02-10-2016, 06:01 AM
(01-08-2016, 05:37 PM)admin Wrote: To be safe it seems that most everyone archiving their collections are doing so using SPLICE mode set to 4 or 5 revolutions. Technically you only need 2 revs to capture any type of disk that is not index'd.
There is really no way to know for sure if a disk was created index'd without examining the flux data.
This answers the majority of my question(s) as an SCP newbie.
I, too, have over 1000 disks of various (and some unknown) formats. If I take the time now to start archiving the flux on these disks, I'm basically 'snapshotting" their current flux pattern condition, correct? So if something happens to the disks after that moment in time, I can reasonably assume I have a good backup. All I would need after archiving is a way to decode and convert the flux patterns into useful data.
I realize that such conversion tools are of limited availability now, but I believe that when they do become available, it is my understanding that my SCP copies will always remain ready for conversion because the flux pattern had been preserved.
That being said, what would be the best "universal" copy mode for all unknown disk types, regardless if they are FM, MFM, GCR, half-track, etc? Should I just pick IBM 1.2MB (5.25) and IBM 1.44MB (3.5) to capture everything, then figure it all out later through conversion software?