Buying used SP540V, no discs or dongle?

[Stagecraft]

Looking at a used Roland SP540V today.
Its' a forclosure sale, the vendor knows next to nothing about it. (just like me)
There aren't any discs or dongle with the machine.
Is there supposed to be a dongle?
Will this be a major issue or additional cost?
Thanks if you can help!

Boyd at Stargate Universe

 

[amw]

you shouldnt need one. but you will need versaworks or some other RIP to run it.

 

[mark in tx]

Can you turn it on and run a test print?

Without that at least, be very wary.

 

[joeshaul]

No dongle is needed as others have stated, if it's a V model, then you will need Versaworks. I'm unsure if Roland charges for it if the original cd is not around. There are other RIPs that can be used, but I'd give Roland a call and see if you can obtain Versaworks from them.

As another poster said, you will want to power it up, do a head clean, and then do a test print.

If this machine was not shut down properly before moved, the pooled ink will probably ruin the heads depending on how long its been sitting. When plugged in and on standby, the machine will turn itself on and head clean itself at periodic intervals to ensure this doesn't happen. If the machine was moved, it may also have some other form of head damage unless the head was locked into place/etc, you will also want to read the moving procedure from Roland's documentation before purchasing the machine and moving it to ensure everything's locked down and cleaned out.

 

[InkjetAuction]

Back from the dead...

Our beloved Roland printers are some of the most robust inkjet printers...

I make my living repairing inkjet printers...many times bringing them back from the dead.

About two weeks ago I got a call from a gentleman that purchased an SC545-EX at auction for $1,750. The guy was a commercial printer and truely didn't know much more than this was a printer/cutter... never mind was the machine prepped for transport/storage. It was his understanding that it had been a few weeks since the printer was last used. He was not able to see a print test at auction.

He gave me a call a couple of weeks after he got the machine shipped to his shop.

Onsite I found that the machine was setup to run CMYK+Wt... and the inklines were never drained or cleaned. Less than 400 print hrs and tons of life left on the printheads (by shotcount).

I was not too bullish about being able to save the two heads assigned to the the white ink. However, I flushed all the lines, replaced a few dampers and the captops. $300 of parts and a few hours of labor for a full head calibration later his now CMYKLcLm printer was printing a near perfect print test.

I think his total investment of the printer, parts and labor (ink not included) was $2700. Not bad.

I love these machines.

~E

 

[Stagecraft]

Thanks for the replies!
I just heard back from Roland and the discs are available for purchase.
The vendor is a reputible one and offers a seven day return policy.
With a little luck I should have this thing up and running by tomorrow afternoon.
Looking forward to playing with this thing, I anticipate it will be a little bit better to use than my Roland PC600.
After using that thing I had sworn off Roland products forever!
Stand by for a lot of newbie questions - Boyd

 

[Stagecraft]

Not a good day today...
Stayed up late last night to watch the end of the bidding on the SP540V I was trying for, and I was the winning bidder.
I just so happens that I found a near duplicate ad with exactly the same in-shop photo as the one I had bid on, being sold online on a different website.
I contacted the Ebay vendor and she told me she is a re-seller and the printer would be dropped shipped.
Something smells fishy here, fortunately I haven't sent her a dime yet.
Funny thing is she has a reasonably long, good sales history.

So my search for a reasonably priced SP540 or 300 may continue.
Anybody know of a reputable source of refurbished machines or of any for sale in the Vancouver B.C. area?