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CS_Buddy
Black Mage
Premium
join:2002-01-03
Canada
clubs:
| Epson C42UX - Refill Cartridge Protection quote:
If you are unfamiliar with the JetTec ink level chip reset system - let's explain:
Epson has an ink level monitoring chip attached to many new cartridges - which they proclaim calculates how many copies you can print before a new cartridge is needed. It is a system which most users maintain has more to do with Epson profit from the sale of ink than functional design. Canon for instance do not use this system for their Photo printers.
[rant]
I bought a cheap Epson C42UX printer on a boxing day special for $50. It didn't come with a USB cable and didn't have Parallel Port support (strike 1) and now that I've had to replace the cartridges twice, I tried to refill it and found out that there is a microchip on the side of the cartridge that won't allow me to use the cartridge, even at full ink (strike 2). The cartridges are REALLY SMALL and only last a month, with very little printing. And they are around $35 each to purchase (strike 3!!  ). This is a bit less than the Epson 740 Cartridges I use, but the Epson 740 cartridges will last a few months, and I can refill them without a problem.
I've been using refilled cartridges 2-3 times on my Epson 740, but only on the black ink one, and I've never had a problem. The Epson 740 would keep track of how much ink was left just as well as this C42UX. I think this chip is just another way of forcing the customers to shell out for genuine Epson cartridges, instead of buying mockup or refilling them. THIS article supports that assertion. It makes me really mad, because the printer itself isn't a lot of money, but the maintenance is. There are ways to lessen the cost, but of course, the companies don't want you to. Even if Epson isn't making money off you, someone else is. Heck, even Future Shop sells a rebranded ink cartridge (Cicero) and most places will "recycle" your ink cartridges or even give you something (free paper) for them. There isn't money to be made? Yeah right. Money grubbing b*stards...
[/rant]
OK I feel a bit better now. So I'm trying to find a way around this chip so I can use my refilled cartridges before they dry up. I've found a hardware based devices you can purchase to reset the chip on the cartridge.
»www.misterinkjet.com/epson_reset···ions.htm
»www.inklevel.n3.net/
»www.epsonchipresetter.com/instructions.htm
This site gives an analysis of the Epson Ink cartridge and ways to reset the chip without any additional hardware. The Walkthrough is for an Epson870 though, so I don't know if it will work with my model.
Just wondering if anyone else has encountered this problem, and if they have found a way to circumvent the chip. I'm hoping for more of a software solution, although I'm pretty sure that is not possible. The chip is basically there for Epson's greed. There is nothing wrong with using recycled or refilled cartridges as long as you are smart about it. The generic brand cartridges you can buy are usually bad quality, but as long as you buy the right kind of ink you can extend the use of your ink cartridges 3-4 times before seeing any kind of visual degrading in print quality.
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Black Mage may be evil, but he sure does love that Canadian Forum | |
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NutCase4
Mad Overclocker
Premium
join:2001-12-10
Livermore, CA
| Re: Epson C42UX - Refill Cartridge Protection There is no way around the chip unless you can find a way to reprogram the printer's Firmware. I am in the same boat as my Stylus Photo 820 also uses the chip.
These guys have cartridges that work very well and a lot cheaper. They have your Black Cartridge for $5.95 and I am using a set of the cartridges right now in my printer and Get very good Images with them:
»www.bulkinkjetcarts.com/ | |
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Ron86
Premium
join:2003-02-16
Montrose, IA
 ·Iowa Telecom
| I would just use your 740 which you can do your on refills.
Just cut your loss with C42UX and chalk it up to experience.
Like Hag6BR has found, knock-off suppliers do offer there on brand of refills. I own two Epson printers and have gone to the spin-offs. | |
| 
crisp
@aol.com
| Epson cartridges have a chip in them that prevents refilling. You can either buy a chip resetter for about $25; or alternatively while the printer is on take out the old cartridge, slot in a new cartridge and take it out, then when you replace the old refilled one its "memory" will recognise its been refilled! | |
| | 
BA
The Old Man's Gonna Roll the Hard Six
Premium,MVM
join:2001-05-24
Vancouver, BC
clubs:
| said by CS_Buddy  :
I think this chip is just another way of forcing the customers to shell out for genuine Epson cartridges, instead of buying mockup or refilling them. THIS article supports that assertion. It makes me really mad, because the printer itself isn't a lot of money, but the maintenance is. There are ways to lessen the cost, but of course, the companies don't want you to. Even if Epson isn't making money off you, someone else is. Heck, even Future Shop sells a rebranded ink cartridge (Cicero) and most places will "recycle" your ink cartridges or even give you something (free paper) for them. There isn't money to be made? Yeah right. Money grubbing b*stards...
Of course the Epson chip is designed to make money - it's no secret nor have they been denying it. The printer market is a crowded (even worse now that Dell [Epson/Lexmark] is entering) dog eat dog world for printer manufacturers. Epson is not making anything off of your CAD$50. In fact, there's a very good chance they're in the red ink for selling you that printer. Just a few years ago, a printer of the same class would have sold for around $250. So why have things like scanners for instance dropped so much in price? Printers involve a huge supply chain cost because of SKUs they have to proliferate for all the printers. Factor in manufacturing and advertising costs and you'll notice that printers are quite inexpensive. To gain ink shares, brand/product recognition, awareness, etc. lowering the price is the only way. So, the only dependable stream of revenue is from selling high-margin printer consumables.
The aftermarket supplies industry isn't helping either. It used to take 18 months for them to come out with compatibles for early Epson cartridges. With the last few generations of supplies, aftermarket competitors have cut down the learning curve and cut their time-to-market down to around six months. Epson's strategy to maximize its ink share is to roll its cartridges with every new printer lineup to keep one step ahead of the aftermarket. But the downside of this strategy is SKU proliferation, which causes Epson to incur more supply chain costs and to lose more ink share on older SKUs as they are forced from the shelves in favor of newer SKUs. So it's never ending battle. | |
| | IAmTheEvilest
There Is Nothing Like A Restart
join:2001-01-03
Santa Barbara, CA
clubs: | Re: Epson C42UX - Refill Cartridge Protection I think about a year or two ago, HP lost about $100 per printer sold... | |
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