[TRLog] TRLog Suggestions

[Dale Martin]

Tree (et al),

SS CW was my first real trial by fire with TRLog.  I found it very easy 
to get up to speed.  Bear in mind that (1) this was my first contest with 
it, and (2) I was QRP and doing a lot (read: LOT) of S&P'ing. 

I have a couple of comments: 

1.  When in the CQ mode, giving it up and moving up or down the band 
to S&P, I would often forget to "TAB" to the S&P mode.  More than a 
couple of times, I entered the call, hit return, only to hear his call going 
out...I would quickly hit ESCAPE, TAB, enter the call, hit RETURN, and 
hear my call go out, all hopefully before the station started calling CQ again.... 

It seems to me that if TRLog can detect and display the frequency, it 
might be able to detect a frequency change or movement and switch to 
S&P automatically.  Except for a big-gun station moving to another CQ 
frequency, would switching automatically to S&P on VFO movement 
cause problems? 

Maybe it could be an optional thing that could be enabled from the 
command menu. 

2.  When I wanted to take some off time, I tried using /OFF and /ON 
in the command lines.  /OFF (didn't hit return) did nothing.  /ON <return> 
when I got back on caused TRLog to "/ON (exchange)"

I read and re-read the instructions but could not make it work right... 

Where in the log columns do the off/on times show up?  I manually 
inserted them after the section column. 

It occurs to me as I write the above that "/OFF in the call window." 
means to put it (and /ON) at the end of the respective callsigns placed 
in the call window.  Is that right?  Maybe the manual should say so. 
Because, at my first off time at 0830Z, that little detail went right by me!

3.  I had a lot of unexpected success making QSO's by calling CQ -- 
I was QRP, remember?  Beautiful run on 15m Saturday afternoon/evening.

My stereo headphones crapped out about an hour into the contest and 
so never got a chance to try out two-radio contesting this time--it was 
just too, too hard trying to copy/listen with one headphone on one ear 
and the other off the other ear.  

But, I did try the duelling (check the spelling in the manual!) CQ's...
pretty neat... 

4.  When I did take an off-time, I would exit TRLog and shut down the 
computer completely.   When I booted TRLog back up, I found that 
some of the commands I had changed had changed back to their 
defaults (decrement QSO number on repeat, sidetone frequency = 0, 
and a couple of others).  This was kind of distracting.  During slow 
CQ'ing QSO rate periods (<60, >30 an hour), I would read the manual.  
I tried ALT-W after making a command change, but everytime I reloaded 
TRLog it seemed I had to change the above two commands, at least, 
each time.).  

I am sure there are other things that will come to mind over the next 
couple of days, but, this is all I can recall right now.  

73,

Dale Martin, KG5U - ARRL SS CW: 724/76, SO/QRP
kg5u@hal-pc.org
http://www.hal-pc.org/~kg5u


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