Printers
Printers for Use in the Field or as a Stand Alone with a Handheld Unit
If you are wanting to print directly from one of our handheld units and your unit is not equipped with Bluetooth, you have two choices, the Epson LX 300 Plus and the Okidata Microline 320. These are both dot matrix printers, but they are available in both parallel and serial modes. Only serial printers are worth considering. Neither of these two printers are truly portable, but they can be used in a vehicle if you make yourself a carrying case for them.
If you are wanting to print from a laptop or a netbook computer, there is only one choice I would consider, that is the HP Officejet 470. It is a great little printer, but ink is expensive. It has a small formfactor and fits in a briefcase easily. It is normally used with wall current; but with an AC/DC inverter for your vehicle, it works just fine. If you get an inverter with two outlets, you can run your laptop/netbook and the printer at the same time. Note: If you get a lithium-ion battery with the printer you can even run it without power.
In 2011, we began supporting the HP470 with Bluetooth to print directly from Bluetooth-enabled handheld units. This won't help the 500 units that our customers have out there without this capability, but for new handheld units, this is a great option. We have gotten the Allegro MX with Bluetooth (also comes with a color screen), the Ranger 300X with Bluetooth and the Trimble Nomad 800B (comes with Bluetooth) and the Handheld-US Nautiz X7 (comes with Bluetooth) all to print directly to the HP 470 with the Bluetooth accessory (BT500). It works great if you can always remember to turn Bluetooth off after printing your reports.
If you aren't using the handheld in the field you can send the report(s) first to a single file and then upload that file to a flash memory stick or some other removable memory medium. When that is done you can make use of your own in-house office computers and printers to print out the reports that you need. It only takes a minute to download the data and insert the flash memory stick into your PC/Laptop/Netbook computer. I recommend this method only for those of you who have a flash memory stick capability (Ranger 300X and Allegro MX or Nomad 800B) since the other units take too long to get the cards out of the unit and then put back in after printing.
HP 470 Portable Printer
Pictures and Prices on the Internet:
The HP 470 Portable Printer
Pricing Range on the internet: $200 - $350 depending on model.
Option with Bluetooth is in the middle of this price range.
Versions Available
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HP mobile printer cartridges print more pages than competing mobile printer cartridges
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Print up to 22 ppm black, 18 ppm color; and borderless 4 x 6 photos in as fast as 49 seconds
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Save with smart ink features like automatic page completion and ink-saver mode
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Freedom to print on the go
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Print wirelessly with optional Wi-Fi adapter and Bluetooth printer adapter
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Print in your car—without a battery—using the optional 12v Auto Power Adapter
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Conveniently print directly from PCs, PDAs, digital cameras, camera phones or memory cards
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Print up to 480 pages from one charge of the optional long-lasting HP Lithium-ion Battery]
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Rugged, reliable, and easy to use
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Easily handle large jobs with folding 50-sheet paper feeder
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Receive convenient low-ink alerts, then easily shop for supplies with HP SureSupply
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Protect from dust and scratches with optional printer sleeve
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Amazing print quality on the go
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Carry this lightweight printer anywhere—it weighs only 5.0 lbs with the optional battery
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Make a professional impression with the stylish, high-gloss exterior design
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Print laser-quality text and business-quality photos, or opt for 6-ink color with HP Vivera inks
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Easily print photos from 4 x 6 borderless up to 8.5 x 11 with borders
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Epson LX 300 Plus II Printer
The Epson LX 300 Plus Serial/Parallel printer.
Pricing Range on the Internet: $200 - 225.
Our price with printer setup is around $250 without cables and adapters.