\'Free\' AGFA SCSI Scanners

[neokm]

Upon arrival of my daily e-mail - I noticed my weekly www.macofalltrades.com newsletter.  Always on the prowl for 'free' stuff - I checked out a $00. cost for Mac-Agfa Scanners.  I looked into it (peripherals link), because I was very happy with the 'free' Wacom Tablet (still listed as available for $00 also).  I did notice however that they are now charging $15.00 for 'handling' which pops-up only at the checkout + $ shipping charges.  

I just picked up a SCSI Microtek ScanMaker E3-Plus for $20 last week on ebay (plus ship or $20 from Florida) so I won't be needing one of these - - -  perhaps some other TS'er would be interested ?!

My ScanMaker 3 Plus just arrived today, came from an AV studio - dosen't show any apparent signs of wear - I have downloaded all of the drivers from Microtek - plus tip sheets. They don't have much else to offer in depth of discontinued Mac items.  Does any one still use one of these and if so, any special advice for me???  I don't see a ScanMaker folder on my HdD in normal extension-type places - I do have a ScanMaker plug-in in my Photoshop folder.  I appears that  everything seems to be booted off my drop-down apple  - Microscan 1.0.6  

I'll be looking into it later on - got to get psych'd first.  "New2me's" can get frustrating this time of day. (Cocktail Hour)

Mike
 
 [ 02-22-2003, 04:32 PM: Message edited by: neokm ]

[jepinto]

Yep, I have the E3.  Don't use as much since the digital camera, but it sure is handy to have!  I've used it from 7.5 to 9.1.

The Microscan in the Apple menu is how I accessed it, until I found that both Photoshop and ColorIt allow me to "Acquire" under the File menu. Starts the Microscan, scans, then quits the Microscan.  Just cleaner, if you have the ram.  And I only had the thing for two years before I found that feature!

[krissel]

I also have an E3, in a box at the moment. Nothing wrong with it, performed just fine.

Thing is, I wanted to scan slides. After contacting Microtek I found out they wanted about $150-200 (can't remember exactly) for a slide cover that fit the E3 that would allow scanning of transparencies.  Considering a new scanner with slide attachment could be had for much less, that's what I did.

So now I have a Scanmaster V6/usb/scsi with transparency scanner....and an E3 in a box.

[neokm]

I don't have anything much to go on as far as manuals for my E3 but I downloaded everything available from MicroTek for it.  I have a bunch of 3' SCSI cords which because of their physical connection socket sizes I am limited to only the daisy-chain hook-up below.
Although this config works and seems OK , in the last two days I have had several screen freezes :

0 = Internal HdD
1 = empty
2 = empty
3 = Internal CD
4 = 88mb SyQuest Ext. HdD
5 = 200mb Syquest " " " "
6 = ScanMaker E3 (internal terminator)

After reading about screen freezes on another TS thread, I noticed a poop-sheet from MicroTek stating that it is recommended to position the scanner as the 'first' external device and then daisy off of it to the SyQuests.  

Looking at what I have - I see a 25-pin SCSI socket and a 50-pin SCSI socket and a 15-pin socket located behind my E3.

My question is this - If I were to position the E3 at the head of the daisy chain to my computer - do I consider the 25-pin socket on the scanner as the cable destination??? then daisy off of the 50-pin socket to the next device???  In other words - - - which is the incoming socket and which is the one I jump to the next?

Reason I'm asking is - I don't want to buy a SCSI cable like a 25-pin to 50-pin that I may never use if it dosen't do what I want it to.  

I am thinking now that I need a 25-pin to 25-pin cable from the puter to the scanner and jump to my next device with 50 to 50 and again 50 to 50 and ending with a terminator block on my SyQuest.  This is what I was doing before I got the scanner and it worked OK

Any chance either of you two (Krissel & Jepinto) would still have a diagram from your manual as to E3 cable hook-ups and e-mail me a copy ???

This scanner is slicker than "snot on a doorknob" and I'm very pleased with the output  so far - I am hoping I don't have to enter into the mysterious font and extensions corruption Tech. Survival course.

Thanks to you both for your input.
Mike
 
 [ 02-26-2003, 07:34 PM: Message edited by: neokm ]

[kelly]

Don't know if it will help but this was interesting.  

UMAX Astra 600s & 1200s Termination Problems.

http://www.chipmunk.nl/astraterminator.html

[zodraz]

Welcome to SCSI VooDoo neokm!

I can remeber the many, many, hours working out the "kinks" in my SCSI chains at home and at work!

First, if the reccommended settings don't work, try switching the adresses first, then physical placement on the "chain".

Note that a SCSI cable that has worked before, may not work in a new configuration as some cables have more "resistence" which can cause a false termination. If possible beg or borrow some other cables to see if that helps, or try switching to which devices the cables plug into.

Speaking of which, try NOT using any "built-in" terminator on your device and use a manual termination "plug". Sometimes the "built-in" terminators don't work.

As for your 25 to 25 pin connector cable, you could use a SCSI ZIP drive cable. You could probably get them quite cheap at a used computer store or ebay. BUT those were low-cost items, so you might just be buying trouble. Luckily SCSI cables are the same for Macs and PCs, so you should be able to find some bargains. (just make sure it is a SCSI and not a parallel cable)

Good Luck!

[krissel]

neokm , just got to this thread but will check out the box to see if all the paperwork is in there. It's out in the garage (dark and 20F right now) so it will have to wait til tmrw.

I know the recommendation is to have the scanner first (as I do now) but if I remember correctly I had the E3 last in the lineup with a separate add-on terminator. I didn't have SCSI problems as far as I can recall except when I tried to use an external SCSI drive and my SCSI burner at the same time. Usually had to skip one or the other but scanner was not traced as a problem.

[jepinto]

My set up
Scanner with terminator, scsi cord to zip drive, to computer (ah, my computerese ain't none so good)

From System Profiler:

ID=0 Internal ATA 0

ID=3  CD-ROM Drive

ID=5  Removable Media (zip drive)

ID=6  Scanner
 
 [ 02-28-2003, 01:46 PM: Message edited by: jepinto ]

[neokm]

Thanks everyone - as usual, the site has been inspirational and helped me solve my daisy linkage for my SCSI devices - - - more importantly, my screen freezes have ceased to exist.  I managed to get the scanner as the first external link plus two other Ext. HdD's.
Everything seems to be working OK now and I didn't have to buy any additional cables because I found a 50-pin terminator plug in a box of old parts I had hanging around.  Then, I matched cables of equal size and plug structure (thanks Zodraz). Very helpful link Kelly ( Umax / chipmonks). Kris - hope I didn't chase you out in the cold looking (but if you find anything on it - I'd still be interested in getting a copy of E3 set-up guide)

Thanks again - I could not have done this without all your help.
 
 [ 02-28-2003, 02:16 PM: Message edited by: neokm ]

[krissel]

neokm , I uncovered the scanner box but the documents weren't inside. That's unusual for me cause I like to keep stuff like that together...afterall, it is in the original box.  

That means the booklet must be somewhere in a folder with other computer info but not labeled as such. So it may take longer to find it but I'm not giving up yet.