A few weeks ago I posted a request for info on W5XD's (of this
conference) WriteLog for Windows 7.0. For those of you who haven't
heard of it, it was advertised in the last NCJ. I did not get many
replies to my posting, so I purchased the program.
I was interested in WriteLog for two reasons. First, it is a
native Windows program, and I just purchased a multi-media 486/66
and wanted to use its capabilities to the fullest. The second was
that since WriteLog supports SoundBlaster cards, I could use my
sound card as a voice keyer. Since I don't have a voice keyer, the
economics of getting a contest program & a DVK for under $30 (until
Oct 1) were compelling.
So how good is the program? I haven't used it in a contest yet, but
I have high hopes. It is not exactly like CT or NA, nor should it
be. The author wrote it to be like a Windows program, not like
other contest programs. In most cases, he has provided similar
functionality to the competitors. If you are wondering if you have
to use the mouse all the time, the answer is no. There are keyboard
equivalents for most everything.
Two of the things that are in the latest release that were missing
previously are direct cw keying from LPT or COM; and Super Check
Partial.
The program supports two radios (with two entry screens), antenna
switching, custom contest exchanges, voice keyers, packet,
and a bunch of other features. It does not support multi-user.
Whether we like it or not, Windows has become the dominant desktop
operating environment. We might as well use all that cpu horsepower
sitting on our desks. I think WriteLog may be a good way to harness
it to make Q's.
Tom, N1MM
P.S. I would have liked to summarize the responses I got to my
original query, but I lost them while learning to use America
Online.
>From Randy A Thompson <K5ZD@world.std.com> Tue Sep 6 21:19:59 1994
From: Randy A Thompson <K5ZD@world.std.com> (Randy A Thompson)
Subject: Marital Bliss and contesting
Message-ID: <Pine.3.89.9409062135.F20080-0100000@world.std.com>
Like he said..."when there are no contests."
ZD
On Tue, 6 Sep 1994, Steve Harrison wrote:
>
>
> On Tue, 6 Sep 1994 AA4NC@aol.com wrote:
>
> > - get married in late June when there are no contests.
> >
> LATE JUNE!!?? But that's Field Day time!!! Steve, KO0U/4
>
>
>From len@ariel.coe.neu.edu (Leonard Kay) Wed Sep 7 05:02:50 1994
From: len@ariel.coe.neu.edu (Leonard Kay) (Leonard Kay)
Subject: Tragically Unskilled/125
Message-ID: <9409070402.AA05347@ariel.coe.neu.edu>
Let us not forget the Tragically Unskilled also populate the sending end of
the pileup..... Late Sunday evening I was combing 40 CW for any /125's I
hadn't worked yet, and for some reason decided to tune up to 070 this time...
and there was a /125 (call eludes me, really :-) ) working a pileup at what
must have been around 10-12 wpm up around 065. So, of course, I listen to this
guy for few minutes, half to get a chuckle and half to see what operating
pattern he had, if any. Now, every time he calls QRZ? there's about a dozen
stations calling him, at between 20-25 wpm. NO ONE is calling him at his speed,
and he's taking a good 30 seconds, with guys calling him 3 and 4 times, to
finally copy a call. Amazing, isn't it? And he's working dead zero beat, and
the pack is calling anywhere +-500 Hz. And some of these guys are in there
for 5 or 10 QRZ?s before they work him. No Clue.
So finally, I zero beat him, reach for the straight key (didn't even bother
fiddling with the keyer knob), drop ONE call at his speed, and he comes
right back to me. This ain't rocket science.
This is probably all obvious to anyone here, but these are the pileups that
try contester's souls....
73, Len KB2R/77 barefoot and counting
len@ariel.coe.neu.edu
>From David & Barbara Leeson <0005543629@mcimail.com> Wed Sep 7 05:32:00 1994
From: David & Barbara Leeson <0005543629@mcimail.com> (David & Barbara Leeson)
Subject: Ring Rot., Rot. Twrs & Coax
Message-ID: <95940907043259/0005543629NA5EM@mcimail.com>
Having just completed building one ring rotator and one rotating tower, I
realized that not one work is said in any of the literature about how to
get the coax around without getting caught in the works. K3LR suggests
routing the coax up the guy stanchions on the ring rotator, and uses a
loop over the boom guy to allow for the difference in length required as the
rotator (or rotating tower) goes around.
I played with some drawings and spreadsheets, and have concluded that the
best way to run the coax is from 36 to 48 inches above the point of
connection to the rotating boom (this reduces the difference in length
required to go out to the boom when, say, south and around the tower and
out to the boom when, for the same example, north). I got a screen-door
spring on steroids at a truck supply place (they are used to pull up the
brake and electrical lines going between a tractor and trailer on an 18-
wheeler, and are only $5 or so) and intend to run the coax through the
spring so it will keep tension on the cable and feed the extra back into
the center of the tower. I hope this will work in wind and ice; an
alternative would be a weight inside the tower, but this won't work here in
the wind. The same setup can be used for the rotating joint in a rotating
tower.
Has anyone else solved this to their satisfaction? Wonder why there is
never any coax showing in pictures of ring rotators or rotating towers?
Reply direct, and I'll summarize. My e-mail alias is goofed up on MCI
Mail, because they don't guarantee that they won't issue the same alias
to someone else (in my case, Dave Leeson of BT in the UK), so use the
numerical address below.
Thanks & 73, Dave W6QHS 554-3629@mcimail.com (leading zero's not needed)
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