19 replies to this topic

[Clint Thompson]

Just curious what, if anything, does everyone here who has a 1020 use theirs for?
I was thinking the other day while I was at Barnes & Nobles, in their kid section they had those rub sheets (scratch with a pencil to reveal colorful backing) I thought maybe it'd be perfect for the 1020... put a hard tipped pencil of some sort (can't think of the name of those wooden wanna-be pencils) and have it etch out the graphic like that.

While the uses would be limited, it'd still prove to be entertaining.

[classics]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:43 AM, said:

Just curious what, if anything, does everyone here who has a 1020 use theirs for?
I was thinking the other day while I was at Barnes & Nobles, in their kid section they had those rub sheets (scratch with a pencil to reveal colorful backing) I thought maybe it'd be perfect for the 1020... put a hard tipped pencil of some sort (can't think of the name of  those wooden wanna-be pencils) and have it etch out the graphic like that.

While the uses would be limited, it'd still prove to be entertaining.

Back in the day we used ours a lot to print banners for school, since it was so easy to write little Basic programs to print them out, but its uses were pretty limited beyond that.

For awhile I used it as my only printer for my BBS logs. 80 column printers were out of range for my snow shovling income at the time.

Steve

[doctorclu]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:43 AM, said:

Just curious what, if anything, does everyone here who has a 1020 use theirs for? ...

While the uses would be limited, it'd still prove to be entertaining.

Our beloved plotter...

http://www.hansotten...s/atari1020.jpg

I remember that printer put out some amazing graphics at not so amazing speeds. But still, four color, I was really impressed.

I got one years later, but after a day of trying couldn't figure out what program would have made the great graphics.

You know, now that I think about it, the tips from refillable pencils, kinda like this...

http://www.swansonto...harpPen-260.jpg

Could work. Never tried it. I think part of the deal is I am mainly into the beige side of the fuji (400/800) and the 825 isn't much to sing about, I generally don't worry about printers on the Atari 8-bit these days.

[Gunstar]

I always, and still do, use it to print out instructions for 8-bit programs and games. It's the perfect size for stapled manuals, similiar in size to many original manuals, instead of using the full size paper printers. I used to have an art program that let you print out micro illustrator pictures in 4 colors with it too, yes, it could do bit-map printouts as well as plots. The last thing I use it for was to print out CAD images I used to make with Super 3D Plotter 2. The only thing I don't like about the 1020 is that one of the four colors is green instead of yellow;Red, Blue and Green may be the primary colors when dealing with TV phosphors, but on paper it's Red, Blue and Yellow. It would have allowed much better color-mixing, which one could derive green from (blue&yellow) as well as many other colors if a yellow pen hac been included instead of green.

[jaybird3rd]

I love the 1020! It's not nearly as useful nowadays, but it's still a cool little unit that's fun to play around with. Mine is in like-new physical condition, and my only problem (aside from an apparent lack of new ink pen replacements) is that it has a damaged belt. Apparently this is a common problem with the 1020, but that belt is woven throughout the mechanism in some very intricate ways and I have no idea how to fix it on my own.

[Guitarman]

I remember when I got mine, there was a 3D plotting program in Antic that allowed you to plot your own graphics and pictures. I would sit for hours creating and ploting these cool looking jet aircrafts.

If you look on eBay, there is a seller in Italy that sells the color pens for these printers.

Click Here to see one of his current auctions.

I am planning on odering a set since I got a new tube of black pens not to long ago.

[jaybird3rd]

Guitarman, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:16 PM, said:

If you look on eBay, there is a seller in Italy that sells the color pens for these printers.

Click Here to see one of his current auctions.

I am planning on odering a set since I got a new tube of black pens not to long ago.

Interesting ... were they brand new pens or did they look like new-old-stock?

[Guitarman]

jaybird3rd, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:23 PM, said:

Guitarman, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:16 PM, said:

If you look on eBay, there is a seller in Italy that sells the color pens for these printers.

Click Here to see one of his current auctions.

I am planning on odering a set since I got a new tube of black pens not to long ago.

Interesting ... were they brand new pens or did they look like new-old-stock?

The black ones I got were probably NOS but they all work flawlessly

[Clint Thompson]

Guitarman, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:43 PM, said:

jaybird3rd, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 1:23 PM, said:

Guitarman, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:16 PM, said:

If you look on eBay, there is a seller in Italy that sells the color pens for these printers.

Click Here to see one of his current auctions.

I am planning on odering a set since I got a new tube of black pens not to long ago.

Interesting ... were they brand new pens or did they look like new-old-stock?

The black ones I got were probably NOS but they all work flawlessly

Good god what Atari computers you have! (looking at sig! )

[Guitarman]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:06 PM, said:

Good god what Atari computers you have! (looking at sig! )

LOL!! I am getting ready to post pics of them in the "Show Your Atari" thread. I have no less than 1 of all the 8bit series (less the 1400XL/1450XLS)

Computers
1- 400 w/64k boxed
1- 800 w/64k boxed
3- 1200XL 1 w/800XL OS & Internal Basic boxed, 2 stock loose
4- 600XL 2 w/64K internal boxed, 1 w/64K external loose, 1 stock loose
3- 800XL w/ ICD RamboXL 256K, 1 boxed
1- 65XE boxed
1- 130XE Boxed
3- XEGS, 1 mint boxed
1- 520STfm
2- 1050 drives, 1 happy, 1 USDoubler
4- XF551 drives, 2 boxed
1 ea. 1020 plotter, 1025 dot printer, 1027 LQ printer, 410 tape, 1010 tape, 1030 modem, XM301 modem, SX212 modem, XEP80 80 column board, 850 interface, ICD MIO 256K, ICD P:R: Connection, ICD Printer Connection, Touch Tablet, Light Pen, KoalaPad, Chalkboard PowerPad, SpartaDos X, R:Time8, and more...

Game Consoles
2600
5200 4-port
7800 boxed
Jaguar
Flashback boxed
2- Flashback 2 boxed

One of the loose 1200XL's is going to be my "Frankentari" machine with all the mods I can fit in it.

[Gunstar]

I ordered some NOS from B&C, who admit to the pens drying out, at least the color ones, and say they test every set before shipping, even so I got some pens in the several sets I ordered that were drying up. Worried about this problem of no longer being able to use my 1020 for a lack of pens, I did some investigating with the pens themsleves. I discovered that with a set of needle-nose pliers and regualar pliers I could carefully remove the tips of these pens. Inside is a tiny "stick" similair to those in magic markers but denser, that soaks up the ink. I soaked a couple of these sticks with rubbing alcohol and brought them back to life, at least for a short while until the alcohol evaporated. but I think it could be done more than once, the ink is still there, it's just dried. Also, I haven't tried it yet, but I think it might be possible to re-soak these sticks (or make new ones somehow) in ink and revive the pens. I was thinking of using one of the many after market inkjet cartridge refill kits ink to soak them in. A plus note too, is that if it works, the ink will be the proper primary colors of red, blue and yellow, instead of green, and they are lighter inks so colors can be mixed better without being too dark.

Edited by Gunstar, Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:45 PM.

[Clint Thompson]

Guitarman, ahh... but no 1029?

I just learned about the 1029 printer today.... kinda ugly but more functional than the 1027 I guess (single sheeter).

[Guitarman]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:22 PM, said:

Guitarman, ahh... but no 1029?

I just learned about the 1029 printer today....  kinda ugly but more functional than the 1027 I guess (single sheeter).

Wasn't sold here but hopefully I'll run across one sometime. I still need to complete the 800 series printers.

[Clint Thompson]

Guitarman, on Wed Mar 1, 2006 1:58 AM, said:

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 5:22 PM, said:

Guitarman, ahh... but no 1029?

I just learned about the 1029 printer today....  kinda ugly but more functional than the 1027 I guess (single sheeter).

Wasn't sold here but hopefully I'll run across one sometime. I still need to complete the 800 series printers.

Friggin seriously hardcore! I love it!

[Guitarman]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:02 PM, said:

Friggin seriously hardcore! I love it! 

[gtkakega]

I used my 1020 for disk directory listings that neatly fit inside the disk jacket.

[mio2repair]

Hello,
If those are the ploters I am thinking of they are similar to Radio Shack and Commodore models.
There are 1 or 2 little plastic gears that crack in two. I got some once from Radio Shack parts.
They might even still have pens?

[Tempest]

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 8:22 PM, said:

Guitarman, ahh... but no 1029?

I just learned about the 1029 printer today.... kinda ugly but more functional than the 1027 I guess (single sheeter).

I actually like the look of the 1029. I think it looks the best of the Atari printers.

Tempest

[jaybird3rd]

mio2repair, on Fri Jun 30, 2006 2:59 AM, said:

If those are the ploters I am thinking of they are similar to Radio Shack and Commodore models.

They're probably exactly the same. The mechanism was manufactured by Alps and put into an Atari case for the 1020, and I'm certain that Commodore used the same mech in their own version.

[LYNXGUY]

Guitarman, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 7:16 PM, said:

Clint Thompson, on Tue Feb 28, 2006 2:06 PM, said:

Good god what Atari computers you have! (looking at sig! )

LOL!! I am getting ready to post pics of them in the "Show Your Atari" thread. I have no less than 1 of all the 8bit series (less the 1400XL/1450XLS)

Computers
1- 400 w/64k boxed
1- 800 w/64k boxed
3- 1200XL 1 w/800XL OS & Internal Basic boxed, 2 stock loose
4- 600XL 2 w/64K internal boxed, 1 w/64K external loose, 1 stock loose
3- 800XL w/ ICD RamboXL 256K, 1 boxed
1- 65XE boxed
1- 130XE Boxed
3- XEGS, 1 mint boxed
1- 520STfm
2- 1050 drives, 1 happy, 1 USDoubler
4- XF551 drives, 2 boxed
1 ea. 1020 plotter, 1025 dot printer, 1027 LQ printer, 410 tape, 1010 tape, 1030 modem, XM301 modem, SX212 modem, XEP80 80 column board, 850 interface, ICD MIO 256K, ICD P:R: Connection, ICD Printer Connection, Touch Tablet, Light Pen, KoalaPad, Chalkboard PowerPad, SpartaDos X, R:Time8, and more...

Game Consoles
2600
5200 4-port
7800 boxed
Jaguar
Flashback boxed
2- Flashback 2 boxed

One of the loose 1200XL's is going to be my "Frankentari" machine with all the mods I can fit in it.

Very impressive Guitarman, very impressive indeed