help identify dx5 version - dreamjet miracle 329

[kamil]

Dear People on the forum,
kindly please help identify this dx5 print head.
it's used in dreamjet 329 miracle. In tools for ink filling the printer is identified as R2400.

below photos of opened head.
It's water based. Inks used in it contain diacent alcohol, 1-methoxypropan-2-ol

 

[SightLine]

I'm not really sure what you are trying to determine as you have essentially already identified the head. Its appears that the dreamjet machine was built using certain parts from an Epson Stylus Photo R2400 printer. The R2400 is an older model Epson and the head you have photos of is an older unlocked version of the DX5 print heads. This part I can tell by the breaks in the circuit board where the head cable connectors are. Epson no longer even sells a direct replacement for that specific DX5 head (F158010) for the R2400 printer. Genuine Epson parts distributors might still show that particular DX5 head as special order and direct you to call Epson but if you call they will tell you the head is discontinued.

That being said - you can still find them but you might have to find an older Epson desktop printer in good proven working condition and rip the head out of it such as an R2400, R1800, R800, R1900, etc... Other Epson DX5 part numbers should also work fine like F186000 as well as any of the "OEM" DX5 heads with a green connector (these have solvent resistant manifolds on them and are made by Epson for Mimaki and Mutoh printers). The majority of DX5 heads available now are locked and may or may not work properly in the machine but its hard to tell. Since it sounds like that printer possibly uses some of the original Epson circuit boards (since the service tools show it as an R2400) it might actually accept one of the newer locked heads but I really do not know for sure. The DX5 head landscape has also gotten even more confusing and difficult. A couple of years ago Epson tired of the Chinese buying up container loads of Epson desktop printers with DX5 heads just to rip the head out and use them to build wide format machines so Epson started "locking" the heads. These are known as "first time locked" heads. They would have a gap in the printing every so many inches if not used in an actual Epson printer. The Chinese got wise to this and then developed a small circuit board to decode these new locked heads. This went on for a couple of years so Epson then changed how they were locking the heads and now there are the "second time locked" DX5 heads all over for sale. These new "second time locked" heads will not work in anything but the actual Epson printer they were made for. The Chinese have not yet figured out a way to decode or use these new "second time locked" heads.

Just search Google (image search) for locked DX5 print head and you will find photos showing the physical differences between the earlier unlocked heads and the newer locked heads. Regardless - any legitimate original unlocked or even first time locked head (you would need a decoder board for a first time locked one) is going to cost you at minimum about $750 (USD).

 

[djbordie]

Hey Guys, new to the forum. Hope to contribute where I can. I have 20 years under my belt with Engraving and Laser machines. (xenetech, C02, Laser). Was around when Yag's were the size of a small room...

Just got in to UV printing and am interested in sourcing my own print heads (DX5 i think).

Printer is a Graphics One 24x48 UV printer, looks to be a Mutoh RJ900 engine/build.

From my research; and please correct me if wrong.

- Green connector = original unlocked (i am getting conflicting info on this, some suppliers saying this is a new locked head, others say unlocked original)
- no serial number = ^
- black connector can be locked 1 and 2
- Could try either old Epson heads from r1900,2000,2880 with the solvent manifold
- also could try chinese locked 1 with a decoder (not locked 2 or 3)

Pics of the head:
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Imgur: The most awesome images on the Internet

Any info is appreciated, thank you