[WriteLog] Contest logging program for a blind friend...probably solved

WI8W wi8w@arrl.net
Fri, 2 Aug 2002 03:00:26 -0000


An update.

Thanks to all who made several suggestions.  NA, CT, Writelog and well as
TRLog, XMlog and several others were mentioned.  We tried NA and CT but the
JAWS program could not read any of the setup menus.  Maybe K8CC and K1EA can
fix this problem in future releases.

I visited my friend briefly tonight before the local club meeting and we
installed my copy of Writelog on his computer running JAWS.  The JAWS
program handled the logging program perfectly. I had my friend sit down in
front of it and try to use it from the initial click of the icon to the
actual inputting of a few qso's.  With my coaching he got the thing the
first time.  I am going to let him play with it during this weekends NAQP CW
contest.

I was impressed that it managed to read all the menus, buttons and screens
perfectly.  The only annoying things about it is that the JAWS program keeps
saying "cursor" when waiting for the input of the first letter of the
callsign in the logging and it also does not tell him when a dupe is entered
but maybe there is a beep or something I can impliment that will alert him
of those events.  Maybe W5XD can fix these problems, although I doubt that
the cursor thing can be fixed, the darn cursor blinks and that is what is
triggering the response.

So, even with all its little faults and quirks, Writelog seems to be a
pretty good bet for the blind contester.  Once he gets the hang of it I will
try to get his radio interfaced with it as well as a CW keying interface.

Again thanks to all the responded.

73

Thom WI8W