[WriteLog] Rotator Control Mystery

[Gary AL9A]

Jim,

I just checked my writelog.ini file and find the following lines in the 
[ENTRY] section:

LR=-1
RotatorPort=6
RotatorType=0

In looking at the Entry section in the Help manual it says "LR=1  -1 for 
neither, 1 means Right, 0 means Left"  I have no idea what "LR" stands for 
and the manual doesn't specify it.  Maybe you could play with this setting 
and see if it changes anything.  My rotator com port is 6, it must be 
between 1 and 8, and my RotatorType=0.  The manual says "RotatorType=1 
DCU-1, Yaesu, etc.".  My rotator is an old Create Design with a Green Heron 
controller box.  It uses a USB connection and the DCU-1 protocol.  I don't 
know why my ini file says RotatorType=0 and the manual says RotatorType=1. 
Again, you might try playing with this setting in the ini file to see if it 
makes a difference.

Do you happen to have another logger program that can control the rotator 
via a port command?  In my case I use DXBase and can control my rotator from 
that software as well as WL.  I think N1MM and others can do likewise.  If 
so, try setting up the rotator interface in the other logger and see what 
happens there.  If the problem repeats it probably isn't WL.

73,
Gary AL9A


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "JE Brown" <W4LC at fuse.net>
To: <writelog at contesting.com>
Cc: <CQ-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: March 17, 2013 5:51 AM
Subject: [WriteLog] Rotator Control Mystery


> The DCU-2 control mystery continues.  I have been trying to use my new 
> Hy-Gain DCU-2 in the BARTG contest.
>
> This has a built in chip, and only requires a USB cable to the PC.  A 
> virtual COM port was installed per the instructions and using the drivers 
> called for.  This port (COM8) shows in Device Mgr and reports to be 
> working ok.
>
> Writelog recognizes the port in "port setup", and the DCU-1 protocol is 
> selected (same as DCU-2).
>
> When a call or  prefix is entered into the logging field, the bearing 
> shows as it should in the Bearing box.  Selecting RADIO>ANTENNA to XXX 
> Azimuth from the top menu moves the rotator to the correct bearing as it 
> should. But it will not do it again for any call or prefix.  The correct 
> bearing still shows in the RADIO>ANTENNA to XXX Azimuth for the next call 
> or prefix, but the rotator does not get the command.  Checking the Device 
> Mgr, the COM8 still shows and reports to be working ok.  The COM8 port and 
> DCU-1 protocol still shows as being selected under "port setup".
>
> Exiting Writelog, then restarting, Writelog remembers all settings, 
> including COM8 and DCU-1 protocol.  Again, the rotator will move to the 
> correct bearing or prefix as entered in the logging box, but only once. 
> Then not again.
>
> I have reinstalled the drivers, but no luck.
>
> The DCU-2 works just fine under manual control.
>
> This must be something fairly simple, but I am out of ideas right now.
>
> Any suggestions?
>
> Jim   W4LC
>
>
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