The first time I used TR was in the recent WPX phone portion, and while I
realize you aren't as, shall we say, "avid" about phone contesting, I
wondered if you would consider enhancing the program for split operation,
since the current sunspot condition makes splitting phone on 40 a necessity.
Here's what I'd like to see, seconded by KF8VS who teamed with me on the WPX.
The band map is probably the best tool ever incorporated into a search and
pouncer's program, and we used it extensively. However, in split operation,
we had one problem, and would like to suggest two enhancements.
First the problem: TR kept dropping the callsign. We'd get it typed in,
and then switch to the other vfo to set up the QSX frequency. Callsign
would disappear. Come back to the receive frequency, and the callsign
wouldn't reappear. I suspect that the 1200 baud rate dictated by KF8VS's
ICOM 765 was taking long enough to poll the frequency that the callsign was
getting dropped in the process. After a while, I figured out that I could
hit return to move the cursor into the report window before setting the QSX
frequency, but it seemed more natural to set the QSX frequency first, then
hit return when I worked the guy. We must have typed some calls in that
window about 5 times checking back and forth to see what was happening on
the transmit frequency.
Our first suggested enhancement: We both wished that the band map
incorporated both the foreign station's transmit and QSX frequencies. Is
there some way to read the other vfo out of the rig and put it in a QSX
column to the right of the call sign? Even more cool would be to have the
option of resetting both transmit and receiver VFO's to the split pair when
you click up that station off the band map again. And, if the packet spot
utility could pick this up for announcements, it would really be nice.
Searching and pouncing with a marginal setup like we are, you could call a
couple of times, go set another pair up if you didn't get through, and then
easily use the band map to come back and try again later. I suppose you
could do something neat with two radios, but we can hardly afford the one we
have at the moment!
And the second: Could it be arranged to set each VFO from the keyboard? It
would be most natural to tune in a station using VFO A, type in his QSX
frequency and do some keystroke to send that frequency to the B VFO, type in
his call, and work him. An optional keyboard toggle between both
frequencies would make this really nice.
I want you to know that the reason I bought TR was because you put so many
hours into enhancing it. Brand X is pretty good software, but support is
_nothing_ compared to yours. Thanks for the major effort...and
congratulations on your recent (25-hour) SS effort!
73 de AL7L
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Pat.Moore@WKU.EDU Voice: 502-745-2482
Marketing Department Fax: 502-745-3893
Western Kentucky University Hamcall:AL7L
Bowling Green, KY 42101-3576
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