[na-user] Computer Speed Question

[Joe]

On Fri, 8 Dec 2000, k8cc wrote:

> 486DX4-100s.  We put 6000+ WPX QSOs into a multi-multi log on more than one 
> occasion with no complaints from the ops.  My recommendation is that 
> anything from a 486DX2-66 or above should work OK.

I agree with this, and I found that with 486DX2-66 or above, you can even
run fairly well in a multi-op station.   We had a couple of 486/25
machines in our setup for CQWW, with 16 mb ram.   One was on the 10 meter
station, which of course got lots of action.   It got real slow into early
Sunday AM, so I changed it out with a 486DX2-66 with 16 mb ram and the
difference was incredible.    

We were using the call sign database, and packet spots.   We also had an
ethernet LAN setup, so some driver overhead for that was in the
equation.  We did a frequent SAVELOG which I had setup to go to a
fileserver on the lan.    Even with all of this the 486DX2-66 with 16 mb
ram did quite well.   Very little delay while running stations.  

We also used SMARTDRV /X to give a little disk cache for making the
callsign database lookups faster.   

We had a total of 6 logging computers and 1 fileserver.  The machine with
the packet spot connection was a Pentium 75, and was also the 15 meter
logging station.  40, 20, and 10 meters had either 486DX2-66 or AMD 80 mhz
486 cpus.   The 80 and 160 meter stations were 486/25 and 486/33
respectively.   All machines had 16 mb ram, and ran SMARTDRV disk cache.  

This setup ran rather nicely given our 5000+ contacts in the contest.  I
was impressed with the speed given all that NA is doing in a multi-multi
contest like this.     It is amazing what can be done with the older
hardware when using efficient software like NA.  

73, W0JOE


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