Date: Tue, 13 Jun 2006 20:33:06 -0400
Reply-To: Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Sam Walters <sam.cooks@VERIZON.NET>
Subject: Re: Digitool vis a vis Van-Cafe tool - origins,
availability - do it yourself or new source
In-Reply-To: <cf4df96f0606130844p201c18d3s66741e648366917f@mail.gmail.com>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8; format=flowed
First, let's have a history lesson. Shawn Feller wrote about Darrell
Boehler's Digitool, saying that it is "basically a simplified version of
the great tool available for rent from van-cafe.com."
It would be better for people to know what they are talking about before
writing. The first draft of manual the analysis tool that Van-Cafe
rents and sells was written in late September 2003. The first release
of the manual was in November of that year. It is reasonable to assume
then, that the product was developed and released in 2003.
On the other hand, Version 3.0 of Darrell's Digitool was released in
2000. It had been around for several years before that. I know I had
been looking at his web pages and giving consideration to building one
before version 3.0 came out. Darrell did not create a simplified
version of the Van-Cafe product. To the contrary, the Van-Cafe, then
Volks Cafe, tool was recognized as something that followed in the line
of the Digitool when it was released long after the Digitool had been
around and publicly available for sale or for free if you made your own.
Complete instructions on how to build your own Digitool were always made
available on the net by Darrell. They still are there today if you just
go look. Explanations of how to use it are there also. Check the link
found on the list today - which is in the archives dozens of times.
Darrell wasn't trying to create a secret product and make a great
profit, he was just trying to help people learn how to keep their vans
running well. He used to be a regular contributor to the list,
responding to requests for help quite frequently.
It is the Van-Cafe tool that is a variant of the Digitool. It is
certainly not the other way around. It does appear the Van-Cafe tool
has added a few more information points to those that are found on the
Digitool. The Van Cafe tool has a nice pdf file for instructions.
Darrell's web site has instructions and references to pages in Bentley.
Look at the pictures of the units. They aren't that different.
But, again, it would be nice if folks would try to keep the facts
straight and not shoot from the hip or guess and post it as they know
something that they don't.
Second, there are questions about the availability of the Digitool.
Darrell Boehler no longer makes them. Why, I don't know. this was
discussed just last week. The only current way to buy one is to buy a
used one if anyone wants to let go of theirs, but why would they unless
they did a conversion.
You can get all of the instructions for how to make one for yourself
from Darrell's web site.
http://www.loam.org/vw/Vanagon/DigiTool/
I exchanged pmails with a list member who has the technical skill and
resources to make these things just a few days ago when all of these
same basic questions about the Digitool were being discussed here
(doesn't anyone read the list) and he said he might be interested in
making them if there was enough interest and a few other issues could be
dealt with. We haven't exchanged any further emails.
Sam
--
Sam Walters
Baltimore, MD
89 Syncro GL, Zetec Inside
85 Westy Weekender
85 Mercedes Benz 300D Turbodiesel - to become veggie oil powered
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