Can I Use My Old Ink With My New Printer?

The quick answer is...yes and no.

Consider this. How many printer models do you think there are out there right now? 1000? 2000? Who knows. But one thing I do know is nobody is going to spend the time testing the wrong inks in the wrong cartridges all day long to see if it works.

All printer manufacturers do things a little different. Without getting technical, there are basically three different technologies for inkjet printers. Epson uses Piezoelectric, Canon uses Bubblejet and HP and Lexmark use thermal inkjet technology.

An ink designed for Canon, for instance, has a much lower convection rate than an ink made for HP or Lexmark. The reason is HP's cartridge print heads fire at thousands of degrees. The ink must be made to withstand that kind of heat or your resulting output will be unpredictable.

Also there are basically two kinds of ink. Dye based and Pigmented. Pigmented ink particles are much larger than dye based particles so using a pigmented ink in a cartridge designed to use dye based ink will result in a clogged print head every time. Also, pigmented inks are waterfast on any surface. Notice I said waterfast and not waterproof. Pigmented inks can made waterproof if they are used with the proper media. The same goes with dye based inks.

Pay attention to this because it will apply to any ink on the market. Any dye based ink can be used in ANY inkjet printer. The color output may not be what you expected but it will work.

Not so with pigmented inks. Pigmented inks are used in most black inkjet cartridges today. Epson has a version of color pigmented inks they call DuraBrite inks. They are very expensive to make and there is quite a hefty premium on the bulk inks from any manufacturer that I have contacted.

DO NOT use pigmented inks in any cartridge that was designed to use dye based ink.

Generally speaking, HP and Lexmark inks are interchangeable because their process' are similar. Watch for color variations though.

The newer Canon cartridges, BCI-3e and BCI-6 colors are so close that most people cannot tell them apart. Ironically the cartridges are physically identical except for the BCI-3e black which is slightly larger. The BCI-3e black takes pigmented ink while the BCI-6 takes dye based. Be careful here. Some of the new Canon printers take both BCI-3e and BCI-6 black cartridges.

To wrap it up I'll say that you can use most inks in most printers with the exceptions that I already mentioned. Color variations, if they occur, might be compensated for in the printer driver settings. Be prepared to fiddle with it. Physical damage to the printer is unlikely in any case, unless the cartridge is leaking when you put it into your printer. But you wouldn't do that. Would you?

Barry Shultz is the author of Atlascopy News, and President of Atlascopy, Inc. Atlascopy specializes in affordable alternatives to the high cost of printer supplies.

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Surge Protector: A Simple Mechanism Description

A surge protector [AKA surge suppressor] is an electrical plug-in device designed to distribute safe electrical voltages to other electrical or electronic devices. Surge protectors resemble power strips in appearance; however, they are more sophisticated and deliver a constant, continuous power supply.

In addition to connecting multiple devices to a single power source, surge protectors provide protection from frequent problems that plague conventional utility power. The most common of these problems are surges (temporary increase of voltage) and brownouts (temporary decrease of voltage). These disturbances slowly degrade many power supply units and cause premature equipment failure. The rising demand on our nation's power grids is causing more brownouts than ever before (Gamble; Power Protect Your Computer).

The Inside of a Surge Protector

Toroidal Choke Coil: The toroidal choke coil is an electromagnet wrapped in wire. It filters out line noise as the hot wire passes through it.

Metal Oxide Varistors (MOV's): An MOV has three parts: a piece of metal oxide material in the middle and two semiconductors joined to the hot and ground wire. As a protective connecting unit it shifts unsafe voltage levels to the ground wire.

Neutral Wire: The neutral wire is common in modern wiring practices for safety. It is used in conjunction with the hot wire and the ground wire.

Hot Wire: The hot wire holds the passing current which contains excess voltage.

Fuse: A fuse is a resistor used to protect the wiring from getting too hot. Fuses &quot;blow or burn out&quot;, thereby preventing the electrical current from traveling further.

Ground Wire: The ground wire protects users from getting an electrical shock. It receives excess voltage from from the MOVs. Most surge protectors contain a parallel circuit design whereby the extra voltage is fed away from the standard path to another circuit. Another design is a series circuit where the electrical current is slowed; moreover it detects high voltage, stores the electricity, and releases it gradually (Harris).

The majority of the electrical currents diversion is done through the metal oxide varistor or MOV. The MOV acts as a pressure-sensitive valve: based on the level of voltage, the electrons in the semiconductors behave differently either creating lower or higher resistance. When the voltage is correct, an MOV doesn't do anything (Harris).

Specifications and Quality Considerations

Energy Absorption: Surge processors are measured in joules (the amount of energy they can absorb). The higher the number, the better the protection: 200 joules provides basic protection, 400 is good and 600 or high is superior protection.

UL1449: Standard rated by Underwriters Laboratories as the minimum protection standards for surge protectors. It rates suppressors by the amount of voltage passage they allow.

Protection Indicator: LED indicator as to metal-oxide varistors functioning. MOVs do not last forever ? one lightening strike can fry them out.

Line Conditioning: Most surge protectors contain this feature. It filters out line noise using a toroidal choke coil to &quot;condition&quot; the current.

Power Switch: There are manual on/off power switches as well as circuit switches. Circuit switches are useful for keeping some components running while others are shut off.

Circuit Breaker or Fuse: A fuse is a resistor that can conduct current below a certain level. If the current is higher than acceptable, heat burns the fuse and cuts off the circuit. Breakers are more economical than fuses as they do not have to be replaced.

Protection Guarantee: Read the terms and conditions carefully! It is important to understand your consumer rights in the event of damage to devices your surge protector neglects to protect (Kozierok).

According to data published on Hewlett Packard's website, recent statistics reveal 63 percent of all electronics casualties are the result of a power related problem. Most affected are devices using computer chips and high-speed microprocessors. Unprotected computers can suffer hardware degradation and extensive damage when exposed to power surges (Power Protect Your Computer).

The cost of a surge protector varies greatly depending on user needs. Basic models sell for as low as $10 but one should be cautious as to the capabilities these units offer.

NOTE: It is important to connect all peripheral equipment to the surge protector for complete protection. This includes phone jacks, modems, cables, and any other external devices that will receive electrical current.

All visuals have been removed from this article to comply with the publishing rules for this site.

Additional Resources

Gamble, T. &quot;Storm Season&quot; www.bestbuy.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://www.bestbuy.com/site/olspage.jsp?id=pcmcat31600050019&type=category

Harris, T. &quot;How Surge Protectors Work&quot; www.computer.howstuffworks.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://computer.howstuffworks.com/surge-protector2.htm

Kozierok, C.M. &quot;External Power Problems&quot; www.pcguide.com 15 Sep. 2004, http://www.pcguide.com/ref/power/ext/probs.htm

Power Protect Your Computer, www.hp.com 15 Sep. 2004 http://h71036.www7.hp.com/hho/cache/764-0-0-225-121.aspx

T.L. McMullen
Equity Zip Financial
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A Review of Samsung Laser Toners

Samsung laser toner is just as popular as its Hewlett-Packard and Brother counterparts. Samsung is a group of products and services that began in Korea in 1938. Today Samsung operate five different business areas: Telecommunications, Digital and Home Appliances, Digital Media, LCD, and Semiconductors. They started their Electronics section in 1969. Today they are one of the top 100 brands in the world, and their printers and cartridges continue to gain a loyal following.

You can buy Samsung laser toner from their official website. There you will find a complete list of all their products. Enter &quot;laser toner cartridge&quot; in the website's search field and start comparing prices. You are guaranteed to get a quality from this site. Their website offers full specifications, so that you can find the right cartridge for your printer.

Another option is to go to the PCWorld website. Look for &quot;printers&quot; in the drop-down menu. They have a database of websites selling quality third-party laser toner. You can search for &quot;Samsung&quot; via a menu bar on the left. One color ink cartridge is available for under $30, for example. Be careful when you buy third-party laser toner products. Some of these will be sold as &quot;compatible&quot; or &quot;remanufactured&quot; but aren't up to specifications with the manufacturer's original standards. One good review website is Epinions, which allows users to rate all kinds of products, including laser printers and accessories, so that you can get a non-marketing perspective on products you are looking to buy.

You can find a list of authorized retailers of Samsung products on their website. That way, you won't accidentally end up buying a counterfeit Samsung laser toner cartridge.

<a target="_new" href="http://www.e-lasertoner.com">Laser Toner Info</a> provides detailed information about later toner cartridges and refills, as well as reviews of laser toner products. Laser Toner Info is the sister site of <a target="_new" href="http://www.e-brochureprinting.com">Brochure Printing Web</a>.

Electronic Schematics Diagram-The Four Commonly Asked Questions

I came across quite a number of questions about electronic circuit schematics diagram.

Most of the question asked are:

a) Do we really need a schematic diagram in order to repair any electronic equipment?

b) Will schematic diagram help us to repair faster?

c) At where we can get a particular schematic diagram?

d) How to read schematic diagram?

Well, the answers is as below:

a)-Theoretically yes, practically not necessary, it all depends on how good you are in electronic repair knowledge. For a beginner it is a 'must' for you to understand about schematic diagram, as you gradually gained more knowledge you will automatically depends less on schematic diagram. You will definitely need a schematic diagram when you come across a new designed or technology. For example, when comes to crt monitor repair i seldom see schematic because i already understood most of the circuitry and section in a crt monitor. The new technology such as lcd or tft monitor makes me have to temporarily relies on schematic diagram. As my knowledge of lcd monitor repair grows, i will gradually depends less on the schematics. May be my situation is different from yours because i'm concentrating only on one type of equipment. I've seen quite a lot of repairers in my country that repair many types of equipment such as tv, video, vcd, dvd, amplifier, hi-fi, fax, laser printer, microwave and so forth. Most probably they need schematic diagram to keep them up to date on each of the equipment technology.

b) If you have a particular schematic diagram for that particular equipment, your troubleshooting time can be reduced to half! Unfortunenately many manufacturer do not release their equipment's schematic diagram. If you depends on too much of schematic you will be stuck on how to repair that particular equipment. Why with schematic diagram you can repair any equipment faster? Because a schematic diagram shown you all the part list, waveform, voltages, explanation how that particular equipment work, block diagram, schematic design, component's part number, electrical schematics symbols, substitution, modification (if have) and electronic schematic symbols and etc. Assuming you have a power supply section blown and you could not recognize the component part number, but with schematic you will be able to find the exact part number and finally repaired the equipment.

c) If you work in the equipment's factory or their distributor you will have the schematic diagram for the model that they sell. Any under warranty unit that comes in you will be able to diagnose and repair the equipment fast. This will increase the company's reputation and customers will recommend to their friends about the quick service of that particular brand of equipment. You also can get schematic diagram in the form of a book from local electronic shops. This is usually a compilation of few brands and model of a specific electronic equipment. Tv or television schematics diagram are easily to get but computer monitor schematics and radio amplifier schematics is a little bit harder to find. If you have the budget get one of the book. Third, as most of us already know that you can download free electronic schematics diagram from the internet. Free tv schematics is easily found on the internet. You may also buy it the 'CD' format. This investment will usually pay back in the shortest time.

d) As how to read schematic diagram, i'm unable to show you thru article because you do need a real schematic diagram in order to make you understand. Reading schematic is not that difficult, provided you have some basic electronic knowledge. I have a few suggestions:

-Ask from a friend who is in the repair line

-Take short courses on electronic repair and ask the lecturer

-Buy books from your local bookstore about the subject "how to read schematic diagram"

-Buy schematic diagram and learn on your own (this will take sometimes but worth it)

-Fix some project kit using the electronic kit schematics given. This will add to your knowledge also.

Conclusion-In order to become a successful electronic repairer you must understand how to read schematic diagram.

Jestine Yong is a electronic repairer and a writer. For more electronic repair information please visit his website at <a target="_new" href="http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm">http://www.noahtec.com/electronic-repair-articles.htm</a>

Types Of Laptop Batteries

Throughout the years there have been many technologies involved with notebooks, and laptop batteries are no different. There are actually three distinct notebook battery types on the market today. Knowing the difference between them will help you decide on exactly what to get when the time comes for a purchase.

In this article I will discuss the three different laptop battery types, as well as some of the advantages each one carries.

Nickel Cadmium ? NiCd batteries were actually the first rechargeable laptop batteries ever. Manufactures loved them because their cost was relatively low and they had a high output. You won't find Nickel Cadmium batteries being used anymore, due to them being heavier and not as efficient as the newer laptop batteries.

Nickel Metal Hydride ? NiMH batteries can still be found all over the place -- particularly for older model laptops. The rechargeable NiMH laptop battery was a big step up for notebook technology mostly in part because they were more reliable than the NiCd batteries, and they had an even higher output. The NiMH battery was also cheaper to produce, and safer to use.

The only issue with NiMH batteries is that they can have a memory effect. Basically, if you don't fully discharge the battery, it can remember this and leave you with a less than perfect battery output.

Lithium Ion ? LiON batteries are now used in most new laptops. Unlike the NiMH battery, LiON laptop batteries have no memory effect. LiON batteries are also lighter than both NiCd and NiMH notebook batteries. Both of these advantages equal out to the Lithium Ion battery being the most popular and most expensive among the various notebook power sources.

You are probably wondering which type of battery to get. Getting a Lithium Ion battery would be the best solution, and if you have the money that is what I recommend. If you cannot afford a LiON battery or your notebook is not compatible with one, then getting a NiMH battery is the next best thing.

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Cody Kahl is creator and writer of Toshiba Laptops Guide ? A site
dedicated to providing only the best <a target="_new" href="http://www.toshibalaptopsguide.com/toshiba-laptop-battery.html">toshiba laptop battery</a> information.
Cody believes in quality, and this free resource proves it.
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Getting to Know Inkjet Printers

Inkjet printers were born in the 1980s, replacing the popular dot matrix printer. Inkjet printers drop droplets of ink onto printer paper to produce text and images. The drops of ink are actually smaller than the width of a strand of hair, so don't expect to actually see individual droplets on your printouts. It's not like the older dot matrix, which produced much larger drops of ink.

There are several major printer technologies- the two largest categories being impact and non-impact. As you probably guessed, impact printers work by actually touching the paper to produce text and images. Dot matrix printers fall in this category. Non impact printers never actually touch the paper. Both inkjet and laser printers fall into this category.

So what makes an inkjet printer work? There are several key components found in all inkjet printers that make them tick. The most important and fragile piece of any printer is the print head. It contains the ink-emitting nozzles. The ink cartridges hold the actual ink that is fed into the head. The stepper motor powers the print head, propelling it back and forth across the paper. A stabilizer bar ensures that that the movements of the print head are controlled and precise.

Paper is fed into the printer via a feeder. The paper is pulled inside the printer by several rollers. Of course, none of these components would function without power. Most printers use standard power supply. Your computer talks to the printer through interface ports, most commonly, the USB port.

Bill Smith is an expert on printers and ink cartridges. Visit <a target="_new" href="http://www.buythebestbuy.com">http://www.buythebestbuy.com</a> to learn more about printers.

Selecting an Ink Jet printer?With Low Operating Cost

Printer technology has made tremendous advances in the past five years. Speeds are up and print quality is great. Meanwhile, printer costs have declined.

What has not improved is the cost of ink. Printer manufacturers expected to make their profit on replacement cartridges, and they do. But in charging high prices they created another industry that they have to compete with.

Now there are generic or compatible replacements; you can buy refilled cartridges and refill kits so you can refill them yourself. Worst of all there are counterfeits. And there's a big market for all of them due to the sky-high price of OEM cartridges.

The manufacturers are full of tricks. Some of them use tiny cartridges that don't hold much ink. Most of the standard cartridges are half full of ink. They sell high capacity cartridges at premium prices that are full of ink. They run promotions on printers that have sample cartridges that barely have enough ink to try out the new printer.

These are all factors you have to consider when you buy a printer. There are makers who have addressed the problem in another way. All printers have a separate black cartridge for obvious reasons, but a few use a separate cartridge for each color. If one of the colors runs out you can replace it individually. This way you aren't throwing away good ink. One maker gives you the choice of a double size black unit that is more economical than two singles.

Most printers use a cartridge with a built- in print head, but at least one has the print head built into the machine. The cartridges are only ink containers, consequently very inexpensive and easy to refill. The downside of this arrangement is that the print head is a wear item and it's quite expensive to replace.

The point is that these two style printers are more economical to operate than the conventional type. There are some printers that will operate with only the black cartridge installed, and this is a good choice for students and others that only print text. If you don't need a fancy printing job, often you can set your printer on &quot;draft&quot; which saves a lot of ink.

Be careful when you are buying a printer especially, but not exclusively at auctions; they're selling them without ink. A diligent shopper can sometimes find printers with and without rebates that are below the cost of the ink. This is a good way to go. For more information about shopping visit my web site: http://www.caveatemptorus.com/

I've tried refilling and using refurbished units with mixed success. Refilling is risky business. Maker's claim that it voids your warranty, this is debatable, but there is some validity to their concerns. There are different kinds of ink and using the wrong or an inferior ink can do damage. Many refurbs are poor quality so you end up returning them for replacement.

At the moment my choice is a printer with print heads in the cartridges and I buy good quality generics. Keep in mind this creates warranty problems. If you have a problem printing, you can't get technical service unless you buy a set of OEMs.

Written by: George W. Cannata the publisher of the web site: <a target="_new" href="http://www.caveatemptorus.com">http://www.caveatemptorus.com</a>, July 8, 2005.