Looking for (idler?) gear wheel of HP-46 printer unit

[Duane Hess]

I'm too neurotic for my own good. The timing issue intrigues me. Was driving around thinking about it and at afternoon coffee. After coffee, came home & examined the printer. I get too wound up, so must go for coffee now (again).

Will explain later, but I feel the motor shaft and drum shaft orientation to indicate "start" is predictable before assembly. Although, at the moment, I do not know that orientation.

In short it appears 13 rotations of the motor rotates the drum once. Rotating 3 teeth on the drum moves you one row. I agree alignment is physical and not time delays calculated from rotation sensor readings.

Eh, get too tense & ramble too much. After coffee, hopefully, can comment coherently. And yes, coffee usually does take hours!

Just remember, there are 300-500 poorly understood chemicals in coffee. Anyone who does not think they are addictive is looney. Cheaper than presciptions and illicit drugs. But you can't go to jail for snorting a cup! (but you might end up in a padded room)