Scanners

This is intended to be genuinely helpful and not flippant. ?ÿI apologize if this is off track. ?ÿBut I am very happy with the large format scanning services provided by my local UPS store.

Considering how seldom I may need to scan, outsourcing could make financial sense. However, it sure would be convenient to have the capability  to do so in-house.

It's only money.

And it's tax deductible.

And you won't have to go out in the rain to get that scan you need now.

I ended up getting a T830 with the scanner - I got a lease with some GPS Equipment over 3 years ( made it a small payment each month) - Happy I did as it is very handy to be able to scan and email drawings right away

The local printer I used before was a good solution and probably cheaper over the long run, so it is just the convenience you pay extra for

A scanner is going to be at least $1000 more and there are some stand alone models , but the single unit saves space

In actuality I still like my old 450C ( should not have sold it) and the 1055, I bought afterwards ( in storage) - the new systems do not seem to do aerial backgrounds as well - always have lines running through the plot and the 450 let you load pre-cut single sheets easily - also my T830 only work with wifi for some reason

Still not sure why plotting has gotten so complicated - PDF does not auto orientate and the plot can vary if from a PDF or directly printed - It can drive one crazy

Ross Kinnie PLS

I have a Designjet 500 that stopped working last month because the Windows update and probably HP don't recognize it anymore.?ÿ Yesterday, I plugged in a surplus windows 98 machine and I am back in action albeit not on the network. But its a shorter distance between desks with my USB stick than to the UPS store.?ÿ I like the people at the UPS store, and they have been very helpful over the years scanning things for me but employee turnover is an issue. I've had to train a couple myself to operate their large format machine.?ÿ If I had a scanner I would in retirement, scan all the drawings I have rather than just recycling the paper. But alas, they are doomed to the scrap heap, like me.?ÿ?ÿ

@surv3y0r

Brad is on the right track.  A good scanner cost even more than the ones you're looking at.  You can get crazy high DPI from UPS or FedEx for $5. 

Posted by: @rkinnie

I still like my old 450C ( should not have sold it)

Be glad you sold it, because you can't get ink for it anymore.?ÿ I had to replace my 450C for that reason -- it worked fine, just no available ink, except for outrageously-priced (like $70 per cartridge) stale stock that sometimes works, sometimes doesn't.

@daniel-ralph

We had the same problem but lately the Win 10 boxes are back to printing to the Designjet 500 again.  I believe this was the result of another Windows update.  One office connects via USB, the other with a network card via ethernet cable.

@daniel-ralph A short term fix that worked for me was uninstalling the offending update. Windows will reinstall it in a few days but it gets you moving in the short term.

@daniel-ralph

If they have any value to the cadastre, the DNR will take them. They might not get to scanning them in any of our lifetimes.