as well ;-)
Nowdays, you can buy "thermal fax" paper at office supply stores and
it will work in the TI printers. Unfortunately, it's 8.5" wide so you
would need to modify the roll for the Whisper Writer. Maybe there is
a version of thermal cash register paper that will fit??
It came with a roll of paper so that's not an immediate problem, but I'm
sure I can track something down (or hack up a larger roll to fit).
Looks like I may have to work out the interface manually, though, to get
it to talk to anything.
- Josh
Chris