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Re: [WriteLog] "It's broken"

To: <writelog@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] "It's broken"
From: "Charles Darley" <charles@darleys.co.uk>
Date: Thu, 6 Jul 2006 09:08:44 +0100
List-post: <mailto:writelog@contesting.com>
Well done for some great explanation ....Thanks for all the good work done
on WL.

Best regards

Charles Darley   G4VSZ
part of the BRATS RTTY contest team  of  G0BRC



-----Original Message-----
From: Dean Wood [mailto:n6de@comcast.net]
Sent: 06 July 2006 08:59
To: writelog@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] "It's broken"


(Wayne, please see item 5.1 below.)

Ford,

Are you looking for practical answers to the issues you listed (aside
from networking), or are you more concerned with a philosophical
discussion about how Writelog should be?  I know you're frustrated, but
I suspect that your repeated slams, particularly the "anti-Christ"
remarks, probably do not give much indication to the Writelog team that
you are interested in a productive and positive solution-based discourse
about the Writelog problems you're encountering.

Here are some practical answers on some of your items:

1. Save message after every 20 QSOs
This can be easily modified.  In the writelog.ini file, go to the
[Configuration] section, and under it, type the following two lines if
they are not already there:
AutoSaveCount=x (where x=how many QSOs before Writelog autosaves the .wl
file; it of course save the journal file after every QSO)
QsoWarningCount=y (where y=how many QSOs between the warning message; 0
if you don't want the warning message at all)

For example, you can use AutoSaveCount=25 and QsoWarningCount=0.
Specify these parameters once in writelog.ini, and they'll be valid for
all contests after that.

2. Problems with the "C" entry field
Do you even need the "C" entry field?  I've never used it for any
contest and got rid of it entirely to make the entry window cleaner and
easier to navigate.  I specify a parameter in the writelog.ini file to
eliminate the C and Country fields for every contest.  In the
[Multipliers] section of the writelog.ini file, type the following:
ShowCountry=0


3. Save Configuration vs. File, Save
Save Configuration does not save your Function key definitions!  That
info is stored in each .wl file (File, Save).   Things that Save
Configuration stores are writelog.ini related.  You should not have to
reposition the Writelog windows on every reboot if you have issued a
Save Configuration!  The only thing that doesn't pop up right away is
the Mult window, which you have to manually open (Contest, Show
Multipliers).  Everything else appears in the same place as before the
reboot.

4. "Local backup" file ?
Could you explain further what you mean?  Every machine on the network
should save to a local .wl file on the respective machine's local hard
drive, and not to a network location.  I've always done it this way with
Writelog networks and haven't experienced any of the related problems
that you encountered (function keys getting wiped out, Writelog
shutdown, etc).  I recommend you do this instead of everyone accessing,
saving, and browsing shared Writelog files on the network.


5.0 Change Operators command
In fact, this does work great in a Multi-op for changing between
operator WAV files (we did this in Field Day and it worked well).
The process:
a) Create a Wavefiles subdirectory under Writelog.
b) Under that directory, create operator subdirectories by callsign.
c) After you and the other ops record WAV files, place each set in their
respective callsign subdirectories.  Of course, use the same file naming
convention for everyone's files (eg: cq.wav, exch.wav, tu.wav)
d) Place a dummy .wav file in Wavefiles directory.
e) Copy the Wavefiles directory and subdirectories to all the other
computers that will be used in the contest.
f) In Setup, Ports, Wave File Locate, select the dummy .wav file (NOT a
file inside an operator's subdirectory)
g) Setup, CW/RTTY/SSB Messages, specifying the function keys you want
for the various .wav files you've recorded.
h) File, Save; Setup, Save Configuration
i) Entry, Change Operators.  All the ops should show up here and the
.wav files should correspondingly switch whenever you switch ops.

5.1. Problem noted with Wave File Locate for Multi ops
I do however see what Ford means with the wave file locate problem when
exiting and restarting Writelog in 10.59.  Example: Do everything in
5.0, exit Writelog.  Restart Writelog, open recent file saved in step
5.0.  Unfortunately I can't just press F1 or F2.  If I go to Entry,
Change Operators, it doesn't list all the ops (subdirectories) that were
there in step 5.0.  So, I need to go to Setup, Ports, Wave File Locate,
and select the dummy .wav file.  Then if I go to Entry, Change
Operators, I can select the desired op, and then press F1, F2, etc until
I have to reboot or restart again.  Repeat.  The Save Configuration
feature works fine in saving the WaveFileLocation= path in the
writelog.ini file, and writelog.ini knows the correct last op by
CurrentOperator=.  I think the temporary solution is to copy one of the
op's set of .wav files in this directory before the contest for this
exact case.  This would buy time for the current op to continue using
voice keying with someone's voice until he's able to perform the two
steps mentioned here.  But a good Multi-op feature would be if Writelog
could identify the subdirectories of WaveFileLocation= right away on
opening a .wl, compare with CurrentOperator=, automatically use those
.wav files if a subdirectory matches with CurrentOperator=, and
automatically populate the Entry, Change Operators options.


Ford, you may want to try to confirm you can accomplish items #1-3 & 5
just with a single machine (.wl file located on the machine's local hard
drive, no shared file on the network, no Writelog network).  I installed
a full, fresh copy of 10.59 for the 7QP contest earlier this year.
Items 1-3 above worked fine.  We didn't have a network, and didn't use
voice keying.

Hope this was helpful.

73...
-Dean - N6DE


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