[comp.sys.apple2] Imagewriter II paper jamming, et al.

ART100@psuvm.psu.edu (Andy Tefft) (12/13/90)

Summary: does your dealer do the free IWII upgrade to
replace the mechanical paper detect switch with an optical one?

I don't remember whether it was posted or sent to me in e-mail,
but someone figured out my problem with paper jamming in my
printer (it has been doing this for 4 years now). Besides switching
to heavier paper (which does work, but what am I supposed to do
with 3/4 box of thin cheap paper?) or putting up with it, there
was one other solution, which was to replace the paper detect
switch, which I had always thought was the cause of the problem
anyway since it jams up on the left side.

The old IWII's were made with a mechanical paper detect switch
which put some pressure on the paper. If there was no paper,
the switch would contact a metal plate instead of the paper, and
the printer would assume it was out of paper. This extra friction
on the one edge of the paper was enough to make the paper slip
on the left edge of the platen just enough to cause a jam-up.

Someone mentioned to me a free upgrade to replace this mechanical
switch with an optical one. Sounds to me like they are manufactured
with an optical switch now (which explains to me how the printers
in the relatively new Mac labs at PSU jammed up very rarely
even though they use cheap thin paper there. Well, one of the reasons).

I called my dealer and he had heard of the upgrade but couldn't
find any indication that they were supposed to do it any more.

Do any of YOUR dealers still do this? Is there any way I can
still get it done free (like a quick phone call to that apple
800 number asking them to tell my dealer to do it :-))?