hmm, don't know if this will help, but your post is not clear as to
whether you realised that the data is 'the same'; 9278 = (hex)243E = two
bytes, the first, (hex)24 = (dec)36 = ASCII for '$'. the second (hex)3E
=...= ascii for '>'. so there probably is some kind of mix-up re
datatypes...
since I know nothing of dbcopy, my way of attacking this would be a
command-file, something like:

setvar eof,finfo(hpstdin,'eof')
while (setvar(eof,eof-1) >= 0)
  input rec
# assuming the layout presented, and probably expanding the record
  echo ![str(rec,1,38)]&
         ![(ord(str(rec,39,1)) lsl 8) + ord(str(rec,40,1))]
endwhile

and run it after dbcopy (:commfile < VASS > newfile)
(I think this could qualify as 'brutal' ;-)

hth
/per
--------------------------------------------
Per Ostberg  / [log in to unmask]
phone +46-8-58581213 / fax +46-8-58587710
Huddinge University Hospital
ChemLab / C1 74 / S-141 86  HUDDINGE / SWEDEN
--------------------------------------------

> Using dbcopy from 3k to extract Image files to a fixed length ascii
> file.
>
> I'm obviously missing something basic, the steps I have taken are,
>
> Build a file with
> BUILD VASS;REC=-45,1,F,ASCII;DISC=100
> Run dbcopy.data.threek
> To file name !VASS
>
> It keeps placing $ at various intervals, see example below..
> T-P1              A         ECO-MA1   $>
> Y-1                                   $N
>
> Have tried an ODBC extract and the file comes out clean.
> T-P1              A         ECO-MA1   9278
> Y-1                                                  9294
> however I need the HP3000 to do the work..
>
> Be as brutal as you like if it gets the message over
>
> --
> Best Regards
>
> Ray Cotton
> Business Consultant
>