[SD-User] Rig Control and Manual Band Change

[Paul O'Kane]

On 03/09/2012 12:16, Timothy McKnight wrote:

> running Vista, I installed an FTDI serial to USB
> converter and connected my CT-17 interface between the rig and computer.  I
> could see that the serial converter was assigned to COM30 port.  However,
> SD's PORTS command allows only ports 1 to 24 to be used for rig control.
>> From the laptop's Hardware Manager I saw that ports COM3 to COM29 were 'in
> use,' meaning my only choices were COM1 and COM2.

What's been described is a Vista issue because,
quite clearly, not all "ports" between COM3 and
COM29 were actually in use, regardless of what
Vista indicated.

I will extend SD's range of serial ports, above 24,
for the next update.  Note than N1MM, the leading
free contest logger, allows only ports 1 to 8.


> I then laboriously found
> a way to re-assign the serial converter to COM2.  I changed rig control
> port in SD to 2 but SD wouldn't connect with the rig.  I then re-assigned
> the converter to COM1 and SD rig control to 1 but still SD would not
> connect with the rig.

So, SD is to blame for everything?  :-)


> In frustration I gave up and decided to go with manual band entry on SD.
> Then I found another problem--the same problem I had three months ago with
> SD v15.61.  Sometimes SD would not recognise a manual band-change command
> (entering '20M' or '40M' etc in the callsign field) and remain in the same
> band.

I've tested this in the last few minutes, with
rig control disabled, and it appears to be working
correctly.   The B14, B20 etc. command are
alternatives - also working.


> Sometimes I would catch this but sometimes not, so some of my QSOs
> have the wrong band recorded.

If you know which are which, use the F1 or F2
keys (Caps Lock Off) to edit the bands.


> At least once, entering '20M' has taken me
> to QSO number 20 without me noticing.

Can you be certain that 20M was entered and not
just 20 (followed by Enter), because that will
take to to QSO 20 - ready for an edit.


>  Entering a new callsign overwrote
> the callsign already recorded for QSO number 20--more lost points.

When editing a QSO, Minus will abandon the edit,
regardless of what you have changed, and return
the cursor to the logging line.


> I have been using SD for 5 years now and like many of its features.  It is
> no longer 'free'

What is that supposed to mean?  Are you suggesting
it should always have been free?  Should all
software be free?


> and yet I seem to have more problems with it than other
> 'free' software that I use.  Is it possible to fix these problems or is it
> just me?

Who knows?  :-)

73,
Paul EI5DI