source for 2.5-inch thermal paper for TI PC-100A (SR-52, SR-56, TI-58/69)

[brouhaha]

Does anyone have a good source for 2.5-inch wide rolls of thermal paper for the TI PC-100 series printers that are used with the SR-52, SR-56, and TI-58/59 printers? The long-discontinued TI paper was TP-30250, which was a 2.5 inch wide by 3 inch diameter 85-foot roll. It appears that everything else in the universe uses 1.97-inch, 2.25-inch, 3.125-inch, or wider.

I found two listings on Amazon for 2.5-inch paper, but I think they are in error, as both actually say 2.25-inch in the details.

I'm hoping not to have to buy wide paper and cut it, but I can do that as a last resort.

Are there any web sites with forums for ancient TI calculators?

[rprosperi]

(12-20-2022 08:56 PM)brouhaha Wrote:  Are there any web sites with forums for ancient TI calculators?

Boy, is there! Focused more on modern machines, but oldies covered too.

https://tiplanet.org/forum/index.php?lang=en

For collecting/history info, also see Joerg's incredible site here, amazing amount of info:

http://datamath.org/

Note that much of the content is in French, but one can usually understand enough to get core (if not conversational) information. Worst case, google translate works well on here too.

[Guenter Schink]

(12-20-2022 08:56 PM)brouhaha Wrote:  Does anyone have a good source for 2.5-inch wide rolls of thermal paper for the TI PC-100 series printers that are used with the SR-52, SR-56, and TI-58/59 printers? The long-discontinued TI paper was TP-30250, which was a 2.5 inch wide by 3 inch diameter 85-foot roll. It appears that everything else in the universe uses 1.97-inch, 2.25-inch, 3.125-inch, or wider.

I found two listings on Amazon for 2.5-inch paper, but I think they are in error, as both actually say 2.25-inch in the details.

I'm hoping not to have to buy wide paper and cut it, but I can do that as a last resort.

Are there any web sites with forums for ancient TI calculators?

Eric,
closest I've found are rolls 62mm wide, which is 1.5 mm less than 2.5 inches. But maybe they would fit. It's a German site but perhaps this gives a hint what to look for.

I have one of 62mm wide rolls from unknown source.

Günter

[brouhaha]

(12-20-2022 10:57 PM)Guenter Schink Wrote:  Eric,
closest I've found are rolls 62mm wide, which is 1.5 mm less than 2.5 inches. But maybe they would fit. It's a German site but perhaps this gives a hint what to look for.

I have one of 62mm wide rolls from unknown source.

Günter

Good idea! I searched for 63mm without success, but I can try 62mm. I suspec that 62mm is probably within the tolerance that TI engineering specified, though at this late date there's probably no record of it, nor any TI or ex-TI engineer who remembers.

My first Google search turns up 62mm wide rolls of thermal labels, but I'll have to dig deeper, or buy from that German site.

Extending the search, I found some 60mm thermal paper stock, which may be satisfactory.

Thanks!

[Thomas Klemm]

(01-01-2023 03:38 AM)brouhaha Wrote:  Extending the search, I found some 60mm thermal paper stock, which may be satisfactory.

Good ole engineering approach:

\(
\begin{align}
2.5 \times 2.54 &= 20 \, \pi \\
&\approx 20 \times 3 \\
&= 60 \\
\end{align}
\)