Recommendation/opinion on Atari printers.

[segasaturn]

I have recently taken an interest of the atari 8bit computers. I have an atari 800xl, a 1010 cassette player, and a 1050 floppy drive.......now I think the next thing I might get is an Atari printer. Now, I'm a college student, and I love old technology, and honestly I would bring the computer/printer with me to my college to do homework (judge me all you want!) my question is; I know there are TONS of 8bit atari printers, 1020, 1025, 1027, etc,. What printer has the most reliability, and that's the best for paper/homework? If anyone has a working printer that's good, I'd love to work out a deal/buy one off of someone.....

[+Ripdubski]

First question. Do you want daisy wheel or dot matrix?

[RickR]

They all have flaws:

The 1025 is probably the most reliable, but the print quality is terrible. It can't print the bottom part of letters like "y" and "g", so it scoots them up a bit.

Finding a working 1027 isn't easy. The print head/wheel won't last very long. Most of them deteriorate in the box.

 

And the 1020 is a plotter.

 

Best bet if you're serious is to go with a third party printer. My favorite: Star NX1000.

[segasaturn]

First question. Do you want daisy wheel or dot matrix?

. I honestly don't know much about either. I have a hp inkjet printer from 2013. Which is better?

[segasaturn]

They all have flaws:

The 1025 is probably the most reliable, but the print quality is terrible. It can't print the bottom part of letters like "y" and "g", so it scoots them up a bit.

Finding a working 1027 isn't easy. The print head/wheel won't last very long. Most of them deteriorate in the box.

 

And the 1020 is a plotter.

 

Best bet if you're serious is to go with a third party printer. My favorite: Star NX1000.

 

And I looking at the 1025 actually. Do you know much about it?

[RickR]

Yes, I had one in high school. The print quality was terrible, even back then. It is built like a tank, and uses plain old ribbon on a spool. So this one would probably the easiest to get up and working today. It requires fanfold paper with the hole punches on the sides.

[RickR]

You might want to check out an Atari XMM801.

[WizWor]

I had/have a 1027 printer. Except when a band slipped or the paper slipped, it had very decent quality output. Unfortunately, the paper slipped quite a bit and the letters, while fully formed, were always a little out of place. I replaced that with an Epson LQ500 which was a 24 pin printer. Eventually, I got an Epson Action Laser II which I used for many years with Atari, DOS, and Windows computers.

 

If you are looking for something for show, the 1027 is a nice ornament. I recommend you get a modern printer for everyday use.

[russg]

. I honestly don't know much about either. I have a hp inkjet printer from 2013. Which is better?

I suggest you use your HP inkjet. All you need is a centronics printer interface for your Atari. However, since your HP is 2013, it may not be a 'standard' printer, I'm not sure. No printer will print Atari 8 inverse and special

characters, although there is a G: driver that can do that on certain dot matrix printers SG10 is one. Modern printers are bitwise printers that don't understand simple ASCII code being sent to them, I think.

I believe the older HP deskjet printers could print ASCII characters sent to them. A way to test your HP...... Can you type something in PC Notepad, then print it? If so, I think that means your printer will

print ASCII. So, my suggestion is get a centronics interface. There were several. The most common are the 850 and PRC interfaces that can do modems and printers. You can get an Atari printer interface

from Atari vendors like BEST Electronics or B&C. Oh, wait! your HP is probably a USB printer, won't work, you need a Centronics, old time parallel printer cable. So look ebaY for a HP 690C Deskjet or any

other 'parallel' type. You also have to get the Atari Centronics PRC/850 to printer parallel cable, PC parallel cables won't work. I think the Atari parallel is a 9 pin 'D' to centronics.

I don't suggest any Atari SIO printer, quality and reliability not so good. I don't think you need a 'printer driver'. You need some word processing program for the Atari. Most common were

'Atariwriter' and 'Paper Clip', maybe Best, B&C, Video 61. Paper Clip is superior. You can also get a spreadsheet program, 'Visicalc' is the best. I don't think you need a database, like

'Synfile'.

A quick look at BEST catalog. No, interface, has a 850 populated motherboard. EbaY has 850 and PRC. BEST or B&C or Video 61 probably have the cable you need. The cable may be the hard part.

I know Video 61 had at least one 850.

 

Wait again. You can get a SIO to centronics interface, MPP makes one, no need for PRC or 850. Then you don't need the 9 pin to centronics cable. (SIO is your Atari port.)

Edited April 16, 2014 by russg

[20ohm20]

I've bought a two Atari 1027's several years ago and both had print head issues. I eventually got one of them working with a new print head from Best, back when they were still selling them. I don't know if it still works or not since it's been at least four years since I've powered it up...

 

I had an Epson MX-80 that was bought new by my dad in 1983 that used with an Apple //e, Commodore 64 and a couple PC's up to a 386 back in the day that still worked up until a year ago. That thing was a workhorse; I printed a lot of homework all through high school on it.

 

I bought a Panasonic KX-P1090 from another AA member after my MX-80 died, and after a new (inexpensive) print head and ribbon, it has been working great on my Atari 800/850. Print quality and noise level was better than expected for a 9-pin dot matrix printer. I expect it to last a long time, especially after installing a new print head and using it only to print the occasional grocery list or program listing.

 

I also have two Atari 820's that are both non-operational. One of my projects this summer is to get at least one of them working. Unfortunately, they both need a drive belt, a part that Best no longer sells.

[flashjazzcat]

I used a (very noisy but robust) Star LC-10 for years until I replaced it with a Canon BJC-200 Inkjet. The latter's long since lost, but I liked it so much I bought two similar replacement Canon Inkjets for peanuts on eBay. Cheap to run, Centronics interface (works with ICD Printer Connection or similar), and runs in Epson-compatible character mode. Not so good for the likes of Daisy-Dot II, etc, or anything which attempts to back the paper up via software in order to do multi-pass printing, but for general purpose use, quiet and cheap.

Edited April 16, 2014 by flashjazzcat

[charliecron]

Okidata Microline 320 9-pin dot matrix. Epson emulation.. still made I think. Tank. Bad ass.

[segasaturn]

I suggest you use your HP inkjet. All you need is a centronics printer interface for your Atari. However, since your HP is 2013, it may not be a 'standard' printer, I'm not sure. No printer will print Atari 8 inverse and special

characters, although there is a G: driver that can do that on certain dot matrix printers SG10 is one. Modern printers are bitwise printers that don't understand simple ASCII code being sent to them, I think.

I believe the older HP deskjet printers could print ASCII characters sent to them. A way to test your HP...... Can you type something in PC Notepad, then print it? If so, I think that means your printer will

print ASCII. So, my suggestion is get a centronics interface. There were several. The most common are the 850 and PRC interfaces that can do modems and printers. You can get an Atari printer interface

from Atari vendors like BEST Electronics or B&C. Oh, wait! your HP is probably a USB printer, won't work, you need a Centronics, old time parallel printer cable. So look ebaY for a HP 690C Deskjet or any

other 'parallel' type. You also have to get the Atari Centronics PRC/850 to printer parallel cable, PC parallel cables won't work. I think the Atari parallel is a 9 pin 'D' to centronics.

I don't suggest any Atari SIO printer, quality and reliability not so good. I don't think you need a 'printer driver'. You need some word processing program for the Atari. Most common were

'Atariwriter' and 'Paper Clip', maybe Best, B&C, Video 61. Paper Clip is superior. You can also get a spreadsheet program, 'Visicalc' is the best. I don't think you need a database, like

'Synfile'.

A quick look at BEST catalog. No, interface, has a 850 populated motherboard. EbaY has 850 and PRC. BEST or B&C or Video 61 probably have the cable you need. The cable may be the hard part.

I know Video 61 had at least one 850.

 

Wait again. You can get a SIO to centronics interface, MPP makes one, no need for PRC or 850. Then you don't need the 9 pin to centronics cable. (SIO is your Atari port.)

I think you misunderstood me. I would use the HP for real homework, but the atari printer just for showing off and maybe like something quick or something. The thing is, I would USE it either way, so that's why I'm wondering what atari printer is the easiest to get supplies for(ribbons,etc,.) as well as the most reliable because I want it to last a long time even though it's still 30~ year equipment! Hopefully it will last another 30 years! Edited April 16, 2014 by segasaturn

[Bryan]

If you can find an Okidata ML80, it's got the same appearance/mechanism as the 1025 but without all the capability stripped out. You'd need a printer interface for it.

 

On second thought, most people won't appreciate homework printed on a 9-pin dot matrix nowadays.

[Fletch]

The 1025 is a solidly built printer, but it is one directional. So for a dot matrix it is very slow. That being said, I still have mine from 30 years ago and it works like a champ.

[segasaturn]

The 1025 is a solidly built printer, but it is one directional. So for a dot matrix it is very slow. That being said, I still have mine from 30 years ago and it works like a champ.

Okay. I've been thinking and I THINK I am getting the 1025 printer. Anyone here willing to give sell theirs? Where might I get the ink ribbon for it,etc,.

Edited April 16, 2014 by segasaturn

[Fletch]

I believe they use a fairly common typewriter ribbon

[AtariGeezer]

I've been using a Star SG-10 on my A8's since 1986, it too uses the common typewriter ribbon...

[fibrewire]

Atari 825 is still available from Best Electronics, and is my personal favorite. Still printing strong after all these years!!!

 

http://www.best-electronics-ca.com/laser_printers.htm

[+Ripdubski]

I had a SG10X long ago. Good printer but 10, or maybe 20, CPS meant you could have dinner while something printed.