Score!

[Scooterman]

After getting sniped TWICE today on echo bravo, somebody came thru for me and now I'm the proud owner of an ALPS MD1000.  Anybody have one?  Gekko, do you use an ALPS?

[Brian da Basher]

Wow congratulatios, Scooterman! You're a very lucky man indeed to own an ALPS. That is unil all your frends start hitting you up to print custom decals for them.

Brian da Basher

[Aircav]

You lucky git    
So when are you going into production ?      

[B777LR]

Whats an ALPS printer?

[Jennings]

Best of luck.  I sold that infernal machine several years ago because I was starting to lose my hair at a prodigious rate (by pulling it out).  The most cantankerous, quirky, irritating piece of hardware I've ever owned (and that includes an IBM PS2 Model 50).  If you find ribbons for it, buy them, as I hear they're getting harder and harder to find, especially the metallics.

J

[cthulhu77]

Always the rainy day.

        Hey, where do we start putting our requests for decal sheets?    

[Captain Canada]

That is unil all your friends start hitting you up to print custom decals for them.

Yes, and I consider Brad one of my best friends ! So you people leave him alone* !



* Until he finishes all of my custom orders.........

Congrats, Scooter ! I have to admit knowing nothing about them, but I've seen lots of good product come out of them !

 

[blue520]

Whats an ALPS printer?

A ALPS printer is the bees knees of printers for printing decals.
ALPS printers use the MicroDry process  (also see Dye-sublimation printers).  ALPS special trick is that it can print like normal colour printers (CMYK) as well as white (also metallic silver and gold, and clear (matt or gloss) finish) and are good for printing on to transparent media (decals sheets), the ink stands up well to clear coat/top coat. ALPS printers (and parts/ribbons/inks) are now out of production and starting to become rare.  

[Son of Damian]

^^^
They sound really great, so why are they out of production???

[blue520]

They sound really great, so why are they out of production???

Don't really know, perhaps some else may know.
One reason could be lack of market share and niche market syndrome. (but this is pure speculation)
On comparison to the "generic" Ink Jet, MicroDry -
was a proprietary product and is not used by any other company
ink ribbons were quite expensive (especially the metal foils)
slower
most printer users did not need the extra features or quality.

On a side point, there is a rumour (but it may be pure wishing) that a major company may be releasing a desktop printer that in standard form will able to print white and metallics mid way through this year or early next.
 

[Jennings]

^^^
They sound really great, so why are they out of production???

Alps Electric of Japan (look who made the remote lock transmitter on your car key ring, btw...) sold the technology and the Alps printer product line to Oki several years ago.  I think (from what I read on other computer related forums) Oki decided that the market for this technology was too small to continue with, so they discontinued it.

Kodak had a high end version of this type printer (the Kodak First Check system) that has also been discontinued.

Sadly, model airplane geeks are not a large enough market to support an entire genre of technology.  Well, maybe that's not so sad after all

J

[wagnersm]

According to ALPSINK.COM, overseas production of compatable cartridges should continue until 2008.  Please see the website below.

http://www.alpsink.com/index.htm

Steve