ScuzzBlog: Diaries 2018
March 12: Entry 1815: scuzzblog: Post: 1
MPS 803 - Time to look into the Matrix
I had planned to have a C64 today and spend some time mucking
around with old 5.25" disks, but as I was muddling through the
boxes I found myself moving this MPS yet again and cursing as
I do. I really have no love for printers and this thing has often
taken the brunt of my frustrations when trying to find stuff. It
has been dropped, checked to one side, had stuff placed on it
and yet it really didn't deserve the neglect. So today I decided
to have a play with the MPS 803 and see if she worked.
First up I needed to put a plug on the end of that power cable.
She has never been used whilst here and the printer was a little
dusty. I gave a quick dust over and rolled in some paper. Next
I tried to find the instruction manual but failed. I dis find
one for another Commodore model which gave the basic instructions
on how to print using the C64.
And so I plugged in and switched on and the printer head glided
to one side and then back to centre. So I typed in my Hello
message and hit the return and the printer spurted out what
seemed to be a single blast. I chuckled given that I really
wasn't expecting the thing to work after all these years. To
my amazement I rolled up the paper and there were the words I
had typed in. Crystal clear albeit a touch faint. So I typed
more words and this printer just fired out the print without
blinking an eye. I have never seen anything print so fast.
And so the MPS 803 earned its stripes today and joins the throng
of C64 peripherals. She daisy chains off the back of the 1541
so no issues there. Amazing, I really have been humbled by a
printer. How embarrassing is that.
I also have one of these in a box. Never been used by the look
of it and from Australia no less.
I also have a Seikosha GP-100VC which has this annoying ribbon
box with replacement ribbon that seems to follow me all around
the house.... the ribbon box that is. It has no name on the box
and I am forever opening to see what is inside. And then I put
it down with stuff and it gets carried around the house. Nice
looking printer this and little bit more to the inside.
There you have it.... I did a review of a printer. Whoo Hoo !!
Model : MPS-803
Type : Dot matrix printer
Resolution: 7x6 pin
Paper Feed: Friction or Tractor-feed
Interface : CBM Serial Bus
Thanks Zimmer
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