The Contest Computer (Cereal Ports by one Snapped puppy)
n0dh at comtch.iea.com
n0dh at comtch.iea.com
Wed Dec 20 23:52:50 EST 1995
One mans solution to the seriaL port wars
Microsoft Bus Mouse configured for IRQ2
Quickpath Systems serial/parallel card model 42 (16 bit card, 4 serial ports,
2 parallel)
COM1 (not configured see below)
COM2 IRQ 3 (VHF digital, PK232, packet interface)
COM3 IRQ 10 (HF rig control, TS-850)
COM4 IRQ 11 (HF digital, 2nd Pk232, RTTY etc)
LPT1 IRQ 7 (printer)
LPT2 IRQ 5 (CW and Voice keyeing interface)
US robotics 14.4 FAx/Modem COM1 IRQ4
All this runs simulatneously on a 486/50 under Windoze 3.1 without conflict or
loss
of data. Because the UARTS on the Quickpath are buffered I loose no data on
any
port while using the other so I can be off on HF RTTY or here on the internet
and still get my VHF packet spots (complete with beep) via DXBase 4.5 . I can
hardly
wait till Dean gets his windows version of DXbase done so I can point and
shoot with the mouse in DXbaseas well.
For contests I run N6TRlog which doesn't require TSRs to define the comport
interfacing and all this runs without a hitch.
Dave
N0DH/7
<---- Begin Included Message ---->
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 1995 12:13:59 -0500
From: W3MM at aol.com
Reply-To: W3MM at aol.com
To: cq-contest at tgv.com
Subject: The Contest Computer (Cereal Ports by one Snapped puppy)
All right! Let us get on with it! CT ver 9 has mouse support. OK so
what? Well a mouse requires a serial port. No big deal, I have a bus
mouse. Well a bus mouse needs an IRQ! Yeah but I need 2 serial
ports! The bus mouse wins! Well this is not really true. The bus
mouse needs a slot. A what? Yes a slot, the socket on the mother-
board that you plug a card into. Which came first, the IRQ or the
slot?
Let us discuss the slot question first. If you have a 386 or 486 computer
you may have as many as 8 ISA slots. If you have one of the new P5
computers then you may have 4 or only 3 ISA slots! Are slots more
valuable than IRQ's? That depends on your state of mind at any
given moment. I do not like to have to tear a computer apart before
a contest and configure it for contest mode operation. I prefer to have
the computer guts configured for contest mode all the time and make
configuration changes that are external to the computer.
Let us take a look at my P5-100. The mother board was
manufactured by Intel and the board has 3 ISA slots. The one
nice thing about these new boards is that the mother board has
a PS/2 style mouse socket mounted on the board and the mouse
uses IRQ 12. The mouse is not using a valuable serial port.
In slot 1 is a Colorado Tape accelerator card for the tape back-up
unit. If you do not have tape back-up, then I presume that you
like living on the edge. In slot 2 is the K1EA DVP board. In slot
3 is the 4 PORT serial card. That got your attention! A word of
warning on 4 port serial cards. There very good cards available
and there are poor cards out there. You can't tell the difference
by the label. They all seem to make the same claims. The only
way to tell is by actually installing the card in radically different
computers and in different configurations. I know, I have a card
which is a bummer and I also have a winner. There will be a
discussion devoted to the 4 port card.
Let us take a look at the port requirements for different station
layouts.
1) You don't have a computer controlled radio and there are no
packetcluster nodes available to you. In this case you have
the mouse connected to a serial port and you will use the
computer to log your contacts and key
the radio. You still
have a free serial port.
2) Same as above but you lost your mind and went out and
bought a computer controlled radio. The radio is going to require
that free serial port so the computer and radio can chat with
each other. Well you just ran out of serial ports.
3) Same as 2 but you want to get the packet TNC talking with
the computer so you can get the DX spots. Well you are going
to need a 3rd serial port.
4) Same as 3 but you want to link the computer to a second
computer and radio for a multi-single or a small multi-multi effort.
Now you need 4 serial ports!
Now it is time for a break and I must return to the basement to
reassemble the two computers that are in pieces due to yesterdays
rigorous testing of a couple of 4 port cards.
VY 73 de Dave W3MM w3mm at aol.com
<---- End Included Message ---->
>From Dave Lawley G4BUO <101332.232 at compuserve.com> Wed Dec 20 23:53:42 1995
From: Dave Lawley G4BUO <101332.232 at compuserve.com> (Dave Lawley G4BUO)
Date: 20 Dec 95 18:53:42 EST
Subject: RSGB HF Contest Calendar/Rules
Message-ID: <951220235341_101332.232_GHW24-1 at CompuServe.COM>
Here is the calendar of RSGB HF contests for 1996. I plan to post summary
rules on the contest reflector shortly before each event but if you would
like full or summary rules for all our contests please contact me at
101332.232 at compuserve.com My IBMMAIL address is still fine for personal
messages but please address anything relating to RSGB HF contests to my
Compuserve address.
The mailing address for overseas entries in all RSGB HF contests is
Steve Knowles G3UFY,
77 Bensham Manor Rd,
Thornton Heath,
Surrey, CR7 7AF,
UK
Wherever possible I will also give an email address for receipt of logs,
probably either to my address or to G4HTD, laurence at lsil.com
Full rules for all RSGB contests are published once per year in the
September edition of 'Radio Communication'. There is one exception this
time: the rules for the IOTA contest will be published early in 1996. The
date and time will NOT change from what appears below. In addition to the
dates below there are several internal or UK-only contests which I have
not listed.
73, Dave G4BUO
101332.232 at compuserve.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
RSGB HF Contests Calendar 1996
10 - 11 Feb 1.8MHz CW 2100-0100z
24 - 25 Feb 7MHz DX CW 1500-0900z
9 - 10 Mar Commonwealth CW 1200-1200z
1 - 2 Jun National Field Day CW 1500-1500z
22 - 23 Jun 1.8MHz CW 2100-0100z
14 Jul Low Power Field Day CW 0900-1200z 1300-1600z
27 - 28 Jul Islands on the Air (IOTA) SSB / CW 1200-1200z
7 - 8 Sep SSB Field Day (IARU Reg 1) SSB 1500-1500z
6 Oct 21/28MHz SSB 0700-1900z
20 Oct 21/28MHz CW 0700-1900z
16 - 17 Nov 1.8MHz CW 2100-0100z
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
>From steven at zianet.com (Steve Nace KN5H) Thu Dec 21 05:53:24 1995
From: steven at zianet.com (Steve Nace KN5H) (Steve Nace KN5H)
Date: Wed, 20 Dec 95 23:53:24 -0600 (CST)
Subject: Still Getting 2 posts
Hello to all and especially Trey 'KKN:
I can understand why I would would get 2 of every message through
my Government provided E mail system. I firmly believe the Govt.
wastes tons of resources (money that is) and 2 copies of every post
just seems to follow suit.
However, my $20/month Internet provider Email system is also getting
2 copies of every post. This means the Government system can be (almost)
ruled out as an anomalous entity (for the time being) and now I can ask
if there is something Trey can do about this condition.
In retrospect, I posted (twice) an informal-to-all-question to see if
anyone else was rcving 2. Dozens of replies confirmed I was not alone.
So, perhaps Mr. Trey can look into this condition.
Thanks for the Bandwidth as it seems I have not been able to recall
Trey's own personal address thus leading to this reflector-wide post.
73 de Hose KN5H
>From Jeffrey Clarke <jdclarke at freenet.columbus.oh.us> Thu Dec 21 05:55:48 1995
From: Jeffrey Clarke <jdclarke at freenet.columbus.oh.us> (Jeffrey Clarke)
Date: Thu, 21 Dec 1995 00:55:48 -0500 (EST)
Subject: TS-850 Advice ??
Message-ID: <Pine.3.07.9512210046.A19919-b100000 at acme>
On Wed, 20 Dec 1995, Larry Novak wrote:
>
> Hi,
>
> I'm getting pretty close to actually getting a new CONTEST radio. The
> TS-850 is high on my list and I wonder if there are things to watch out
> for, like good/bad serial numbers. I DO NOT want general info (e.g., get
> an Icom IC-765 instead) - just stuff I can use if I do decide to get an
> 850.
>
> Thanks,
> Larry, K3TLX
>
> --
> +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
> | Larry Novak \-\-\ email: lnovak at cen.com |
> | Century Computing, Inc. | Tel: (301) 953-3330 |
> | 8101 Sandy Spring Road | Tel (@NRL): (202) 404-7682 |
> | Suite 200 | Fax: (301) 953-2368 |
> | Laurel, MD 20707 | Amateur Radio: K3TLX, C6AHE |
> | http://www.cen.com/ | |
> +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=---=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
> + INSULATOR COLLECTOR'S: http://www.resilience.com/insulators/ +
> +=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=---=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-+
Larry,
I have a TS850S and I like it a lot...... but one thing
I don't like about it is that they didn't put the RCV line on the
din plug like on the TS830S... so if you plan on doing any 160
meters you will have to modify the radio to use a beverage.
Jeff KU8E
******************************************************************
* Jeffrey D. Clarke jdclarke at freenet.columbus.oh.us *
******************************************************************
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