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Re: [TenTec] N4PY Orion Control Program Version 1.12 Released

To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [TenTec] N4PY Orion Control Program Version 1.12 Released
From: "Steve N4LQ" <n4lq@iglou.com>
Reply-to: tentec@contesting.com
Date: Tue, 9 Nov 2004 21:09:36 -0500
List-post: <mailto:tentec@contesting.com>
There has to be more to this XP/Keyboard thing than meets the eye. I run XP and CW Type to generate Morse. Attached to my LPT is a simple adapter that isolates the port via optical coupling from Hose Nose. I can run this up to any speed, 100 wpm, and it keys beautifully and evenly with no hesitation no matter what programs I'm running including N4PY.
The only justification I can find for installing WinKey is so N4PY's software will work with a keyboard. So what's the deal? Do other Pegasus/Jupiter control programs have the same problem with cw keyboards? Why does CW TYPE work so well and for that matter, other logging and contest softwares too? Can we still blame the OS?


Steve N4LQ
----- Original Message ----- From: "Duane Grotophorst" <n9dg@yahoo.com>
To: <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 8:43 PM
Subject: Re: [TenTec] N4PY Orion Control Program Version 1.12 Released




I've never seen any lag here either, even with 4 N4PY sessions running simultaneously controlling 6 Pegasus radios, - 4 of which are sweeping (sweeping is more CPU and serial port traffic intensive). I'm running all of this under Windows 2000 on an AMD Athlon XP2600/512MB with 3 video displays. The CPU usage typically hovers in the 40-60% region. The CPU spikes up some while tuning fast but all of the other radios continue to sweep uniformly and steady. My older 750Mhz machine would occasionally lag a bit with this same basic software setup, to fix it I simply bought/built a better computer. The last thing I wanted to do was compromise my multi radio system's performance by using an under powered PC.

As for the CW keying in XP it is because the NT/W2K/XP
OS's are all preemptive multitasking, which is a good
thing. The down side is that programs like CW sending
routines can be interrupted by the OS handing the
processor off to another app while it is in the middle
of sending a code element, the Win9x OS's won't do
that, but then they are *far* more prone to crash the
*entire* PC if an app freezes or misbehaves otherwise.
Also I don't believe that multiple instances of Carl's
program would perform very uniformly on Win9x either.

I applaud Carl for integrating the K1EL keyer, and I
see that many of the other ham software writers are
also doing likewise, - bravo to all of them. The LPT
and RS232 ports were never meant to be used as a
semi-precision on/off switch that the computer
generated CW programs try to make them into.

Duane
N9DG


--- Steve N4LQ <n4lq@iglou.com> wrote:


Interesting contrast. My readout follows the mouse
instantly but the cw
keyboard keying is horrible. N4PY says it's an XP
issue. I wonder if Win98
would work better overall? If so, I could press my
old laptop into service just for this job.

Steve N4LQ

----- Original Message ----- From: "Vince Santis" <vsantis@earthlink.net>
To: <roncasa@verizon.net>; <tentec@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, November 09, 2004 4:18 PM
Subject: RE: [TenTec] N4PY Orion Control Program
Version 1.12 Released



> Hi Ron, > > Unless you are using an Orion what you want is the Pegasus software from > N4PY. I use it and it works fine with one exception. Because of a port > speed issue tuning the radio lags the screen display on the computer. > However, if yu are into cw, the keyboard keying is great and also the > ability to scan a range of frequencies. > > 73, > > Vince Santis, N1VS > Winsted, CT 06098




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