opinions please.
I`m considering the idea of my own personel digicard reader so that I can download and keep a record of my hours, similar to me scanning my tachos at the end of each week.
the idea is the same as with the anilogue paper cards, that should i need to call upon the info, for defence in court or argue my case with the TM, i will have my own copy to produce.
the equipment is available from tachodisc and others for a reasonal price.
Should I go for it?
the question is whether or not it is worth the expense.
the cheapest reader is about £250, then you have to purchase the software which is at least £150 plus the £100 subscription service and then the subscription fee is due every year, so your looking at £500 initial fee to start up then another £100 very year to be able to continue to download.
the software comes with a timeout that stops you from downloading the information after the subscription period expires unless you renew your subscription.
basically it’s a rip off, they have developed a device that not only makes life easy for officials to see who has been cheating but drivers and operators have to pay for it too.
Johnny,
It doesn’t cost that much. I already do exactly what Peirre wants to do and I don’t pay any subscription fees (ever).
I got a card reader and download/print/store software for £99+VAT. It’s great and a doddle to use. If you also need a dongle thing to download data directly from the cab unit, there is now a kit which includes this as well as the software and reader. The whole kit is £245.
Take a look here: www.smartcardfocus.com and look in the tachograph shop section.
Erger:
Johnny,It doesn’t cost that much. I already do exactly what Peirre wants to do and I don’t pay any subscription fees (ever).
I got a card reader and download/print/store software for £99+VAT. It’s great and a doddle to use. If you also need a dongle thing to download data directly from the cab unit, there is now a kit which includes this as well as the software and reader. The whole kit is £245.
Take a look here: www.smartcardfocus.com and look in the tachograph shop section.
thanks for the info and especially the link, my boss is being ripped off.
i’ve emailed the link to him so perhaps it will save him some money next year
or try http://www.tachodisc.co.uk/products/digital/Digital.aspx
Errrrrr, why do you need a cab unit reader too?
Pierre said:
Errrrrr, why do you need a cab unit reader too?
Strictly speaking as a driver you don’t need to be able to download a VU. Without a Company Card, you wouldn’t be able to anyway. However, Owner Drivers and Operators are required to download data from VU’s and store the data securely for one year from when the data was created, same as charts have to be kept for one year. When the authorities come calling, they will want to see both card and VU data. The VU data will show any periods where the vehicle has been driven without a card.
At present, the EC legislation says that cards and VU’s should be downloaded before the data is overwritten; 28 days for a card, 1 year for a VU. The Member States can decide if they wish to impose a more frequent downloading period on their drivers / operators. Rumour suggests this may, in the UK be 21 days for a card and 3 months for a VU.
What format is the data downloaded from a drivers card in ?, can it be imported into a common program such as excel or does it need special software to be able to read it.
geebee45:
Strictly speaking as a driver you don’t need to be able to download a VU.
so for around £100 I can get myself kitted out to store my own back ups of tacho info, same as when I scan my cards into my pooter every week 
tachograph said;
What format is the data downloaded from a drivers card in ?, can it be imported into a common program such as excel or does it need special software to be able to read it.
The data is stored in a file using hexadecimal coding; if i’ve been told correctly this turns everything into paired alphanumerics eg; a = 13 and b=c4 (i’m not saying those coding’s are correct 
). The paired codes use 0 to 9 and a through to f. Anybody with a ‘hex’ reader programme can read the data produced by a digital tachograph and stored onto the card or in the VU. The tricky bit is the digital signature. You need the ‘spooky software’ to read the signature and confirm that what you have as a file is what was downloaded from the card / VU. I have a programme that reads digital signatures then sticks the data in Excel so I can turn it into the hours I’ve worked, driven etc.
peirre said;
geebee45 wrote:
Strictly speaking as a driver you don’t need to be able to download a VU.
so for around £100 I can get myself kitted out to store my own back ups of tacho info, same as when I scan my cards into my pooter every week
Sorry mate, perhaps I didn’t explain myself very well. There is nothing wrong with you getting a card reader so that you can download your card and keep your own record of the hours you’ve done. ■■■■ good idea, actually. What I was trying to say was; that as a driver there is no requirement for you to download the tacho (or proper name in the legislation; Vehicle Unit or VU). With digital there are two records; one on your driver card and one in the tacho (VU). Your card relates only to your working period, however, the VU records all details of who has driven that vehicle each day and what they have done. Whilst you as a driver don’t have to download the VU, your employer does. They then have to keep both data records for one year from when they were made. That is why the web site is offering a card reader, so cards can be downloaded away from the wagon and that ‘digidown’ thingy, which can download either a VU or a card in the VU, provided a Company card is also in the VU at the time.