Copier ExpertBill Tucker (453)    Bill Tucker    Toner Overnight Service Guides, One of the Most Important ToolsPosted Wednesday, July 04, 2007 (1 year 6 days ago.) Viewed 29 times. The main type of work I do is repairing Hewlett Packard laser printers. It really doesn’t matter which type of machine that you repair, it is always a good idea to have a service manual handy. I work on the same equipment almost daily but I will always need to reference a service manual at any point in time. I remember being in a customer’s office and reading the service guide for an adjustment I was performing. I wasn’t aware of it but the customer had called into the office to complain that I didn’t know what I was doing, just because I was reading the service manual. I still don’t know what was up with that customer but to me I would be more worried if the technician didn’t have a service manual than if he just did everything by the seat of his pants. Now, I just go outside to look up what I need because of that one incident. Why some people feel that you don’t know what you are doing if you use a service manual is beyond me. Manuals are very useful and here are some practical uses. Tear down and disassembly, finding part numbers, adjustment procedures, precise measurements, supply yield information, error codes/self diagnostics and more. If you find yourself in a situation where you don’t have a service manual for a particular machine I feel your pain. The cost is minimal especially compared to the extra time spent doing the job incorrectly and then having to redo it again. Invest in some guides and skim through them. I guarantee you that you will find something of value and it will help with what ever you work on. I have saved myself hours of work just from the disassembly procedures. For this article I will be posting many Hewlett Packard Laser Printer Service and Parts Guides on my website all free for download in PDF form. Follow the link at the end of this article. I hope this helps, Good Luck! Bill Tucker has been in the office equipment and supply industry for over 20 years and has several published industry related articles that help the end-user as well as the technician. Click here for Hewlett Packard Service Guides –TonerOvernight.com 
Permalink Comments (0) The Evolution of Thermal to Plain Paper Fax MachinesPosted Thursday, June 14, 2007 (1 year 26 days ago.) Viewed 37 times. Fax machines have gone through some changes but most would agree that the biggest change has been the change from thermal paper to plain paper.
About fifteen years ago, businesses were leasing thermal fax machines that were priced at $1,500.00 to $2,500.00. Now you can buy a plain paper fax machine for under $150.00. Times sure have changed.
Thermal fax machines were the ones with the long roll of paper and each fax would be cut to the size that is transmitted. You could make some cool banners with those things because you could set them to not cut and it would continue to spit out the paper! They were pretty much bullet proof. The major problem was the paper. It would curl and you had a hard time working with it. If it was exposed to the sun or heat it would turn a dark black and all of the information was lost. They were very economical compared to laser or ink jet fax machines. The only supply that you were required to purchase was rolls of paper.
At the time of transformation most people didn’t rush out and buy plain paper faxes. They waited until either there fax machines went on the blink or the prices came down quite a bit. Up until five years ago you could still find a few still chugging away but now I believe they have completely vanished.
Plain paper faxes now have saturated the market and the prices have dropped so low that anyone can afford one. With rebates you may even get one for free. The only problem may be that you may not be able to afford the supplies that go into them. Laser, inkjet, and thermal transfer rolls are the options that you have. The cost per page varies but believe me when I say that the money is not in selling machines, it is in selling supplies. You can shop smart though and look at the cost per page. This is the price of the toner or supply divided by the supply yield. Spending a little more on the machine for a lower CPP can save you a bundle of money. Some of the younger people that read this probably can’t even imagine ever using thermal roll fax machines but remember, times change and they change fast.
What does the future hold for the fax machine of the future? Technology doesn’t stand still, so let’s wait and see!
Bill Tucker has been in the office equipment and supply industry for over 20 years and has several published industry related articles that help the end-user as well as the technician.
Permalink Comments (0) HP Laser Printers versus HP Inkjet PrintersPosted Saturday, June 02, 2007 (1 year 38 days ago.) Viewed 80 times. Using the right printer for the right job is the key to effective print management. These two different types of printers achieve the same thing. They both print, but they go about it in a very different manner. There are major differences in the engines that drive them and the work they are required to do. Laser printers are designed to be used in a heavy work load environment. The cost per print is much less expensive compared to Inkjet models. Laser printers use a dry mono-component toner cartridge and a laser that shoots the image onto a drum inside the toner cartridge. Inkjet printers are designed for a different work load. They are designed more for a work station such as an individual’s desk or for low volume type work. The toner or ink is quite expensive. Most are slow, so using them in a high volume application would drive a person crazy waiting for a hundred page report. Let me say something about the cost of Inkjet cartridges. I read an article that said that Inkjet cartridges are more expensive per weight than imported Russian Caviar. Inkjets use a liquid ink that is sprayed onto the paper. They all have a scanner rail that goes back and forth, carrying the Ink cartridges distributing the ink. I read a post that several people commented on. They said that Hewlett Packard has really gone down hill lately with the quality of their printers. They were commenting on the HP LaserJet 4, a very popular laser printer of the past. It is about ten to years old, but it is a very dependable printer. I still use one in my office! They were comparing it to several new HP Inkjet Printers. These are completely different machines for completely different applications. If you want to compare this machine to another HP product use the HP laser jet 4250. You really can’t compare these either. The memory, speed and options are made for the latest printing applications. Remember that the HP LJ- 4 was built around 386 computers. By the way, my HP LJ-4 works great with XP. The price of Inkjet printers is driven by consumers that want something cheap. You get what you pay for. It is the market that creates cheap Inkjet printers. They do work well, but if they break they are not designed to repair. They are known as disposable printers. Not all Inkjet printers are disposable printers. The Inkjet is really progressing and will continue to fill more of the market place. Speed has been an issue but now they have designed some that keep up with the speed of laser printers. HP color Inkjets also make terrific color prints. Even a person with a limited budget can make great presentations, photos and flyers. When you purchase a printer, you should always consider the type of application that it will be used for. Don’t buy an Inkjet when you’re going to be printing hundreds of reports. Don’t buy a laser printer if you print two or three jobs a day. If you look at cost per print and monthly volume you can’t go wrong. Hewlett Packard printers are some of the best you can buy, but you need to use them in the proper application.
Permalink Comments (0) Fax Machines, Top Four Problems and How to Fix ThemPosted Wednesday, May 23, 2007 (1 year 47 days ago.) Viewed 388 times. If you have a problem with your fax machine, chances are it’s one that I mention in this article. Find the solution here, read on…
There are many makes and models of fax machines, but they all have certain problems that come up that are easy to fix. I have listed four common problems and will explain the problem and the solution for each. I charge for this so this is a valuable article for anyone who has a fax machine. Keep it filed so you can retrieve it for another time or use it now to repair an existing problem.
Multi-feeding through the automatic document feeder
This is when you put a stack of papers into the automatic document feeder (ADF) and it pulls more than one in at a time. This is called multi-feeding. Most ADF’s have an item that separates the paper called a separation pad. This wears out after some use and needs to be replaced. Open the ADF cover and shine a flashlight up into this area. If it is worn out replace it. You can call the manufacturer and speak with the parts department for a replacement ADF separation pad. Replace it and you will have your ADF working good again. While you are repairing this you should also clean or replace the ADF feed roller. See “Not pulling in originals." A little modification I have done many times is flipping the pad over. Some models you can do this and actually get double the life on the pad.
Not pulling in originals
This is when your originals don’t pull in the papers when you insert them into the ADF. You can use WD-40 to clean this roller. Take a strong cotton cloth that will not tear and saturate it with WD-40. Clean the roller well all the way around the surface and then take the dry part and make sure you get all the cleaner off of the roller. You will probably notice that the rag is very dirty and black from the ink, dirt and toner being removed from the roller. The roller should pick up the paper much better now. If not you will need to replace the roller with a new one. Use the steps above and order an ADF feed roller or a feed roller kit. A feed roller kit normally consists of a pre-feed roller, feed roller and a separation pad. Replacing this kit will make it feed like new.
Lines sending faxes or using the copy feature
This is when the faxes that you send or transmit have lines or streaks on them. This is often caused by something on the slit glass of the fax machine scanner. To test it, make a copy on your fax machine. Is there a line? If yes, print a journal. If there is only a line when you copy and no line when you print a journal, the problem is the slit glass. You will need to clean the slit glass. Lift up the ADF cover and shine a flashlight inside. Look for a small “one inch" by “eleven inch" glass. Inspect it for whiteout, ink or foreign matter stuck to it. Remove the stain by first scrapping it with your finger nail and remove as much as you can. Then use an alcohol swab to remove the rest.
Keeps ringing but never answers or receives faxes
If your fax machine keeps ringing without answering it probably has the auto answer function turned off. Look in your owners manual on how to turn on auto receive. If you don’t have an operator’s manual it is often located directly on the operation panel. Set it for “on" and test it.
My service business receives many calls for each of these problems. We make an attempt to try and explain to the customer on how to fix it themselves, but some people just want to see a technician. That’s where I come in, and make an easy dollar. If you want to save money, you can by fixing it yourself and use the money you saved to take a friend out to dinner instead!
About the Author: Bill Tucker has been in the office equipment and supply industry for over 20 years and has several published industry related articles that help the end-user as well as the technician.
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