This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend. It has always been rather light even on maximum dark
settings but is now getting to the point where I'm thinking of actually
buying (gasp!) a new printer.

The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

The toner cartridge and been replaced with no change.

It's not used very much, mainly for mailing labels and is clean inside.

It seems to me that there use to be settings for darkness in the LJ5 driver
but since upgrading (!!) to XP, they don't appear anymore. That improved
it a bit, though never as dark as it should be. But might be enough.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

On 09 Jan 2010 11:33:25 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend.

Beware of friends bearing free printers.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

It has always been rather light even on maximum dark
settings but is now getting to the point where I'm thinking of actually
buying (gasp!) a new printer.

The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

My guess(tm), is that it's the laser scanner assembly. The optics are
either full of filth, or the laser diode is low on output. I vaguely
recall that you know something about lasers. However, it's more
likely that the rotating mirror or plastic optics are filthy.

The toner cartridge and been replaced with no change.
It's not used very much, mainly for mailing labels and is clean inside.

I recall that this was the lightly used printer that I suggested you
replace about 9 months ago.

It seems to me that there use to be settings for darkness in the LJ5 driver
but since upgrading (!!) to XP, they don't appear anymore. That improved
it a bit, though never as dark as it should be. But might be enough.

Depending on model, most have the adjustment. Make sure the
"economode" is off.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Get a new (used) printer.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Samuel M. Goldwasser wrote in message
...
This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend. It has always been rather light even on maximum dark
settings but is now getting to the point where I'm thinking of actually
buying (gasp!) a new printer.

The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

The toner cartridge and been replaced with no change.

It's not used very much, mainly for mailing labels and is clean inside.

It seems to me that there use to be settings for darkness in the LJ5
driver
but since upgrading (!!) to XP, they don't appear anymore. That improved
it a bit, though never as dark as it should be. But might be enough.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above
is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included
in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.


Damp paper ?
Try passing some sheets through the system, so heated by fuser roller, and
then passing through again the other way up

On Jan 9, 8:33*am, (Samuel M. Goldwasser) wrote:


The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

Any suggestions appreciated.

I think you have a dusty lightpath. If there's dust or fogging on the
rotating mirror (warning: it takes a lot of disassembly to get to
that),
or on the scanner enclosure window, it hurts thin lines like that.
The mirror can only be dusted (blow dust off with compressed air),
not wiped. The window can be wiped off with isopropyl alcohol,
but if there's a film on the inner surface, it's complete-disassembly
time.

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 11:33:25 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend.

Beware of friends bearing free printers.

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5

It has always been rather light even on maximum dark
settings but is now getting to the point where I'm thinking of actually
buying (gasp!) a new printer.

The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

My guess(tm), is that it's the laser scanner assembly. The optics are
either full of filth, or the laser diode is low on output. I vaguely
recall that you know something about lasers. However, it's more



likely that the rotating mirror or plastic optics are filthy.

The toner cartridge and been replaced with no change.
It's not used very much, mainly for mailing labels and is clean inside.

I recall that this was the lightly used printer that I suggested you
replace about 9 months ago.

Could be, but I think I was only complaining about paper feed then, and
a good cleaning of the exit roller fixed that.

It seems to me that there use to be settings for darkness in the LJ5 driver
but since upgrading (!!) to XP, they don't appear anymore. That improved
it a bit, though never as dark as it should be. But might be enough.

Depending on model, most have the adjustment. Make sure the
"economode" is off.

Off.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Get a new (used) printer.

In this case I tend to agree but might explore the scanner assembly, probably
after I get a new printer!

Thanks!

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sat, 9 Jan 2010 12:21:44 -0800 (PST), whit3rd
wrote:

On Jan 9, 8:33*am, (Samuel M. Goldwasser) wrote:


The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

Any suggestions appreciated.

I think you have a dusty lightpath. If there's dust or fogging on the
rotating mirror (warning: it takes a lot of disassembly to get to
that),
or on the scanner enclosure window, it hurts thin lines like that.
The mirror can only be dusted (blow dust off with compressed air),
not wiped. The window can be wiped off with isopropyl alcohol,
but if there's a film on the inner surface, it's complete-disassembly
time.

Roger all that, if it is a 5L.

On Jan 9, 10:33*am, (Samuel M. Goldwasser) wrote:
This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend. *It has always been rather light even on maximum dark
settings but is now getting to the point where I'm thinking of actually
buying (gasp!) a new printer.

The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

The toner cartridge and been replaced with no change.

It's not used very much, mainly for mailing labels and is clean inside.

It seems to me that there use to be settings for darkness in the LJ5 driver
but since upgrading (!!) to XP, they don't appear anymore. *That improved
it a bit, though never as dark as it should be. *But might be enough.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

--
* * sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ:http://www.repairfaq.org/
*Repair | Main Table of Contents:http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ:http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
* * * * | Mirror Sites:http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. *Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs..

Can you switch to a different type font to keep on using the printer
for a few more months until the toner cartridge finally gives out?

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

I really hate satisfied customers. It's really bad for my repair biz.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5

Ok, EX II series printer:
http://www.printerworks.com/Printers/LaserJet_5_5M_5N.html

In this case I tend to agree but might explore the scanner assembly, probably
after I get a new printer!

You might be able to get away with just a (dry) air hose cleaning. The
laser slot is at the top of the printer. Remove the toner cartridge
and you should see the slot. There's no window. Just blow some (dry)
air into the slot and hope that it removes the dust. I would give it
about a 30% chance of success. If not, remove all the plastic outer
case parts. When you get the top off, you should see the laser
scanner assembly. No need to remove it. As I vaguely recall, the top
is held on with one screw and some simple snaps (not sure). Once the
lid is off, clean the haze off the optics and mirrors.

I once had a customer with about 10 laser printers including several
HP5m models. Some of them required cleaning the scanner optics about
twice per year. It took me a while to figure out what happened. They
were using refilled toner cartridges. The cart vendor was applying
stickers onto the cartridge that eventually would just fall off. I
was wondering where the glue went. I eventually suspected that it was
being volatized and was coating the inside of the laser printers,
including the scanner optics. Wiping down the inside of the printer
and finding a thin sticky layer confirmed my guess. I told the
vendor, who initially thought I was nuts, but eventually thanked me
for solving a running mystery.



--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

"hr(bob) " writes:

On Jan 9, 10:33*am, (Samuel M. Goldwasser) wrote:
This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend. *It has always been rather light even on maximum dark
settings but is now getting to the point where I'm thinking of actually
buying (gasp!) a new printer.

The symptoms are that thin lines print very light while large areas
are solid black.

The toner cartridge and been replaced with no change.

It's not used very much, mainly for mailing labels and is clean inside.

It seems to me that there use to be settings for darkness in the LJ5 driver
but since upgrading (!!) to XP, they don't appear anymore. *That improved
it a bit, though never as dark as it should be. *But might be enough.

Any suggestions appreciated.

Thanks!

--

Can you switch to a different type font to keep on using the printer
for a few more months until the toner cartridge finally gives out?

In some cases that would work but for graphics and stuff like UPS/USPS
on-line mailing, there is no choice as far as I know.

Thanks for looking!

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

I really hate satisfied customers. It's really bad for my repair biz.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5

Ok, EX II series printer:
http://www.printerworks.com/Printers/LaserJet_5_5M_5N.html

In this case I tend to agree but might explore the scanner assembly, probably
after I get a new printer!

You might be able to get away with just a (dry) air hose cleaning. The
laser slot is at the top of the printer. Remove the toner cartridge
and you should see the slot. There's no window. Just blow some (dry)
air into the slot and hope that it removes the dust. I would give it
about a 30% chance of success. If not, remove all the plastic outer
case parts. When you get the top off, you should see the laser
scanner assembly. No need to remove it. As I vaguely recall, the top
is held on with one screw and some simple snaps (not sure). Once the
lid is off, clean the haze off the optics and mirrors.

I once had a customer with about 10 laser printers including several
HP5m models. Some of them required cleaning the scanner optics about
twice per year. It took me a while to figure out what happened. They
were using refilled toner cartridges. The cart vendor was applying
stickers onto the cartridge that eventually would just fall off. I
was wondering where the glue went. I eventually suspected that it was
being volatized and was coating the inside of the laser printers,
including the scanner optics. Wiping down the inside of the printer
and finding a thin sticky layer confirmed my guess. I told the
vendor, who initially thought I was nuts, but eventually thanked me
for solving a running mystery.

OK, well, cleaned the two large lenses with isopropyl, dusted off the scanner
mirrors, blew out the long mirror. Basically, no change.

Time for new piece of junk printer, but that should be adequate for my needs.

Thanks!

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 11:33:25 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend.

Beware of friends bearing free printers.

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5


Sam, I think he's asking:

LaserJet 5M?
LaserJet 5P?
LaserJet 5L?
LaserJet 5N?
or
LaserJet 5Si

g

PeterD wrote:

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 11:33:25 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend.

Beware of friends bearing free printers.

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5


Sam, I think he's asking:

LaserJet 5M?
LaserJet 5P?
LaserJet 5L?
LaserJet 5N?
or
LaserJet 5Si


The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On 10 Jan 2010 09:42:21 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

OK, well, cleaned the two large lenses with isopropyl, dusted off the scanner
mirrors, blew out the long mirror. Basically, no change.

Were they obviously dirty?
Did you clean the laser lens?

I don't have an easy way to measure the laser output, but my guess(tm)
is that it's low. I may have a replacement scanner assembly or laser:
http://www.printerworks.com/Catalogs/EX-Catalog/400EXLaserScanner.html
I can't check right now as I'm at home.

Time for new piece of junk printer, but that should be adequate for my needs.

Ask your friend if he has any more free printers.

Here's a photo of my favorite source of free printers:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/pics/e-waste/slides/e-waste01.html

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 09:46:55 -0500, PeterD wrote:

Sam, I think he's asking:

LaserJet 5M?
LaserJet 5P?
LaserJet 5L?
LaserJet 5N?
or
LaserJet 5Si

g

I was just trying to be sure about the muddle number. The various
mutations of HP LJ5 are very different printers. There really is a
LaserJet 5 with no suffix (C3916A). It's really a repackaged
LaserJet 4+ with a Canon EX II engine. I've never actually seen one.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:48:43 -0500, Meat Plow
wrote:

The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number

Does it matter? They all certainly have the same print engine right?

The various "5" models have quite different guts, engines, and model
unique problems. The 5, 5M, and 5N use EX II engines. The 5P is a VX
engine. The 5Si is a WX engine.
http://www.printerworks.com/Catalogs/LaserJets.html

Looks to me like the laser guts are dirty and the optics need cleaned.

He tried that, with no success. That leaves low laser output. It's
rare, but I've seen it with heavily used EX engines. It's also
possible that the laser is somehow otto focus. That might explain the
light thin lines for characters, while large areas are normally black.
Hard to tell from here.

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

Meat Plow wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number

Does it matter? They all certainly have the same print engine right?


No, they don't.


Looks to me like the laser guts are dirty and the optics need cleaned.


One of several possibilities. That's like claiming every defective
piece of electronic equipment only needs to be plugged in.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

PeterD writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 11:33:25 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend.

Beware of friends bearing free printers.

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5


Sam, I think he's asking:

LaserJet 5M?
LaserJet 5P?
LaserJet 5L?
LaserJet 5N?
or
LaserJet 5Si

C3916A

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 10 Jan 2010 09:42:21 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

OK, well, cleaned the two large lenses with isopropyl, dusted off the scanner
mirrors, blew out the long mirror. Basically, no change.

Were they obviously dirty?
Did you clean the laser lens?

They were just detectably dusty.

I cleaned both of the large lenses, the optic just after the laser diode
module, dusted off the scanner mirrors, and blew out any dust on the long
turning mirror. There is no window on the output (I seem to recall someone
mentioned something like that).

This is a LaserJet 5, C3916A.

Thanks guys, it's not worth the time to do more to this 12+ year old printer.

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

Important: Anything sent to the email address in the message header above is
ignored unless my full name AND either lasers or electronics is included in the
subject line. Or, you can contact me via the Feedback Form in the FAQs.

On 1/10/2010 3:31 PM Meat Plow spake thus:

Yeah pretty stupid that alll the 5x printers I've worked needed just a
cleaning. I'm sure you've worked on tens of thousands of the ****ers
hell you probably designed and built them yourself right?

You *are* an asshole, aren't you?

Just checking.


--
You were wrong, and I'm man enough to admit it.

- a Usenet "apology"

Meat, Plow wrote:

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:58:49 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Meat Plow wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number

Does it matter? They all certainly have the same print engine right?


No, they don't.

Ah ok so a 5/5n/5blaha have different engines. Gotcha.


Looks to me like the laser guts are dirty and the optics need cleaned.


One of several possibilities. That's like claiming every defective
piece of electronic equipment only needs to be plugged in.

Yeah pretty stupid that alll the 5x printers I've worked needed just a
cleaning. I'm sure you've worked on tens of thousands of the ****ers
hell you probably designed and built them yourself right?


**** off. Oh, wait! You're always ****ed pff.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On 10 Jan 2010 09:42:21 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

I really hate satisfied customers. It's really bad for my repair biz.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5

Ok, EX II series printer:
http://www.printerworks.com/Printers/LaserJet_5_5M_5N.html

In this case I tend to agree but might explore the scanner assembly, probably
after I get a new printer!

You might be able to get away with just a (dry) air hose cleaning. The
laser slot is at the top of the printer. Remove the toner cartridge
and you should see the slot. There's no window. Just blow some (dry)
air into the slot and hope that it removes the dust. I would give it
about a 30% chance of success. If not, remove all the plastic outer
case parts. When you get the top off, you should see the laser
scanner assembly. No need to remove it. As I vaguely recall, the top
is held on with one screw and some simple snaps (not sure). Once the
lid is off, clean the haze off the optics and mirrors.

I once had a customer with about 10 laser printers including several
HP5m models. Some of them required cleaning the scanner optics about
twice per year. It took me a while to figure out what happened. They
were using refilled toner cartridges. The cart vendor was applying
stickers onto the cartridge that eventually would just fall off. I
was wondering where the glue went. I eventually suspected that it was
being volatized and was coating the inside of the laser printers,
including the scanner optics. Wiping down the inside of the printer
and finding a thin sticky layer confirmed my guess. I told the
vendor, who initially thought I was nuts, but eventually thanked me
for solving a running mystery.

OK, well, cleaned the two large lenses with isopropyl, dusted off the scanner
mirrors, blew out the long mirror. Basically, no change.

Time for new piece of junk printer, but that should be adequate for my needs.

Thanks!

FWIW, I got, off of eBay, a really nice Xerox 5400 40 PPM duplex laser
printer the other day. Incredible performance, had about 33K copies on
the counter. Price? Well, 49.95, and I was able to pick it up and save
on shipping. I didn't complain about the fact it came with a brand new
toner cartridge, either. I still laugh whenever I look at it. bg

There are some good deals on higher quality printers right now, as
companies either upgrade, or go out of business.

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:48:43 -0500, Meat Plow
wrote:

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 12:03:53 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


PeterD wrote:

On 09 Jan 2010 19:43:17 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

Jeff Liebermann writes:

On 09 Jan 2010 11:33:25 -0500, (Samuel M.
Goldwasser) wrote:

This printer has served me well for several years since inheriting it
from a friend.

Beware of friends bearing free printers.

Yes, well, it has been adeqaute for my needs.

Is it an HP 5M, 5P, 5L, 5N, or 5Si. They're all quite different.

LaserJet 5


Sam, I think he's asking:

LaserJet 5M?
LaserJet 5P?
LaserJet 5L?
LaserJet 5N?
or
LaserJet 5Si


The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number

Does it matter? They all certainly have the same print engine right?

Nope. Some are totally different.


Looks to me like the laser guts are dirty and the optics need cleaned.

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:29:22 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Meat, Plow wrote:

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:58:49 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Meat Plow wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number

Does it matter? They all certainly have the same print engine right?


No, they don't.

Ah ok so a 5/5n/5blaha have different engines. Gotcha.


Looks to me like the laser guts are dirty and the optics need cleaned.


One of several possibilities. That's like claiming every defective
piece of electronic equipment only needs to be plugged in.

Yeah pretty stupid that alll the 5x printers I've worked needed just a
cleaning. I'm sure you've worked on tens of thousands of the ****ers
hell you probably designed and built them yourself right?


**** off. Oh, wait! You're always ****ed pff.

Actually he's been ****ed on more than ****ed off...

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:21:57 -0500, PeterD wrote:

FWIW, I got, off of eBay, a really nice Xerox 5400 40 PPM duplex laser
printer the other day. Incredible performance, had about 33K copies on
the counter. Price? Well, 49.95, and I was able to pick it up and save
on shipping. I didn't complain about the fact it came with a brand new
toner cartridge, either. I still laugh whenever I look at it. bg

http://www.office.xerox.com/printers/laser-printers/phaser-5400/enus.html
I'm jealous. Nice buy. The problem I have with Xerox printers
(mostly Tek color Phaser models) is getting parts. Xerox does not
make it easy for independents to buy parts and pieces direct:
http://www.xerox.com/go/xrx/template/018p.jsp?Xcntry=USA&Xlang=en_US
I can get most of what I need from recyclers and eBay parts cannibals,
but it's MUCH easier with HP products, where original parts and clones
are common and cheap.

There are some good deals on higher quality printers right now, as
companies either upgrade, or go out of business.

Shipping on large printers is usually the problem.

My favorite printer of the week is the HP2200dtn. They're fast,
duplex, network ready, and most important for me, don't make any noise
or suck power when in standby. About $100 to $175 on eBay. I
obtained a pile from the local recycler for about $25/ea. One problem
with the HP2200dn is decomposed foam on the solenoids causing paper
jams. Here's the fix:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/hp2200/hp2200.html

--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

PeterD wrote:

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 21:29:22 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Meat, Plow wrote:

On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 16:58:49 -0500, "Michael A. Terrell"
wrote:


Meat Plow wrote:

Michael A. Terrell wrote:

The actual model number usually starts with 'C', followed by four
numbers and sometimes another letter on the label with the serial number

Does it matter? They all certainly have the same print engine right?


No, they don't.

Ah ok so a 5/5n/5blaha have different engines. Gotcha.


Looks to me like the laser guts are dirty and the optics need cleaned.


One of several possibilities. That's like claiming every defective
piece of electronic equipment only needs to be plugged in.

Yeah pretty stupid that alll the 5x printers I've worked needed just a
cleaning. I'm sure you've worked on tens of thousands of the ****ers
hell you probably designed and built them yourself right?


**** off. Oh, wait! You're always ****ed pff.

Actually he's been ****ed on more than ****ed off...


That's more than we need to know.

He presents himself as an expert, then screams when someone points
out an error. No, I haven't done tens of thousands of laser printer
repairs. The total is close to 100, but I am working on older printers
no one else will touch around here. I currently have about 15 laser
printers waiting to hit the bench, and about 150-160 inkjets and a
couple dot matrix. I repair them, just for the hell of it. I do look at
all the models with similar numbers so i am familiar with them. I have
a database of what is waiting for repair and like to have at least three
similar units so I can be a little more efficient. Then I can scrap any
not worth repairing and sort out the good parts.

I was put on 100% VA disability a few years ago, but I need a hobby
to keep my sanity so I don't start posting like Meat Plow.


--
Greed is the root of all eBay.

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:41:48 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:21:57 -0500, PeterD wrote:

FWIW, I got, off of eBay, a really nice Xerox 5400 40 PPM duplex laser
printer the other day. Incredible performance, had about 33K copies on
the counter. Price? Well, 49.95, and I was able to pick it up and save
on shipping. I didn't complain about the fact it came with a brand new
toner cartridge, either. I still laugh whenever I look at it. bg

http://www.office.xerox.com/printers/laser-printers/phaser-5400/enus.html
I'm jealous. Nice buy. The problem I have with Xerox printers
(mostly Tek color Phaser models) is getting parts.

I guess then I done good when I got another one for parts at a cost of
$20... bg

Xerox does not
make it easy for independents to buy parts and pieces direct:
http://www.xerox.com/go/xrx/template/018p.jsp?Xcntry=USA&Xlang=en_US
I can get most of what I need from recyclers and eBay parts cannibals,
but it's MUCH easier with HP products, where original parts and clones
are common and cheap.

There are some good deals on higher quality printers right now, as
companies either upgrade, or go out of business.

Shipping on large printers is usually the problem.

My favorite printer of the week is the HP2200dtn. They're fast,
duplex, network ready, and most important for me, don't make any noise
or suck power when in standby. About $100 to $175 on eBay. I
obtained a pile from the local recycler for about $25/ea. One problem
with the HP2200dn is decomposed foam on the solenoids causing paper
jams. Here's the fix:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/hp2200/hp2200.html

I picked the 5400 because I already have a GCC XL-40, which is the
same print engine, just different software. That made two of them, but
the GCC didn't have duplex. Then after getting the second one, I
figured 'spare parts would be nice'. OK, found a third one for $20,
and that one did have a duplexer. I pulled the duplexer and put it in
the GCC, and kept the rest fo the $20 printer for parts.

(The $20 printer was heavily used, so I didn't feel bad about parting
it out--the thought of cleaning it was too much! And I didn't need
three printers, either.)

PeterD writes:

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 09:41:48 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Mon, 11 Jan 2010 11:21:57 -0500, PeterD wrote:

FWIW, I got, off of eBay, a really nice Xerox 5400 40 PPM duplex laser
printer the other day. Incredible performance, had about 33K copies on
the counter. Price? Well, 49.95, and I was able to pick it up and save
on shipping. I didn't complain about the fact it came with a brand new
toner cartridge, either. I still laugh whenever I look at it. bg

http://www.office.xerox.com/printers/laser-printers/phaser-5400/enus.html
I'm jealous. Nice buy. The problem I have with Xerox printers
(mostly Tek color Phaser models) is getting parts.

I guess then I done good when I got another one for parts at a cost of
$20... bg

Xerox does not
make it easy for independents to buy parts and pieces direct:
http://www.xerox.com/go/xrx/template/018p.jsp?Xcntry=USA&Xlang=en_US
I can get most of what I need from recyclers and eBay parts cannibals,
but it's MUCH easier with HP products, where original parts and clones
are common and cheap.

There are some good deals on higher quality printers right now, as
companies either upgrade, or go out of business.

Shipping on large printers is usually the problem.

My favorite printer of the week is the HP2200dtn. They're fast,
duplex, network ready, and most important for me, don't make any noise
or suck power when in standby. About $100 to $175 on eBay. I
obtained a pile from the local recycler for about $25/ea. One problem
with the HP2200dn is decomposed foam on the solenoids causing paper
jams. Here's the fix:
http://802.11junk.com/jeffl/hp2200/hp2200.html

I picked the 5400 because I already have a GCC XL-40, which is the
same print engine, just different software. That made two of them, but
the GCC didn't have duplex. Then after getting the second one, I
figured 'spare parts would be nice'. OK, found a third one for $20,
and that one did have a duplexer. I pulled the duplexer and put it in
the GCC, and kept the rest fo the $20 printer for parts.

(The $20 printer was heavily used, so I didn't feel bad about parting
it out--the thought of cleaning it was too much! And I didn't need
three printers, either.)

I know it's cheating, but I bought a $99 HP P1006 on-line and it is actually
perfect for what I need - small, light weight, trivial install, decent print
quality. I know it will probably fall apart in a year from loneliness given
the amount of printing I do - mostly mailing labels and tax returns.
Between now and then maybe another friend will dump off a half-working printer
at my door step.

Thanks for all the comments!

--
sam | Sci.Electronics.Repair FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/
Repair | Main Table of Contents: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/
+Lasers | Sam's Laser FAQ: http://www.repairfaq.org/sam/lasersam.htm
| Mirror Sites: http://www.repairfaq.org/REPAIR/F_mirror.html

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