[WriteLog] "It's broken"

Thu Jul 6 07:37:53 EDT 2006

IMO, www.k9jy.com is "must reading" for WriteLog users.

73, Mike K9MI

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Dean Wood" <n6de at comcast.net>
To: <writelog at contesting.com>
Sent: Thursday, July 06, 2006 07 59
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] "It's broken"

> (Wayne, please see item 5.1 below.)
> 
> Ford,
> 
> Are you looking for practical answers to the issues you listed (aside 
> from networking), or are you more concerned with a philosophical 
> discussion about how Writelog should be?  I know you're frustrated, but 
> I suspect that your repeated slams, particularly the "anti-Christ" 
> remarks, probably do not give much indication to the Writelog team that 
> you are interested in a productive and positive solution-based discourse 
> about the Writelog problems you're encountering.
> 
> Here are some practical answers on some of your items:
> 
> 1. Save message after every 20 QSOs
> This can be easily modified.  In the writelog.ini file, go to the 
> [Configuration] section, and under it, type the following two lines if 
> they are not already there:
> AutoSaveCount=x (where x=how many QSOs before Writelog autosaves the .wl 
> file; it of course save the journal file after every QSO)
> QsoWarningCount=y (where y=how many QSOs between the warning message; 0 
> if you don't want the warning message at all)
> 
> For example, you can use AutoSaveCount=25 and QsoWarningCount=0. 
> Specify these parameters once in writelog.ini, and they'll be valid for 
> all contests after that.
> 
> 2. Problems with the "C" entry field
> Do you even need the "C" entry field?  I've never used it for any 
> contest and got rid of it entirely to make the entry window cleaner and 
> easier to navigate.  I specify a parameter in the writelog.ini file to 
> eliminate the C and Country fields for every contest.  In the 
> [Multipliers] section of the writelog.ini file, type the following:
> ShowCountry=0
> 
> 
> 3. Save Configuration vs. File, Save
> Save Configuration does not save your Function key definitions!  That 
> info is stored in each .wl file (File, Save).   Things that Save 
> Configuration stores are writelog.ini related.  You should not have to 
> reposition the Writelog windows on every reboot if you have issued a 
> Save Configuration!  The only thing that doesn't pop up right away is 
> the Mult window, which you have to manually open (Contest, Show 
> Multipliers).  Everything else appears in the same place as before the 
> reboot.
> 
> 4. "Local backup" file ?
> Could you explain further what you mean?  Every machine on the network 
> should save to a local .wl file on the respective machine's local hard 
> drive, and not to a network location.  I've always done it this way with 
> Writelog networks and haven't experienced any of the related problems 
> that you encountered (function keys getting wiped out, Writelog 
> shutdown, etc).  I recommend you do this instead of everyone accessing, 
> saving, and browsing shared Writelog files on the network.
> 
> 
> 5.0 Change Operators command
> In fact, this does work great in a Multi-op for changing between 
> operator WAV files (we did this in Field Day and it worked well).
> The process:
> a) Create a Wavefiles subdirectory under Writelog.
> b) Under that directory, create operator subdirectories by callsign.
> c) After you and the other ops record WAV files, place each set in their 
> respective callsign subdirectories.  Of course, use the same file naming 
> convention for everyone's files (eg: cq.wav, exch.wav, tu.wav)
> d) Place a dummy .wav file in Wavefiles directory.
> e) Copy the Wavefiles directory and subdirectories to all the other 
> computers that will be used in the contest.
> f) In Setup, Ports, Wave File Locate, select the dummy .wav file (NOT a 
> file inside an operator's subdirectory)
> g) Setup, CW/RTTY/SSB Messages, specifying the function keys you want 
> for the various .wav files you've recorded.
> h) File, Save; Setup, Save Configuration
> i) Entry, Change Operators.  All the ops should show up here and the 
> .wav files should correspondingly switch whenever you switch ops.
> 
> 5.1. Problem noted with Wave File Locate for Multi ops
> I do however see what Ford means with the wave file locate problem when 
> exiting and restarting Writelog in 10.59.  Example: Do everything in 
> 5.0, exit Writelog.  Restart Writelog, open recent file saved in step 
> 5.0.  Unfortunately I can't just press F1 or F2.  If I go to Entry, 
> Change Operators, it doesn't list all the ops (subdirectories) that were 
> there in step 5.0.  So, I need to go to Setup, Ports, Wave File Locate, 
> and select the dummy .wav file.  Then if I go to Entry, Change 
> Operators, I can select the desired op, and then press F1, F2, etc until 
> I have to reboot or restart again.  Repeat.  The Save Configuration 
> feature works fine in saving the WaveFileLocation= path in the 
> writelog.ini file, and writelog.ini knows the correct last op by 
> CurrentOperator=.  I think the temporary solution is to copy one of the 
> op's set of .wav files in this directory before the contest for this 
> exact case.  This would buy time for the current op to continue using 
> voice keying with someone's voice until he's able to perform the two 
> steps mentioned here.  But a good Multi-op feature would be if Writelog 
> could identify the subdirectories of WaveFileLocation= right away on 
> opening a .wl, compare with CurrentOperator=, automatically use those 
> .wav files if a subdirectory matches with CurrentOperator=, and 
> automatically populate the Entry, Change Operators options.
> 
> 
> Ford, you may want to try to confirm you can accomplish items #1-3 & 5 
> just with a single machine (.wl file located on the machine's local hard 
> drive, no shared file on the network, no Writelog network).  I installed 
> a full, fresh copy of 10.59 for the 7QP contest earlier this year. 
> Items 1-3 above worked fine.  We didn't have a network, and didn't use 
> voice keying.
> 
> Hope this was helpful.
> 
> 73...
> -Dean - N6DE
> 
> 
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