Ruggedized, portable field printers...

[Roy Harding]

...
Any piece of equipment taken into the Field in the back of a SMP or AFV had better be "ruggedized". 
...

When I was the Ops NCO at 1 Svc Bn, a team of engineers came on exercise with us to assess our comms needs (early stages of TCCCS project.)  One of them asked me how rugged I thought the components needed to be.  My reply?  "You people are building us a communications system - don't do that.  Build us a hammer we can talk on."

We stepped out of the penthouse, and witnessed a soldier pounding a modular stake with a manpack radio.  Point made.

This is an extreme example, obviously - but true nevertheless.  All "stuff" NEEDS to be ruggedized, not only against abuse, but for nomally bouncing around, dusty conditions, wet conditions, exteme heat conditions, extreme cold conditions - I'm assuming (I don't know) the same holds more or less true for more "rugged" civilian enterprises as well (oil field exploration, forestry, and the like).


Roy

 

[Ex Ranger Instructor]

No one can or should expect anything but a hammer to work properly after having being used as a hammer.

The biggest lesson I've learned about electronic devices is that the only way to ensure reliability is to carry spares.  Ruggedized or not, field use or garrison, spares = success, no spares = problem.

Ruggedize away, but how much is that going to cost?  How many are we going to get?  How often are they going to get broken anyway because someone uses them as a hammer?  Might it not be easier and more cost effective overall to buy 2 off the shelf and keep the second one in a pellican case until it's needed?

 

[Roy Harding]

No one can or should expect anything but a hammer to work properly after having being used as a hammer.

The biggest lesson I've learned about electronic devices is that the only way to ensure reliability is to carry spares.  Ruggedized or not, field use or garrison, spares = success, no spares = problem.

Ruggedize away, but how much is that going to cost?  How many are we going to get?  How often are they going to get broken anyway because someone uses them as a hammer?  Might it not be easier and more cost effective overall to buy 2 off the shelf and keep the second one in a pellican case until it's needed?

I absolutely agree with you willy.

The point I was making at the time of the trials was that these things need to be rugged, so they don't break EASILY, given the conditions in which they are utilized.

That I was somewhat hyperbolic in my statement to the engineer, and that the hyperbole was immediately proved true by a simpleton misusing equipment is simply an amusing (to me, anyway) anecdote.


Roy

 

[MOOXE]

So what I ended up doing was taking two ancient (but portable) laser printers and set them aside for field use. After seeing our budget for this kind of stuff I did not even try to buy them considering the other stuff we need. So for now, old laser's + pelican cases! We do have 3 HP 2500's, but they are just way too large, the case they come in is a two man lift.

 

[hank011]

If you want a couple of "never out of the box", "standalone only" LJ 4050's(circa 2000) I can transfer them to you. They are Tempest but the Manufacturer(DRS) is "US TEMPEST approved" but not "Canadian" approved and therefore of no use. Would save me taking a sledge to them.

 

[Weekendsig]

Someone there suggested using a tempest printer. I have used the "new" SSG 1700 TR Tempest Computer and it comes with a tempest printer in a metal housing and a nice Pelican case. I had it on the Smith Islands in Iqualit on Op Nannook and a buddy of mine is using em in Afgan. He hasnt had any problems with the printer it self but it is a bubble jet and you will want to have alot of ink cartriges.

There are restrictions. The connectors are Physicaly DB9 connectors, but are wired to be USB so you cant put this printer on anything generic.

The TCCCS rugged printers as I understand it from the LCMM and I may be wrong are being phased out due to upgrades to some of the computer systems that are being considered/installed.

And i do agree that the TCCCS rugged printers are POS. A bit of dust screws up the tracks. Anger insues. And we go back to FMP.