[WriteLog] Redundancy in contests

[Eric Scace]

Another solution is an patch panel for 25-pin connectors.  The one I have has normal-through connections to the default
configuration... but a COM port (or LPT port) connection can be quickly moved to another device by inserting the patch cable.

I would imagine one can find these on eBay.

-- Eric

-----Original Message-----
From: writelog-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:writelog-bounces at contesting.com]On Behalf Of Bob McCormick W1QA
Sent: 2003 January 23 Thu 03:50
To: WriteLog at contesting.com
Cc: gw3njw at onetel.net.uk
Subject: RE: [WriteLog] Redundancy in contests


>> Boy was I glad I kept FAT32 on the radio machine,
>> when it went South (taking the network with it),
>> and I was able to read the files and dump them
>> under DOS, to a spare HDD after booting from a floppy.

Few other possibilities:

- install a second copy of whatever NTFS operating
  system you want on another disk (especially if
  your system has more than one disk in it)
  If you can't boot your normal system ...
  boot another disk, and then use standard operating
  system tools to analyze & recover the failing/failed
  disk.

- there is, albeit third party, programs that you can
  boot on floppy, CD-ROM, etc. that will give you basic
  access to an NTFS disk / partition ... so you could
  accomplish the same, if your disk was not FAT


>> If the radio machine dies in the middle of
>> the contest, I can flip the KVM switch and
>> carry on logging on the other machine
>> transparently, but of course I have lost RS232
>> control and automatic keying etc.
[snip]

Although I have seen instances where RS232 or
EIA-232-D cables have been put in parallel
(for example, the serial output of a satellite
data converter box, feeding two separate PC's
that ingest the data) ... this is not recommended.

What first comes to mind is the simple serial
A/B box ... a switch would also work fine in
the event you're also using the parallel port.

There are also a number of manufacturers that
make boxes that go from serial interface to
TCP/IP over Ethernet ... we typically use these
things to extend the reach of something that's
normally directly connected to the serial port
in a PC - to distances over a wide area network.

(Having said that ... I could setup WriteLog on
my system to interface to your rig in GW! ...
Hmmm ... for that matter, if you're running XP Pro,
I could remote desktop into your system ...
and basically guest operate.  What a concept!
Just have to figure out that remote paddle thing ...)


Bob W1QA

_______________________________________________
WriteLog mailing list
WriteLog at contesting.com
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/writelog