skyfriend

I don't have an answer for your specific question, but I recently converted all my DV-Tape to USB stored AVi files. My camera is a PC-9 and I still had my old PC with FireWire card installed, but I didn't want to sit and babysit the uploads. A free program called WinDV-1.2.3 had easy download from internet, simple user interface, and automatically created a separate AVI file for each recording section of the 1-hour DV tapes. Best part was that it included the date and time in the file name. I don't think you'll get the same quality video and the original date/time information if you use the RCA or RF to capture-card options.

I google'd the error code for my PC-9 cassette error. Found a lot of message board topics. One was very helpful - a spindle had fallen out (from a hard knock perhaps and over 100 hours of use). Repair was electrical shrink-tubing on a tiny locking tube. Have used the camera for probably 100 jumps since. Clear instructions were on the web. Maybe your error is same...

How about a variation on the question. Giving up corporate life for a year to skydive fulltime. Your cost-of-living could drop $10K by living on the DZ (no rent). Work part-time doing video, AFF instruction, packing, etc... You have plenty of time to jump, can travel among the South and West coast, and make your savings last as long as possible. Make your passion your life! At least until the money runs out. I'm not sure what I would do for medical insurance. People in Europe and Australia seem to be able to take months off in a year to go traveling. Seems like the same idea. Any comments good or bad to this idea?