gilsaluki Posted September 30, 2016 Share Posted September 30, 2016 Does anyone on this planet have an Atari 822 Printer? If so, what do you use it for. I wish I had bought one "back in the day". Impossible to find now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted October 1, 2016 Share Posted October 1, 2016 There was one on EBay UK recently and I remember another one a couple of month ago. It would probably be nice for program listings if you don't care for longevity. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 Another one with a price that makes the last one that I found too expensive for me look like a bargain.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 Whoa! I remember them brand new for $15 at San Jose Computer. He couldn't get rid of them. In fact, sometimes he'd throw in one for free is you order two software titles. My, my, supply and demand. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lange Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 I have one. It sits there and looks pretty. I'm planning on using the three early printers: 820, 822, 825, in my next VCF exhibit next year. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DGS-Atari Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 I can't believe how much these things are selling for. I remember Derek Fern (Micro Discount) had a load of them out of the Atari UK warehouse he'd cleared out in about 1990 time. They were all returns, but most did actually work. I think he sold me a few of these things for about £10 each. Sold them all though not long after. Should have kept them! Getting the paper was the problem, but if you knew somebody with an industrial saw you could get a roll of thermal fax paper and cut it to the correct width. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 (edited) Never saw one in the wild here in Austria but always thought it would be a neat, compact period device to have. At current prices, I'll pass. I suppose that thing is heavier than it looks, though, with an all-metal case. (And I shouldn't have given away my EPSON FX-80.....) Edited November 10, 2017 by slx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill Lange Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 (edited) Here is a photo of my 820 and 822. These things are beasts! They look great along side the Atari 800 tank of a computer! The 822 is quite a bit bigger, but not actually that much heavier. Edited November 10, 2017 by Bill Lange 5 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tschak909 Posted November 10, 2017 Share Posted November 10, 2017 irony here is that both of these mechanisms came from the industrial printing world originally for things like cash registers or monitoring stations, the 822 is a re-badged Trendcom with the centronics circuitry removed, and the 820 is a re-badged Eaton 7000+ printer, again with serial interfacing removed. The only full carriage printer that Atari sold out of the lot was the 825, which was a straight re-badge of the Centronics 737 (Centronics refused to sell Atari a bare mech, so this was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the 850) -Thom 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted November 10, 2017 Author Share Posted November 10, 2017 I have been using an 820 for thirty years. Yeah, a real beast. San Jose Computer guy sold it to me for $15. I said, "Why do I need one of those?". His response, "Why not?" For that price, he was right. Should have gotten the thermal printer (822) as well. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KLund1 Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 I have a 822, partly working. That all metal housing, and internals make it quite heavy. I think we had it on display this year at VCF-W, along with an 820 and 825, both working. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+wood_jl Posted November 14, 2017 Share Posted November 14, 2017 The 822 was my first printer! I bought it out of a bargain bin in the toy section of JC Penny, in the early 1980s. At that time, it was several hundred dollars for something like an Atari 825 or Epson MX-80, plus the expense of an Atari 850 Interface (remember how expensive those were). It was the only way I could print anything out of my Atari for a while. I remember other Atari BBS SYSOPS used the 820 on their BBS, and used to tell me about hearing the noisy 820 from bed across the house, as people would leave a "Message To SYSOP" at some ungodly hour. I missed out on the 820. I tried for a while to look for 'em, but they're just too rare, expensive, and not so usable to me now. I stocked up on Epson FX-80s (well, 2 is a stock now) so I can do a vintage Print Shop printout, now and then. That's about all they are good for. About a year ago, I heard an old-school dot matrix impact printer going at the Bone and Joint clinic. I hadn't heard one in years. I was waiting for it to print across the perforation and make that really loud sound, and it did! I couldn't believe it. Isn't it cheaper to have a laser printer print two pages than tear apart those archaic tractor feed multi-part forms? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted January 30, 2018 Share Posted January 30, 2018 Didn't check my mail for a day just to find that there was an untested 822 "buy it now" for 60 USD. No wonder it was gone a day later. Anyone here lucky enough to have scored? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gilsaluki Posted February 1, 2018 Author Share Posted February 1, 2018 Darn! Missed another 822! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ACML Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 Didn't check my mail for a day just to find that there was an untested 822 "buy it now" for 60 USD. No wonder it was gone a day later. Anyone here lucky enough to have scored? Actually there were two for sale ($60 buy it nows). No, I didn't buy them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) Actually there were two for sale ($60 buy it nows). No, I didn't buy them. Might have been tempted to get both to save on shipping, thus probably increasing the European count by 25% Really regret I missed these. Edited February 1, 2018 by slx Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronizer Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 A while ago I acquired the Trendcom version of this printer. Gone are the SIO connectors and associated logic, replaced by a heavy transformer and associated power suppply components so it can be plugged directly into a wall socket. Does anyone happen to know the pinout for the data connector? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) a4p1 & a8p1 are the adadapters macrotronics made them I think.. but you can look up macrotronics trendcom printer adapter you might find the pinout for the adapter boards or cords that connect to the 20 pin connector I know analog did a mod for the 822 to connect up to the 850 for those that are interested. check old ham/radio/computer magazines, they constantly spliced disparate system together.. it might be at below... just look at the ic that connect to the 20 pin and we can be sure... tell us the numbers, should be easy to pair up and trace out 1 strobe2 data 03 data 14 data 25 data 36 data 47 data 58 data 69 data 710 ack11 busy12 paper13 select14 autofeed15 error16 init17 select in18-20 ground Edited February 1, 2018 by _The Doctor__ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wesmond Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 UK one today - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WOW-Atari-822-Thermal-Printer-Mint-and-Double-Boxed-for-400-800-XL-XE/312055935628?hash=item48a7fbb28c:g:9GgAAOSwdTJab4M0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
electronizer Posted February 1, 2018 Share Posted February 1, 2018 (edited) a4p1 & a8p1 are the adadapters macrotronics made them I think.. but you can look up macrotronics trendcom printer adapter you might find the pinout for the adapter boards or cords that connect to the 20 pin connector I know analog did a mod for the 822 to connect up to the 850 for those that are interested. check old ham/radio/computer magazines, they constantly spliced disparate system together.. it might be at below... just look at the ic that connect to the 20 pin and we can be sure... tell us the numbers, should be easy to pair up and trace out 1 strobe 2 data 0 3 data 1 4 data 2 5 data 3 6 data 4 7 data 5 8 data 6 9 data 7 10 ack 11 busy 12 paper 13 select 14 autofeed 15 error 16 init 17 select in 18-20 ground Here is a picture of where the connector attaches: Pin 1 is in the lower left corner and pin 20 is in the upper right corner (connector is at the left edge of the picture). I wonder if I can just make a straight connection to the 850 printer port with IDC connectors and ribbon cable? Chips are 74LS373N, ULN2805A and 74LS175N. Edited February 1, 2018 by electronizer Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BillC Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 Here is a picture of where the connector attaches: B61F44DB-4D15-4FC6-B563-665540C02FF6.jpeg Pin 1 is in the lower left corner and pin 20 is in the upper right corner (connector is at the left edge of the picture). I wonder if I can just make a straight connection to the 850 printer port with IDC connectors and ribbon cable? Chips are 74LS373N, ULN2805A and 74LS175N. Very much doubt that a straight thru ribbon cable would work, the 850 printer port is only 15 pins and AFAIK the pinout is unique. The only other devices I know of that use the same pinout are the ICD MIO and P:R:Connection, and this was for compatibility with 850 cables. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_The Doctor__ Posted February 2, 2018 Share Posted February 2, 2018 we need to see the traces going from the pins to the chips Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted February 3, 2018 Share Posted February 3, 2018 UK one today - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WOW-Atari-822-Thermal-Printer-Mint-and-Double-Boxed-for-400-800-XL-XE/312055935628?hash=item48a7fbb28c:g:9GgAAOSwdTJab4M0 Didnt even fire my EBay search. Taken offline, probably after a nice side offer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dopeyman06 Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 Sorry.... Bringing up and old thready... What's the going rate for an 822 now-a-days? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+slx Posted June 30, 2023 Share Posted June 30, 2023 16 minutes ago, Dopeyman06 said: Sorry.... Bringing up and old thready... What's the going rate for an 822 now-a-days? Only one recent sold listing on EBay shows 180€, so north of 200$. I think I remember some going for a bit less a couple of months ago, somewhere 150-ish, but they don’t come up very often, so it’s hard to establish consistent prices. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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