Well, it's really over now. My hard drive was completely wiped out.
Then my backup tape was destroyed by a vicious tape drive. So now all
I have left to work with is what's currently hosted on the
Amphicar.net. If anyone knows of a utility that can catalog an 8mm
tape backup with the leader/header damaged PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I
still have the tape and a small bit of hope that it can be salvaged.
Our I.S. guys here have done all they can do.

The schematics were about 75+% completed, with all components redrawn
by hand and the entire schematic done in full color. Over half the
links and mouse-overs were done. The service manual was coming along
nicely as well. I had all pictures cleaned up and about 200+ pages of
text reformatted and spell checked just waiting to be placed into a
PDF formatted file.

I *may* try to redo the manual, but I can not promise anything in the
way of the schematics. In total I lost well into 200 to 300+ hours of
work between the two projects. So in conclusion, I am very sorry that
it is all gone. Maybe after the start of the (actual) new millennium
I will find the ambition to give it another go.

Cap'n John




        
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GORDON IMPORTS INC.. The world's largest source of Amphicar parts and accessories. Visit our new website today.

Cap'n:

Regarding the disaster described below, have you tried contacting the
vendor/manufacturer of the tape backup system that ate the tape? If I were
the manufacturer of such a "last line of data security" item, I wouldn't
want it to get out all over the Internet that my product was a "dog", and I
might have some kind of free service or at least outsourcing in place for
such disaster recovery scenarios as ours. Barring that, there must be
hundreds of specialty catastrophic data recovery services out there that can
exhume data from a smoldering PC, let alone patch up a broken backup tape.
The problem there might be the cost. Hence my first suggestion. But
barring the option of help from the drive's manufacturer, if you do come up
with a recovery service that can do the job, perhaps we could take up a
collection. I'm certainly good for a twenty, and I'm sure others are at
least equally appreciative of the kind of Amphicar tech stuff you're doing
at http://www.amphicar.net/minnow. I mean, if a fuzzy unbound reprint of
the old Amphicar Service Manual is worth $70 to everybody, how much is a
virtual ride up the bilge spout worth?

By the way folks, it seems the gremlins on the Amphicar.net server are
finally at bay. I'm still patching up the cracks here and there, but all in
all things are looking fairly fully-functional again. Those awaiting
clasified ads on the Amphi-Bazaar at http://www.amphicar.net/bazaar.html
should see them soon. If anyone has problems viewing the site, please do
let me know off-list at bilgemaster@amphicar.net , OK? Knowing your system
and browser type will help.

~Bilgemaster~


----- Original Message -----
From: "John Bevins" <minnow@amphicar.net>
To: <amphicar-lovers@egroups.com>
Sent: Tuesday, December 26, 2000 9:55 AM
Subject: [amphicar-lovers] Fresh start....


> Well, it's really over now. My hard drive was completely wiped out.
> Then my backup tape was destroyed by a vicious tape drive. So now all
> I have left to work with is what's currently hosted on the
> Amphicar.net. If anyone knows of a utility that can catalog an 8mm
> tape backup with the leader/header damaged PLEASE LET ME KNOW!!! I
> still have the tape and a small bit of hope that it can be salvaged.
> Our I.S. guys here have done all they can do.
>
> The schematics were about 75+% completed, with all components redrawn
> by hand and the entire schematic done in full color. Over half the
> links and mouse-overs were done. The service manual was coming along
> nicely as well. I had all pictures cleaned up and about 200+ pages of
> text reformatted and spell checked just waiting to be placed into a
> PDF formatted file.
>
> I *may* try to redo the manual, but I can not promise anything in the
> way of the schematics. In total I lost well into 200 to 300+ hours of
> work between the two projects. So in conclusion, I am very sorry that
> it is all gone. Maybe after the start of the (actual) new millennium
> I will find the ambition to give it another go.
>
> Cap'n John
>
>
>
>
> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to:
> amphicar-lovers-unsubscribe@egroups.com
>
>
>
>




        
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GORDON IMPORTS INC.. The world's largest source of Amphicar parts and accessories. Visit our new website today.

>>Regarding the disaster described below, have you tried contacting
the vendor/manufacturer of the tape backup system that ate the tape?

Ummm, I don't think you realize that I work for the company who made
my tape drive! (Exabyte) The tape drive I use is top of the line
($3500 retail, but I have connections! ;=) ) The tape wasn't corrupt,
the tape drive I used here at work had a bent door and that grabbed
the tape. After working here for almost 10 years, that failure has
only occurred a couple of times before. It was just an anomaly. I
have our tech gurus on the recovery, however it doesn't look
promising.

>>I might have some kind of free service or at least outsourcing in
>>place for such disaster recovery scenarios as ours. Barring that,
>>there must be hundreds of specialty catastrophic data recovery
>>services out there that can exhume data from a smoldering PC, let
>>alone patch up a broken backup tape. The problem there might be the
>>cost.

They can do virtual miracles with tape and hard drive recovery. Yup,
the cost is the bite in the ass. The first "guess-timate" I got was
$600 to start! You'd think it was an Amphicar or Harley part!

I have a zip drive, but it pales in comparison to my tape drive. The
tape drive can put up to 14 GB on a single 112M tape @ up to 1.2
Mbytes/Sec. 300,000 MTBF, Pretty impressive! Out newest one make that
look like a hand crank operated unit (60 gig per tape @ 30
Mbytes/Sec.) ;=)

>>But barring the option of help from the drive's manufacturer, if
>>you do come up with a recovery service that can do the job, perhaps
>>we could take up a collection. I'm certainly good for a twenty,
>>and I'm sure others are at least equally appreciative of the kind
>>of Amphicar tech stuff you're doing...

Thank you very much Bill!! Let's wait and see if I can get it done
here for a reasonable fee. I have not given up yet. The leader where
the backup "map" as it were, is where the damage is. Hopefully we can
get the files off without the need of the leader. (Fingers and toes
crossed)

>>I mean, if a fuzzy unbound reprint of the old Amphicar Service
>>Manual is worth $70 to everybody, how much is a virtual ride up the
>>bilge spout worth?

If I can get it back, the schematic project will only be available to
Amphicar Owner's Club Members. The page will be password protected as
an incentive to join. Once I get the Manual done, I haven't decided
on how it will be offered. I may put it on CD and require a small fee
to help cover my costs. Certainly well below the printed version
costs.

Hope everybody has a great (and safe) New Millennium! (Last year was
not the new Millennium)

Cap'n




        
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GORDON IMPORTS INC.. The world's largest source of Amphicar parts and accessories. Visit our new website today.