I came home and tried the A. Volta contest module. It
works exactly the same on my pure Win98SE machine as it did
on my NT machine at the office. This machine has a full Win98SE
installation on it.
However, when I tried it on my Win95 machine and Win98SE
machine that was originally a Win95 machine but upgraded to
Win98SE, there was a different and BAD reaction. Why it's different
is a mystery to me! I am running the same version WL (10.32D beta)
on all machines. I know it's beta but I doubt it makes a difference.
It's a problem in the module, not WL itself.
On the Win95 machines, the module is nearly unusable as is. After you
click on a callsign in the RTTYrite window, it is placed in the Entry
Window and the cursor goes to the RST field - all OK. But, when you click on
the serial number, it is placed in the RST field! What's worse is then
when you try to correct the RST field, it changes from a 3 digit number (599)
to a 2 digit RS report (59) and you can't return it to 599 without wiping
out the entire contents of the Entry Window with ALT-W - oh brother.
THE WORKAROUND DESCRIBED BELOW IS RECOMMENDED
FOR ALL MACHINES, WIN95 OR NOT, WHEN RUNNING THE VOLTA
MODULE.
There is a safe workaround if your machine behaves this way. You have to
eliminate the RST report in the Entry Window by going to the Contest
menu on the main WL screen and choosing "Exchange Format Setup..."
When asked "Do you want to initialize ALL fields in the exchange?", click
NO.
In the left hand column, click once on RST and it will highlight. In the list
to the right un-check "Prompt. Include in QSO entry prompt".
Next click on the "Save" button at the bottom, then click "OK".
You will notice that the RST field is now gone from the Entry Window.
Now, the module works great (in a way). After you click on the callsign,
the cursor goes to the RCVD field. When you click on the serial number
in the RTTYrite window, it properly goes to the RCVD field. You can
even then click on the zone in the RTTYrite window AND IT DOES NOT
WIPE OUT THE CALLSIGN IN THE ENTRY WINDOW! "Unknown
Multiplier" appears in red in the Entry Window but ignore it. If you tab
through the Entry Window it goes away and shows if it is a new Station
or new Mult correctly.
When you log the QSO it will properly show 599 reports as both send
and received in the log and everything is right in the world.
Because of this important finding, I am recommending that even if you are
running Win98SE or NT or whatever Windows version that works like
what is shown on my website, that you go ahead and eliminate the RST field
anyway.
If I have time, I'll put a page up on the site before the weekend showing how
to eliminate the RST field in the Entry Window. Don't ask me what to do
if someone gives you a report other than 599. You won't like my answer.
I know this is a lot of work and it should NOT be. But there really isn't much
choice at this point and time if you want to use WL for this weekend's VOLTA
contest.
I won't apologize - I didn't do it. I will apologize for being so brunt. I'm
having
a very bad day. I took my $30k one-year-old truck into the local Ford dealer
for a simple warranty repair and they wreck it in their back lot a week before
I leave for Dayton. And it wasn't just a minor fender bender.
Any good lawyers out there?
73, Don AA5AU
----- Original Message -----
From: "Don Hill AA5AU" <aa5au@bellsouth.net>
To: "WriteLog Reflector" <Writelog@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, May 07, 2002 4:53 PM
Subject: [WriteLog] A. VOLTA RTTY Module problems
> I've pre-tested the module for the upcoming A. VOLTA
> RTTY DX Contest and found a few problems.
>
> This module works fairly well and better than some of
> the other SM6SRW modules. However, there are a couple
> of situations where if you click on something in the RTTYrite
> window and that particular field is already populated, it
> will overwrite the callsign and not the field you are trying to
> re-populate.
>
> I've documented the problems with a page on the AA5AU
> WriteLog website with screen shots showing what will happen.
>
> http://www.geocities.com/writelog
>
> The link is called "A. VOLTA Module Help".
>
> Briefly, if you click on a callsign in the RTTYrite window,
> it will be properly placed in the CALL field of the Entry Window.
> The cursor then moves to the RST field and the ZN (zone) field
> is automatically populated with the correct zone for the CALL.
> The cursor then goes to the ZN field. All this is normal and
> works fine. If you log the contact at this point, everything appears
> to be OK.
>
> However, if for some reason you need to edit either the RCVD
> (serial number) or ZN fields because they are incorrect, you must
> do so manually using the keyboard. Clicking on anything in
> the RTTYrite window when the cursor is in either the RCVD
> or ZN fields and those fields are already populated will result
> in the callsign being overwritten by what you click on and the
> RCVD (serial number) being wiped out.
>
> One very good thing. This module does not react like the ARI
> module did. If you have already worked a station on another
> band, when you click on that station's callsign, the RCVD field
> is not populated with the previous serial number. Instead, the
> RCVD field is left blank allowing you to click on the received
> serial number in the RTTYrite field and have it properly populate
> the RVCD field.
>
> I tested this on my NT machine at work. I'll retest it on my Win98
> machine when I get home tonight. If there is any change, I'll
> post it here.
>
> 73, Don AA5AU
> http://www.aa5au.com
>
>
>
>
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>
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