Clint Thompson Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
classics Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. 1025722[/snapback] 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
doctorclu Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. 1025722[/snapback] Our beloved plotter... http://www.hansotten.com/himages/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.swansontoolco.com/images/photo-...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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. 1026010[/snapback] Interesting ... were they brand new pens or did they look like new-old-stock? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. 1026010[/snapback] Interesting ... were they brand new pens or did they look like new-old-stock? 1026014[/snapback] The black ones I got were probably NOS but they all work flawlessly Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Thompson Posted February 28, 2006 Author Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. 1026010[/snapback] Interesting ... were they brand new pens or did they look like new-old-stock? 1026014[/snapback] The black ones I got were probably NOS but they all work flawlessly 1026026[/snapback] Good god what Atari computers you have! (looking at sig! ) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gunstar Posted February 28, 2006 Share Posted February 28, 2006 (edited) 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 February 28, 2006 by Gunstar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Thompson Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 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). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 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). 1026146[/snapback] Wasn't sold here but hopefully I'll run across one sometime. I still need to complete the 800 series printers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Clint Thompson Posted March 1, 2006 Author Share Posted March 1, 2006 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). 1026146[/snapback] Wasn't sold here but hopefully I'll run across one sometime. I still need to complete the 800 series printers. 1026190[/snapback] Friggin seriously hardcore! I love it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
+Guitarman Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 Friggin seriously hardcore! I love it! 1026220[/snapback] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gtkakega Posted March 1, 2006 Share Posted March 1, 2006 I used my 1020 for disk directory listings that neatly fit inside the disk jacket. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mio2repair Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 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? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tempest Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jaybird3rd Posted June 30, 2006 Share Posted June 30, 2006 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. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LYNXGUY Posted July 1, 2006 Share Posted July 1, 2006 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 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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