[WriteLog] Writelog: My experience

Tue Nov 2 09:17:51 EST 2004

As a counterpoint...

Gosh, my experience with Writelog couldn't be more different than yours,
Barry.  Overall, I find it works great for contesting.

As a software engineer myself, I really appreciate how much code went into
making the program, and how difficult it was to write.  This sort of
software is about the most challenging coding there is, and they did a find
job of it.

I've tried several other logging programs, and Writelog is the only one I
didn't immediately hate!

I understand your comment about the complexity of the program, but its
complexity is what makes it useful.  Everyone has a different configuration
of equipment in their shack, and making a program that can do it all means
it is going to be complex.

Anyway, once you are set-up, you click on spots and enter calls.  There's
not too much else to it when you're up and running.

Brian, N1IK

-----Original Message-----
From: writelog-bounces at contesting.com
[mailto:writelog-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Barry Kirkwood
Sent: Tuesday, November 02, 2004 7:06 AM
To: writelog at contesting.com
Subject: [WriteLog] Writelog: My experience

There is no question that Writelog is an excellent programme.

I bought writelog after observing G3PJT use it at my place and beat out the
only ZL super station in the Commonwealth Contest some years back. Johnathon
W1CU also used it in CQWW cw last year in my shack with no problems.
I bought Writelog fair and square over three years back($70),  paid another
$30 for an upgrade, and have also bought the Yaesu interface for my rig in
case my homebrew job was the problem.

I have now tried to run Writelog in many contests and have never got the
programme to run properly. In my last effort (Oceania CW 2004) I finally had
the basics running for the only sort of operation I am interested in (single
op CW) with the bare minimum of functions and was delighted in its
functionality. Then I found that it refused to enter four digit QSO numbers.
Tried to do a fix, gave up and saved the log while I took a break, opened it
and found that the F keys were not functioning and to this day no matter
what I try the F keys cannot be revived for this log. Presumably I failed to
do an earlier save settings operation and it now remembers a null and will
not change.

I might mention that John ZL1BHQ has also had Writelog for over a year, also
only wants it only for single op hf cw contesting and has yet to get the
system running properly.

At this moment I have to look at the option of dumping Writelog for CT as I
just cannot go on trying to work Writelog which has turned out to offer more
frustration than it is worth. I did way better hand logging.

I make no secret of the fact that I am no computer whiz, but I can use all
the other standard stuff on my computer with no undue difficulty and want to
address the question: Why is it that I cannot run Writelog?

Let me qualify myself : I am 68 years of age, was not socialised into
computers and for the latter part of my professional life I was able to use
coolies to solve computing glitches. You could say that I have an analog
mind, love knobs dials and switches and dislike menus (except in
restaurants). The other side of the equation is that I have a PhD in in
Experimental Psychology and a reasonable range of applied technical skills
(RNZAF Wings, competent in celestial navigation, Certificated Yachtmaster
(Offshore), able to build houses, boats, cars, and so on,  with success). I
am also a founder member of the NZ Ergonomics Society, sometime member of
the NZ Institution of Professional Engineers and have over 100 publications
in refereed journals.

So this is the guts of my evaluation: Writelog is an excellent piece of work
as a programme, but the job is less than half done in that what
documentation there is is scattered over a number of sites and has been put
together by talented amateurs. But the fact remains that what I have paid
for does not hack it. Instruction manuals, help programmes etc are a
critical part of even relatively primitive devices and Writelog is pathetic
in this respect. About 0.5 out of 10 in my opinion. 

While many users may enjoy the puzzle solving, from my point of view, the
very modest range of functions that I need to understand are buried under
the noise of a huge mass of operations (wave files, digital modes etc) that
I have no interest in or need for. There are no diagnostic systems, so
problems must be solved by trial or error or tapping the Writelog reflector.

Goodness knows I have tried, and have spent by my estimation over 20 hours
trying to get the thing to run for every hour I have had it on the air. Only
once have I had it as anything more than an automated log. Maybe the problem
is me, but the question remains, how come I can run all the other software
around here but not Writelog?

73

Barry ZL1DD

end
Barry Kirkwood PhD ZL1DD
Signal Hill Homestay
66 Cory Road
Palm Beach
Waiheke Island 1240
NEW ZEALAND
ph/fax 64-9-372-5161
www.waiheke.co.nz/signal.htm
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