[Trlog] TRLog and USB ports

[KL7RA]

> Stuck with windoze?
> 
> Use TR4W. www.tr4w.com 

Another program is Win-Test. http://www.win-test.com/

The new release due end of this month will now have TRLog
features instead of the (+) and (INS) keys with run and s/p modes
for the messages. 

It was a little painful but I completely replaced my TRLog station
with seven positions for WT which needed Windows machines. I
like to be last to do these things but I can tell this is worth it. The
power of a windows box far exceeds Turbo Pascal and DOS. 
The network, radio interface, etc is flawless. 

Some tips for anyone thinking you may make the change:

N6TR is a friend of mine and he still talks to me after I removed
TRLog and all the old DOS PC's. No grudge even after giving
me a lot of extra support over the years for Multi-Multi. I was
one of the reasons he probably regretted selling TRLog in the
first place. (like WT it was also written in France) 

You do not need "new" or super fact PC's. P4 work and they can 
be bought for cheap on Ebay. 

You really need 19in flat screens to see the WT display correctly
and they are now also cheap. I bought mine from Dell direct for 
the free shipping to Alaska.

The TRLog CW interface works with WT and runs find. WT does
not support paddle input.

We used the keyers in the 781 for the WPX and that works fine.

I now have Winkeyer USB keyers for paddle support but to be
honest not sure they are really necessary. They are a cool keyer
however. 

The serial boards in the "new" PC, I bought six off ebay for about
$40 bucks each, will not drive the radio comm interface and I had
to buy USB style. The Icom CV-17 box does work with the serial
boards or any converter that supplies its own DC.

The Ethernet network is a major improvement for my multi-op and 
worth the conversion alone. Resync of the log, gab messages that
stay on the screen, freq of all stations displayed correctly, etc.

Having said all that I'm keeping this stack of 14 DOS/TRLog PC's
for awhile. I'm not sure but there may never be a program as good
as TRLog for the Sprints. N6TR who wrote TRLog has come in
50 times in the top 10 using it. 

73 Rich KL7RA   (trailing edge kind of guy)