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Does anyone else here have an interest in retro portable printers?

pkhoury

pkhoury

Experienced Member
Joined
Dec 6, 2007
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Location
Bandera, TX
Just was curious if anyone here has interest in retro portable printers, besides me.
Recently got a Kodak Diconix 150 Plus working (Computer Reset find - got 7, of which I need to fix 3 or 4). The Diconix has an HP ThinkJet engine. The ThinkJet driver semi-works; it does a carriage return after every line, so printed work looks like crap with gaps in between. Natively, it emulates either the Proprinter or Epson FX (switchable with an internal switch block).

Also just found my Pentax PocketJet tonight. It emulates an HP LaserJet IIP. I have both the original 512KB and factory upgraded 2MB model. The 512KB model will only print half a page on graphics intensive prints, requiring you to insert a thermal page again to print the other half, and it doesn't always line up right.

Also found a Canon BJC-80, and I might even have an HP Portable DeskJet 340 laying around somewhere. I was thinking it would be fun to show off some retro portable printers with my 1990s ThinkPad collection at VCF next year, but I'm curious who else collects this stuff.
 
I do. Because of a limited space my interest is concentrated on mobile devices - laptops, handheld computers, pocket computers and PDAs. Consequently I also do have interest in portable printers, mostly dot matrix and thermal ones.

Brother MW-100e, Brother PocketJet PJ-520 and PJ-560, Canon X-710, Casio FP-100, Epson P-40 (H, P and S models), Epson P-80K, IBM 5183 Portable Printer, SiPix Pocker Printer - those are standalone portable ones. I also have add-on devices that include printer: Casio FA-10, Seiko UC-2200, Sharp CE-123P, Sharp CE-125, Sharp CE-126P, Sharp CE-140P, Sharp CE-150, and portable computers that have a printer as part of a main body: Epson HX-20, Epson PX-4. The only non-portable ones that I own are: Epson LX-800 and Sharp CE-515P printers.

Those are nice little devices, but their weakest link is their supplies (ribbons/cartridges/toners/pens). For some models it is almost impossible to find them today. Therefore I'll be glad to know how do you solve this problem with your inkjet printers.
 
I've been looking into vintage thermal printers since they don't require an ink cartridge or ribbon that may be impossible to find and tend to be pretty reliable. I'm designing an escape room for my Halloween party this year and my plan is to use my vintage computer collection as part of the puzzle and a vintage printer would be a neat addition :)
 
Not really, but when I come to get rid of it, there might be a home to be found for one?

Some years ago now, my job entailed being 'on-the-road' and I needed to connect to HQ. I had a work supplied PDA (an HTC P3470, pretty ancient by modern standards) which I still use as my mobile phone, it still works fine for me, none of this infuriating 'swipe' stuff. With this we got a Brother MW 140BT, about the size of a 200p paperback book. Used little packs of themal paper, I still have a few packs unused. Something like A7 size. All worked quite neatly.

I think the rechargeable battery isn't too good, but it all works fine with the recharge unit attached. The PDA still has the driver system loaded, that includes a 'print screen' with some other options rather less useful now, and most recent test a year or two ago got me a screen print!

I might still have the setup CD somewhere??

Oh, the 'BT' in the code means BlueTooth, that's how it connects between printer and PDA. No idea if it could connect to some other device re hardware, or if software on something else could create an applic that could print something?? All came to me as a 'closed system'.

Is this a slight;ly newer model that the MW-100 referred to above>

Geoff
 
Checked the garage, found the box of the papers. A box of 20+ of the C11 sachets, each sealed in plastic, so should be still fine.

The box is marked MW-100, so I assume both MW-100 and MW-140 take the same papers.

Also, found a little user manual, and the CD, with the Power adaptor.

I'm thinking though that the software on the PDA may not (only ?) be from Brother, there might be something from Fujitsu supplied with the totally bespoke software system?

Geoff
 
GeoffB17 said:
Checked the garage, found the box of the papers. A box of 20+ of the C11 sachets, each sealed in plastic, so should be still fine.

The box is marked MW-100, so I assume both MW-100 and MW-140 take the same papers.

Also, found a little user manual, and the CD, with the Power adaptor.

I'm thinking though that the software on the PDA may not (only ?) be from Brother, there might be something from Fujitsu supplied with the totally bespoke software system?

Geoff
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Hi Geoff,

I've just purchased the MW-100 so it even hasn't arrived yet. I bought it to accompany my Palm Pilot and Sharp Zaurus devices and now looking for a C11 paper, so if your MW-140BT and stock of C11 sachets are looking for a new home I'll be very glad to adopt them (of course I will pay for shipping).
 
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ThinkpadIL said:
I do. Because of a limited space my interest is concentrated on mobile devices - laptops, handheld computers, pocket computers and PDAs. Consequently I also do have interest in portable printers, mostly dot matrix and thermal ones.

Brother MW-100e, Brother PocketJet PJ-520 and PJ-560, Canon X-710, Casio FP-100, Epson P-40 (H, P and S models), Epson P-80K, IBM 5183 Portable Printer, SiPix Pocker Printer - those are standalone portable ones. I also have add-on devices that include printer: Casio FA-10, Seiko UC-2200, Sharp CE-123P, Sharp CE-125, Sharp CE-126P, Sharp CE-140P, Sharp CE-150, and portable computers that have a printer as part of a main body: Epson HX-20, Epson PX-4. The only non-portable ones that I own are: Epson LX-800 and Sharp CE-515P printers.

Those are nice little devices, but their weakest link is their supplies (ribbons/cartridges/toners/pens). For some models it is almost impossible to find them today. Therefore I'll be glad to know how do you solve this problem with your inkjet printers.
Click to expand...
I picked up some new old stock expired ThinkJet cartridges from ebay recently. Still need to try one in the Diconix to see how it works. The cartridge in there now partially works, but it's gotta be at least 20 years old. It's a miracle it even prints!

You can still get paper for the PocketJets, since Brother picked it up from Pentax and added more features to it. The newest I acquired is a PocketJet 3, but it's hardly vintage computer material, though I think it might work with XP.
 
pkhoury said:
I picked up some new old stock expired ThinkJet cartridges from ebay recently. Still need to try one in the Diconix to see how it works. The cartridge in there now partially works, but it's gotta be at least 20 years old. It's a miracle it even prints!

You can still get paper for the PocketJets, since Brother picked it up from Pentax and added more features to it. The newest I acquired is a PocketJet 3, but it's hardly vintage computer material, though I think it might work with XP.
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I see. But the question is if old stock ink jet cartridges will work properly.
 
This is a well known trick but I don't see it mentionned here , so here it is ; I had pretty good results reviving old dotymatrix ink ribbons by just opening them up and spraying the ink rolls with WD40 (not much). Of course it's not like a new ribbon, but as a quick fix, it worked for me a couple of times.
(eg for my brother HL1109)

I'm lucky enough also have new sealed ribbons which of course I'll never open and will go the the recycle park once I die.
 
I used to own a Diconix printer. Cool little bubble jet. I bought it for $25 at a salvage auction comprised of demo or evaluation products. The Prudential sales folk all had these printers with their laptops.
 
My dad had a Citizen PN48, a really small battery-powered thermal printer. Sometimes I'd like to have one again, but then I realize it would be next to useless because it's so slow, the battery probably wouldn't hold a charge anymore, and the ribbons for it probably aren't made anymore.
 
I used to have a really cool portable printer - I am pretty sure it was inkjet based. I would print checks on it and it actually handled small sized paper really well. I don't remember the model though unfortunately.
 
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