[na-user] 10.39 WPX Issues

[Dick Green]

I encountered the following problems using 10.39 in WPX:

Serious problems:

1. No warning on dupes after several hundred QSOs in the log (fixed by
recovering more conventional memory -- see my "Error 07" post.)

2. Write Log gets Error 07 (fixed by recovering more conventional memory --
see my "Error 07" post.)

3. About 5% of the time I used it, the F4 "Switch to Alternate Radio"
feature mysteriously stopped working -- it would send my call through the
main radio, even though a station had been queued through the Dupe window.
Even re-queuing the station would not fix it. Proper 2-radio functionality
could only be restored by exiting the program and restarting. This problem
exists in previous version, back to at least 10.36. I have not yet figured
out how to reproduce it -- has anyone else encountered it?

Less-serious problems:

4. Check Multiplier still doesn't work in WPX.

5. In all versions, you can't toggle between the main and alternate radios
if the cursor is on a previously logged QSO -- it must be in the blank entry
line. This drove me into a panic a couple of times when I hit ENTER on the
alternate radio QSO, only to have the station ask for a repeat on the serial
number. Naturally, I moved the cursor back up to the log line, but then
couldn't switch back to the alternate radio! I finally figured out that I
had to switch back while the cursor was in the blank line, then move the
cursor back up to the log entry. If it's not possible to allow switching at
any time, there should be a warning in the manual.

6. In all versions, sometimes F11 does not clear the QSO unless I first
start CT, use the key to wipe a QSO line, then exit and start NA. Probably a
BIOS compatibility problem.

7. Randomly, NA displays "RADIO IS OUT OF THE HAM BANDS" (or something like
that.) I'm using an FT-1000mp and an FT-990. Not serious, but distracting. I
think it's the 1000mp, because I never saw this message when using a
TS950SDX and FT-990 in previous contests.

8. Garbage characters appear in the Check Partial window when using Check
Multiplier (fixed by recovering more conventional memory -- see my "Error
07" post.)

Feature or Bug?

8. Hitting SPACE jumps directly to the RST field when I display rate info
with ALT-R, but jumps to the serial number field when I use ALT-R to display
the status bar. Nice to have the option, but it would make more sense for it
to be a configuration option (i.e., I like to jump directly to the serial
number field, but sometimes like to look at the rates, too.)

9. If the Check Multiplier window is displayed, a red flashing message is
displayed whenever a needed prefix is checked. If Check Call is displayed, a
black non-flashing message is displayed. Makes some sense, but the warning
format should be independent of the display windows (in WPX, I prefer
keeping Check Call on the screen, but like the red flashing new-prefix
message.)

Suggestion

10. When running two radios, I often toggle from stereo to mono in order to
hear the main (run) radio more clearly. Sometimes, I'd like to do that with
the alternate (S&P) radio, but have to use two keystrokes: CTRL-R and
CTRL-S. Of course, I can't do that when the main radio is calling CQ. How
about adding a key to cancel STEREO and toggle the audio between the two
radios? Maybe CTRL-A (for audio) would be a good choice, since it's close to
the S and R keys.
There's already a separate LPT line for the L-R audio relay, so no hardware
changes would be required.

73, Dick, WC1M



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