Recently there have been posts describing difficulties changing bands with
Alt-B in version 6.85, leaving the log at the default of 160 meters. Although
I have not adopted any versions of TRLog since 6.79 because I have no
computer-controllable radios, I detected an undercurrent that the problems lay
with the difference between a logging program and a radio-control program.
So I conducted an experiment (described below) and came to the following
conclusions about version 6.85 when used on a computer NOT connected to any
radio in any way:
(1) Alt-B has no effect; Alt-V cannot be tested because there is no band below
the default of 160 meters, from which 6.85 cannot be moved.
(2) Alt-M has no effect for Field Day (one of the freebie events), although
that may be because
(3) Field Day is only CW--according to 6.85.
(4) Additions to LOGCFG.DAT of the commands BAND = 40 and MODE = PHONE had no
effect.
If version 6.85 is to be a logging program as well as a radio-control program,
some repairs will be needed.
73, Paul W8TM
***************************
Experiment description:
(A) The computer used was an old laptop with no Windows, Linux, etc. Only DOS
6.22 is on it, which I had to load myself because this $25 Dayton
wonder-machine had only 4 files on its hard drive when purchased.
(B) Both CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT were bypassed by pressing F5 at the beep
while DOS started.
(C) The resulting path appears as PATH=C:\DOS, so that other TRLog files won't
be found accidentally.
(D) TR.EXE and TR.OVR versions 6.85 were downloaded today (11/27/06) from
http://www.kkn.net/~tree/TR685.ZIP (using a more capable computer), unzipped
and put alone into a directory C:\PKTEMP on the experiment machine. The
directory name was chosen to reduce interaction potential even further.
(E) In C:\PKTEMP the command TR was issued, which resulted in a non-start with
the error message that no CTY.DAT could be found. A copy of the current
CTY.DAT was copied into that directory.
(F) A second command of TR in C:\PKTEMP resulted in the program asking if I
wanted to set up a contest. I chose to set up Field Day, got through the
configuration routine, but received a second error message saying that the
program needed file ARRLSECT.DOM. A copy of the current ARRLSECT.DOM was
copied into that directory.
(G) LOGCFG.DAT thus produced was:
MY CALL = W8TM
MY SECTION = OH
MY FD CLASS = 1E
CONTEST = FIELD DAY
DISPLAY MODE = COLOR
(H) TR finally started, showing Field Day, but only CW (FD should show CW,
phone and digi). It also showed 160 meters. Neither Alt-B nor Alt-M had any
effect except to blank momentarily the time display. However, the DOS speaker
emitted CW and I was able to log fantasy QSOs on 160 CW. I didn't bother with
the simulator.
(I) TR was shut down and the following commands were added via DOS EDIT to the
LOGCFG.DAT file:
BAND = 40
MODE = PHONE
LOG.DAT, LOG.TMP and RESTART.BIN were deleted and TR was restarted. The added
commands had no effect.
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