FW: (ET) elec-trak CD, Tiller, loader, etc.

["Elie, Larry (L.D.)" <lelie ford com>]

-----Original Message-----
From: Elie, Larry (L.D.) 
Sent: Monday, January 31, 2000 10:52 AM
To: 'David Howard'
Subject: RE: (ET) elec-trak CD, Tiller, loader, etc.


BTW, I assume that Brinly Hardy used an existing tiller and possibly mount 
for the ET tiller, and GE supplied only the motor.  Does anyone know WHICH 
existing tiller (i.e., for what gas tractor) the same tiller was made?  
The 
GE tiller is in very short supply, (I have been looking for something like 
two years for one within 100 miles) and I would like to know what else is 
a 
close fit.  My short term Sears gas with a custom mount is really not that 
good a combination.  I'm not afraid to adapt, I just want to know what is 
out there.

In a similar vein, I know the loader was made by EG&W and that Walter &
Diane 
were contemplating a newer design.  Since EG&W doesn't appear to still be 
in

business, does anyone know what similar (without the pump of course) loader
they 
made for gas tractors?  The only loaders I have seen were on John Deere and
Case 
garden tractors, but I have no idea if the GE was based on either design.


Back to the CD, has anyone talked to Bill Gunn yet?  I vote for Acrobat
because 
it is easy way out.  DXF or DWG (real CAD) are better but I very much doubt
the 
prints were on electronic media.  I'm sure they didn't use GDT very well in
those 
days either.  I have scanners here to D (or even E) size, so prints are 
are not a problem OTHER than in file size.  Folks, a D size in Acrobat even
in 
black and white is tens of mega-bytes!  I don't have time to do DXF's from
original 
prints but that's what it would take to get these down to manageable size.
Now, 
if only one or two prints were required, sure, I could do them, but Bill 
has
so many 
prints that when I was there he had never even had a chance to file them
all!  
Like I said on my earlier post, I suspect there should be two versions of
the media; 
one, a simple combination of the Owner's Service Manuel (includes
schematics) and 
Instruction manuals with perhaps a color flyer on a CD for something like
$10 or $20, 
with Bill making a few bucks on each (I think he makes less on the printed
manual at 
$25 each) of the 50 or so that would sell in the next 10 years.  There
really isn't 
that big of a market for this, but charging more will just let people
justify piracy.  
I have all the tools to make this except the instruction manuals and color
brochures 
right now.  Sure, Wheel Horse and New Idea would have to be included, and 
to
make this 
a good resource, probably a comparison article on the tractors and brands 
by
Bill Gunn 
himself, and perhaps an article on batteries, chargers etc.  I'm not afraid
to contact 
some of the original design engineers (assuming they are still alive) from
GE myself, 
but don't have a list of names.  Their design input would make another nice
article for 
the CD.  I would ALSO like to see I found one assembly person retired in
Ohio and have 
talked with him by phone in the past, but he didn't have too much to 
relate.
A DVD or CD 
combination for say $50 or more that has the REAL service manual and the
prints would make 
a SECOND tier of resource.  I doubt more than half a dozen would sell in 
the
next ten years.  
But I don't want to see the prints lost.  


That's my best guess of managing this.


-----Original Message-----
From: David Howard [mailto:howie sssnet com]
Sent: Saturday, January 29, 2000 4:15 PM
To: elec-trak cosmos5 phy tufts edu
Subject: (ET) elec-trak CD


Just a question,

has anyone actually
called Bill Gunn and
asked if he has the
publishing rights to
the manuals?  If not
then does it goes
back to GE or
Wheelhorse and in
the case of
attachments maybe
even back to the
original
manufacturer ( i.e..
Brinly Hardy for the
Tiller )?  I have a
tiller and called
Brinly, they only
had a portion of the
manual.  I ended up
getting the rest
from a fellow elec
trak owner. I bought
my manual from
Kansas Wind Power
and it was just a
copy ( I am not
implying that this
was right).  I like
the idea of
supporting Bill, but
if everyone was so
concerned for his
welfare then why are
people changing over
to PWM drives.  Bill
can't support these
and you would not
purchase parts that
you would normally
get from him,
thereby robbing him
of his livelihood.
It seems that people
only want to support
him when it is
convenient for them
( i.e.. when they
need parts ).    I
would rather see a
more complete CD
reference, having
all tractors, parts,
attachments, sales
literature, etc.
that can be found.
Not just the service
manual alone.
anyway that was my
two cents.

Dave Howard