Lost all my data

[tsubaki]

I try to spread my data and results around forums so as to be able to reference it and possibly help others in problem solving but occasionally it gets bad names called to it by doing so.
Regular ole Composition Notebook does enough for me.
Test data gets sent to the back of the book.

[dragon813gt]

Something to be said for being ....."so like last century" and using pre-analog......a pencil and paper...........

I’m all for technology and am an early adopter of a lot of it. That being said my load binder is full of Lyman sheets. I’ve been thinking about digitizing it so I can store it in multiple places. As it stands any reloading/firearm information I have is stored on my laptop, on a SD card, on two backup drives, in Dropbox and on my personal server(RAID configuration) at home. Digital information disappears in an instant and I have it in many places in case something happens to one version of it.

I really need to spend the time to create a simple spreadsheet for the load book. I started serializing the loads a few years back to make looking them up easy. Just need to find the time to create the spreadsheet.

[PJEagle]

Over time I have created an Access Database to keep track of my firearms, alloy batches, boolits, molds, brass, powder and reloading info. Since I don't trust the cloud, I back up often to removable hard drives and USB keys and keep a copy off site. The database continues to change and grow.

As you can see I suffer from several diseases; casting, reloading, shooting and database development. My wife calls it my science project. Some year I intend to start saving money, but for now I just keep investing.

[tazman]

I have been doing computers since windows 3.0. I understand just how quickly all your files can vanish due to a virus, hardware crash, or application failure/disappearing.
I keep mine in Open Office documents(like Rcmaveric) stored on several different drives on a couple of different computers and a thumb drive that is only plugged into a computer when copying files. I know, overkill.
I have a lot of other files that took me years and a lot of money to collect on those drives as well.
I periodically print out the loading data for reference at the loading bench. New testing loads are kept in a small pocket notebook until things are confirmed then added to the load data documents.
A bit complex and extreme perhaps, but I don't want to chance losing all that information.

[Rcmaveric]

Over time I have created an Access Database to keep track of my firearms, alloy batches, boolits, molds, brass, powder and reloading info. Since I don't trust the cloud, I back up often to removable hard drives and USB keys and keep a copy off site. The database continues to change and grow.

As you can see I suffer from several diseases; casting, reloading, shooting and database development. My wife calls it my science project. Some year I intend to start saving money, but for now I just keep investing.

I wish i had the skills to creat an Access data base. I have tries to tinker in it. But i get lost quickly. I am a master spread sheat user though.

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[ROCKET]

I'm old fashion... pencil and paper . Works every time

[HangFireW8]

OwnCloud, file versioning, instant replication across all my devices, boot disk images, backups... all mine... All Lan/local... nothing Amazon, Google, Apple or Microsoft can even see or give up on a subpoena... not a byte of it!

Not going back to medieval methods... Anything big enough to destroy all my data at once would also take out paper records.

I don't trust my data to public clouds, but I do trust it to digital. Properly managed digital.

[abunaitoo]

So glad to see I'm not the only one still using pencil and paper.
Always hear of people who lose everything, when their computer crashes.
I never want that to happen to me, so everything is on paper in a 3 ring binder.
People put to much faith in computers these days.
It's a fun tool, but unlike good tools, they don't last forever.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Family member that stole a bunch of my stuff also stole my reloading and gun records notebook.

So even if you go purely on paper, copy it all and keep a duplicate somewhere else.

That gives you reloading data and serial numbers / makes / models findable even if you lose the "master copy"

Wish I'd had a backup.

[45-70 Chevroner]

I try to spread my data and results around forums so as to be able to reference it and possibly help others in problem solving but occasionally it gets bad names called to it by doing so.
Regular ole Composition Notebook does enough for me.
Test data gets sent to the back of the book.

Are you sure you didn't steal my note book, it looks just like the one I used to have. I now use a MTM log book that I got with my Midway gun cleaning box.

[ericandelaine1975]

I use the load data chart in the back of my Lyman book.

Sent from my XT1650 using Tapatalk

[sharps4590]

My 3 ring binder dates to the 1970's. Still use it and after getting the chrono record sheets with my first chronograph 30 years ago even that data was better recorded. So far it's never disappeared with the click of someone else's button.

[Rick Hodges]

Excel made the templates to my tastes, then printed out and in a 3 ring notebook....all data pen and ink.

[northmn]

A cheap notebook makes an excellent back up. I had some spreadsheets and other stuff stored on an older computer and lost the stuff when I had to have it cleaned due to a virus. Newer ones are more secure but the notebooks seem to be better. That or get a printer with the computer and print out hard copies.

DEP

[Lloyd Smale]

I lost 30 years of documented load development on every gun ive ever owned about 10 years ago when my barn that had my loading area burnt to the ground. I remembered some favorite loads but many gun I had to start over. Anymore I keep a paper copy in the load room a copy in the fireproof safe and one on the computer.

Well the iPhone app I have been using to record all my developed loads and data has been eliminated, along with all my data. It was called “reload-IT”. It was a crappy app that I barely liked but given the lack of anything else suitable I was using it. It was cool because it was cloud based and so it would keep my data safe, across multiple devices, so I thought. Well, without even emailing me (which they did have my email, it’s how we logged in) they just evaporated. Needless to say I’m pretty bummed out. Lot of time and effort lost.

So, i dont think I’ll be looking to the digital world for my next solution for records. Seems as time goes by computers make zero advancements in safety, speed or security. Oh well.

So, I’d like a booklet that has fields and places for relevant data. Does anyone know of such a thing?

[lotech]

I have no idea what Excel is, but for many years have made handwritten entries in my "field notes", a small spiral notebook I take to the range. It takes a year or two of much shooting to fill up one of these.Once or twice a year, I'll transfer an abbreviated version of these notes to a 4"x6" index card file. My field notes and card files go back only about twenty-five years. Wish I had done this for the first twenty-five or so years.

This system may be too simple for some but it requires no electricity and always works. There is no dependency on something subject to failure.

[dragon813gt]

There is no dependency on something subject to failure.

You’re correct. But if you don’t have at least one copy stored in a separate area you leave yourself open to losing it just as much as storing it on a single computer. Things happen in life. Your notes could be accidentally thrown out. Worse case is a fire. Regardless of how you log your notes you need to have backups of this information. I’m saying this as a guy that needs to make backups of his data so I don’t lose it.

[ole_270]

Once I find a load I want to use, I just write it on a piece of note paper I keep in the die box for that cartridge. So far I don't have enough duplicate rifles to cause too much confusion.

[marek313]

Oh man I'm reading all these replies and while I like to write things down there are many benefits to the digital form of data. Maybe because i'm in IT let me play devils advocate and defend my tiny ones and zeros.

For one, most of you dont have another copy of your paper notebooks, binders, logs etc. Even if you do its more of a hassle to keep your backup up to date. I can send copy of my load data to secure location on every continent if I wanted to and you cant do that with paper and I know for a fact that most of you dont stand by copy machines and make copies of it every week. Its easier to store on USB drives, CDs, floppy or zip drives ( not sure if anyone remembers those) i dont care. Its still easier to manage, copy, backup, restore etc.
How many people have lost everything in floods, fires etc??? You dont always have time to grab what you want.

So lets talk about our wonderful computers. One of my professors told us long time ago that "computers are stupid, people are smart". Which is very true because the ONLY thing computer can do is tell a difference between 0 and 1. Thats it!!!
Now they can do that very very fast which is true but its always amazing to me what we do with that simple ability.
Its still your job to make a second, third, forth etc copy of your important data and it wont take long to do that neither. Dont depend on single file, app, database. Always have another way to get in. Thats why universal tools like MS excel or open office will always have another app available to open / convert old files.
Keep your paper version if you want. I have a notebook that i take notes in but I also have digital version of my load data.

[Wag]

For the last 30+ years, I've been a tech junkie. Excel and Access are in my DNA and I have every reason to think I could write the perfect app for my loading stuff. On several occasions, I've been severely tempted to get that project rolling but I refrain. My career that I use to pay the bills is in finance and accounting and I've seen a lot of tracking systems for inventory and manufacturing that would be perfect for reloaders but they are more complex than what we need and they're a pain to set up and get up and running. So, again, I defer.

I use a spiral notebook. On the right side, two loads per page and then, turn the page over and there are shooting notes, hand drawn targets/groups, etc. Works well for me at this point and I really don't have a need to do anything else. If I want to keep a copy electronically, my smart phone takes good photos and saves to my cloud automatically. Good enough.

--Wag--