agfa star 600 + accuset 1500 plus setup

[yugilo]

I just got a agfa star 600 ripper without any software and a agfa accuset 1500 plus without any software. I'm hooking it up with window xp. I have no clues to any of this. I got a ps companion cd and booklet with the ripper. I don't know if it will work. It has the ripsoft to put files on the ps rip. I spent all day today and got nowhere.
1. do I need software for the agfa star 600 and agfa accuset 1500 plus? please help. I don't understand how the ripper works with the accuset. Do I out put my image (illustrator) to the ripper, then to the accuset?
I'm trying to diagnose it, but I understand very little of how the ripper and accuset works. Since I don't have a manual or software for either one. Thanks.

[pdan]

I expect Vlad will chime in on this, but, do you have a Mac available for the network? I push output to an Accuset 1000 plus without any RIP and have not been able to circumvent Appletalk yet.
What exactly is the ripper 600, a separate device or internal to the 1500?

btw, have you loaded the 1500 ppd's to XP yet?

Accuset 1000 Plus

[prepressing]

1.do I need software for the agfa star 600 and agfa accuset 1500 plus?
You need an interface card and cable which should have been provided with your Star 600 (which is a RIP) and if you want to do separations easily you will need a RIP, interface card and cable.

2. I don't understand how the ripper works with the accuset.
Every RIP is different so this is not easily explained in one reply. Whenever we have customers that receive a machine second hand it is best to run a self test on the output device. Once you see good film coming off the machine then you can move on to connecting and setting up the RIP software/hardware.

Do I out put my image (illustrator) to the ripper, then to the accuset?
You would send from Illustrator to the RIP which would then separate the job output it to the Accuset. We do not support the Star RIP software - we sell new RIPs for the Accuset. You can find out more about our new RIPs on the following page:
Harlequin RIP Software for Platesetters and Imagesetters. Film & Plate RIP Software for Platesetters and Film Imagesetters

If you want support for the Accuset and plan on keeping the Star RIP we cannot help you as we sell new RIP-Kits. You would need to find someone like VladCanada to support you through the setup of the RIP and interface. It is worth having the software/hardware explained and setup by someone who can do it quickly and efficiently.

[pdan]

Vlad can get you up & running - strongly consider sending him a private message or reply to his post, it will be a worthwhile investment. I speak from experience running 4cp from an Accuset; if I'd invested one dollar for the hours I spent researching, pondering calibration, negotiating network communication, I'd be ahead.

That said, your requirements are;
Power up the 1500, run an internal test page to check imaging - the manual should clearly explain this.
Get the ripper 600 found on your network - can't help much here. It may require Appletalk, PCMacLan is the standard PC software for Appletalk on a PC network, but it may handle TCP/IP.
Install the ppd's under XP. These were, last I checked, available from Adobe, deep somewhere. You'll never find them thru Agfa (IMO). Actually, there was a set re-written for XP; the original ppd's were written before the release of XP, and modified and posted on a Mac forum over 10-15 years ago. I still find the post when I look, but have redundant archive set(s) locally saved.

Note - I could be off base on driving the ripper, I'm just run this stuff.

[yugilo]

I know a lot about customer service, buddy
But there are no customers at forum, we are colleagues and even friends in here.
If you need a real guideline in troubleshooting or specific answers for spec QQ - dont hesitate to be straight in that way.
Fir instance: what kind of RIP booklet do yoy have? What kind of RIP <--> PC connections did you try?
And why I have to ask you this QQ?

I read you pdf file on the accuset 800 and it only talks about internal rip. I don't have anything "manual or paper booklet" on the star 600. So that's the reason that I'm searching the internet. The star 600 is made in 1989, so yeah, it's really old. If we did have money, we would by the new and improved rip that is software friendly. But we don't, that's the reasons why I'm trying to make this rip work.
As far as the things I've done...
I'm hooking up my pc window xp to the star 600 rip throught port lpt1 and the extra port on the rip. I tested the accuset 1500 self test, and it works.
All the accuset part is good to go.
I added the printer using the accuset 1500 driver I downloaded.
My problem is the communications between the pc and the rip. I know that it's not software base system rip. The rip is hardware because I talk to the support group at one of the site posted above. The support told me that the rip is hardware and not software base, if it dies then I have to get another. The updated rip is $4,500, so yeah we don't have that kind of money.
I try to use the ripsoft software I got from the person who got the rip. It's a DOS format and I try to installed that, but that's where I'm stuck is the DOS program. I downloaded all the files using DOS and it said to check using the bootcheck to see if all the programs is installed. BUt I don't know how to check to see if all the programs are installed correctly. So yeah I've spend two days on it so that's all I got so far.
Mainly how to see if the pc is talking to the rip. Do I have to use DOS and if so, how do I go about doing it. Yes we don't have $4,500, other wise, we can get a new one with everything and the problem solved. This is in a way a learning curve for me. Well, thanks for your input.

[VladCanada]

yugilo, this is your exactly the first question should be published after your registration!!!!!
Congratulations and thank you for being a quick learner!
Send me PM with your e-mail addres to get that RIP Star User Manual.

[VladCanada]

I've sent you 3 books with user's info.
Read them.
Hope they will help you to understand almost all.

[yugilo]

I've sent you 3 books with user's info.
Read them.
Hope they will help you to understand almost all.

ok, thank you very much. I'll let you know the progress after. Sorry about all that bull... Thanks.

[VladCanada]

I've swept off all my bloody spots off the crime scene.
This is your turn now

[pdan]

Boy did that thread take a 180 spin. I hope everybody feels better now.