igreenaw@hemel.bull.co.uk (ian greenaway) (04/15/91)
I cannot understand what's wrong, I've tried other amigas and other printers but the effect is always the same .... If I try to read my external drive then I get 'You MUST replace volume BLAH in drive DF1:' or other such stuff. If I try to write to df1: then all hell breaks loose and the disk gets so completely shagged that diskdoctor can't recover it and I need to reformat it. All this just because the printer is connected but off ! Soon as I unplug it or switch it on - the problems go away. PS: I've checked the lead and the +5v isn't connected - just in case you wondered. Whats the problem people ? Thanx in advance Ian Greenaway alias igreenaw@hemel.bull.co.uk
m0154@tnc.UUCP (GUY GARNETT) (04/24/91)
Hmmm ... interesting. I have had several printers connected to my A1000 (2Mb FAST RAM, 68010, two external floppies, Ks/Wb v1.3, Akron Systems Development Clock Module on the printer port). With an Epson JX-80 (with Dresselhaus FX-86e ROMS) and an Okimate 20, no problems. Connecting a NEC-P7 (with the same cable as the Epson and Okimate!) causes the clock's date and time to become scrambled UNLESS the printer is turned on (or the cable disconnected) before the system boots. If the monitor is turned on while the printer is on (but before the CPU is switched on) then the printer prints garbage until the CPU is switched on. My solutions: I curreltly leave the printer and CPU on 24-hours a day, seven days a week. The machine is a 5-year old A1000, and has been left on constantly since the week I bought it. No problems. I switch the monitor on and off at the start and end of my work sessions. Other possibilities: You can get one of those power-director centers ($50-$100 at computer stores) so you can switch each thing on and off from one convenient place under the monitor. Just make sure to switch the printer on first and off last. Don't worry about the electricity: most dot-matrix printers use very little power when they are not printing. The NEC even switches its fan on and off when it starts and stops a print job. You could also get an auto-sense switcher (this is a thingie from Radio Shack that has 4 or 6 outlets on it. One is special: whenever something plugged into the special outlet is turned on, all the other outlets are switched on. When the special outlet stops drawing current, the others are switched off). You could use the special outlet for your CPU, and plug the monitor and printer into other outlets. Then when you switch on the CPU, your entire system gets turned on. Wildstar