[ARC5] [MRCA] AN/PRC-74 Schematics

[WA5CAB at cs.com]

Although a significant one, that is not the only enemy.  JPG, although not 
the best choice, is an acceptable one for photographing pictures, scenes and 
people.  But of all available file formats, I can't think of a worse choice 
for recording text and drawings.  Decent cameras can do TIFF, which is 
hands down the best archival format for printed documents.  But cheap 
point-and-shoot ones generally can't.

However, even with a decent camera, the file produced will include all of 
the undesirable artifacts that the camera sees.  It will record all of the 
indications of deterioration of the source document.  99% of the time (unless 
it is evidence in a criminal case where it is to be used to support some 
theory of the crime), all of that information is undesirable and detracts from 
the desired information.  

For archiving the data contained in documents, including vintage military 
radio manuals, as opposed to archiving the historical documents themselves 
where usability of the data is not important, the only acceptable method is a 
scanner driven by and/or followed by software capable of discarding the 
undesirable artifacts that degrade the usability of the data.

As I wrote earlier, when it comes to TM's, no one is interested in seeing 
punch holes, coffee stains, solder burns, ancient Scotch tape, or how yellow 
the pages in the source document had become.  Users want the raw 
information, without any unnecessary distractions that make reading and using it more 
difficult.

Robert D.

In a message dated 11/30/2012 17:59:31 PM Central Standard Time, 
jfor at quikus.com writes: 
> The enemy of this method is pincushion or barrel distortion. It's hard to
> get straight lines to come out straight.
> 
> -John
> 
> =============
> 
> 
> >Hi Bill
> >
> >***word of warning***   like many hams-  I am cash poor my nature, and
> >extremely frugal by choice-
> >
> >Before you try to find a person with large format scanner - try this:
> >
> >1) Borrow or use an 5 megapixel or better SLR and a tripod.
> >2) Find a room in your house with a good clear wall and plenty of 
> sunlight
> >(like the living room)
> >3) Carefully tack your schematics on the wall at eye level.
> >4) Set camera on the tripod - turn off flash- set your zoom focal length
> >to
> >55mm or better (not wide angle that causes distortion). Try to fill the
> >frame completely with your subject.
> >5) Take the picture
> >6) Transfer the photo to your computer - crop and correct contrast using
> >Picassa or your favorite photo editor
> >
> >I cannot tell you how many photos, books and illustrations I have done
> >that
> >way - a lot of time I will just do them outside,  handheld,  if the light
> >and the weather is good.
> >
> >My mother was an artist- I once photographed her huge collection
> >of watercolors pretty much like that above - that was in the days of
> >Kodachrome- where you weren't sure of what you got till it came back from
> >the processor.
> >
> >NOW with digital cameras -  with auto-exposure, auto-focus and even
> >vibration reduction lenses - its dead simple.
> >
> >
> >73
> >
> >Fred Cousins KD7EDW
> 

Robert & Susan Downs - Houston
wa5cab dot com (Web Store)
MVPA 9480