Greetings,
I purchased WriteLog a couple of weeks ago. A week's hospital stay only let
me read the manual. It wasn't until this past Friday that I got to load and
setup Writelog for ARRL DX CW. Following are my impressions, comments, and
wishes...to date...more to follow, I'm sure.
Here's my setup:
Two Ten-Tec Omni VI's. Paddles, CMOS Superkeyer, DXDoubler, homebrew SO2R
controller for antennas and BPFs. PC: 750MHz P4, Win98SE, two serial
comports and an LPT port.
1. There's a reference to Win98 users running a file called FPort16.exe. I
never found that file.
2. Band Map. For me, operating in the QRP category, S&P is a significant
part of my operating routine and the Band Map plays an important role as I'm
S&P'ing through the bands
a. According to the manual, calls I have worked are entered in Dark
Blue in the band map. Maybe my monitor is not bright enough, but I see no
'Dark Blue' callsigns in the band map. Is there a way to change the
callsign color so they show up better? There are color settings in the .ini
under Band Map, but I haven't played with them yet. Do any affect the
worked callsign color?
b. I'm an old TRLog user and may be (am) spoiled by the fact that
to enter a call in the bandmap is actually part of the dupe check function.
I loved that feature. Now having to hit ALT-Y, A, to enter a call in the
band map seemed to me to be a lot of work that the software could do a
better way, like through the dupe check function. Is there, at least, a way
to enter the Alt-Y,A command sequence into a message memory so band map
entry is down to one keystroke?
3. I like the SO2R setup of Writelog. It worked very well and I had few
problems getting used to how it works.
4. I had to do some searching to find out how to change speed increments.
I finally found it and made the needed change: 3wpm steps from 45 down to
35, 1wpm steps from 34 down to 28 or so, 2wpm steps after that. It was much
nicer after I made that change.
5. I miss not being able to have my paddle CW speed sync'ed with and
through the computer (TRLog does it through LPT pins 12, 13, 14, 25). I'm
guessing it is too late to ask for that in WriteLog with most all new
computers coming out without LPT ports.
6. I don't understand the xx QSO's Since Last Save feature. Is there a way
to save each QSO as they are logged? During an off time, my PC went to
sleep (I fixed it later so that it won't go to screensaver or go to sleep
during a contest). It locked up on trying to re-awaken. I rebooted the PC,
and rebooted WriteLog. Fortunately, WriteLog warning message came up saying
it was restoring possible lost log entries. Whew... that was scary. So,
now I do a save manually periodically during the contest. But, (1) I feel
it should be a function of the program to save each entry--what reason would
anyone have to NOT save their log entries?--and, (2) why doesn't the warning
message go away when I do a File/Save?
7. My copy of the pdf version of the manual I downloaded from the website
has text cut off at the right margin. It may only be a couple of letters.
Is it just a case that I'm looking at an early version of the manual or is
that how it is?
Overall, my first solo experience with WriteLog at my own station was a good
one.
73,
dale, kg5u
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