L1800 mainboard in Epson 1430

[Nigel]

I have read about a number of people that have had success using an Epson L800 mainboard in a T50/T60 style printer, making it effectively chip-less, and then adding a third party CIS.

I have an Australian Epson 1430 and was wondering if anyone has had success attempting the same trick with an L1800 mainboard (in my case I would still like to use refillable cards due to frequent ink changes).

Any other information or experiences regarding such conversions would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

you may look up 'L1800 motherboard' at Aliexpress, those parts are coming from China

 

[Nigel]

Cheers. I can find the board on Alibaba, but when I message the sellers they try to sell me an Epson 1430 replacement mainboard instead. One said that the L1800 mainboard would work in the printer, but then said that they would chuck in carts with chips for free. Which defeats my purpose if they are needed.

So, finding the boards is possible, but I was wondering if they could be used in an Australian 1430 to make it chip-less at all, or will I just be wasting my money?

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

I'm using a genuine L800, I have heard about that P50/L800 retrofit but didn't do it. It's probably not much more to replace the processor/firmware chip which doesn't look to the cartridge chip data.

 

[Ionlab]

What are you trying to accomplish by doing such a swap. You can use a CIS system with the existing setup. When the printer reports an empty cart you press the switch and reset all of them to full. The ink expenditure during the reset will be less than the cost of the mainboard. And rerouting the ink to an external reservoir is as easy as unscrewing 2-3 screws and popping a cover open. You can even reuse that "wasted" ink in the black cartridge if just printing text. Unless you just want to leave the system unattended.

 

[Nigel]

Thanks Ink-stained Fingers, I did a search and that option certainly would be cheaper. But I'm pretty sure I would botch the job if I tried it myself.

Thanks for the question Ionlab. My problem is actually that my workflow uses a LOT of ink (custom RIP/inks). Several times more than the standard Epson drivers. On my last printer, an Australian Epson 1410, I got to the point where every print one or another of my ARC carts was needing to be reset during the print. And each time an A3 print was ruined. At that time I could only reset one ink at a time, not all at once. I would prefer cartridges because I change my ink setup often and because the ink I use tends to settle easily.

I haven't been able to find a manual resetter for 81N refillable cart chips yet. So one option, if it would work, would be to get an L1800 mainboard. Hence my original question. A further option would be to replace the processor chip as Ink-stained Fingers suggested. This has the advantage that these chips are actually sold to be used for this purpose to people with my printer so I can assume they will work for my problem. But also the disadvantage of having to solder the chip. A further option would be to buy a whole lot of extra ARC (or otherwise) chips and just replace them every print or so and chalk it up as an ongoing expense. Any other options would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Ink stained Fingers]

It's technically no problem to run a CISS on the 1400/1500W models, I'm doing that at this time with an old R265 (it doesn't fail...). But I got an L800 with the Epson CISS which has some adavantages for me - one is just convenience that I can start larger print jobs running unattended, not interrupted now or later by pending cartridge resets. The printer either stops at the beginning of a next page - that's fine - or in the middle of a page which is a waste of paper and ink and requires handling, picking out that sheet, and every reset triggers a cleaning cycle dumping some ink along the waste ink tube. That's not a problem with budget inks but I rather would like the more expensive Drylab inks to end up on photo paper, and not in the waste ink bottle. And with these resets in between a print job it is quite impossible to run on double sided paper, every stop and reprint by the driver changes the page sequence front vs. back so that's quite a hassle, all that not a problem with the L800 - it just prints, and stops after 70 ml to get a reset of the bottle codes - with WICReset but double sided printing jobs are not impeded. And that reset is possible at any time, as well before a bigger print job , so for me a L800 type model has advantages overall vs. a standard CISS retrofit.

 

[Nigel]

Your experience with the L800 sounds ideal. Many of the problems you describe with the R265 and CIS are those I have with the 1430 and wish to overcome. I mainly print A3+ photos for framing. I don't do large print jobs or double sided prints and my ink is cheap. But the paper I use is far from cheap. A stop halfway through an A3 page is a heavy hit. I started with an A4 printer (TX650) and things were OK, but since I use much more ink than the Epson driver and the pages are now A3+ the problems halfway through a page are much more frequent. After a while my cart chips got into dead-lock with each chip at a different level. One or another would always kill the next print. By the time they were all reset the first one was ready to reset again. Ionlab suggested that a CISS might allow resetting all inks at the same time, which would at least address one of these problems. But I really would prefer carts as I fear my pigments will clog the CIS. The most encouraging thing you mentioned was that you can reset the 70ml ink levels at any time!

I sound like I am complaining, but really I love this stuff. All the troubles make the satisfaction of successful prints so much greater.

I talked to one of the retailers of the L1800 mainboard who assured me it would work in the 1430 to make it chip-less. I think I will take the risk and report back on the outcome.

 

[Nozzle]

@Nigel
Your best bet would be a few sets of original cartridges modified for refilling and a resetter. I found a resetter here, but this company only does wholesale, but if they have it, the Chinese should have it to - http://www.ausjetinks.com.au/p/rese...d-103n-9-pin-cartridges/30-ChipResetterEpson9
If you had a resetter and 3 or 4 sets of cartridges, you could replace them all at once and never have this cartridge replacement domino effect.
Another way for you would be to get a set of refillable cartridges, remove chips from them, cut away the chip holders at the front of the cartridges and insert a button resettable CISS chip set (like this one - http://www.inkghost.com.au/product_...8182n-p-2099?gclid=CMrW3pLSuM0CFQWWvQodIXcPWg) between them and the board with contacts that touches the chips, or just gen an CISS with cartridges with such chips and just use cartridges from it. The advantage of button resettable chips is that once you reset them, they all go empty and you have only one cleaning cycle.

Hope this makes sense.

Where in Aus are you?

 

[Nigel]

Thanks Nozzle! I didn't find that in my googling! But now you mention it... searching my emails... I found this product many years ago from www.technicaone.net. I was informed that it would work only with ProColor chips - but those carts are cheap so I'm not sure why I didn't try it. Back then I got totally fed up with my ARCs, moved house and had a kid in a short period of time; so maybe that's why. That 1410 was stuck in the (new) garage uncleaned and will never print again. I've talked to other retailers who haven't known of any resetter for 81N chips. But the ProColor ones are specific to that brand, which might explain why they are unknown. I should definitely give this resetter a go!

I also thought about your options for a CISS button style chip-set. I even had crazy thoughts like removing the chip sensor unit and sticky-taping the CISS chip-set onto it and leaving it connected but sitting next to the printer. I have been told by retailers that their CISS chips for the 1430 act in a similar manner as the ARC chips in that they only reset when each individual ink runs low. Dominos. But actually, on the 1410 at least, this wouldn't have been a problem. My experience has been that using my RIP (based on the Gutenprint drivers) if the printer pauses to get ink changed during a print it continues the print afterwards anyway. In my case the air-space caused by removing the cart would cause that ink to cut out for several inches, but if I could press a button that shouldn't be a problem. The other inks continued just fine. Failing the resetter, I should definitely try this!

But, at the moment, I have my heart set on trying to swap the mainboard. That is to say, over the last 24 hours I have decided I will and now I am looking for evidence to support the decision I have already made. When that risk doesn't pay off, I will follow your great suggestions! Thank you!

I live in Sydney