[Milsurplus] TO/TM filing system needed

[WA5CAB@cs.com]

Jim,

Up to fifteen or twenty shelf feet, it's pretty easy to remember what you 
have and if they are only for your own use, what the TM, T.O., AN or NAVSHIPS 
number is.  And as you mentioned, the same piece of equipment could have manuals 
under two or more of the different numbering systems.  In this circumstance, 
file them by equipment nomenclature (although there are a few pitfalls there as 
well).  But do it on shelves and not in file cabinet drawers.  More efficient 
total volume wise, and easier to find things.

I have several thousand manuals, not counting dupes.  Plus I often need to 
know the publication number(s) of ones that I don't have or to look up a number 
to see what it goes to in case I might want it.  I use a much modified (by me) 
inventory database for both manuals and hardware (it's actually part of a 
commercial grade accounting package that my company used until we were swallowed 
up by one of our worst competitors - I somehow ended up with the software and 
little less to show for 25 years).  With it, I can look up a manual number and 
see at a glance all editions, changes (if I've entered them standalone), etc. 
 Or I can enter an equipment nomenclature, push one key, and see all manuals 
for it (at least all that I have the numbers of).  I just checked and I 
currently have 23835 records in my database.  All but about 2000 are mil radio 
related.

>From many years of having databases as one of my collateral duties, I don't 
recommend trying to use a spreadsheet to maintain one.  They weren't designed 
for it and you'll waste a lot of time for little return.  You're better off 
just memorizing what you have.  The best relatively inexpensive database 
management software package on the market was either dBase or FoxBase (later FoxPro).  
MicroSoft bought Fox Software and finally succeeded in running dBase out of 
business.  Then as I understand it, they let FoxPro die in favor of Access.  
You can probably buy boxed sets of FoxPro around the Internet, and possibly 
dBase.  Learning curve isn't too bad for either one, and they both came with a 
built in programming language, or you could use them "barefoot".  Otherwise, the 
only other easily obtainable software is MicroSoft Access.  About all that I 
can say good about Access (after a year's experience with it) is that it's 
better for the purpose than Excel.  Actually, if you have never used anything any 
better, you will probably be happy with it.

73
Robert Downs - Houston
<http://www.wa5cab.com> (Web Store)
<wa5cab@cs.com> (Primary email)
<wa5cab@houston.rr.com> (Backup email)


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