Hello,
This is IK4VYX, Fabrizio: the developer of DXTelnet.
Here is how I get internet DX Spots from any Internet cluster
directly into CT, all in a single PC with only one (I repeat: ONLY ONE)
serial port.
CT must be run under Windows in a DOS shell and the free serial port
must be configured as a CT's TNC port.
Requirements:
A Windows PC connected to Internet
(All windows family is OK, except NT and 2000; I don't know about Win ME)
At least 1 free serial port
A DB female dummy connector with some shortened pins
(in case of 9 pin serial port, shortened pins are 2-3, 4-6-8)
(in case of 25 pin serial port, shortened pins are 2-3, 5-6-20)
this dummy connector to be plugged into CT's TNC port
(of course no TNC must be connected).
The software I used is, of course, DXTelnet which allows data exchange via file.
For this purpose I made a TSR which gets the data from the TXT
exchange file created by DXTelnet and sends the spots as they arrive
to the I/O address of the CT's TNC port (using direct I/O address will
prevent from serial port conflicts, that's why only one serial port is
enough in this case; direct I/O is not alowed in NT and 2000, that's why it
wont work there)
Data are written byte by byte directly on the I/O address of the UART's TX
register, the loopback connector then sends the same data to the RX register
so that CT can read the spots.
Operation:
I plug the dummy connector on the CT's serial port.
I run DXTelnet and I enable the file exchange link.
I connect DXTelnet to the CQDX-IRC site, which is the one which carries
the biggest number of DX spots.
I start a DOS session and run my TSR (its name is DXT2LOG)
At the same DOS prompt I start Comtsr2 (COM 2 is my free port) then CT.
Bingo! The DX spots are flowing from CQDX-IRC internet site into CT!
I Kept this thing running for hours and it worked flawlessly:
not a single byte was lost.
This, I repeat, makes it possible to get internet spots into CT,
on a single PC, using ONLY ONE serial port and a dummy connector
(no TNCs at all).
If you have more free serial ports or more PCs then you can use a
serial port cable from one PC to another (or from one port to another on
same PC) and DXXtelnet can accomplish this as well.
But this is a well known method (in this case also Win NT or 2000 will work)
So with this message I wanted to put the focus on the single port method,
which, I think, is a very original one.
You can download DXTelnet from:
http://www.qsl.net/wd4ngb/telnet.htm
Note:
the DXT2LOG TSR which comes with the download has a bug which prevents it
from working properly in some cases.
You can email me to get the fixed TSR together with the link setup tips
in detail.
My email is:
"IK4VYX -- Fabrizio Sartoni" <rac2610@racine.ra.it>
Best (((73))) de Fabrizio (IK4VYX)
--
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