Hi Eric,
First of all, I only got back into the game a couple of years ago or so.
Last contest I was in before that was in the 60s. While my contesting
skills are improving, I wouldn't class myself as a good op, fair, but
not good. TR was the first (and WL the second) logging program I used
and I have become fairly knowledgeable about configuring it to suit what
I want. So, maybe my issue is that, "You're different than the last
girl I was with. What's the matter with you?" Still, it troubles me
that forgetting something and thereby causing a Q to not be logged
doesn't get flagged in some way, given that logging the Q is a somewhat
significant and score affecting activity in a contest.
To answer your questions.
I agree that you can set up WL when running to simultaneously send the
TU QRZ? and log the Q. My problem is that I haven't figured out how to
simultaneously send my exchange and log the Q for S&P.
Under your S&P heading you speak of entering the the exchange in the
various fields provided, the number and names of which depend on the
contest. This might be where a communication difficulty lies between TR
and WL folks. In TR there is one "field" (TR calls it a window) where
the exchange is entered, no matter how many parts it has. e.g. in SS
there is not a separate field for each of the many components of the
exchange. You just type the whole thing into the exchange window. TR
takes what you typed and parses it into the appropriate components for
the contest and logs them in their appropriate columns. When you hit
ENTER you have signified that you have finished typing the exchange so
it logs it. If you're running it sends the TU QRZ? or whatever you
have programmed in its place. If you're S&P you listen for the runner's
TU and move on. If you don't get the TU and, for whatever reason, you
can't complete the (already logged) Q, you delete it from the log with a
keystroke and move on. If you have entered something the parser can't
resolve TR won't log the Q until you have fixed it. One example in ARRL
SS would be if you enter a 2 digit serial number. Well, the check is 2
digits so which is which? You quickly learn (without losing the Q) to
use at leat 3 digits when entering a serial number. e.g. 053 instead of
53. Now TR can parse the whole thing, it's happy, it logs the Q. This
is what's behind those puzzling TR ads showing that it can figure out an
SS exchange from an immense amount of gobbledy-gook. It takes all the
garbage, parses it based on it's knowledge of the contest rules, and
logs it. Works very well.
So, in WL, I guess the equivalent thing would be that hitting ENTER or
some other key after typing in the last bit of the exchange in its own
field would log the Q. (I'm worrying here that I have missed something
and someone is going to say, "You dummy, just hit the xx key and stop
wasting our time with your drivel".)
I don't understand what there is to wait for (your step 4.) after
sending your exchange in S&P before logging the Q. Obviously you should
wait for the TU before moving on. If he needs a fill, you send it.
You're not going to not log him just because he needed a fill. If the
Q can't be completed, you delete it from the log. This is a fairly rare
occurrence.
Next question. How does the software distinguish between making a call
sign entry and starting a new Q without having logged the last one?
I'm not expecting it to. What I'm proposing is this. If there is a
valid call in the call field and valid entries in the exchange fields
and then there is a change to the call field you get asked if you want
to save the existing call and exchange. If you're just correcting the
call field you would say No. If it's a new Q you would say Yes.
However, and we're talking S&P here, I can't picture a circumstance
where, just before you send your exchange, you would want to edit the
call field. So, this added message isn't likely to show up
unnecessarily and slow you down and may save you a few double mults in
CQWW that, otherwise, might not have got logged.
A number of people have sent me info on, amongst others, the INS and +
keys. I confess that I haven't had a chance to digest this info and
maybe what I want is there.
Someone suggested that I buy a programmable keyboard which allows the
assignment of one key to multiple functions. What an interesting idea.
I'm using the weird MS USB keyboard which looks like it was designed by
Salvador Dali. I got it because it was a cheaper way at that time of
getting the 2 extra USB ports I needed compared to buying a regular
keyboard and a USB hub. I also thought it would save me an IRQ. Hah!
Not if you're booting into DOS, Billy Boy. No IRQ? No keyboard
recognized. DOS 6.22 don't do USB. So now I have 2 keyboard cables
plugged into the computer, one USB and one standard. Anyway, the
keyboard has 16 buttons at the top which are assigned to various
internet and CD audio functions. I've never paid any attention to
these. Do I already have a programmable keyboard?
I truly appreciate everyone's inputs and patience as I wrestle with this
"problem" which is not universally recognized as being one.
73 de Jim Smith VE7FO
Eric Scace K3NA wrote:
>Hi Jim --
>
> I can't figure out where the "extra keystroke" is that you are discussing.
> (You must understand that I have never used TRlog.)
>Assuming one doesn't make any typing mistakes, the sequence for running is:
>1. push a key to call CQ. (You can configure WL in different ways, depending
>on which key you want to push.)
>2. hear a station reply and type in his call.
>3. push a key to send the call & exchange.
>4. hear the station's exchange and type it in, using Space or Tab to move from
>the callsign field to the various exchange fields.
>5. push a key to send the TU message AND simultaneously save the QSO in the
>log.
>
> Similarly, for S&P:
>1. hear a station, type in his call, hit space to check for dupe (and get
>ready to log the exchange).
>2. push a key to call him.
>3. hear the station's exchange and type it in, using Space or Tab to continue
>moving around the various exchange fields.
>4. when you are satisfied that all the data, including the call, has been
>entered correctly and the station has completed the QSO
>with you, push a key to save the QSO in the log.
>
> What am I missing here?
>
> You suggested a message "Do you want to log the existing call?" if one
> types in the callsign field when there is an apparently
>valid call & exchange in the QSO Entry form. I do not see how that can work.
>How does the software distinguish between when one is
>typing in the callsign field to correct an entry... and typing to make a new
>QSO without having completed the previous QSO?
>
>-- Eric K3NA
>
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