My Epson SP1280 and my Epson SP900 recently began behaving badly. For a
couple of years, I've been using G&G cartridges. No problems. Love 'em.
Perfect prints. Few clogs. Epson driver would nag about non-OEM only
prior to the first print after changing a cartridge. I could turn the
printers on and off as much as I liked and I'd only get a non-OEM nag right
after changing a cartridge.

Both printers use exactly the same cartridge part numbers.

Lately, with a recent batch of G&G cartridges, the SP900 nags about non-OEM
just prior to the first print each time the printer is powered up. That's
unusual. Also, the SP1280 also has increased it's nags similarly plus it
runs a short head prime each time the printer is powered up. That, too, is
unusual and out of the ordinary expectations for the SP1280 routine
behaviors.

Some nice person helped me get the Epson SP1280 Service Adjustment Program
which allows exploration into areas that the SSG utility does not.

It seems that these particular G&G cartridges do not contain a "unique
identifier." I think it is for that reason the printers have increased
their nags so that they now nag each time they are powered up (at the first
print job after being powered on).

I'm guessing that the printers can't "remember" which cartridges are
installed because the cartridges don't have an identifier string in the
CSIC (chips) on the cartridges.

I know that G&G is one of two cartridge makers that was not sued by Epson
during year 2006. From what I understand, Epson was after makers who were
copying the internal design of Epson cartridges. Epson is using a no-
sponge design with multiple convoluted chambers. G&G is still using the
old sponge-type of delivery system.

I am wondering, however, if maybe the "unique identifier" was something to
which G&G had to concede in order to avoid lawsuits pertaining to other
reverse engineering ploys? In other words, I wonder if G&G had to
eliminate that identifier string in order to avoid patent infrigement?

Or, maybe, G&G just has a big batch of "defectives" floating around out
ther in the market where they failed to program a unique identifier? I
don't know. Only time will tell, I guess, because they surely don't answer
my eMail. There used to be a California contact for G&G but it's not
available any more as best I can tell.

At any rate, I've read many complaints in NG's and forums from Epson owners
about increasing frequencies of the non-OEM nag from Epson drivers. We are
all blaming the new drivers downloaded from the Epson web site for these
increased nags. (Some people with newer "R" model Epson printers say it
nags at each print job.)

Maybe it's only partially Epson's fault. The printer seems designed to
check for installed cartridges during some part of its normal routine. If
there's no "unique identifier" in the cartridge chips, I can certainly
understand that the EEPROM of the printer main board won't be able to
report to the driver that the same cartridges are still installed if
there's nothing in the cartridge chip to give it a "name."

There were 2 manufacturers of 3rd party ink that were not "attacked" by
Epson. One was G&G. Was the other OA100 ? I don't remember.

Anyway ...

.... I've got an Epson C86 that still performs as it has in the past because
I'm still living on an older batch of G&G cartridges for it. It only nags
about non-OEM cartridges just prior to the first print job after changing a
cartridge. I can turn it on and turn it off as much as I like and I don't
get a nag until I change a cartridge.

I'm trying to get the C86 Service Adjustment Program. If I can locate it,
I'll be able to check this batch of G&G C86 cartridges to see if they do,
in fact, contain a "unique identifier."

If they do have that identifier string, I'm going to presume that many of
us are experiencing increased non-OEM nags from the Epson driver simply
because of this lack of identifier data programmed into the cartridge chip
of the 3rd party cartridges.

//rus\\

Meander Holefield wrote:
Thats why you have trouble
Thats why
Not really. You never know what you are getting and you do not get
consistency from batch to batch just like you are experiencing. When
you relabeler changes their sources you will never know.
Oh Yeah

measekite <inkystinky (AT) oem (DOT) com> wrote in news:P5uAh.14667$O02.9628
@newssvr11.news.prodigy.net:

InkyStinky: Are you a bot or a butt? You seem to waste way too much time on
useless prattle.

Are you one of those guys living in his Mom's basement with only a computer
for near-human contact?

//rus\\

Meander Holefield wrote:
Meashershithead is a shill, a plant for Canon. He should not be allowed
to market or advertise for Canon in this news group.
Don't they know the fuckin moron idiot jackass is giving them a bad name?
Frank

Meander Holefield <meander (AT) the (DOT) net> wrote in
news:Xns98D6D15E9217903kjalkg834k32jmkas (AT) 63 (DOT) 218.45.254:

..
Saga continued:

Nice person came through with the Epspon C86 Service Adjustment Program. I
don't know what term professional researchers use for "dead end" but that's
where I wound up.

The C86 service program didn't reveal a "unique identifier" in the chips.
Maybe there is a unique identifier string in C86 cartridges but if there
is, the C86 program doesn't poll for it.

I've examined the C86 print head carrier. I can't visually locate an
electromechanical switch so I'm still guessing that some string in the
chips ID's each cartridge as unique. Maybe it's just an ink level change
reported by the chips that informs the printer it has a new cartridge in
it?

I'm still working on some ideas related to my SP900 and SP1280 problems. I
want to avoid buying a new mainboard if I can but it seems that replacing
it will be the only way to rule it out.

//rus\\

Meander Holefield <meander (AT) the (DOT) net> wrote in
news:Xns98E242DB6C7AD903kjalkg834k32jmkas (AT) 63 (DOT) 218.45.254:

More Saga continued:

Installed new set of G&G cartridges in the Stylus Photo 1280. These came
from a different supplier and have expiration dates that are similar to the
ones that were giving me fits but the alphanumeric string heat stamped into
the cartridges are different. I'm going to presume that the numbers heat
stamped into the cartridges are some sort of "lot" numbers. I saved
several of the "bad" cartridges and they all had the same "lot" number on
them.

I've been using the new set of cartridges for 3 days. I wanted to wait for
3 days before reporting because I've been momentarily fooled before.

Now? The printer is back to normal. It doesn't do a head prime each time
it's powered on. So, that would make me think that I just have a bad batch
of G&G cartridges.

On the other hand, with this new set of cartridges, I also don't get the
software nag about non-OEM units installed. That's entirely unusual. I
mean, I don't get the nag at all ... not even prior to the first print
after changing cartridges.

Now, don't get me wrongI like this new behavior, but, it surely seems
strange.

I've also fired up the Epson SP1280 Service Program to examine these
recently installed G&G cartridges for that "unique identifier" string that
I thought was missing from the former set of G&G cartridges.

I'm more confused than ever. I know I've got several irons in the fire
with many things going on in my life, so with this SP1280 placed low on the
priority list, I might be prone to error as I examine this cartridge
problem. However, what I see is making me think I'm crazy.

I fired up the SP1280 Service Adjustment Program and the interface looks
entirely different to me in areas related to CSIC (chip) retrievable data.
Was I dreaming? Did I use the program on the wrong printer the first time?
Or, does the interface look different because the G&G cartridge chips are
different? Nowhere in the GUI can I find the term "unique identifier" that
I thought was involved in the problems before.

The program does, however, poll for unique data for the black cartridge and
unique data for the color cartridge. When I select each of those, the
resulting interface screen comes up totally blank. (I'm thinking that
where the interface is now totally blank, I think I was seeing "Unique
Identifier= " during the last session when I looked at the problem
G&G cartridge set. This time, however, with this new set of G&G
cartridges, I'm not even seeing "Unique Identifier= ". I'm just
seeing a blank window in the GUI.

When I use Epson's Status Monitor 3 to view information about the
cartridges, it now reports "unknown" to all values (Manufacturer, Ink Type,
Cartridge Type, Cartridge Code, Production Code). The other set of G&G
cartridges that gave me troubles reported "unknown" to all values except
"Production Code" and for "Production Code" it indicated a date in the year
2005 (even though the cartridges were purchased mid-2006 and have
expiration dates in 2008).

So ... I don't know what's going on exactly. All I can say is that with a
different batch of G&G cartridges purchased from a different supplier, the
Epson SP1280 is back to normal behaviors.

So ... I guess that based on incomplete information, I'd have to say that,
in my case, increased non-OEM driver nags and increased head prime routines
were probably the fault of G&G errors in CSIC (chip) programming.

Based on incomplete information, I'd have to say that it looks like
increased non-OEM driver nags plaguing many of us these days might be
related to programming changes by the non-OEM cartridge maker rather than
some fault of the Epson drivers downloaded from the Epson web site.

The "problem" G&G cartridges came from MeritLine. I don't know if that's a
factor or not. The G&G cartridges that are working properly (not forcing a
head prime at each printer power up) came from a different supplier. I do
know that a number of posters in forums around the web mention MeritLine as
the supplier when these software nags are discussed. Many of us blamed
drivers downloaded from Epson.

I think I'm experiencing at least one indication that these nags might be
increasing because of chip program deficiencies in G&G cartridges.

Once the present cartridges go dry, I'll install a set from the former
batch that gave me problems. I don't know how long it will take me to use
up the ones presently installed. Sometimes it only takes a day or two.
Sometimes it takes weeks. You can bet, however, I'll be back to report.

//rus\\

Look at all of the headaches and problems when using generic ink. The
answer in this case is to use the printer mfg ink and not have the
problems. And it is just what I have said in the past. The relabeler
can change suppliers and you will never know causing even more problems.

Meander Holefield wrote:

You say the same thing every time...can't you just...give it a rest or
say "ditto" or "told ya so"!
There must be an ulterior motive for your posting...no one can be that
redundant!
(and I won't stoop to yelling!)

pheeh.zero (AT) gmail (DOT) com wrote:
real name. Meashershithead is not a real name. He is a seller and
illegally uses this ng to promote and sell canon products. Pay no
attention to his lies.
He's also the biggest asshole loser to ever post in any ng.
Frank

Frank wrote:
Oh, I wouldn't go that far, Frank. He's close, I'll give you that, but I
know of at least two who prowl about the Linux newsgroups that are even
bigger losers than he is. Hard to believe, huh? Loser trolls are
everywhere on Usenet. I think every newsgroup has at least one.

TJ

TJ

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