Atari 1020 resources

[ebiguy]

Hi,

 

In search of a way to make the 1020 work again, I found many hints from other websites for computers having the same ALPS mechanism inside their plotters.

But the information is not so easy to find so I wanted to share what I have found so far with everyone here.

Please feel free to add other resources or details you could have.

 

To use the 1020, we need

- a working 1020 (seems obvious but most of them have problems with 2 small gears to move the head and to pull the paper)

- some working pens

- some paper

 

But before, let me redirect you to this excellent site which contains technical information about the 1020 but it is in German : http://www.bollwerk-essen.de/retrocom/atari/1020_add.html

Using Google Translate, you can understand everything.

 

1) the gears

My 1020 had the Y gear (the one on the right, moving the paper) broken as most of the 1020.

This small gear is split apart but the dents are still OK and sharp.

It means that when the motor spins, the gear does not turn with it.

I found 3 solutions :

 

a) use super glue. Do not try to repair the gear or to glue the gap. It is too small to try to glue it to fill the gap.

Instead, glue the gear to the motor spindle. I tried this way and it is now working.

I don't know if it will last for many years.

You can find the source in this article for the commodore 1520 : http://biosrhythm.com/?p=1395

 

b) buy a new metal gear so that it last for a long time.

I think no metal gear exists with the exact dimensions expected by the Atari 1020.

But the gear with the reference EA-055-13 fits almost perfectly.

The problem with this gear is that it is not in stock in all online shops I tried (and I found many !).

The only source I found is a Chinese web site : http://www.miracle-mart.com/store/index.php?main_page=advanced_search_result&search_in_description=1&keyword=EA-055-13&x=0&y=0

I did not try metal gear

 

c) buy a new plastic gear.

One site says that Best Electronics is selling them (new old stock) but I did not find it on Best Electronics' website

But someone tried hard and managed to produce new gears. You have to buy 3 gears at a time.

The web site is here : https://www.shapeways.com/product/CMBQ6D2Z4/alps-x-y-plotter-gear-qty-3-commodore-atari

 

2) the pens

There are two kind of pens: new old stock and real new ones

 

a) new old stock

Best Electronics is selling pens. This is new old stock.

Each set of 4 pens is not expensive for someone living in the US.

I don't know the shipping cost to Europe proposed by Best Electronics but, from my experience, it is very expensive (like $30)

You could think that new old stock pens won't last long. Maybe but the good news is that you can refill them.

If the pen is completely dry, it is very hard to revive. On 4 dry pens, I manage to revive only one (the blue pen).

But if you have working pens (new old stock), then, when the pen is empty, try to refill them.

To do that, you just need to remove the plastic head from the metal body with a needle nose pliers.

Then you can remove the content of the body which looks like sponge and put it in a bottle of ink and put it back into the metal body.

 

b) real new pens

New pens are produced even today for medical instruments in Germany.

I found 3 German sites selling them. The 3 sites have a different productions (their pens are not the same and the packaging is also different).

These pens are expensive (more than $20). It is said that they last longuer than new old stock but I can not tell.

Here are the 3 sites I have found :

This one accepts Paypal : http://plotterstifte-faserschreibfedern.de/epages/d0ad59d0-2179-4e1a-a881-03dcaece632c.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/d0ad59d0-2179-4e1a-a881-03dcaece632c/Products/9

This one also : http://www.lass-shop.de/epages/63686166.sf/de_DE/?ObjectPath=/Shops/63686166/Products/%22US%20017.01%22

This one does not accapt paypal or credit card but only wire transfer: http://cgm-gmbh.de/product_info.php?products_id=111

I do not have any new pens and I don't know if these ones can be refilled when they are empty.

For those who do not want to order from a German site (because they don't speak German), someone is reselling the pens of lass-shop on eBay

Here is the title to search for : *NEW* Vintage Plotter Pens. Casio BP-1, Sharp EA-850 and compatible ALPS models

Currently, the sale is over but the seller puts a new set on sale very often.

 

There are many web sites giving hints to prevent the pens from drying.

The only important thing to do is to remove the pens from the printing head after use and put the cap on them.

And use them from time to time so that the little metal ball in each pen does not get stuck or dry

 

3) the paper

I think that Best Electronics is selling them. But again, this is only for US residents.

Finding paper is not so hard in Europe as they are still in production for cash register systems.

You can search the internet in your country: paper roll 114 60 12 and you will find paper rolls with a width of 114mm

But the rolls have too much paper. The roll is too big to fit in the 1020. You have to remove 1/4 of the paper.

Not a big deal.

 

Hope it helps other 1020 owners.

Edited November 3, 2016 by ebiguy

[Level42]

Great info, thanks !

 

I got a 1020 yesterday, the mech looks to be working fine.

 

I also kindly received a set of NOS original Atari pens and with a bit of rolling over the back side of the cardboard of the packing I got all 4 pens to work.....amazing considering their age, but I guess they are pretty well packed (airtight).

Edited December 23, 2017 by Level42

[Level42]

Maybe it's my old eyes but I couldn't completely figure out which color goes where in the revolver and I couldn't find any example of what the correct color order is (even Atari's service manual doesn't list the colors....just shows a black and white representation, very useful). But through looking at some youtube videos from devices that use the same ALPS mechanism I figured out this is the right order:

 

BLACK - BLUE - GREEN - RED

 

So, it took me 50 years to get my first Atari printer (1027) and only a couple of days to get my second Atari printer ???? but this one already works !

 

Big thanks to Fred for this nice little device, I love the technical side of these things which are now a relic that we should keep alive to show future generations that maybe this looks primitive for today, but I think was extremely clever stuff for that age and time

 

Now need to type in some BASIC listings to have some fun !

[Fred_M]

LOL, you are welcome Andre.

 

In stead of watching Youtube videos you could have read the (Dutch) manual which is on my website https://atarimuseum.nl/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/1020_Manual_NL.pdf

 

There are also some small basic type in listings in the manual.

 

A small addition to the first post, you can get the right size paper rolls (in Europe) also from me.... https://www.rewindgames.eu/opencart/Accessoires-shop/Printersupplies/printerplotterpaper-new Sadly I am out of NOS pens. This year I sold 50 sets of pens, old stock does not last forever...

Edited December 23, 2017 by Fred_M

[Level42]

Yep, I'll buy three rolls !!!

 

Thanks my friend

 

But do me one favor......throw out that "solder"...... it's way too thick, doesn't flow well and turns gray instead of silver.......and it makes shorts !! ;)

 

Yeah, I found the original English language version of that manual and despite being it in color, it STILL doesn't show the correct order of colors of the little boxes it draws at start-up.

 

I just entered the BASIC listing that draws the circle pattern and man I enjoyed watching it go !

 

Now I want a full size plotter !!!! :)

Edited December 23, 2017 by Level42