[TowerTalk] Antenna modeling - AO 6.5 or Elnec? - info needed

[Dan]

Hi OM's,

I need the benefit of your experience concerning antenna modeling software.
 I'm considering buying Roy's Elnec or Brian's AO 6.5.  I've had a bad
experience with Brian, but I would still buy from him if he has the best
software for my needs (see sad story below if interested).   I would like
to hear from those who have used Elnec or AO 6.5.

What I need it for:
--------------------------
I want it to model wire antennas, and wire array's, and to dabble
occasionally with yagis and verticals.  I want pop-up menu's and convenient
operation from DOS or a DOS window in 95.  I don't want a program with copy
protection. 


A Sad Sad Story:
------------------------
A few years ago, I decided to get some modeling software.  I wrote both
Brian and Roy, asking for information about their products.  I received
information from both, and decided to buy MN 4.5 from Brian.  I was pleased
with MN, except for the copy protection system, which has caused me
countless hours of grief.  

The copy protection strategy uses a "software key" system.  You can copy
the working files to any disk, but the program won't work unless the "key"
is passed to the disk you want to use--you give the program an instruction,
and it moves the "key" from one disk to another.  Brian includes a few
spare "keys", but I have still experienced several problems with this
strategy.

The information I received from Brian prior to buying the program SAID
NOTHING about copy protection!  The problems I've had are as follows.

If you have a disk crash or virus (as I did), your "key" can get lost. 
When you loose your "keys", you can't use your program.   If you have
several computers (as I do) keeping track of where your "key" is (over a
period of months) is a pain.   I am using a partitioned drive now, and I
tried to run the program on drive "D" with my other ham software.  I was
unable to do this, and lost two "keys" before giving up trying to make this
work.  In order to keep from loosing "keys" I often run the program from
the original floppy disk, but this is very slow and inconvenient.  Although
I'm no where near the genius that Brian is, I've been using computers for
40 years, and have had nine PC's.  I know my way around the computer.  It's
not fair for a paying customer to be burdened with this kind of needless
inconvenience.

If you think that's bad:
------------------------------------------------
After I lost all of my "keys", I contacted Brian to see if he could remove
the copy protection from my original disk.  Since he doesn't sell this
program any more, and since he did not disclose the existence of the copy
protection when I asked for information prior to purchasing, I thought it
was a reasonable request.  He declined, and suggested that I buy his new
program, AO.  He left me hanging without a functioning program.  I sent him
another e-mail, asking if there was anything I could do--I like MN when it
works.  He offered to install more "keys" on my original disk for $10.  I
took him up on this.

About a year ago, I purchased NEC-Wires from Brian.  It doesn't have copy
protection & it runs perfectly. Although it isn't convenient for a lot of
trial-and-error experimentation, its a good program, and I'm glad to have
it in my library.  It runs from a batch file system instead of a menu
system.  Also, to change modeling parameters, you have to append switches
to the batch run command.

Customer service is not Brian's forte.  However, I think so much of his
programming skills, I would still buy his software.  His programs are not
just technically excellent, he has a knack for creating elegant, flexible
programs that are a pleasure to use--except for the *%&!!* copy protection
on MN 4.5.

Thanks in advance for any info you can provide on Elnec or AO 6.5.
73,
Dan - W4TQ (previously AD4HW)


Dan Long
8035 Tokyo Pt.
Dunnellon, FL 34433
e-mail: ad4hw@citrus.infi.net
phone: 352-563-0934

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