On Fri, Jun 24, 2016 at 1:01 PM, Mark J. Blair <n...@nf6x.net> wrote: > I didn't see any printers mentioned, but I'm specifically looking for a DEC > LP32 series band printer, or perhaps another printer made for use with the > DMF32 controller. > > http://vt100.net/docs/tp83/chapter16.html
We had an LP25 on our DMF32. ISTR it's a Dataproducts B300 or something close to that. It was a bit fiddly when it got old (I was the one that got to fix it when it broke), but we ran multiple boxes of paper through it per day. It was _the_ printer on a VAX-11/750 with 75 to 10 users (decreasing over time)... developers code listings, non-letter-quality documentation (serial LA210 for the "good stuff", used sparingly), diagnostic sheets in every product box, e-mails, calendars, customer lists... ASCII art. ;-) I think there's a simple circuit (a few TTL inverters and a pin swabbing cable) to use an LA-180 (i.e., _non_ Dataproducts printer) on the DC37 on a DMF-32. The basic lines are all the same but a couple of them need their sense inverted. An LA-180 is much lighter (van-sized and small pallet) as long as you don't need massive volumes. One could also rig up a Personal Computer-grade dot matrix printer with a Centronics interface similarly, if the goal is just to have some form of hardcopy, not specifically to "enjoy" the band/chain-printer experience. It is fun, though, watching and listening to a band printer fire up and zip through greenbar paper. -ethan
