Atari 1020 printer

[phaxda]

As I mentioned in another thread, I also have a 1025 that I need to part with. It's just too big. Will sell for shipping or trade for pens/paper for the 1020.

[JohnBuell]

This thread is starting to inspire me to dig out one or both of my old 1020s (I think they both went bad with gear issues, but I loved the heck out of them), and see what I can get working again. Should I get one of the Field Service Manuals so that I know what is what before popping them open? If by chance I can't get them to work again, is there much of a market for dead 1020s for parts (and I think I've got a dead 1027 laying around too somewhere, that was originally my grandfather's)?

 

Also, if I can't get them to work, what is a good inexpensive way to get directory and program listings printed out with full Atascii support? I got an XEP80 and it will talk just fine to my early 90s Panasonic LED printer, but of course it doesn't have Atascii support. Should I look into an 820, or wait until I might be able to dig out my 825/850?

[+bob1200xl]

If the gears are bad (split along the tooth axis), you may get a good gear off of a spare 1020. I seem to remember that there are two or three gears in each printer. Just pull it off the shaft and reverse it before you push it on again. This puts less stress on the tooth cut which may keep it from splitting.

 

These gears are friction-fit. It would be quite a project to make metal gears for them. may not work anyway, with metal-on-plastic.

 

Bob

 

 

 

 

Today i picked up a factory sealed Atari 1020 plotter for 25 dollars off Ebay. Question is after so long what are the chances of the pens actually working? Either way another cool piece of Atari technology.

[Atari8guy]

This thread is starting to inspire me to dig out one or both of my old 1020s (I think they both went bad with gear issues, but I loved the heck out of them), and see what I can get working again. Should I get one of the Field Service Manuals so that I know what is what before popping them open? If by chance I can't get them to work again, is there much of a market for dead 1020s for parts (and I think I've got a dead 1027 laying around too somewhere, that was originally my grandfather's)?

 

Also, if I can't get them to work, what is a good inexpensive way to get directory and program listings printed out with full Atascii support? I got an XEP80 and it will talk just fine to my early 90s Panasonic LED printer, but of course it doesn't have Atascii support. Should I look into an 820, or wait until I might be able to dig out my 825/850?

 

The latest version of the Ape has a 1020 emulator if you have an SIO2PC Cable....

[jaybird3rd]

If the gears are bad (split along the tooth axis), you may get a good gear off of a spare 1020. I seem to remember that there are two or three gears in each printer. Just pull it off the shaft and reverse it before you push it on again. This puts less stress on the tooth cut which may keep it from splitting.

 

These gears are friction-fit. It would be quite a project to make metal gears for them. may not work anyway, with metal-on-plastic.

 

Bob

Yes, it's possible to transplant the drive gears. I've repaired both of my 1020 printers this way, and in fact, I bought up a bunch of extra Alps print mechs (when they were still 50 cents each at Electronics Goldmine) for just this purpose.

 

Unfortunately, just about all of those drive gears are split, and if they aren't already, they probably will be soon. I bought a box of twenty-five print mechs, each containing two of the drive gears in question, and out of all of them, I think I only got three or four usable gears.

[JohnBuell]

Well so far I think I have a working plotter, the problem was with the paper feed roller. But I don't have any pens. I'm going to try to order some - the German firm that had manufactured entirely new pens still has them in stock, but they're up to $25 for a set, whether all black or the four colors. They don't take online orders, but you can reach them at info@lass-hno.de