Using SD v16.00 (I realise that this version, now two days old, is no
longer supported) for Field Day operations, I decided to set up rig
control.
Using my wife's laptop running Vista, I installed an FTDI serial to USB
converter and connected my CT-17 interface between the rig and computer. I
could see that the serial converter was assigned to COM30 port. However,
SD's PORTS command allows only ports 1 to 24 to be used for rig control.
>From the laptop's Hardware Manager I saw that ports COM3 to COM29 were 'in
use,' meaning my only choices were COM1 and COM2. I then laboriously found
a way to re-assign the serial converter to COM2. I changed rig control
port in SD to 2 but SD wouldn't connect with the rig. I then re-assigned
the converter to COM1 and SD rig control to 1 but still SD would not
connect with the rig.
In frustration I gave up and decided to go with manual band entry on SD.
Then I found another problem--the same problem I had three months ago with
SD v15.61. Sometimes SD would not recognise a manual band-change command
(entering '20M' or '40M' etc in the callsign field) and remain in the same
band. Sometimes I would catch this but sometimes not, so some of my QSOs
have the wrong band recorded. At least once, entering '20M' has taken me
to QSO number 20 without me noticing. Entering a new callsign overwrote
the callsign already recorded for QSO number 20--more lost points.
I have been using SD for 5 years now and like many of its features. It is
no longer 'free' and yet I seem to have more problems with it than other
'free' software that I use. Is it possible to fix these problems or is it
just me?
--
from Tim McKnight, Ei2KA
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