Digital BW, The Print

I had my 1280 fail last night. I changed color cartridges and when I placed the new cartridge in the red media light did not go out and the print head carriage would not return to the right when I pressed the Orange button.

I was changing hand filled cartridges with aftermarket chips. I removed the chip from the empty cartridge, installed it on the full cartridge, reset the chip and nothing. Tried a new chip no luck. Installed the old Epson color cartridge and no luck. Tried a new color cartridge and no luck. All of the cartridges ran fine in my 1270 so the problem was not there.

Fortunately I am under warrantee and Epson is shipping me an exchange unit.

Has anyone else experiences a similar problem like this when using aftermarket cartridge chips? It probably is not related, but I am a little nervous about the possibility that the aftermarket chips might have damaged something in the printer.

Thanks,
Martin


[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Martin Wesley" 
<mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> I had my 1280 fail last night. <snip>
> 
> Has anyone else experiences a similar problem like this when using 
aftermarket cartridge chips? It probably is not related, but I am a 
little nervous about the possibility that the aftermarket chips might 
have damaged something in the printer.
> 
> Thanks,
> Martin
> 

Martin,

I had one incident  vaugely close to what you describe, but not as 
bad. I reset my non CIS carts with a QB7 resetter. Once when I 
installed a K cart, the light stayed on, or flashed I can't remember. 
The carriage returned but it didn't prime. The ink monitor was 
grey-busted. I couldn't even get the Russian win98 dos resetter to 
recognise the computer and the cpu hung. 

I rebooted, and quickly taking the k cart out and putting it up 
against the QB7 and re-installing fixed the problem. I was thinking it 
may have been due to my touching the chip when refilling and after 
using QB7, so now I use the QB7 both before and after filling, just to 
be supersitious.

This experience of yours is a little nerve wracking. I have a couple 
of shots in the dark though for you, since it's sitting there with 
it's noggin blown:

1) If you remove the carts and examine the gold tines in the printhead 
carefully, are any out of alignment, touching each other, twisted, 
bent too far out or in, etc? I have heard that chips that fall out of 
the cart can cause the tines to get bent when cart is removed. Maybe 
something less serious but still enough of a disruptive force on 
contacts has caused a misalignment (just takes one contact skewed). I 
now use a small soldering tip to melt the nubbins on the cart over the 
chips. Also remember that even if not shorting, what will happen when 
a cart is put in? Will the tines depress so as to short or not make 
contact when a cart is inserted?

2)I wish I remembered the details of the post, but someone once had an 
1280 with blinking lights, going weird, motionless. There was some 
sequence of button pushing/holding that if done just right, released 
the printer from this and it returned to normal.

3) Static electrical discharge to the chip? Or are there pits on the 
gold plated surface of the chip board from repeated QB7 resetting? 
Frankly, since the Epson carts didn't work either, my bets are on #1 
above, if any.

Martin let me know about this, it worries me too...
Jim H.

Martin,

How do you know it was the color cartridge that was the culprit? I 
had a similar problem at one time, also on a relatively new 1280, 
also with reset carts. In my case, it was the black chip that was the 
problem. Even though it seemed to reset (using the Lyson chip 
resetter), it would not work on the printer. So I threw it out.

If you were changing only the color cart, but the black chip failed 
(some unknown glitch), I wonder what would happen if you put new 
Epson carts on both the black and color positions. Just some thoughts.

I have not replied to you in detail about the target prints you sent 
me. But I have been wondering why the Roark curves give me less than 
smooth gradients on my 1280. Yours are so much better. I am begining 
to think it is printer related. How did you get Epson to replace 
yours? Any suggestions?

Good luck. This is scary!

Shilesh

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "Martin Wesley" 
<mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> I had my 1280 fail last night. I changed color cartridges and when 
I placed the new cartridge in the red media light did not go out and 
the print head carriage would not return to the right when I pressed 
the Orange button.
> 
> I was changing hand filled cartridges with aftermarket chips. I 
removed the chip from the empty cartridge, installed it on the full 
cartridge, reset the chip and nothing. Tried a new chip no luck. 
Installed the old Epson color cartridge and no luck. Tried a new 
color cartridge and no luck. All of the cartridges ran fine in my 
1270 so the problem was not there.
> 
> Fortunately I am under warrantee and Epson is shipping me an 
exchange unit.
> 
> Has anyone else experiences a similar problem like this when using 
aftermarket cartridge chips? It probably is not related, but I am a 
little nervous about the possibility that the aftermarket chips might 
have damaged something in the printer.

> 
> Thanks,
> Martin
> 
> 
> [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Martin,

What chip and cartridge system are you using.  I'm getting curious about the
realities of 1280 cart filling because of my own 1160 problems, which I'll
post separately.

It sounds like you re-use the same chip with each cart.  Aside from the
hassle of having 2 more color positions to mix and fill, are there any other
disadvantages to the 1280-chipped virgin-cart-filling procedures?

I might actually be interested in the small, letter size version of the
1280.  I think there is an 820 that is, after rebates, only $99.  Do you
have any idea if that machine uses the same curves as the 1280.  Since I
have a 3000, I'd only use the smaller printer for daily non-photo printing
and for small photos.  Of course, I'd also use the machine to support the
1280 market.  So, having the driver being the same would be critical.

Paul

________________

  -----Original Message-----
  From: Martin Wesley [mailto:mwesley250@...]
  Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2002 10:38 AM
  To: DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@yahoogroups.com
  Subject: [Digital BW] 1280 Failure and After Market Chips


  I had my 1280 fail last night.

    ...
  I was changing hand filled cartridges with aftermarket chips.
   ...






[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "jimhayes361" 
<jimhayes@j...> wrote:
(snip)

> 
> 1) If you remove the carts and examine the gold tines in the 
printhead 
> carefully, are any out of alignment, touching each other, twisted, 
> bent too far out or in, etc? I have heard that chips that fall out 
of 
> the cart can cause the tines to get bent when cart is removed. 
Maybe 
> something less serious but still enough of a disruptive force on 
> contacts has caused a misalignment (just takes one contact skewed). 
I 
> now use a small soldering tip to melt the nubbins on the cart over 
the 
> chips. Also remember that even if not shorting, what will happen 
when 
> a cart is put in? Will the tines depress so as to short or not make 
> contact when a cart is inserted?

BINGO!! I had looked before but didn't see that on the color socket 
of the first printer one of the pins is bent completely up and into 
the groove above.

On the brand new printer one finger in the black cartridge socket is 
slightly crimped.

Both are in a position to line up with the little chip holding nubs 
on the carts.

They don't look user repairable. #@%&#!!! Oh boy. $1,000 worth of 
printers and the warantee probably isn't going to cover it.

And now I need to buy a soldering! <G> :-(!

Well at least I know what the problem and solution is. Many thanks!

Martin



> 
> 2)I wish I remembered the details of the post, but someone once had 
an 
> 1280 with blinking lights, going weird, motionless. There was some 
> sequence of button pushing/holding that if done just right, 
released 
> the printer from this and it returned to normal.
> 
> 3) Static electrical discharge to the chip? Or are there pits on 
the 
> gold plated surface of the chip board from repeated QB7 resetting? 
> Frankly, since the Epson carts didn't work either, my bets are on 
#1 

> above, if any.
> 
> Martin let me know about this, it worries me too...
> Jim H.

Martin-

The only resetting I've done is with the Lyson carts and resetter. I 
assume you are using MIS. Don't you have to take the chip out of the 
cart to reset it? If so, I wouldn't be messing with a soldering iron.

Tom O'Connell

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "mwesley3" 
<mwesley250@e...> wrote:
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "jimhayes361" 
> <jimhayes@j...> wrote:
> (snip)
> 
> > 
> > 1) If you remove the carts and examine the gold tines in the 
> printhead 
> > carefully, are any out of alignment, touching each other, 
twisted, 
> > bent too far out or in, etc? I have heard that chips that fall 
out 
> of 
> > the cart can cause the tines to get bent when cart is removed. 
> Maybe 
> > something less serious but still enough of a disruptive force on 
> > contacts has caused a misalignment (just takes one contact 
skewed). 
> I 
> > now use a small soldering tip to melt the nubbins on the cart 
over 
> the 
> > chips. Also remember that even if not shorting, what will happen 
> when 
> > a cart is put in? Will the tines depress so as to short or not 
make 
> > contact when a cart is inserted?
> 
> BINGO!! I had looked before but didn't see that on the color socket 
> of the first printer one of the pins is bent completely up and into 
> the groove above.
> 
> On the brand new printer one finger in the black cartridge socket 
is 
> slightly crimped.
> 
> Both are in a position to line up with the little chip holding nubs 
> on the carts.
> 
> They don't look user repairable. #@%&#!!! Oh boy. $1,000 worth of 
> printers and the warantee probably isn't going to cover it.
> 
> And now I need to buy a soldering! <G> :-(!
> 
> Well at least I know what the problem and solution is. Many thanks!
> 
> Martin
> 
> 
> 
> > 
> > 2)I wish I remembered the details of the post, but someone once 
had 
> an 
> > 1280 with blinking lights, going weird, motionless. There was 
some 
> > sequence of button pushing/holding that if done just right, 
> released 
> > the printer from this and it returned to normal.
> > 
> > 3) Static electrical discharge to the chip? Or are there pits on 
> the 
> > gold plated surface of the chip board from repeated QB7 
resetting? 

> > Frankly, since the Epson carts didn't work either, my bets are on 
> #1 
> > above, if any.
> > 
> > Martin let me know about this, it worries me too...
> > Jim H.

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "mwesley3" <mwesley250@e...> 
wrote:
> --- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., "jimhayes361" 
> <jimhayes@j...> wrote:
> (snip)
> 
> > 
> > 1) If you remove the carts and examine the gold tines in the 
> printhead 
> > carefully, are any out of alignment, touching each other, twisted, 
> > bent too far out or in, etc? I have heard that chips that fall out 
> of 
> > the cart can cause the tines to get bent when cart is removed. 
> Maybe 
> > something less serious but still enough of a disruptive force on 
> > contacts has caused a misalignment (just takes one contact 
skewed). 
> I 
> > now use a small soldering tip to melt the nubbins on the cart over 
> the 
> > chips. Also remember that even if not shorting, what will happen 
> when 
> > a cart is put in? Will the tines depress so as to short or not 
make 
> > contact when a cart is inserted?
> 
> BINGO!! I had looked before but didn't see that on the color socket 
> of the first printer one of the pins is bent completely up and into 
> the groove above.
> 
> On the brand new printer one finger in the black cartridge socket is 
> slightly crimped.
> 
> Both are in a position to line up with the little chip holding nubs 
> on the carts.
> 
> They don't look user repairable. #@%&#!!! Oh boy. $1,000 worth of 
> printers and the warantee probably isn't going to cover it.
> 
> And now I need to buy a soldering! <G> :-(!
> 
> Well at least I know what the problem and solution is. Many thanks!
> 
> Martin
> 

Your welcome. Well that at least solves WHAT went wrong. My bread and 
butter used to be design and testing of gold plated connectors<g>. Had 
sort of a feeling...<g>.

So are you saying that it was the Nubbins that bent the tines? I've 
only recently started melting the nubbin tops, and mainly just to 
fasten the chip down. I've had no problem before with the nubbin. And 
when I melt mine, I only melt them a tiny bit- just one touch with a 
cooled down soldering iron. In fact, melting the nubbin can create a 
wider, if squashed nib of plastic, which I suspect can have just as 
bad a chance of catching a tine. Or perhaps you just have a chip that 
presses on deeper onto the nubbins than any I own, so they stick out 
above the chip higher.

It may also be due to a pit on the chip board- this could cause the 
tine to catch.

Here is what you want in a soldering iron: you want a tiny tip. Ask 
for a 0.8 mm dia tip, either conical or chisel shaped. If you can find 
one smaller than that, good luck. But don't use anything larger. It is 
best to get a very low wattage iron; unfortunately the small 15 watt 
units don't usually allow interchangable tips. I personally use a 40 
watt unit, but I leave it turned on only for a minute or so, then turn 
it off and wait until it cools enough to just melt the plastic. They 
make adjustable wattage units, but I got my unit for free, so I'm not 
complaining.

Jim H.

I'm new to this group, and may be sticking my nose in a thread where it doesn't belong, but . . . Why are you going through the hassle of re-filling cartridges, and re-setting chips? Just buy a CIS with 'read-only' chips and be done with it . . . unless you are changing ink types frequently . . . they are available from so many people these days . . . http://inkjetgoodies.com (Camel and 'NoMoreCarts'), http://mediastreet.com (Niagra), http://inkjetart.com (Inkjet Artery), and others . . .   Gregory Schern
Inkjet Goodies
http://inkjetgoodies.com
info@...
Order Toll Free 866 330-4514


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[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

--- In DigitalBlackandWhiteThePrint@y..., Gregory Schern 
<gschern@y...> wrote:
> I'm new to this group, and may be sticking my nose in a thread where 
it doesn't belong, but . . . Why are you going through the hassle of 
re-filling cartridges, and re-setting chips? Just buy a CIS with 
'read-only' chips and be done with it . . . unless you are changing 
ink types frequently . . . they are available from so many people 
these days . . . http://inkjetgoodies.com (Camel and 'NoMoreCarts'), 
http://mediastreet.com (Niagra), http://inkjetart.com (Inkjet Artery), 
and others . . .   Gregory Schern

Good question. Personally, I am waiting for something that MIS is 
coming out with. All I will tell you is that MIS will offer modified 
Epson cart lid clamps. These are carved-out lid clamps that will allow 
attached tubing to pass, yet hold the CFS carts down firmly. The carts 
working up, which is a problem with CIS and non-clamped CFS units, 
will hopefully no longer be an issue. Because the tops of the CIS 
carts differ from the CFS carts, I can't be sure the MIS modified cart 
clamps will work with the CIS.

There are other things that CIS competitors may have in the future. 
Having a ever-100%-reading chip may become still a good option and the 
easiest, but cheaper, quite livable solutions may appear. Meanwhile I 
load carts, also keeping in mind that when vacation time comes in just 
two months, I want EPson carts in my 1280 for the duration. So having 
a CIS removed for that long, is not something I entertain, though it 
can be done.

In addition, I believe that the cart part of a CIS/CFS should be 
tossed out between 6 months to a year and replaced, a precaution 
against ink sludging, breakdown, or the screen clogging. CFS carts are 
cheaper to replace, you can even order every single part seperately if 
you want, down to the glue for the tubing. 

While CIS assures me there are screens in their carts, I am positive 
that MIS uses them.
Jim H.