Mimaki JV33-160 using Epson DX5 Printhead (from Stylus Photo R2000)

[Visualrelay]

Hello All,

Just thought I would post this up.
My genuine Mimaki printhead died the other day.

I was reading lots of posts about downgrading to firmware 2.2 then running cheaper DX5 printheads.
So before I bought a genuine head, I though I might give this a try.

The results are weird?? Hopefully someone can help?

Basically the printhead is brand new from epson (out of a Epson Stylus Photo R2000).
I installed it, no errors from the printer.
All the nozzles work great.

Only one problem, half way in the middle of the print, it is overprinting like a colour bar pattern of CMYK (see attached photo).


If anyone has seen this before, or knows how to fix this, please let me know.
Saves me re-installing another print head.

Thanks

 

[SightLine]

Since early in 2013 Epson started adding "something" to the DX5 print heads in smaller machines in an attempt to thwart people from doing exactly what you have done. This has been know about for quite some time. It causes a line at a certain point although I thought it was generally a blank line but I'm guessing they might have changed it some which is what could be causing the color bar getting over-printed.

http://www.signs101.com/forums/showthread.php?105321-New-DX5-printheads-cause-a-line-at-60cm

The Chinese have come up with a small board that you install between the head and slider board (it also comes with a second set of head cables) to work around this issue. This is why over the past year and a half or so many people have given up on trying to use the DX5 heads from smaller machines. If you search Epson DX5 heads on eBay you will see some sellers who are being honest about it up front and are advertising the head as "locked" or "unlocked" because they are aware of this.

This is one of the boards http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epson-Dx5-printhead-codebreaker-/161325825257

I have seen them cheaper though. At that cost it would be better to have just bought a guaranteed head unless you got the desktop printer dirt cheap.

 

[SE SignSupply]

The problem pictured is media, not the head. Notice how the pattern lines up with the pinch rollers?

However, the R2000 head is water based. Unless you changed out the manifold it will likely fail shortly as I'm sure you are running solvent ink (SS21 or ES3).

 

[4R Graphics]

I have no idea what is making the head print the strip.
However I can tell you that i have ran several DX5 heads from epson printers over the years and they do work (at least the older ones did) BUT they do not last even with solvent manifolds. I dont know why but they never seemed to last any where near as long as an OEM.

Just my 2 cents but have been there done that back to OEM.

 

[SightLine]

I've had good luck with the one aftermarket DX5 we are running. Replaced ours with a gold colored Teflon coated one from a R1900 in July 2011. Nearly 3 years now and it still has a 100% perfect test draw.

 

[Robert M]

That head

send me a picture of the area where the ribbon cables go into the head, I can let you know if the head is the problem.

 

[Petor]

attention

i buyed a decoder for dx5 on ebay and the instruction was wrong. cause it i burned mainboard.
pay attention in and out connections.

 

[mkp007]

locked R2000 printhead

Hello All,

Just thought I would post this up.
My genuine Mimaki printhead died the other day.

I was reading lots of posts about downgrading to firmware 2.2 then running cheaper DX5 printheads.
So before I bought a genuine head, I though I might give this a try.

The results are weird?? Hopefully someone can help?

Basically the printhead is brand new from epson (out of a Epson Stylus Photo R2000).
I installed it, no errors from the printer.
All the nozzles work great.

Only one problem, half way in the middle of the print, it is overprinting like a colour bar pattern of CMYK (see attached photo).

If anyone has seen this before, or knows how to fix this, please let me know.
Saves me re-installing another print head.

Thanks

I bet those color bands came up at 16-18 inches from the home position. That is a locked printhead. I have the same problem and my decoder is not working on this head. It is also from an R2000. I have gotten an R2000 printhead to work before, but this one is different. This might be what some are calling a "first time" and "second time" lock. If someone knows of a decoder for this please let me know.

 

[JDcolor]

I bet those color bands came up at 16-18 inches from the home position. That is a locked printhead. I have the same problem and my decoder is not working on this head. It is also from an R2000. I have gotten an R2000 printhead to work before, but this one is different. This might be what some are calling a "first time" and "second time" lock. If someone knows of a decoder for this please let me know.

Second time lock was hard, there is no decoder for it now.
And as I know, many China printer companies want give up DX5 head now, it means there will be no decoder for second time locked head.
So, you can try find the unlocked DX5 head and original head for your printer now.

Jack

 

[mkp007]

Second time locked

Second time lock was hard, there is no decoder for it now.
And as I know, many China printer companies want give up DX5 head now, it means there will be no decoder for second time locked head.
So, you can try find the unlocked DX5 head and original head for your printer now.

Jack

Thanks Jack for the reply. I haven't found anything on the web about this subject. How do you know about a "second time" lock? I have 3 other F186000 heads and they all look identical (circuitry etc.). The difference is probably what's hidden under the white glue globs. I'm guessing this is where the locks are. hmmm.

 

[JDcolor]

Thanks Jack for the reply. I haven't found anything on the web about this subject. How do you know about a "second time" lock? I have 3 other F186000 heads and they all look identical (circuitry etc.). The difference is probably what's hidden under the white glue globs. I'm guessing this is where the locks are. hmmm.

Take out the manifold, you can see there are codes on the PCB inside. Show pictures of them, I can confirm if they are second locked. Jack

 

[mkp007]

DX5 1st time lock and 2nd time lock

Take out the manifold, you can see there are codes on the PCB inside. Show pictures of them, I can confirm if they are second locked. Jack

Attached are three photos. One is named "dx5-f186000-orig-1st-lock-13390601.jpg" and this is the original F186000 printhead and I'm quite sure it is a 1st time lock as the decoder works fine. The other is named "dx5-f186000-bestbuy-r2000-14440301.jpg" a printhead from a new R2000 and it has gaps in each channel that occur at about 40cm. You can see this in the attachment "2nd-time-lock-print-gaps.jpg" which shows gaps in the white channels and the colored channels. If you look closely, you can see the Yellow channel gaps first, then the magenta, then cyan and so on. Each gap is about 1/4" in width. Therefore, the decoder is not working with this one so I can only assume it is either a 2nd time lock or a 3rd time lock (a supplier in china mentioned there are 3rd time locks too).

It you look closely at the printhead images, you can see that I removed the white adhesive glob (upper left corner) on both printheads to reveal what appears to be SMD capacitors. They look identical so I don't think the difference between 1st and 2nd locks can be seen from this side of the PCB. I'm wondering if there is an IC on the other side that is bonded between the PCB and the black support structure.

There are no numbers that would signify what lock it has. The number in the upper right is the serial number. Perhaps you can say that after 14,400,000 they are 2nd time locked. I have another that is 14,200,101 that is 1st time lock (although now I'm not 100% certain on that as I had issues with that one and I killed it very early).

 

[JDcolor]

F186000 head with code 13390601 was first locked head.
F186000 head with code 14440301 was second locked head, it is why the decoder can not work.
F186000 head with code 14,200,101 was first locked head.

Jack

 

[mkp007]

locked

F186000 head with code 13390601 was first locked head.
F186000 head with code 14440301 was second locked head, it is why the decoder can not work.
F186000 head with code 14,200,101 was first locked head.

Jack

Jack,

I appreciate the confirmation, but how can you tell? Do you know just by the serial number?


Mark

 

[JDcolor]

Mark,

Yes, the only way to find DX5 head locked times was the serial number on the head inside.

Jack

 

[mkp007]

locked head number

Mark,

Yes, the only way to find DX5 head locked times was the serial number on the head inside.

Jack

Hi Jack,

How about 15,160,601

thank you.

 

[JDcolor]

Hi Jack,

How about 15,160,601

thank you.

It is second locked head.

Jack

 

[mkp007]

dx5 serial number code

So, the serial number on the circuit board tells you year and month produced. The two left digits are the year. 14 is 2014. The next digit is the month I guess. so 4 would be april. So, if the number is > 14 400 000 then it is 2nd time locked. The far right two digits are always 01. And the 4th digit from the right is always 0. therefore, I don't know if it is much of a serial number, but one would think no two heads have the same number.

 

[fullwave66]

hi somedy solve this trouble?

hi i have a print sid triton 160, use a printhead dx5 the head original is dead, for the number in the board is second lock, but i buy one in ebay, and replace the printhead, but if i try print in 60 cmts the imagen is full ok, but i try to print in 1 mt, the image have two colors bars like this thread, but only two images.

someone can solve this problem?? i think not is the printhead the problem, thank you guys for any help attach the picture of my plotter, the original dx5 printhead, and one image of the problem. thank you.

 

[mkp007]

hi i have a print sid triton 160, use a printhead dx5 the head original is dead, for the number in the board is second lock, but i buy one in ebay, and replace the printhead, but if i try print in 60 cmts the imagen is full ok, but i try to print in 1 mt, the image have two colors bars like this thread, but only two images.

someone can solve this problem?? i think not is the printhead the problem, thank you guys for any help attach the picture of my plotter, the original dx5 printhead, and one image of the

Look at the serial number for the old and new printhead. I'm betting your old one was 1st gen lock and the new one is 2nd gen lock. Your decryption card will not work perfectly if this is the case. A band like the one you show is exactly the result.