"Robert_J._Nash.WBST139"@XEROX.COM (03/15/89)
The answer to the garbled 1027 print output is best captured in two time-worn mottos: * USE IT OR LOSE IT * YOU GOTTA KNOW WHERE YOUR HEAD IS AT If you watch the 1027 print head in action, you'll notice that doggedly zips hard left before printing a line. As explained in the 1027 owner's guide, the print head uses this hard left "home" position to align itself. The manual glibly assumes that garbled output can be eliminated by merely turning the printer on and off, since the printhead seeks the hard left position on startup. However, if you haven't used the printer in some time, or if you've let dust accumulate on the printer , then it's likely that the printhead won't slide smoothly to its "home" position. The cure is to take the lubricating oil provided with the printer, and lubricate the plastic drive gears of the printhead. Also make sure that the carriage rod (on which the printhead spins and slides ) is free of dust and grime, and though not suggested by Atari, a touch of lube on this rod might also be helpful. Finally, make sure that there are no compacted dust balls on the left hand side of the print head --- the print head really needs to travel full left for a successful sensing of "home" --- even a small "spacer" of dust will turn the 1027 into a cryptographic printer. Finally, one more bit of 1027 "news you can use" --- don't put up with faint printing; ink the print roller with ink sold for rubber stamps. DrBob Xerox, Webster, NY