Errius wrote on Yesterday, 23:01:

("DB-9" doesn't exist BTW. It's DE-9. I also make this mistake and have to correct myself.)

Dang. Even McMaster has them listed as DB9.

Errius wrote on Yesterday, 23:01:

("DB-9" doesn't exist BTW. It's DE-9. I also make this mistake and have to correct myself.)

Everyone called it DB9 for decades until someone rediscovered the tap water publishing an article on a technical blog a couple of years ago, and published an article that went somewhat viral and was cloned many times.

I honestly don't remember who was but one of those articles is here.

https://news.sparkfun.com/14298

BTW, in the era when HDD were called Winchester, the Dx connectors where usually called Cannon connectors (Cannon is the company who invented them), just like the power connectors on PC are called Molex.

Things are a relic of their time sometimes. 🙂

Back in the day™, where I live(d), a PC's COM port was being refered to as V.24 Schnittstelle (V.24 port), with the DB-25 version still being the dominant one.
Probably because of telecommunications sector and the dial-up modem (only by late 90s they switched from DB-25 to DE-9).

Even earlier in the CP/M days, the COMx port was called the AUX port.
MS-DOS still has an alias that links to COM1 by default.

But naming conventions change over time.

The RS-232 is now called EIA-232, too, for example.

Edit: Some ISA multi-i/o cards do refer to the serial ports as ASYNx.
Probably meaning asynchronous interface or something along these lines.

Albeit not my first computer, the first practical contact with serial ports I had was on Sinclair QL.

It had odd British Telecom connectors (Sort of RJ11 but with the locking clip on the side) but were already referred correctly as RS232-C or Serial.

https://www.manualslib.com/manual/1056341/Sin … l?page=7#manual

I learned only recently that there was a late batch of QLs built by Samsung that was equipped with more common DE-9 connectors

(funny that "Uncle Clive", didn't bother to make a new mold for the top part which has new writings, but still the old "indentation", out of sync with the new ports)

keenmaster486 wrote on Yesterday, 23:15:

Dang. Even McMaster has them listed as DB9.

Probably because people were searching for "DB9" and not finding what they were looking for. 😜

I know you're looking for a standard parallel port printer.

But HP DeskJet 500 (not each model), 500C and 550C had a RS/232 port too.
It was dropped with 510 and 560C.

Errius wrote on Yesterday, 22:30:

Donald Duck wrote on Yesterday, 20:27:

Will this one do the job?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236807273735 ... JoQAvD_BwE

Thanks

That's the right model however (1) it's untested and no returns, so buyer beware, (2) it's collection only, so unless you live nearby it's no good, and (3) the seller doesn't show a picture of the USB/parallel ports, so you need to ask him to show you one, so you can verify both ports are present and undamaged (it's always suspicious when sellers fail to fully photograph the item. They may be hiding something.)

The ink/toner you need is Q2612A so factor the price of that into the purchase

That generation of HP printers is very reliable and cost effective (if one uses third party toner cartridges).

My mom-in-law still uses the Laserjet 1018 I bought new in 2006ish .

For simple BW laser printers Samsung ones were unbeatable, so unbeatable that HP bought the entire business, and HP printers derived from the Samsung heritage are good as well

Whatever ebay is still plenty of cheap and robust samsung models

Yes I have a 1018 and 1020 that, after years of fighting with inkjets, I like very much. They just work.

They're prone to paper jams on large documents, but I suspect that's a disassemble-and-lubricate problem, something I need to do when I have the patience.

Likely the rubber rolls that grab the paper are a bit hardened or worn, they are relatively easy to replace, but often some fine sandpaper is enough to revive them.

Back on the days the solution was simple: liquid CFC, it was just miraculous, but it went the way of the dodo when the aerosol form got banned, the liquid cousin was banned as well.

You can still get them, just not as propellants or as refrigerants, and usually requires special use permits.

They are still useful progenitor molecules for an abundance of products.

In this particular application, you just want something that can help transport plasticizer compounds through a urethane rubber substrate, and an appropriate plasticizer.

Something like alkylsulfonic phenyl ester as the plasticizer, and something like ethyl acetate, or touluene as the solvent.

Should do wonders.

wierd_w wrote on Today, 19:49:

You can still get them, just not as propellants or as refrigerants, and usually requires special use permits. […]
Show full quote

You can still get them, just not as propellants or as refrigerants, and usually requires special use permits.

They are still useful progenitor molecules for an abundance of products.

In this particular application, you just want something that can help transport plasticizer compounds through a urethane rubber substrate, and an appropriate plasticizer.

Something like alkylsulfonic phenyl ester as the plasticizer, and something like ethyl acetate, or touluene as the solvent.

Should do wonders.

Good to know.

I guessed there was a way, like for the leaded solder.

But I never investigated, given fixing printers was never a real work for me, and the day of VCR and audio tapes, more or less ended as well. That was where the magic of CFC was essential, I saved tons of money and time reviving pinch rollers and belts rather than replacing them.

Unless your PC is ancient (PC or XT) Serial ports are most likely DE-9 (9 pin) [Commonly referred to as "DB-9" because it looks like a smaller version of a DB-25 - I see this in a lot of "official" documentation and am guilty of this myself on occasion]

A DB-25 (25 pins) on a PC is usually parallel but can be serial - If is has "holes" going in a base plate even with the outer part of the "D" - it's parallel. if "pins" sticking out from a base plate at the back of the "D" - it's serial.

If you are unsure of what ports your system has, go into BIOS and see what can be configured. Make sure to identify the corresponding connectors to match the BIOS options.
If you have a multimeter we can tell you how to tell from the signals on the connector what kind it is.

Almost all printers are parallel and usually have a 36-pin Centronics connector (bigger with a "slot" running across it for the connections).
If this is what you have/get you'll need a cable like the one shown by "Donald Duck".

There are printers with serial interfaces, almost always with both interfaces (DB-25 for serial, Centronics for parallel) but these are/were fairly uncommon.

If you find a printer with only a serial interface, it's probably made for some specialized equipment and my not work well (or at all) on a PC.

Also, aside from things like an IBM Proprinter, you will likely not like having a serially connected printer.

Serial printers *tended* to be either daisywheel text only devices, OR, were 'vector only' devices, like pen plotters.

(Though I *am* the happy and proud owner of a Roland DXY 1100 penplotter, I will be forthright that it does not at all work like a normal printer.)

IBM proprinter is a unique exception. It is a general purpose dot matrix printer that has wide utility with a large number of noteworthy home microcomputers of historical significance, that uses a serial interface.

Personally, I'd strongly suggest a parallel port / centronics based printer. Preferably one that speaks ESC/2. (Epson emulation)

Dont forget the DB13W3

Used by SUN, SGI and others to connect their monitors.

The best monitor I ever owned used it, and I made the adapter DB13W3 <-->DE-15 to use it with my PC(s)

Errius wrote on Yesterday, 22:30:

Donald Duck wrote on Yesterday, 20:27:

Will this one do the job?
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236807273735 ... JoQAvD_BwE

Thanks

That's the right model however (1) it's untested and no returns, so buyer beware, (2) it's collection only, so unless you live nearby it's no good, and (3) the seller doesn't show a picture of the USB/parallel ports, so you need to ask him to show you one, so you can verify both ports are present and undamaged (it's always suspicious when sellers fail to fully photograph the item. They may be hiding something.)

The ink/toner you need is Q2612A so factor the price of that into the purchase

If that one no good then what about these 2
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/236813316513?_ul=U … nid=23120818549

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116843124302?_ul=G … IRoCmPkQAvD_BwE

Guys.. Donald Duck is just this guy again that keeps asking nonsense questions and posting Epstein pics:

The_Retro_Jimmy_Club
ModernMan
Im from Windows

Can we not block his IP or something?

RetroPCCupboard wrote on Today, 21:53:

Guys.. Donald Duck is just this guy again that keeps asking nonsense questions and posting Epstein pics: […]
Show full quote

Guys.. Donald Duck is just this guy again that keeps asking nonsense questions and posting Epstein pics:

The_Retro_Jimmy_Club
ModernMan
Im from Windows

Can we not block his IP or something?

Post reported!

My general take on "untested" is that it really means "didn't work when I tried it" ...

Yeah, there can be cases where someone is selling a "one of" (for them), and doesn't have something suitable to check it out... but
- why do that have a "one of" that they couldn't use
- why not at least report it power-up and appears OK

Tested/working is so much more sellable than "untested" - and testing takes so little effort, especially if you are often selling similar items...
(in this case - ink is probably dry ... but "seems to work, moves head back and forth and make mechanical printing sounds - ink is dry so no actual output visible" I find MUCH more appealing than "untested".

DaveDDS wrote on Today, 20:29:

Unless your PC is ancient (PC or XT) Serial ports are most likely DE-9 (9 pin) [Commonly referred to as "DB-9" because it looks like a smaller version of a DB-25 - I see this in a lot of "official" documentation and am guilty of this myself on occasion]

Here in Germany of the 90s I had a slightly different experience, if memory serves.
While it's true that DE-9 was common in AT class computers, such as slim 286 desktops, it was a bit different with big tower PCs.
They usually had been equipped with multi-i/o ISA cards in the 386/486 era
and many of these cards had an optional ribbon cable with a DB-25 connector.
The cable was meant for the ASYN2 header on the multi-i/o card.
The card itself often had DE-9 serial and DB-25 parallel port on its own bracket due to space reasons.
The DB-25 serial connector also was not seldomly mounted in the back of the chassis directly instead of in a slot bracket.