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Topic: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc (Read 11 times) previous topic - next topic
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Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Yahoo Message Number: 109377
Has anyone scanned the 20 pounds of manuals and such that came with their Lazy Daze?
 I'm thinking of doing this and hate to do it if someone has beat me to it?

Kate
 http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096

Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance (Anonymous)

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #1 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109394
What a Fantastic Idea...
 To take it a step further, if something with files as large as that for a manual could be stored on Yahoo for access by members of our group, why not place a library of all the manuals for all years and models?
 Building a library of all the years and models would be great so those looking at trading up to a newer LD model or newbies to our group buying an existing LD that doesn't have its original Manual.
 I have a 94' LD MB and if this is determined to be a go with this project, just let me know the format prefered to keep the file size down and I will do that for my year and model.

I think it's really a great idea and very useful too!

Ed 94' LD Mid Bath 26.5' Port Richey, FL
Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #2 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109397
"why not place a library [here] of all the manuals for all years and models?"
 That would be very handy, but Lazy Daze won't permit it. I asked Steve years ago about making scanned manuals for some of the older 1980s models available on our website, and he said no. He was nice about it, but he doesn't want Lazy Daze's manuals publicly available, because he's put a heckuva lot of work into them, and doesn't want to make it too easy for a competitor to steal the fruits of his labor. (If you ever get a chance to look at the owner's manual for another brand of RV, I think you'll be surprised by how skimpy it is compared to what we take for granted.)
 Now, if somebody buys a 1987 Party Plan LD and it comes with no manual, I'm pretty sure Lazy Daze isn't going to sue you if you copy your 1987 manual and send it to that person. But posting LD manuals on a website where all and sundry can download them is not going to be allowed. As I said, it would be convenient for us... but I understand and respect Steve's reasons for not wanting them out there on the internet for anybody to grab.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #3 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109407
"but I understand and respect Steve's reasons for not wanting them out there on the internet for anybody to grab."

I'm not referring to my LD manual.  It's well organized and very easy to use as is. And not too big or too small.
 My project includes the manuals for my TV, radio, computer, iPod, clocks, fans, ProSine, HPV22, SeeLevelII, awning, oven, microwave, etc.  I have pulled many of these off the internet and am busily scanning the rest.
 For me, it's a matter of being able to find what I need when I need it without going through the gigantically huge file bag I've been keeping for 5 years.
 Even though I have it labeled and organized in the filebag, it still seems much better to have it in a folder on the computer, where I can pull it up with a simple search.
 Plus it will save me stubbing my toe on that 20lb filebag full of papers.

Of course, YMMV.
 Kate  (on the eternal quest to keep Cholula Red crap free and under weight)
 http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096

We make lots of plans, then do something else . . .
Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #4 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109410
Before going to all the trouble of scanning the manuals, check first to see if they're already available online.  I know Dometic has manuals for their refrigerators and probably other products online. It would save a whole lot of work if you could find the manual online and save it to your computer rather than trying to scan it.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com
Linda Hylton
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #5 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109413
Quote
From: Andy
 To: lifewithalazydazerv@yahoogroups.com
 Sent: Saturday, January 23, 2010 3:10 PM
 Subject: [LD] Re:Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc

"why not place a library [here] of all the manuals for all years and models?"
 That would be very handy, but Lazy Daze won't permit it. I asked Steve years ago about making scanned manuals for some of the older 1980s models available on our website, and he said no. He was nice about it, but he doesn't want Lazy Daze's manuals publicly available, because he's put a heckuva lot of work into them, and doesn't want to make it too easy for a competitor to steal the fruits of his labor. (If you ever get a chance to look at the owner's manual for another brand of RV, I think you'll be surprised by how skimpy it is compared to what we take for granted.) Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/

When I purchased my LD, and learned of their "protective" LD manual policy, I just smiled to myself. Any self-respecting competitor would have no problem whatsoever getting their cheating paws on the LD manual. No problem!
 Prohibiting copying or electronic scanning of the manual for their customers own use strikes me as being a bit silly. Might be different if LD stood to lose money from sales of their manual or something. That said, it's probably not one of those compelling issues that is facing our nation (oops, political :c).

all the best,

bumper Minden, NV (though you can't find me!) Yonder
bumper
"Yonder" '05 MB
"WLDBLU" glider trailer
Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #6 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109417
Quote
Before going to all the trouble of scanning the manuals, check first to see if they're already available online.
======================

Hi all,
 If you didn't know about it these are sites that purport to make available many manuals of all kinds. There may be others too but these are the ones I know about:

1. http://safemanuals.com/
2. http://www.the-manuals.com/
3. http://www.manualsonline.com/

Maybe a check of these sites would save you some scanner time.

Chuck in Bellevue, WA 1995 22' RB
Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #7 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109437
Chuck and Lynda,

Thanks for mentioning the online manual downloads, but as I said in the original post, I've already dl everything I could find from the internet.  My project now is to get the rest of everything into digital form so I can pitch all the paper and have a searchable archive for every appliance, tool, clock, weather station, ipod, flashlight, etc that I have in the rig.
 I find it much easier to work with manuals in digital form, especially those that are geared towards the installer as well as the user.
Also, since every manual seems to come in a different form (large book, teensy book, folded piece of paper etc) the standardization of the formats makes it much easier for my aging eyes.

So far it's working perfectly and I've dumped about eight pounds of paper, more to come.

I simply started this thread to see if anyone else had done it (thinking we could combine the chore) but it's been so simple and quick, I'll be done in one more session.
 I've heard from a lot of people who are shocked, SHOCKED that I would toss all this paper, but it sure makes sense to me.

Again, YMMV

Kate
 http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096

You know what the first rule of Rving is? ...Love. You can learn all the math in the 'verse, but you take a rig to the road you don't love, she'll shake you off just as sure as the turning of the worlds. Love keeps her going when she oughta fall down, tells you she's hurting 'fore she keens. Makes her a home.

'Cpt. Mal Reynolds, Serenity (edited from a space ship to an RV)

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Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #8 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109439
I've heard from a lot of people who are shocked, SHOCKED that I would toss all this paper, but it sure makes sense to me.


It makes sense to me, too...in fact, I might even do it!
 When we went back to fulltiming in 2007, I had tax forms back to 1982.  I bought a shredder and shredded everything except for the past 6 years.  For those remaining 6 years, I scanned everything and then shredded the paper.
Now, each year after I've done our taxes and the IRS has accepted the returns (I file electronically), I scan those returns and shred them.

I did the same thing with all of our pictures, too.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com
Linda Hylton
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #9 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109440
Define "scan"

best, paul

"Thriving not surviving" - Paul Schaye (at 2008 NYC Marathon) - See our website at www. LazyDazers.com
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #10 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109441
On 01/25/2010 10:03 AM, Kate Klein wrote:

Quote
I've heard from a lot of people who are shocked, SHOCKED that I would toss all this paper, but it sure makes sense to me.
Kate, I'm right there with you. I've been attempting to eliminate as much paper as possible and have as much of it on my computer as I can.
It is SO much easier for me to open a document on my computer and do a quick search for what I'm looking for, than to dig through a file drawer and then look and look through the manual or whatever it is for the little bit of info I need. Not to mention that it takes up much less space, something that is important for all RVers, especially full-timers.
 To make the whole job of going paperless as easy as possible, I bought a ScanSnap S300, which quickly scans both sides of a sheet of paper at once and saves it as an image or PDF file:

No, it's not a flatbed scanner so it does have some disadvantages. But if you have lots of paper to scan, it will save a lot of time over using a flatbed style scanner.

Fern
Fern Horst
Formerly owned:
1979 TK - "Dorie" (2007-2012)
2003 MB - "Absaroka" (2012-2019)
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #11 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109443
Quote
Define "scan"

 Define scan?  I'm not sure I understand, since the term "scan" seems to be self-explanatory.  I have an HP all-in-one printer that prints, scans, and copies.  That's what I use to scan the returns. I don't know what else to tell you.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com
Linda Hylton
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #12 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109446
Well, Linda, I agree that in context "scan" should not be too confusing.  But, it could mean look at it and commit it to memory.  Or, perhaps Paul is thinking of it terms of letting his cat take a look at it.  Then it would be a cat scan! :)

The terms digitize or image scan would be clearer.

Alex Rutchka, Charlotte, NC, SE #4 '05 MB
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #13 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109448
Scan is one part of scanning, the other part is what is saved.
 I understand a scanner. Do you save as JPEG, PDF, MS Word DOC, ASCII TXT, or what?

best, paul

"Thriving not surviving" - Paul Schaye (at 2008 NYC Marathon) - See our website at www. LazyDazers.com
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #14 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109450
Quote
Scan is one part of scanning, the other part is what is saved.
 I understand a scanner. Do you save as JPEG, PDF, MS Word DOC, ASCII TXT, or what?

It depends on what I'm scanning.
 If I'm scanning pictures, I save a .jpg; if I'm scanning a document, such as tax forms, I save as a .pdf.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com
Linda Hylton
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #15 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109453
"if I'm scanning a document, such as tax forms, I save as a .pdf."
 For what it's worth, PDF is an extremely inefficient format for scanned (or other bitmapped) images. I just did a test, and a page of text in compressed TIFF format was 420 MB, while the same page saved as a PDF was 1.2 MB--three times as large. Quality was exactly the same in both cases.
 So, a word to the wise: if your scanning software lets you save in compressed TIFF format, you'll avoid wasting a great deal of disk space.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #16 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109456
Quote
For what it's worth, PDF is an extremely inefficient format for scanned (or other bitmapped) images.

 That may be, Andy, but that's my only choice for documents.  I'm not spending several hundred dollars on a separate scanner that will allow other formats.  I've got a large hard drive on my laptop...even my 2GB memory stick isn't full yet with everything I have on it, including all the tax forms, photos, and everything else I save to it.

Linda Hylton http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=1167 http://earl-linda.blogspot.com
Linda Hylton
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #17 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109459
Fern

I also have the ScanSnap, the best money I ever spent.  I love the options, especially the auto size (it reads the size of whatever is in there, making the document very easy to read).  Also the auto read for single/double side.

Back when we had a flatbed, scanning was always a PITA, but now, we can just stick all our daily receipts in with no problem.

Well worth the money spent for us.

Kate

http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096
-*-*-*-*-*-
"If we bring a little joy into your humdrum lives, it makes us feel as though all our hard work ain't been in vain for nuthin'.  Bless you all."  Lina Lamont, Singin' in the Rain

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #18 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109462
Andy

While Tiffs may be a bit smaller, don't you have to either convert them, or use special software to have them be text searchable?  I may be wrong . . .
 Text searchable and the universality (is that a word?) of the PDF make it a much more desirable format for my uses.

I'm loving dumping all this paper!

Kate
 http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096

Frankly, I am well into the second phase of life when one begins to enjoy getting rid of all the stuff one enjoyed accumulating in phase one.

[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #19 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109465
"While Tiffs may be a bit smaller, don't you have to either convert them, or use special software to have them be text searchable?"
 Yes. Any scanner produces a picture of the page, and I was talking about saving that picture. Some scanning software also has the ability to analyze the picture and produce a text equivalent, which is searchable like any text file. This is called Optical Character Recognition or OCR for short. (I know you know this, Kate, but I mention it for those who might not.) And text files can be very small in PDF (or any) format--much smaller than the original scanned images.
 But this brings up a big caveat: OCR is almost never completely accurate. Software vendors may boast of 98% or 99% accuracy, but even 99.9% accuracy would mean three or four OCR mistakes on an average page of text. You'll commonly see such errors as "burn" being rendered as "bum", lowercase "l" being rendered as the numeral "1" or as capital "I", and so on. I work a lot with OCR'd manuscripts, and I see these kinds of errors all the time.
 Now, when the sentence "An arsonist tried to burn down the house" is misrendered by OCR software as "An arsonist tried to bum down the house," most people will be able to figure out what was meant. But if your paper tax return's adjusted gross income line is $48,240, and your OCR software renders that as $43,240--and if you throw away your paperwork after scanning it--then you have a BIG problem.
 Since a form with scads of numbers is very difficult to proofread after it's been scanned and OCR'd, the only sure way to avoid this pitfall is to retain the original images from the scanner. Which brings us back to what I said earlier: *if* your scanning software gives you  a choice, avoiding the use of PDF format will save a lot of space for those raw scans.
 The main thing to remember is this: if you're using OCR software to convert scans to searchable text, DON'T TRUST THE RESULTS. Save those original scans for backup.

Andy Baird http://www.andybaird.com/travels/
Andy Baird
2021 Ford Ranger towing 2019 Airstream 19CB
Previously: 1985 LD Twin/King "Gertie"; 2003 LD Midbath "Skylark"
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #20 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109469
Quote
While Tiffs may be a bit smaller, don't you have to either convert them, or use special software to have them be text searchable?  I may be wrong . . .
 Text searchable and the universality (is that a word?) of the PDF make it a much more desirable format for my uses.
Kate,

Are you sure that your SnapScan is producing text PDFs and not PDFs with imbedded images?  It takes OCR (optical character recognition) software to turn your scan into text.  Really good OCR software tends to be expensive and still usually makes some mistakes.  OCR usually cannot deal with anything handwritten, but there are technologies developing in that area.

Art
Art and Barbara
Settled in Atterdag Village of Solvang
2015-2022 fulltime in a 2016 Tiffin Allegro Bus 37AP
2002-2015 2002 LD MB
Art's blog
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #21 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109470
"> Are you sure that your SnapScan is producing text PDFs and not
 
Quote
PDFs with imbedded images?  It takes OCR (optical character recognition) software to turn your scan into text.  Really good OCR software tends to be expensive and still usually makes some mistakes.  OCR usually cannot deal with anything handwritten, but there are technologies developing in that area. 
Art
I was incorrect in implying that the PDFs I've scanned are searchable by text.    While there is OCR Sw in the Snapscan, it is for business cards only (cardiris).
 I've been searching documents that I've downloaded and didn't even check on the ones I've scanned (my bad).
 That said, by naming each PDF with something that I actually understand (Tiny Clock in Bedroom, etc.)  I'm now able to search and actually find the instructions/manuals for all my "stuff".
 As others have pointed out, most of the larger manuals are available for download, and those are searchable.

It does feel good to dump all this paper.

Kate
 http://cholulared.blogspot.com http://www.cholulared.com

Want to find us? Click below, we're #3096 http://map.datastormusers.com/user1.cfm?user=3096

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it."
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #22 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109471
The reviews of ScanSnap on Amazon are 99% five-star. People who bought the machine can hardly believe how far it exceeded their expectations. They rave on and on about it.
However...
While there is a Mac version of ScanSnap, it is *not* compatible with the latest Mac OS (10.6... i.e., "Snow Leopard"). Apparently it will more-or-less "work" but most of the features that make this an attractive product will not work. The ScanSnap site says they are working on it.
Too bad. I would buy this, but it's got to be Mac-functional.
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #23 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109472
Quote
On 01/25/2010 10:01 PM, Kate K wrote:
 "I was incorrect in implying that the PDFs I've scanned are searchable by text.    While there is OCR Sw in the Snapscan, it is for business cards only (cardiris)."
 Kate, you were right the first time. You can choose to scan anything with OCR to create searcahable PDFs. I just tried again to make sure. I scanned in a receipt and could easily search and find words on the receipt like "coffee," "storage bags," etc.
 It truly is an amazing little scanner. It's small and compact and makes quick work of creating digital documents and eliminating paper.

Fern
Fern Horst
Formerly owned:
1979 TK - "Dorie" (2007-2012)
2003 MB - "Absaroka" (2012-2019)
Re: Scanning Manuals, Receipts, etc
Reply #24 –
Yahoo Message Number: 109473
Perhaps I'm a closet Luddite, but if I were to buy a used Lazy Daze, I'd sure as heck want the original LD manual, as well as the original documents for all the appliances, chassis manufacturer, and any add-ons like solar panels, controllers, etc.  Scanned copies on a disk just wouldn't cut it. I understand the desire to eliminate extra paper, but not in this case.

Sharon N.
Crossville, TN