Wanted: TRS-80 PC-2 Pocket Computer Plotter pens

From: Ethan Dicks <erd_6502_at_yahoo.com>
Date: Thu Apr 17 15:06:00 2003

--- "Jeffrey S. Worley" <Technoid_at_30below.com> wrote:
> B&C Computervisions in California not only has a LOT of plotters, but
> knows quite well about the gear problem.

I see... they do mention having Atari 1020 plotters with and without
known good gears. I've dropped them a line about a handful of just
the gears.

> IIRC, the plotters are common in mechanism between Atari, Commodore, and
> Radio Shack. I think they were made by Alps? They differ somewhat in
> case and interface, but otherwise parts interchange readily.

AFAIK, the plotter engine is abolutely identical. I used to buy
my pens and paper at Radio Shack. I still have an unopened box of
paper and a tube of unopened pens. Hope they still write. :-)
 
> Anawho, we are probably talking about this plotter which mechanism is
> the same as that of the Atari 1020. It is a 40-column plotter which has
> four pens, black, red, blue and green esconced in a revolving cylinder
> not unlike that of a 4shot Derringer pistol and which prints on a 4" or
> so roll of register paper.

Bingo. I wrote a few programs for the Commodore 1520 about 16 years ago.
Unfortunately for emulation purposes, the C= ROM code is embedded in
a 6502-family microcontroller, so any emulation has to be by inspection,
not by, um, "borrowing".

> The pens, paper, and parts for the plotter are all available new at B&C.

Thanks for the tip. Found 'em.

I found a parts list at http://www.myatari.com/bc800hw.txt but the
gears are not listed seperately, just some other parts like the
pen carriage.

-ethan
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Received on Thu Apr 17 2003 - 15:06:00 BST

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