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[WriteLog] Erratic CW

To: <writelog@contesting.com>
Subject: [WriteLog] Erratic CW
From: Steve Baron - KB3MM" <SteveBaron@starlinx.com (Steve Baron - KB3MM)
Date: Tue, 28 May 2002 18:39:16 -0000
----- Original Message -----
From: "Garry Shapiro" <garry@ni6t.com>
To: "WriteLog Reflector" <writelog@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 28, 2002 16:09
Subject: [WriteLog] Erratic CW


> Amazing...within 24 hours of posting my message about erratic computer CW
> keying with WL, almost two dozen replies pop up on the Reflector! This
> problem is apparently widely experienced, but the solution is no slam
dunk.

Yep.

>
> Here is a summary of what we have, so far.
>
> * Several suggested that RFI might be the culprit. This is always a
> possibility, and my keying line is longer than previously due to the
> computer being on the floor. This is not difficult to check out and I have
> plenty of beads, but I suspect this will not prove to be the problem. In
my
> shack, 10m and 160m have had problems in the past, but I spent most of my
> time in WPX on 15 and 20.

Have seen it come in on the keyboard line, LPT line, etc.  It may simply b
RFI getting
into th computr and affecting keying, not a direct effect of RFI on the
keying circuits.

>
> * Several suggested that Windoze might have too many processes running in
> the background. Indeed, I am seeing a helluva lot more than Explorer and
> Systray! Even with no other applications open, I have six HP printer
drivers
> for my G95 All-In-One running on my network, Realplay, Mediadet, Ctnotify,
> Alogserve and Ahqtb. Could one or more of these be grabbing the CPU's
> attention every so often? I have no idea what some of them are! This
> suggestion reminded me that I am occasionally seeing sluggish responses to
> such mundane acts as typing in an email address in Outlook----this one is
> starting to look interesting.

That's a lot of stuff to have running during a contest !

>
> * A local contester observes that, when he has this problem, it correlates
> with hard disk activity, i.e. something else is happening at that time.
This
> in turn could be related to all those other drivers in the background.
K5ZD
> says this has to do with the way Windoze DOESN'T handle multitasking, and

That is a very perplexing statement that he made.  Every system potentially
has a higher priority task that can interrupt the currently running task.
The
interrupting task may simply be the operating system itself.

Task interruption should lead to lengthened dits, dahs, or spaces.


> suggests unloading all the printer drivers. Verrry interrrrresting. I
think
> I would rather unload Writelog. Tell me again why we abandoned DOS-based
> contesting programs...

<gr>.

>
> * OTOH---at least one guy said he has the same problem with CT....go
figger.

Seen that many, many times.

>
> * Some guys suggested getting rid of Findfast.exe. My version of Office
> apparently does not have Findfast.exe. Next suggestion...

Think newer versions have a similar task with a new name....maybe.

> OK---it looks like I will need to slog through these one at a time--modify
> writelog.ini, beads on leads and dummy loads, disable applications, remove
> printer drifvers (oh, no, what a PITA!). I suspect it will wind up being a
> Windoze background process issue, since I am pretty sure it worked without
> incident back at CW SS, and I probably added something since then that is
> resource-greedy.
>
> Whew! This is more confusing than SO2R after drinking a sixpack. What do
> people do who have real lives? I go sleep now.
>
> Thanks to all,
>
> Garry, NI6T
>
>
>
>
>
> __________________________________
> 160 meters---not a band but an obsession
>
>
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