Hi,
I picked up a manky ZX Printer for £20 this week, I was told it was just the belt needed replacing. That doesn't seem to be the whole story. When it arrived the belt had indeed disintegrated, and I found both styli and the little nubbins to hold them on the belt although the belt material is still inside the nubbins and will need picking out with a needle ( I guess ).
The earth wires were not connected to the wire harness they had both broken off and I've resoldered them back on. I connected the spade terminals where they should go and plugged it into my Issue 3 48K and I get a black screen or multicoloured stripes in the border and noise through the speaker. I think there must be damage to the electronics but I wondered if anyone had any experience or pointers, like how common is a blown ULA if the Printer was plugged in while turned on.
Any help would be appreciated.
ZX Printer repair - help requested.
- Morpheus
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ZX Printer repair - help requested.
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Re: ZX Printer repair - help requested.
Just to clarify, do you mean the Spectrum no longer works when you unplug the printer? Or that the Spectrum is OK until the printer is plugged in at which point it shows the fault you describe?
Derek Fountain, author of the ZX Spectrum C Programmer's Getting Started Guide and various open source games, hardware and other projects, including an IF1 and ZX Microdrive emulator.
- Morpheus
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Re: ZX Printer repair - help requested.
When I plug the printer in the Spectrum exhibits the issues without the printer it works fine.
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Re: ZX Printer repair - help requested.
Did the expansion connector key fall out, and are you inserting the shorter ZX-81-width plug it into the wrong place on the longer Spectrum-width board edge?
Robin Verhagen-Guest
SevenFFF / Threetwosevensixseven / colonel32
NXtel • NXTP • ESP Update • ESP Reset • CSpect Plugins
SevenFFF / Threetwosevensixseven / colonel32
NXtel • NXTP • ESP Update • ESP Reset • CSpect Plugins
- Morpheus
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Re: ZX Printer repair - help requested.
No the key is still there and I’ve tried it directly on the Spectrum and in the back of my IF2 with the same results. I’m going check the continuity on the harness and edge connector and check the PCB.
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- Morpheus
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Re: ZX Printer repair - help requested.
Started to check the harness this morning and found evidence of burning on the ULA, socket and one wire next to the ULA so it is a safe bet the ULA is fried I guess. So it's a glorified doorstop currently.
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