Digital BW, The Print

Jim,

I think it is ridiculous that Epson won't supply us with the printhead Setup
software; from the info in my 1270 Service Manual it is childishly simple to
use! The most important part of the setup seems to be not the alignment
(which could probably be done by trial and error), but the correction
voltages for the piezo head (each is different, due to manufacturing
differences, and the correction code printed on the printhead has to be
entered into the EEPROM).

If Epson were to supply us with this software, many more spare printheads
would be sold, instead of which we dump our printers in the bin and buy new
ones! A new head for my 1270 installed by an Authorised Service Agent is 50%
of the cost of a new 1290, not economic! The printhead alone is 25%, which
would be an economic replacement.

This only favours Epson, not Agents who lose the spare parts business when
we throw our printers away.

Bob Frost.

----- Original Message -----
From: "jimhayes361" <jimhayes@...>

> Here in the US I called three "service centers" within 20 miles of me
> and asked them detailed questions about how they replace an 1160 head.
> I mentioned the two floppy disk software that Epson gives out to their
> official techs that runs only in Win98 over the LPT port that does
> three alignments or so- a "bidirectional" alignment, an "angular"
> alignment, and I think there may be one other...two made excuses
> saying they were either not familar with the software or it "really
> wasn't needed". The third service center it turned out was the only
> one officialy authorized by Epson to repair printheads, and knew right
> away what software I spoke of- and that they used it when
> reparing/replacing heads.
>
> Most of this I got from reading the shop manual for the 860 printer.
> There is a good section of the manual devoted to use of this software,
> and the splash screen pic clearly shows it is to be used with 1160 as
> well.