8 Dec
2010
8 Dec
'10
12:59 p.m.
I still have some parts for the original LaserJet. If I recall
correctly, the engine was made by Canon and was also used in printers by
Yes, it was the Canon CX engine. Canon sold the CX-VDO mdoel with no
formatter board ('video interfacve') and the LBP8A1, etc with their own
formatter, Ohter manufacturers made their own formatter boards. Actually
the HP Laserjet used the Cannon formatter board with different firmware
ROMs.
other manufacturers like QMS and Canon. I installed
& maintained quite
a few of them.
I still have the CX-VDO that I built (after much hacking) from a
defective LBP8A1. I have the laser printer interface in my PERQ which
drives this printer (and almsot noting else). Alas CX toner cartridges
are unobtainable now.
=20
As far as collecting printers, I still have a few that are small enough
to hold onto. I have a Kleinschmidt drum printer (1960's?) and an
Axiohm aluminized-thermal printer from the late 70's. I had to give up
all my Teletype's (ASR-33 and an older model) as well as a chain
printer, Printronix line printer, and a wet-process "laser" printer from
the early 70's (?) I think it was a Xerox. Just took up too much space.
They are all a part of history; I hope someone out there is holding onto
them.
Bieign a hardware collecotr, I colelct things other than just computers,
and as I've said before I can find beauty in a printer (or a modem, a
terminal, etc) as well as in a processor.
I try to colelct machines that are in some way unusual (which actually
covers quite a lot of them :-)). Amongst them I have :
A few mechancail teleprinters (Creed 7E, Creed 444 [1]. Teletype ASR33)
A Versatec V80 electrostatic printer
Canocn CX laserpiner (heck, an SX engine, in the form of an Apple
Laserwriter, is the main printer here).
An HP 7245A thermal printer/plotter. A strange machine, it both prints
(using a 712 element printhead) and plots (using one element and moving
both the prinhead and paper back and forth).
A Centronic printer that seems to move the carriage by havign a
contiuously moving belt running acrsos the chassis and solenoids in the
carriage that grip eiterh the top or bottom run of the belt to move the
carriage in either direction)
That Oivetti Sparkjet (JP101) I mentioned a while back
HP Thinkjets (I think I have one of every model now).
ICL/GE 'Termiprinter' A priting termianl that is actually a belt type
line printer inside.
And of coruse assorted impact dot matrix printers, daisywheels,
spark-onto-alumiium-coated-paper printers, numerical strip printers, etc,
etc, etc.
[1] I don;t suppsoe anyone knows where to get a reader drive belt for
this machine from? As far as I rememebrr it's the same pitch as the mtoro
belt in an ASR33, but that one has 44 teeth and the Creed 444 4needs a
shorter one (40 teeh? 41 teeth?).
-tony