Newbie - About me

[M94]

Welcome aboard. I mainly work with the Kyocera TaskAlfa series. I'm not an authorized dealer but do have many years of experience and am factory trained on many Sharp and Kyocera machines - the older ones. It's taken me a solid year to become proficient on these machines. It's tough when you don't have access to factory training or access to all the information and everything that goes with it. I would suggest you learn the basics first. Without a solid foundation, the roof will collapse...so to speak.

I appreciate the suggestion and if anyone has recommendations of good resources to sink into or ways to better familiarize myself I'm happy to take advice. My employer very much expects me to be mostly independent in this regard and so I'm doing everything I can to better prepare myself. I have some time before we really have a serviceable fleet in the area so until that starts rolling my office hours are mine to spend as I see fit for the most part to ready myself for what is to come.

[Phil B.]

Welcome aboard. I mainly work with the Kyocera TaskAlfa series. I'm not an authorized dealer but do have many years of experience and am factory trained on many Sharp and Kyocera machines - the older ones. It's taken me a solid year to become proficient on these machines. It's tough when you don't have access to factory training or access to all the information and everything that goes with it. I would suggest you learn the basics first. Without a solid foundation, the roof will collapse...so to speak.

+1 Billy.

It takes YEARS if you are good at your job and have the resources needed for the job. Life before on-line training,, place like CTN and the Internet made it basically as learn as you go situation .. and back then the senior techs seemed reluctant to help a newbie. That is one reason I have always tried to help the 'new guy on the block'. Soo much knowledge was lost do to that attitude by the older techs. Call-in Tech support is more understanding now also.

Ahhh to be young and with all these great tools for the asking.

I guess that's why I push the contribution thingy here at CTN.. because a lot of these type sites have gone by the wayside. A Small contribution to the site ( $5-10 ) to this wonderful resource will earn you a contributor badge (such as the one on my profile) will get you help quicker than not having one. Please keep in mind, that donation DOES NOT GO to the techs here, but rather goes to keep the site running without the need for advertisers.
Some are willing to SELL you what you need but techs like Synth - tsbservice - mga and others are willing to help out without the need for compensation.

https://www.copytechnet.com/forums/v....php?do=donate

I also urge all newbies to review the Forum Rules so you don't collect red cards for violating forum rules. ** NOTE fighting harassment and foul language CAN earn you a red card in anything BUT Rants-N-Raves threads where really (according to forum rules ANYTHING GOES).

https://www.copytechnet.com/forums/misc.php?do=vsarules

Again welcome M94 and glad to see you also BillyCarpenter !

[Phil B.]

I appreciate the suggestion and if anyone has recommendations of good resources to sink into or ways to better familiarize myself I'm happy to take advice. My employer very much expects me to be mostly independent in this regard and so I'm doing everything I can to better prepare myself. I have some time before we really have a serviceable fleet in the area so until that starts rolling my office hours are mine to spend as I see fit for the most part to ready myself for what is to come.

READ...STUDY manuals and READ some more!

as far as online testing .. get two to three computers ( desktops/laptops ) setup... one for the test taking... one for manuals (service n parts ) and other for searching online. That's always been my route for test taking. Mind you most tests have a time limit so knowing the basics BEFORE you start ( pre test are great ) and you should pass any test with flying colors.

[BillyCarpenter]

I appreciate the suggestion and if anyone has recommendations of good resources to sink into or ways to better familiarize myself I'm happy to take advice. My employer very much expects me to be mostly independent in this regard and so I'm doing everything I can to better prepare myself. I have some time before we really have a serviceable fleet in the area so until that starts rolling my office hours are mine to spend as I see fit for the most part to ready myself for what is to come.

When I say "basics", I mean basics. It's tempting for new techs to want to skip this and dive into working on the machine. Often times a new tech will say: "I have the manual, I'm ready to work on the machine." Well, a new tech with a manual just became more dangerous.

You need to understand the copy process. I did a quick search on the ol' net and came acorss this. It's talking about an analog copier, I think, but the pricipals are the same except for for the imagining process. The new digital copiers don't reflect the image on the drum, it converts the information to 1's and O's - digital.

Here's the link. You can probably find a better one. I'm too lazy to find it right now. Good luck.

The Basics - How Photocopiers Work | HowStuffWorks

[Phil B.]

When I say "basics", I mean basics. It's tempting for new techs to want to skip this and dive into working on the machine. Often times a new tech will say: "I have the manual, I'm ready to work on the machine." Well, a new tech with a manual just became more dangerous.

You need to understand the copy process. I did a quick search on the ol' net and came acorss this. It's talking about an analog copier, I think, but the pricipals are the same except for for the imagining process. The new digital copiers don't reflect the image on the drum, it converts the information to 1's and O's - digital.

Here's the link. You can probably find a better one. I'm too lazy to find it right now. Good luck.

The Basics - How Photocopiers Work | HowStuffWorks

most times the front of the service manual covers the basic steps example from an HP SM
5Functional Information
Overview
This chapter presents a generalized functional overview of the printer
and the printing processes. This chapter discusses the following
printer systems:
l Power Supply System
l Engine Controller System
l Formatter System
l Image Formation System
l Paper Feed System
l Basic Sequence of Operation

this covers the sections for basic system functional Information

[BillyCarpenter]

+1 Billy.

It takes YEARS if you are good at your job and have the resources needed for the job. Life before on-line training,, place like CTN and the Internet made it basically as learn as you go situation .. and back then the senior techs seemed reluctant to help a newbie. That is one reason I have always tried to help the 'new guy on the block'. Soo much knowledge was lost do to that attitude by the older techs. Call-in Tech support is more understanding now also.

Ahhh to be young and with all these great tools for the asking.

I guess that's why I push the contribution thingy here at CTN.. because a lot of these type sites have gone by the wayside. A Small contribution to the site ( $5-10 ) to this wonderful resource will earn you a contributor badge (such as the one on my profile) will get you help quicker than not having one. Please keep in mind, that donation DOES NOT GO to the techs here, but rather goes to keep the site running without the need for advertisers.
Some are willing to SELL you what you need but techs like Synth - tsbservice - mga and others are willing to help out without the need for compensation.

https://www.copytechnet.com/forums/v....php?do=donate

I also urge all newbies to review the Forum Rules so you don't collect red cards for violating forum rules. ** NOTE fighting harassment and foul language CAN earn you a red card in anything BUT Rants-N-Raves threads where really (according to forum rules ANYTHING GOES).

https://www.copytechnet.com/forums/misc.php?do=vsarules

Again welcome M94 and glad to see you also BillyCarpenter !

I'm with ya, bro. Copier techs can be a strange bunch. Some don't want to share information with ANYbody. They want to keep the information to themselves in hopes of impressing the owner or service manager. Then, some are just assholes.

I was lucky in that I had a tech take me under their wing and show me the ropes. I always wanted to share information with new techs because I didn't want to go behind them and fix the mess. That serves no one.

Yeah, back in the say before the internet we were left to our own devices. Folks don't understand the hours spent to be a true professional copier tech. Hours and hours of frustration.

I've seen new techs from all backgrouds. Some don't make it. Many become OK techs. And some become great because they have a true desire for learning. That's what separates the good from the great, in my opinion.

My 2-cents for what it's worth.

[M94]

I appreciate all the suggestions guys! Keep em coming!

That said in response to what you have said so far, I have laptop with a two monitor dock station that is being used for all of the tasks Phil listed (test taking, manuals, prep etc) is there any reason in particular you're recommending multiple machines for those tasks? I have been basically grinding through the training on kyocera and HP's websites as I do have login for both of them. Taking several of the courses multiple times just for the sake of reinforcing what I learned and to re-contextualize any new information I have gained from other courses. I also now have access to a TASKalfa 3551ci That I have disassembled and put back together a handful of times (this came after 2 months worth of classes.)

Don't worry, I absolutely value this site as a resource and fully intend to start a regular contribution. You'll see my badge in the next week or so, I can promise you that.

[BillyCarpenter]

I appreciate all the suggestions guys! Keep em coming!

That said in response to what you have said so far, I have laptop with a two monitor dock station that is being used for all of the tasks Phil listed (test taking, manuals, prep etc) is there any reason in particular you're recommending multiple machines for those tasks? I have been basically grinding through the training on kyocera and HP's websites as I do have login for both of them. Taking several of the courses multiple times just for the sake of reinforcing what I learned and to re-contextualize any new information I have gained from other courses. I also now have access to a TASKalfa 3551ci That I have disassembled and put back together a handful of times (this came after 2 months worth of classes.)

Don't worry, I absolutely value this site as a resource and fully intend to start a regular contribution. You'll see my badge in the next week or so, I can promise you that.

Correct me if I'm wrong but your boss hired you to service the Kyocera copiers and you have no experience and he expects you to figure all of this out for yourself? If so, I don't know what he's paying you but you should ask for a raise. Or just run as fast as you can. I kid. I kid. Sorta.

[Phil B.]

I appreciate all the suggestions guys! Keep em coming!

That said in response to what you have said so far, I have laptop with a two monitor dock station that is being used for all of the tasks Phil listed (test taking, manuals, prep etc) is there any reason in particular you're recommending multiple machines for those tasks? I have been basically grinding through the training on kyocera and HP's websites as I do have login for both of them. Taking several of the courses multiple times just for the sake of reinforcing what I learned and to re-contextualize any new information I have gained from other courses. I also now have access to a TASKalfa 3551ci That I have disassembled and put back together a handful of times (this came after 2 months worth of classes.)

Don't worry, I absolutely value this site as a resource and fully intend to start a regular contribution. You'll see my badge in the next week or so, I can promise you that.

RE: multiple computers.

like I said I'm old school.. no docking station for my win95 lapper.. have plenty of desktops around tho.. i used to take old PC's and refurb them for kids that couldn't afford them...

you need to play the game the best way you know how to.

+1 to BillyC on the raise comment.. I haven't been in that situation since 1989 when i started .. oh how times have changed and the equipment also!

[M94]

Haha he does pay me well (especially for the training portion) and it is pretty well implied that as soon as my department gets off the ground my compensation will increase. He also has some experience himself in the field but to be honest I think the reason he hired me for this position is because I have a reasonable amount of experience in management, and a lot of experience in hardware, different hardware for sure but I am very familiar and comfortable with pulling things apart and putting them back together (with as few extra parts as possible). I'm the head of a department here and he wants me to fill that role, he is more than accommodating with any resources I request for the position. Overall it's obviously a lot and I wish more than anything that I had an experienced tech to follow around, but the reality is there aren't any here except our competition, and I am expected to surpass them. He has faith in my ability and I have faith in his perception of the environment. I may be operating independently but I am not without support.

Plus now I've got all of you guys!