[WriteLog] Operational Characteristics of WL on CW

[Jim Smith]

Hi Eric,

First of all, I only got back into the game a couple of years ago or so. 
 Last contest I was in before that was in the 60s.  While my contesting 
skills are improving, I wouldn't class myself as a good op, fair, but 
not good.  TR was the first (and WL the second) logging program I used 
and I have become fairly knowledgeable about configuring it to suit what 
I want.  So, maybe my issue is that, "You're different than the last 
girl I was with.  What's the matter with you?"  Still, it troubles me 
that forgetting something and thereby causing a Q to not be logged 
doesn't get flagged in some way, given that logging the Q is a somewhat 
significant and score affecting activity in a contest.

To answer your questions.

I agree that you can set up WL when running to simultaneously send the 
TU QRZ? and log the Q.  My problem is that I haven't figured out how to 
simultaneously send my exchange and log the Q for S&P.

Under your S&P heading you speak of entering the the exchange in the 
various fields provided, the number and names of which depend on the 
contest.  This might be where a communication difficulty lies between TR 
and WL folks.  In TR there is one "field" (TR calls it a window) where 
the exchange is entered, no matter how many parts it has.  e.g. in SS 
there is not a separate field for each of the many components of the 
exchange.  You just type the whole thing into the exchange window.  TR 
takes what you typed and parses it into the appropriate components for 
the contest and logs them in their appropriate columns.  When you hit 
ENTER you have signified that you have finished typing the exchange so 
it logs it.  If you're running it sends the TU QRZ? or  whatever you 
have programmed in its place.  If you're S&P you listen for the runner's 
TU and move on.  If you don't get the TU and, for whatever reason, you 
can't complete the (already logged) Q, you delete it from the log with a 
keystroke and move on.  If you have entered something the parser can't 
resolve TR won't log the Q until you have fixed it.  One example in ARRL 
SS would be if you enter a 2 digit serial number.  Well, the check is 2 
digits so which is which?  You quickly learn (without losing the Q) to 
use at leat 3 digits when entering a serial number.  e.g. 053 instead of 
53.  Now TR can parse the whole thing, it's happy, it logs the Q.  This 
is what's behind those puzzling TR ads showing that it can figure out an 
SS exchange from an immense amount of gobbledy-gook.  It takes all the 
garbage, parses it based on it's knowledge of the contest rules, and 
logs it.  Works very well.

So, in WL, I guess the equivalent thing would be that hitting ENTER or 
some other key after typing in the last bit of the exchange in its own 
field would log the Q.  (I'm worrying here that I have missed something 
and someone is going to say, "You dummy, just hit the xx key and stop 
wasting our time with your drivel".)

I don't understand what there is to wait for (your step 4.) after 
sending your exchange in S&P before logging the Q.  Obviously you should 
wait for the TU before moving on.  If he needs a fill, you send it. 
 You're not going to not log him just because he needed a fill.  If the 
Q can't be completed, you delete it from the log.  This is a fairly rare 
occurrence.

Next question.  How does the software distinguish between making a call 
sign entry and starting a new Q without having logged the last one?

I'm not expecting it to.  What I'm proposing is this.  If there is a 
valid call in the call field and valid entries in the exchange fields 
and then there is a change to the call field you get asked if you want 
to save the existing call and exchange.  If you're just correcting the 
call field you would say No.  If it's a new Q you would say Yes. 
 However, and we're talking S&P here, I can't picture a circumstance 
where, just before you send your exchange, you would want to edit the 
call field.  So, this added message isn't likely to show up 
unnecessarily and slow you down and may save you a few double mults in 
CQWW that, otherwise, might not have got logged.

A number of people have sent me info on, amongst others, the INS and + 
keys.  I confess that I haven't had a chance to digest this info and 
maybe what I want is there.

Someone suggested that I buy a programmable keyboard which allows the 
assignment of one key to multiple functions.  What an interesting idea. 
 I'm using the weird MS USB keyboard which looks like it was designed by 
Salvador Dali.  I got it because it was a cheaper way at that time of 
getting the 2 extra USB ports I needed compared to buying a regular 
keyboard and a USB hub.  I also thought it would save me an IRQ.  Hah! 
 Not if you're booting into DOS, Billy Boy.  No IRQ?  No keyboard 
recognized.  DOS 6.22 don't do USB.  So now I have 2 keyboard cables 
plugged into the computer, one USB and one standard.  Anyway, the 
keyboard has 16 buttons at the top which are assigned to various 
internet and CD audio functions.  I've never paid any attention to 
these.  Do I already have a programmable keyboard?

I truly appreciate everyone's inputs and patience as I wrestle with this 
"problem" which is not universally recognized as being one.  

73 de Jim Smith    VE7FO



Eric Scace K3NA wrote:

>Hi Jim --
>
>   I can't figure out where the "extra keystroke" is that you are discussing.  (You must understand that I have never used TRlog.)
>Assuming one doesn't make any typing mistakes, the sequence for running is:
>1. push a key to call CQ.  (You can configure WL in different ways, depending on which key you want to push.)
>2. hear a station reply and type in his call.
>3. push a key to send the call & exchange.
>4. hear the station's exchange and type it in, using Space or Tab to move from the callsign field to the various exchange fields.
>5. push a key to send the TU message AND simultaneously save the QSO in the log.
>
>   Similarly, for S&P:
>1. hear a station, type in his call, hit space to check for dupe (and get ready to log the exchange).
>2. push a key to call him.
>3. hear the station's exchange and type it in, using Space or Tab to continue moving around the various exchange fields.
>4. when you are satisfied that all the data, including the call, has been entered correctly and the station has completed the QSO
>with you, push a key to save the QSO in the log.
>
>   What am I missing here?
>
>   You suggested a message "Do you want to log the existing call?" if one types in the callsign field when there is an apparently
>valid call & exchange in the QSO Entry form.  I do not see how that can work.  How does the software distinguish between when one is
>typing in the callsign field to correct an entry... and typing to make a new QSO without having completed the previous QSO?
>
>-- Eric K3NA
>