Release notes for TR Logging Program - Version 5.93
4 December 1996
Version 5.93 - Released on 4 December 1996 (5.92 was only used at W7RM)
- Made inactive radio's band output port follow radio band change.
Before, you would have to Alt-R to the radio and have it's band
displayed for this to happen.
- Added Section initial exchange - just in time for the ARRL 160.
- Added FARNSWORTH ENABLE. Default is false and you can get to it with
(Control-J). I like how it works without having to adjust the speed.
Try it. If you really think the cut in needs to be programmable,
I will do it.
- Made SCP work with characters added during AutoStartSend. Before
the SCP display would stop updating after CW started.
- Made reminder posted messages stay up fixed number of seconds (60).
Before they would stay up until the next minute rolled around on
the clock. Eliminates the possibility of a message only being
displayed for one second if it is posted just before a new minute.
Reminder posted messages are also used for network error messages
and Packet Spot announcements.
- Improved multi nework error messages. Instead of just the nework
broken message after the 10th retry, you get a warning after 5 retries.
- Made the Control-Enter function (don't send CW) work for the S&P
mode.
- Added IC781 as radio type and send narrow filter command with mode.
Let me know what other radios need this.
- Added summary sheet for Stew Perry contest.
- Added the FT990 as a interfaced radio choice. Fixed the split
function for this radio.
- Attempt to make RIT shift keys work with Yaesu radios. Let me know
if it works.
- Added Control-W to erase window contents. Works the same as ESCAPE
without stopping CW.
Version 5.91 - Released 19 November 1996
- Made Control-\ or Control-Enter not disable function key CW messages.
- Changed FT990 RIT increment from 10 to 20 hertz (same as 4.05).
- Fixed bug with no CW space after / sign.
Version 5.90 - Released 18 November 1996
- Made = key work again (QuickQSLMessage2). This is an undocumented
feature that was removed a few versions ago, and someone missed it!
It will send EE as a QSL message.
- Added split frequency set for FT990. The command that the FT-1000
has for setting the B vfo doesn't exist on the 890/990. I now switch
to the B VFO, set the frequency, then switch back to the A VFO when
setting the frequency for the B vfo.
- Put RIT back in for FT990. Someone said it used to work - the 990
I had must have had old firmware because it never did. Hope it works
now. Maybe we should try the MP and see if it works (maybe someone
can play with the MP as a FT990 and see if anything happens).
- Made FT990 and FT890 same thing. It used to be the 990 used the same
commands as the 1000. However, it looks like the 890 is much closer.
Entering FT990 as the radio type.
- Added MULTI RETRY COUNT (default 30 - minimum 3) + Control-J. This is
the retry delay for the first two retires. Set this to 3 or 5 seconds
per computer in the network (minus 1 computer).
- Added PACKET ADD LF command (Control-J). Some packet guys needed this.
It adds a line feed whenever a carriage return is found. Default is
FALSE and you can get to it with Control-J.
- Improved base 64 decode. Someone sent me a file that didn't work, but
it does now.
- Fixed mode for JST radio. I was reading the filter width bit, not the
mode bit.
- Way to send "unique" CW. The following control characters have been
added to send CW elements of various lengths. The normal dit length
is 10 and the normal dah length is 30.
Dah Length = 22 Control-E Dit Length = 6 Control-P
Dah Length = 26 Control-Dash Dit Length = 8 Control-Q
Dah Length = 30 Control-K Dit Length = 10 Control-\
Dah Length = 34 Control-N Dit Length = 12 Control-V
Dah Length = 38 Control-O Dit Length = 14 Control-L
You can combine these elements with normal characters. For example,
you can send a six with a long dah with Control-O followed by an H.
Control characters can be programmed when using the Alt-P command
by pressing first Control-P, then the Control character you want.
Version 5.89 - Released 12 November 1996
- Fixed network!
- Added Control-X (decrease) and Control-Y (increase) dynamic weight
commands. These work similar as Control-F and Control-S when included
in CW messages. They change the weight by 0.03. Be sure to reset the
weight back to the nominal value at the end of your CW message.
Version 5.88 - 9 November 1996
- Added support for the Stew Perry Topband Distance challenge. The
contest is called STEW PERRY, the QSO point method is STEW PERRY
QSO POINT METHOD and the exchange is RST AND OR GRID exchange. You
need to enter either a RST or GRID or BOTH. You also need to set
MY GRID to a proper grid for the QSO points to come out to anything
but 1.
- There was a bug in the POST routine used to determine if new database
data should overwrite existing data. If you set the overwrite flags
to TRUE, you would loose old data in fields not being updated. For
example, if you were adding data to the USER 1 field and had the
overwrite flags for USER 2 and 3 set to TRUE, you would loose your
old data. This affected all fields, but is fixed in this version.
- Made CALLSIGN UPDATE ENABLE = TRUE as a default for the Sweepstakes.
- Fixed calls with / in exchange being ignored if CALLSIGN UPDATE ENABLE.
- Control-Enter is now processed differently than before (it would act
just as if you hit control-J before). It will now have the same effect
as pressing control-\ which will log a QSO without sending the QSL
MESSAGE. Also, the function has been expanded to allow starting the
CQ QSO process without sending the CQ EXCHANGE.
- Made maritime mobiles be in no country.
- Added SL FIVE POINT qso point method = 5 points for SL prefix, else 1 pt.
- Added CW SPEED FROM DATABASE flag (control-J). Fetches the code speed
to send CQ exchanges at from the TRMASTER database. If no entry found,
it just sends at the speed you were CQing at. POST also has a log file
procedure to take a simple ASCII file with calls and code speeds and
put it in the database. Of course, there is also the new SPEED field
in the database. You resort to your old speed in the QSL MESSAGE or
next CQ if you abort the contact.
- The POST routine to read Grids from a VHF log and put them into the
TRMASTER database was written, but not on the menu. It is now available.
- Prevented station information from band map from over-writing CQ QSO info.
- Prevented band map from over-writing dupe info window if call ready.
- Created RELAY CONTROL PORT with 1 2 or 3. Uses pin 14 to control relay.
Beware this is the same pin that you might be using to pullup your
dit and dah inputs. Use a separate parallel port if this is the case.
A high output (5 volts) indicates rig one.
- Fixed garbage in call window after Alt-E during Alt-Q or Alt-C.
- Made CQ band map entries no longer blink.
- Fixed off/on time commands.
- Changed Alt-N to - (enter transmit frequency). You may not enter
splits just with the keys on the keypad (if you are in num lock).
The Yaesu radios now enter split mode when you do this as well as
setting the B vfo to the transmit frequency.
Version 5.87 - 31 October 1996
- Restored previous overlay buffer to increase performance.
- Fixed bus with VGA DISPLAY ENABLE not preventing VGA mode.
Version 5.86 - 28 October 1996
- Fixed AutoDisplayDupeQSO and SCP incompatability. If you had the
SCP function enabled AND the AutoDisplayDupeQSO feature enabled, the
dupe information would be over-written before you could read it.
- Fixed non exisitant country crashing beam headings.
- Fixed divide by zero error causing problems with some beam headings.
- Added beam heading and distance utility in POST (utility menu).
- Added name editor for TRMASTER.DAT. It is similar to the old name
editor used for the NAMES.CMQ file.
- Added SCP WINDOW DUPE COLOR and SCP WINDOW DUPE BACKGROUND commands.
This lets you change the colors used in the SCP display for the dupes.
- There are now three user definable data fields in the TRMASTER database.
They are USER1, USER2 and USER3. Each can hold up to 12 characters of
data.
Data can be loaded into them from either a LOG.DAT file or an ASCII
file with the callsign followed by the data. There is a general
purpose load function in the TRMASTER Add Menu for this.
You can use the data for an intial exchange (ie: INITIAL EXCHANGE =
USER 1) or you can just display the data under the call window when
working the station (ie: USER INFO SHOWN = USER 2). You can select
both of these from the Control-J menu.
Use USER INFO WINDOW COLOR and USER INFO WINDOW BACKGROUND if you
want to change the colors of the display window.
- If you are tired of the program telling you your code speed is 35
WPM when on SSB, you will be happy to know this has finally been
fixed. The start sending arrow is also removed in SSB. I believe
this only occured when you changed modes using the radio, not the
program.
- If you are using the two radio mode and the band map, the band map
will now jump to the band that matches the radio being tuned. I
think this will be a fun feature for us two radio addicts. You need
to tune the radio at least 200 hertz before this will happen.
- The Control-Y command will now refresh the time stamp of the band
map entry that is blinking. This means you don't have to use the
Alt-D command and type in the callsign if you are using the band
map on the second radio.
- There have been some improvements to the band map. There were times
when the band map seemed to hang up while in the search and pounce
mode. This has been fixed. The band map will no longer respond to
the radio QSYing to the QSX frequency set with the Alt-N command
(which used to be the \ command).
- There were about 3 things broken with the remaining country list as
a result of adding the CTY.DAT file. First, the normal list had too
many entries in it and the top line was scrolling out of the window.
Next, the big remaining list was not accessable with the BIG REMAINING
LIST, but now is. Finally, if you changed from one list to the other
with Control-J while the program was running, the correct status was
not shown. Now the reamaining list is recalculated when changing
the size with Control-J.
- The \ key feature to allow entry of xmit frequency had one major
drawback, it used the call window for the frequency input. This
meant if you already had a call in the call window, you had to erase
the call, enter the split, then reenter the call. This has been
changed so the \ character opens up a window to enter the frequency
without affecting the contents of the call window.
- The other problem with the \ key for entering your XMIT frequency is
that this key is also the QUICK QSL key. You now need to use Alt-N
to enter a QSX frequency. You may also only enter the last three
digits of the frequency and the program will figure out the correct
frequency (ie: 237 -> 7237).
- The control-J menu was not allowing access to the new initial exchanges
added with the TRMASTER file. This has been fixed.
- Same CQ Zone fixes made in 5.85 for TR are now in POST.
Version 5.85 (TR program only) - 23 October 1996
- Added BAND MAP GUARD BAND (control-J) controls how close you need to be
to a band map entry to have it blink and be considered the active station.
The default is 200 hertz.
- Better CQ Zone defaults for VE call areas.
Version 5.84 - Released 13 October 1996
- Various run-time error fixes associated with TRMASTER.DTA.
- Fixed run-time error possibility when getting random calls.
- Eliminated bug that allowed dupes in TRMASTER file.
- More aggressive use of overlays in POST so it needs less memory.
- Added AUTO QSO NUMBER DECREMENT flag. Initial value is FALSE and
you can get to it via Control-J. When TRUE, this flag will tell
the program to send the previous QSO number when you are in the
Search and Pounce mode and the call and exchange window is empty.
The QSO number is sent with the # character in a CW message.
- Fixed missing command to enable JST-245 radio front panel. The
Japan Radio interface seems to work perfectly now.
Version 5.83 - Released 4 October 1996
- Eliminated HOME GRID parameter and replaced it with MY GRID and
GRID MAP CENTER. MY GRID is used for the beam heading calculations
and QSO point calculations when using the EuropeanVHFQSOPoint method
which calculates one point per kilometer. The GRID MAP CENTER is
used to position the center of the grid map to the desired place.
If this is set to a grid, the program will try to power up in the
VGA/EGA mode if available.
- The rate sheet under the OH2MM reports would crash if used for
a contest which had dates before the 10th of the month. This has
been fixed.
- The last internet update had a bug in the INSTALL program where it
was trying to copy the old .CTY files instead of the new CTY.DAT
file. This bug was fixed before anyone downloaded it from the
BBS. This version has the fixed version as well.
- If using the backslash to enter a frequency for the B VFO, your
Kenwood radio will now switch to split mode. I hope to add other
radios soon.
Version 5.82 - Released 1 October 1996
- Switch to CT version 9 country file (CTY.DAT). This file includes
all information that was in ARRL.CTY, IARU.CTY and CQWW.CTY. It
also includes latitude and longitude information for each country.
- No more beam heading file. Beam headings are computed using info
from the CTY.DAT file. To enable, simply set your home grid to your
grid square.
- Don't know your grid square? Try the new GRID startup command by
typing TR GRID. Tell it your latitude and longitude and it will
computer your grid square.
- Other new startup commands include B64DECODE and UUDECODE to convert
these types of files to binary files.
- NEW RADIO!! The JST245 is now supported and hopefully it works.
This is in beta test mode as I don't have a radio here to test.
Also added JST RESPONSE TIME parameter (^J).
- Made Sprint exchange hacker very much smarter - it even uses name
database in some cases to try and distinguish a name from a QTH.
I think you have to be trying pretty hard for it to get confused.
Most exchanges can now be entered in any order.
- Improved .DTA database so that if a inquiry comes along for the
same call as the previous inquiry, the data is instantly returned.
- Fixed bug with LEAVE CURSOR IN CALL WINDOW and not MULTIPLE BANDS.
The cursor would stay in the QSO NEEDS window and the program would
hang.
Version 5.81 - Released 17 September 1996.
- Fixed crash if computing distance to your own grid (made it 0 KM).
- Created better delay timer to replace the one Borland Pascal has.
The delays are no longer dependent on the type of processor and
clock speed.
- Added programmable response timout for the different interfaced radios.
ICOM RESPONSE TIMEOUT, KENWOOD RESPONSE TIMEOUT and YAESU RESPONSE
TIMEOUT. All can be tweaked with Control-J. Adjusting the timeout
for the Icom is how I got the IC-761 to work (was 50 ms and started
working at 100).
- Added ICOM COMMAND PAUSE. This used to be 500 ms, but appears we can
shorten it to 200 ms. This is the necessary pause between frequency
and mode commands (the radio gets confused if they come too fast).
- Added / as a way to set B vfo (Kenwoods at least). This is great for
split operation.
- Fixed bug with show search and pounce.
- Allowed 6 digit grid squares when starting up program for home grid.
- Fixed confusing instructions about exporting/importing files for .DTA
database (I hope).
Version 5.80 - 13 September 1996
- When importing check and section into database, also setup states.
- Fixed IC-761 data coming to computer!
- Added European HFC and KVP contests.
- If no mults, made SCORE show total QSO points.
- Fixed EU VHF so no mults - and allow exchange to work without them.
- If .DTA cell found without any calls - fixed crash of possible call list.
- Made up some pretty weird random calls if no .DTA file around.
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