Acquired old Gerber sign making machines

[Juice]

Hello,

I would like to cut small custom graphics on vinyl. My mother, who used to be in the signmaking business, collected old Gerber equipment for me from her colleagues.

This is what I have...

- GSP Sprint (working).
- GSP Sprint monitor (not working).
- GSP Sprint 15" plotter (working).
- 9-Pin serial cable connected to card plugged into ACC2 slot.
- Graphicx Advantage LMK Program Module plugged into PGM slot.
- 7 assorted font modules plugged into slots 1 to 7.

- Omega 1.56 software (Installed, working, but not plotting).
- Parallel port key for Omega software.

You can see pictures of all my newly acquired equipment in my photo gallery.

Becuase the Sprint monitor is not working, it's hard to know what I'm doing. The plotter will move when I press the arrow keys. I've installed the Omega software and hooked everything up. I've tried to plot some simple graphics, but it won't work. I've tried installing the "Sprnt-15" and "Sprnt-15GS" devices on COM1 and COM3. It still won't plot.

Is anyone out there still using these machines? Can anyone help me to get this stuff working again?

Thanks,
Josh

[South End Signs]

Can't help you on the software side of the old Gerbers but as for a monitor I used two old second-hand monitors over the 5 years I had the sprint unit. I just bought them from the city and school surplus sales, old green display types (SVGA??) for $5 each at the time.

I miss the reliability and tracking of the old Gerber stuff but at the time the prices for font cards and repairs were unreal considering you could buy new equipment for a fraction of what Mr. Gerber wanted.

Jean-Claude

[Fred Weiss]

I run a Sprint set of plotters (15" and 30" on an A-B switch) from Omega. You do not need a monitor for the Sprint unless you want to run from the Sprint. This is not the usual case these days. With the LMK card you can receive data from Omega on the PC. The Sprint console must be powered up and set to "online". If you are not familiar with how to send a job from Omega Composer to GSPPlot and then onto the Sprint, now would be a good time to mention that.

Between the PC and the Sprint console, there should be a cable from a serial comm port on the PC and the LMK card. The installed plotter for Omega should be Sprint15-GS and it must be set for the correct comm port to match your hard wiring.

All those things happening, it should work.

[Shovelhead]

big bucks equipment back in the day!

[Juice]

It works.

Thanks for your help guys. The key points was to select the "Sprnt-15GS" device on COM1 and to press the on-line key before sending the job to the plotter. It's so simple that I feel embarassed that I couldn't figure it out myself.

As for the monitor... Is there any reason why I should replace it? I'm just going to chuck it and use the link to the computer/software.

Thanks again,
Josh

[Fred Weiss]

Glad it worked out.

As to the monitor, it is unneeded unless you wish to setup jobs using the old, original Sprint fonts and interface. I do not keep a monitor on my Sprint console and haven't for some time. All setups are done in Omega Composer and then the Sprint is simply put online and the job sent to it from GSPPlot.