was Star SG-10C printer and C64 a popular combo?

[newTIboyRob]

Three years ago I dug up my Star SG-10C printer. At that time, I bought a new ribbon, threaded it and tried to run the self test. (If you look back to that thread I posted with the photos you will see I had no luck.)

After some unsuccessful tries back then, I gave up. I took the ribbon out of the printer and just put it back in its mailing envelope, but foolishly, not in its plastic wrap.  

 

Tonight something occurred to me.  I knew I had followed the diagram on how to load it, where it sits with the pinch rollers, and between the metal head and the black plastic piece, etc, but I didn't have a nice, smooth and tight paper load back then. This time, I readjusted the paper, ran the self test and also a simple program using PRINT#4 statements... and it worked! 

 

Then I viewed the printout.

 

I believe the ribbon is in there correctly, and though I got a smooth transport, the print is on the light side, though still visible.

 

So my question is... and this is for those who are familiar with this printer or can recall... do you think it is more like in that 3 years the ribbon dried up quite a bit from non use, or did this printer ever print with nice deep color? 

 

I was watching it as it went back and forth and it seems like the ribbon wasn't loose.  But I wonder if it isthe design of this kind of typewrtier type printer for the ribbon to be kind of rubber bandy when in use in there like that?

It horizontally just wasn't what I would call taut, though it was taut when I set up the black spools and threaded it.

 

I tried both draft mode and NLQ and it was about the same actually:  readable, but not vivid.

 

Anyone experience this?  Do you think that ribbon just dried up in those 3 years, just from age?  How long would they last before drying up even with occasional use? 

Do they get reinked or should I just buy a fresh one and see what happens?

[brain]

I'm sure some may have an issue with this, but I use old ribbons at times, and I take them out and lightly spray wd-40 on the entirety of the ribbon to "loosen the ink up".  The first few lines are all smeared, but it does a surprisingly good job of re-invigorating old ink.  I think the alcohol in wd40 is what does the job, and so dropping some rubbing alcohol might do the same, but wd-40 is plentiful at the house, spray loaded, and it works for me.

 

It does need to be a fabric ribbon, though.  plastic ribbons are out.  (But, they typically don't go light from age)

 

(I also have an actual re-inker, which I also use, but I try wd-40 first.)

 

Jim

[newTIboyRob]

Mine does seem to be a fabric ribbon.  So you think these don't typically go light from age?  Interesting!

[brain]

4 minutes ago, newTIboyRob said:

Mine does seem to be a fabric ribbon.  So you think these don't typically go light from age?  Interesting!

Sorry, I will rephrase:

 

To use wd-40 or some other lubricant/alcohol, the ribbon needs to be a fabric ribbon. Alcohol/WD-40 will not work on plastic-substrate ribbons, though plastic ribbons rarely go light from age

 

[newTIboyRob]

Oh then maybe I don't really know for sure then if mine is fabric or plastic substrate. Is there a way to tell or do you have to just try it out?  I don't have WD-40 in the house but I do have isopropyl alcohol.

[motrucker]

An old ribbon may well be rather light. They will dry out. The Star were OK printers with the exception of the "C" variety. 

You can revive it with WD-40, but your print out will stink like WD-40. have new ribbons jumped that much in price? Just asking......

 

 

 

[newTIboyRob]

It was a few years ago, but I don't recall the new ribbons breaking the bank. Sometimes I find that my printer doesn't communicate with either my C64 or VIC-20, for example with a word processing program. It just sits there, as if the communication isn't coming through.