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1992-01-06
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PSQSL USER'S MANUAL
Version 2.00
January 1992
Unified Microsystems
PO Box 133
Slinger, WI 53086
Copyright 1992 Gary C. Sutcliffe, W9XT
NOTICES
Specifications subject to change without notice.
This document Copyright 1992 by Gary C. Sutcliffe. All rights
reserved.
PSQSL software Copyright 1991, 1992 by Gary C. Sutcliffe. All
rights reserved.
The file "BUREAU.LST" is specifically not copyrighted, and is
placed in the public domain. It may be copied, used, modified,
etc., without any consideration to its author.
About Shareware and PSQSL
PSQSL is being distributed under the Shareware method.
This means you may try out this program for a limited time to
see if it suits your needs before spending any money on it. If
you find it useful, and wish to continue to use the program
you are expected and obligated to pay the registration fee.
Under the Shareware concept, you may also make as many
copies as you wish to give to your friends for their
evaluation. This manner of software distribution allows the
software's author to keep advertising and disk copying costs to
a minimum, and thus the price you pay for registration very
low.
What's in it for you? Well, first of all you probably
have hundreds or maybe thousands of dollars tied up in
commercial software that does not do the job you wanted it to.
A large percentage of the money you paid went for full page
color ads in computer magazines, dealer markups, etc. With
shareware you try before you buy. If you try it and it does
not suit your needs, you are not out of a lot of money.
By paying the registration fee you help pay the shareware
author for his or her time needed to develop software and to
encourage the development of additional useful programs. As a
registered user of PSQSL you will also receive notices of new
versions of PSQSL.
If you do a lot of QSLing, you will find that PSQSL saves
you many, many hours of tedious work, more than offsetting the
nominal cost of registration. A registration form is found at
the end of this document, or can be produced by printing out
the REGISTER.DOC file on the distribution disk.
LICENSE
PSQSL is not and never has been public domain software,
nor is it free software. The author, Gary C. Sutcliffe, W9XT
holds the copyright to the software.
Non-registered users are granted a limited license to use
PSQSL for the purpose of determining whether PSQSL is suitable
for their needs. Non-registered users may also make copies for
distribution to others providing the terms and conditions
below are met. Unregistered use of PSQSL, except for these
limited purposes, is prohibited.
Registration permits a user the license to use PSQSL on a
single computer at one time. A registered user may have copies
of PSQSL on multiple computers, but the program may not be
running on more than one computer at the same time. Registered
users may also make as many copies as necessary for backup
purposes.
All users are granted a limited license to copy the
programs and documentation for the trial use by others
providing the following conditions are met:
PSQSL must be copied in unmodified form, complete with all
files including documentation and license information.
Distributors of public domain, user supported, shareware,
and similar software are permitted to distribute this software
as long as the above conditions are met. Commercial
distributors are permitted to charge reasonable disk copying
fees, postage and handling fees, etc. Payment of fees to a
software distributor in no way changes the requirement for
registration by users.
Operators of electronic bulletin board systems (SYSOPs)
may post PSQSL for downloading by their users only as long as
the above conditions are met.
Users may register PSQSL by filling out the registration
form at the end of this manual and sending it along with the
proper fee to the address indicated. A registration form may
also be printed out from the REGISTER.DOC file found on the
distribution disk.
PRODUCTS AND SERVICES MENTIONED
ARRL Outgoing QSL Service: The American Radio Relay League
offers an outgoing QSL shipping service to its members. Cards
must be sorted by country callsign prefix (which is the main
purpose of PSQSL), and include your mailing label from a recent
issue of QST to prove membership, along with payment (currently
$2/pound). For more information, contact the ARRL at 225 Main
St., Newington, CT 06111.
CT(tm): CT is a contest logging program written by Ken Wolf,
K1EA. It was the first real time logging program to gain
acceptance by a large number of serious contesters, and is
probably still the most popular. CT may be purchased c/o Bill
McGowan, KC1EO, 33 Truell Road, Hollis, NH 03049, (603) 465-
2392. CT is a registered trade mark of Ken Wolf, K1EA.
LOG-EQF: LOG-EQF is a logging program written by Thomas
Dandrea, N3EQF. It is mainly set up for use as a log book for
day to day operating, but also has the ability to be used for
contesting. LOG-EQF is a shareware program and is available
from the author, Thomas Dandrea, 396 Sautter Dr., Coraopolis,
PA, 15108. It is also available by mail (and often at
hamfests) from various shareware/public domain software
vendors. Be sure to register your copy of LOG-EQF if you
decide to use it for logging radio contacts.
NA: NA is a contest logging program written by Dave Pruett,
K8CC. It is very similar to CT, and uses most of the same
commands, but it covers a number of contests that CT does not.
NA may be purchased from LTA Industries, Inc., PO BOX 92,
Canfield, OH 44406, (216) 533-0087.
Gary Sutcliffe (the author of PSQSL) and Unified Microsystems
in no way warrant any of these products or services. The
information presented here is for the convenience of the
reader.
INTRODUCTION
------------
PSQSL was written for hams who send out large numbers of
QSL cards via the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service or other QSL
shipment service. Many hams use logging programs such as CT,
NA, LOG-EQF, or their own programs for generating stick-on
labels for QSLs. These programs can save hours of work writing
out QSL cards, but hours of tedious sorting remain after
printing out the labels.
PSQSL takes output QSL label files from a variety of
logging programs as well as QSO information entered from within
the program, and creates a single sorted label file. The
labels are sorted by DXCC country. In addition, cards for
countries not handled by the outgoing QSL service are separated
from those that are handled.
Since the list of countries in the DXCC program as well as
prefixes and countries serviced by the ARRL Outgoing QSL
Service change from time to time, a file containing countries,
prefixes, etc., can be updated by the user.
SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS
-------------------
This program is designed to run on a PC or PC compatible
system. A hard drive and 640K of memory is recommended. Less
memory or lack of a hard drive will reduce the number of labels
that may be processed. A system with 640K of memory will
handle in excess of 3000 labels, depending on the number of
drivers, TSRs, etc., loaded in memory. PSQSL does not utilize
extended or expanded memory even if such memory is present.
A printer capable of printing to standard single row 3
1/2" X 15/16" computer self adhesive labels is also required to
print the sorted labels. An ASCII label output file can also
be created and transferred to floppy for printing on another
computer system with a suitable printer.
GETTING STARTED
---------------
Before starting to run PSQSL, make a backup copy of the
diskette. Keep the original in a safe place. If you are
using a hard drive, use the DOS 'CD' command to change to the
directory you wish to put PSQSL and its associated files. If
you wish to put them into a directory called \QSL on your C
drive, type CD C:\QSL at the DOS prompt. Note that this
directory must already exist or must be created with the MKDIR
command (see your DOS manual).
Place the PSQSL distribution diskette in your A: floppy
drive and type COPY A:*.* C: (or whatever drive you wish to
use).
The distribution disk will contain the following programs:
READ.ME - Any last minute information will be found here.
Please read this file before running PSQSL.
PSQSL.EXE - This is the executable file. You start the program
by typing PSQSL followed by pressing the ENTER key.
BUREAU.LST - This file contains a list of DXCC countries and
the standard prefixes for each country. This file can be
edited by the user to reflect changes in DXCC country status,
new prefixes, etc. Refer to the section "Modifying BUREAU.LST"
for more information. Be sure this file is copied to the same
directory as PSQSL.EXE. Alternatively, set up the environment
variable PSQPATH to give the path to the location of the PSQSL
files. See APPENDIX B for more information on setting PSQPATH.
QCAPT.COM - This is a special printer capture utility that
intercepts label information being sent to the printer and
stores it to a disk file where PSQSL can gain access to it.
Some logging programs such as NA and LOG-EQF do not allow
saving QSL labels to a disk. See the section "Capturing
Printer Data with QCAPT" for more information on using this
program.
PSQSL.DOC - This manual. It may be printed out on a printer by
typing PRINT PSQSL.DOC.
REGISTER.DOC - The form to register your copy of PSQSL. It can
be printed out by typing PRINT REGISTER.DOC. Please be sure to
register your copy when you finish evaluating this program and
you decide you find it useful.
After you have copied the diskette, check to see that all
of the above files are present. Also read the READ.ME file for
any last minute information before running PSQSL.
OVERVIEW OF QSLING WITH PSQSL
-----------------------------
Most of the QSO and contest logging programs allow you to
print QSO data to stick-on labels for selected or all QSOs in
your log file. You then peel off the labels and attach them to
your QSL cards, sign the card, sort them by hand, and then ship
them off to the ARRL or other QSL service. By adding one more
step, running PSQSL, before printing the labels you can save
yourself the tedious job of sorting hundreds of cards by hand.
If you operate contests, you will typically have a
different log file for each contest. Perhaps you use different
contest programs for different contests. You might use CT for
the CQ World Wide DX contests and have log files you called
CQPH92.BIN and CQCW92.BIN for the CQWW DX contests. You might
have used NA for the IARU contest and used a log file you named
IARU92.QSO.
The next step is to create the "label files" for each
contest log. Each logging program has its own method of
creating labels, and you should refer to the manual that came
with your logging program for creating them. In general
though, you will run the logging program (or a special QSL
program supplied with it) to select the contacts you wish to
QSL and to produce a label file.
In some cases, the logging program does not produce a
label file, but only allows you to print labels directly to the
printer. A special program called QCAPT has been supplied with
PSQSL to "capture" the QSL information going to the printer and
send it instead to a disk file. More information on this is in
the section "RUNNING QCAPT".
Once you have generated QSL label files from each of the
log files, you will run PSQSL. Using the menus, you select the
things you want to do in PSQSL. First, you would probably
"import" (read in the data) the QSL label information from each
of the label files you created with the logging programs.
The PSQSL menu will let you select the type of logging
program that created the label file, then ask you the name of
the label file. PSQSL will then read the QSL label into the
computer's memory. You would do this for each label file you
have.
Perhaps you also have some contacts you wish to QSL, but
which where logged in a regular log book. PSQSL will allow you
to type this information on the computer's keyboard, and save
it with the QSL labels you imported from the contest label
files.
If you wish to stop PSQSL, all of the label data will be
stored in a "data file". Later, when you run PSQSL again, all
of the labels you either read in from the disk or typed by hand
will still be there. You can then add more labels.
Eventually, you will have enough labels entered that you
will want to send them off to the ARRL or another QSL service.
You then put blank label sheets in your printer. While running
PSQSL, you can print out the entire collection of labels.
The labels will all be printed in the correct order the
ARRL requires them to be in. All you have to do is peel the
labels off in order, put them on the card, and sign it. Labels
for cards going to countries that the ARRL does not service
will be separated from the rest.
DEFINITIONS AND CONVENTIONS
---------------------------
Before starting to run PSQSL, terms and conventions used
by this manual need to be discussed. First is the "data file".
PSQSL takes the QSL label data you enter or retrieve from other
logging programs (like CT, NA, LOG-EQF, etc) and saves it in
the data file.
Normally the default name of this file is PSQSL.DAT, but
you can supply any file name that DOS will allow. For example,
if you send QSLs out each month, you may wish to name the data
files JAN92.DAT, FEB92.DAT, etc.
"Label files" are files that contain QSL label information
which can normally be printed to standard 3 1/2" X 15/16"
single row labels. Label files are created by the logging
programs, as well as by PSQSL. Label files created by several
popular logging programs as well as common database program
formats may also be "imported", meaning that the data is read
and translated to the internal formats used by PSQSL.
Most PSQSL commands and data input end by pressing the
ENTER key. On some computers this will be the RETURN key.
Some commands can be canceled by pressing the ESC (ESCAPE) key
if you change your mind. When this applies, there will be a
message in a window indicating this is allowed. If the ESC key
is pressed, control will pass to a previous menu, possibly the
main menu.
PSQSL is menu driven to be easy to use. When a menu is
displayed, a list of options will be shown. Options can be
selected by using the up and down arrow keys to highlight the
desired response. Pressing ENTER will execute that option.
Alternatively, the command can be directly executed by pressing
the first letter of the option.
RUNNING PSQSL
-------------
To start the program, first use the DOS "CD" (change
directory) command to change to the directory that contains
PSQSL and its associated files. Next type PSQSL at the DOS
prompt and press ENTER. You will then see the opening screens
which are described in the next section.
As an option, PSQSL can be started in special modes with
command line options. One option allows you to run the program
with monochrome video. Some monochrome PC video cards and/or
monitors may not produce a very readable display. If you find
it difficult to read your screen when running PSQSL, use the -M
option described below. The -B option will disable warning
beeps if you make mistakes while using PSQSL. Most users will
want to use PSQSL without any of the starting options.
The form for starting PSQSL with options is as follows:
PSQSL -B <ENTER>
PSQSL -M <ENTER>
PSQSL -M -B <ENTER>
-B OPTION: PSQSL will cause the computer to beep if you
try to do something illegal such as give it a command that does
not exist or to fill in information fields with more than the
maximum number of characters. Some people find this useful,
others find it annoying. If you are in the latter group, use
the -B option to disable beeps.
In addition, beeps can be deactivated from the MAIN MENU
by typing B as an option. If beeps are already deactivated,
selecting B as an option again will reactivate beeps on errors.
Note that this option is not displayed as a menu option.
Normally if you do not like the beeps, use the -B when starting
the program. This option can be used alone or in conjunction
with the -M option.
-M OPTION: PSQSL uses colors in its display and for error
and information windows. If you have a monochrome monitor and
find the display difficult to read, run PSQSL in the monochrome
mode with the -M option. This option can be used alone or in
conjunction with the -B option.
OPENING SCREENS
You will first see the opening screen. This contains
copyright and registration information. When you have read
this information, press any key to continue.
Next you will see a window indicating the country and
prefix tables are being created. PSQSL is reading in the file
BUREAU.LST to create a table with all of the countries and
prefixes. This table is used to determine what country a given
call sign is from, and to determine how the output labels are
to be sorted.
The time it takes PSQSL to create the table will depend on
the speed of your computer and its disk drive. On a fast 80386
system with a fast hard drive it will only take a few seconds.
On a slow system running off a floppy drive it will take the
better part of a minute.
The next screen asks for the name of the "data file".
Every time you add another QSO, it is added to this file. You
may select the default file (PSQSL.DAT) simply by pressing the
ENTER key. Alternatively, you may type another file name
(along with drive and path specifications if needed) to be used
as the data file.
Using a special file name or the default data file will
depend on how you like to send out QSLs. If you send out cards
each month, you might want to have a file name that indicates
the time frame for this batch of cards. For example you might
use a filename of JAN92.DAT for cards to be sent out in
January, 1992. After you print and send out your January
cards, you start a new file called FEB92.DAT for the cards you
plan to send out in February, etc.
You may be lazy and just want to use the default file
instead of trying to remember what you called the file, and
typing it in each time. Whatever file name you use, remember
that each new QSL label is added to the file you select. After
you print out the labels, you will want to delete the old file
or start using a new one. If you don't, the next time you
print out labels you will re-print all of the old ones again.
If you want to exit PSQSL at this point for some reason,
you can enter a file name of 'QUIT' at the prompt for a data
file name and press the <ENTER> key. PSQSL will then terminate
and you will return to the DOS prompt.
If the data file you selected does not exist, you will be
asked if you want to create it. If you do not want to create
the file, answer NO and you will be allowed to select another
file. If the file exists, but is not the correct format (i.e.
not created by PSQSL) you will be notified and allowed to
select another file.
If the file already exists, a window will pop up
indicating that the file is being read, and a count of the
number of labels being read is displayed. The count is updated
every 10 labels. Also, if the file already exists, and
additional QSL information files are read in or is entered from
the keyboard, a back up file containing the original
information will be created. This file will have a "BAK"
extension with the original filename (e.g. PSQSL.BAK will be
the back up file for PSQSL.DAT). This is there in case you
make a mistake or have a computer or disk failure and want to
go back to the condition you were in before you started this
session with PSQSL.
MAIN MENU
---------
Once the preliminaries are completed, the main menu will
appear. The main menu allows you to select between the four
main functions of PSQSL. The main menu choices are:
Enter QSO Information
Print Labels
Import Data
Quit PSQSL
When the main menu is displayed, one of the options will
be highlighted. Normally the highlighted selection will
appear in reverse video although it may be underlined on some
computers. To select the highlighted option, simply press
ENTER.
Pressing the up or down arrows will change the highlighted
selection. When the desired option is highlighted, press ENTER
to begin that function. Alternatively, you can type the first
letter (E, P, I, or Q) of the function to directly execute that
function.
There is one more option in the main menu which is not
displayed as an option. This is the B option which controls
beeps on error. PSQSL normally beeps when it detects you made
an error. If you find this annoying, you can disable the beeps
by pressing B while in the main menu only. If beeps are
already disabled (by starting PSQSL with the -B command line
option, or pressing B while in the main menu) you can
reactivate beep on error by pressing B while in the main menu.
MAIN MENU: Enter QSO information
While the main purpose of PSQSL is to use QSO data
imported from files created by other programs, there are times
when you may want to enter QSO information from the keyboard.
QSO information entered will be formatted into a label and
stored in the datafile. See the section "ENTERING QSO
INFORMATION" for more details.
MAIN MENU: Print QSL labels
Select this option to actually print the labels. You can
print the labels on your printer while in the program, or you
can write the label information to an ASCII file in one of two
formats. See the section "PRINTING LABELS" for more details.
MAIN MENU: Import data
This option will allow you to import QSL label information
from files created by various logging programs. You may read
data from several files from different sources and combine them
into a single, sorted file. The total number of label files
that can be imported is limited only by the amount of memory in
the system and the amount of free space remaining on the disk.
Refer to the section "IMPORTING DATA" for further details.
MAIN MENU: Quit
Use this option to exit PSQSL. When you select this
option, you will be asked if you wish to save the QSL label
information you added this session. The default answer is YES,
and can be chosen by simply pressing the ENTER key. If you do
not wish to save your changes, type an 'N' and then ENTER.
While the data file is being written, a count of the number of
records being saved is displayed.
ENTERING QSO INFORMATION
------------------------
If the "Enter QSO information" option is selected from the main
menu, a data entry form will be displayed. This form looks
like this:
CALL: ___________
DAY MTH YR UTC MHz MODE RST
QSO 1: __ ___ __ ____ ___ ____ ___
QSO 2: __ ___ __ ____ ___ ____ ___
QSO 3: __ ___ __ ____ ___ ____ ___
COMMENT: ________________________________________
OK? (Y/N): Y
The areas underlined above will normally appear in reverse
video, depending on your computer type. This highlighted area
shows the maximum length allowed for that field. PSQSL will
beep (if beep on error is active) if you attempt to enter data
longer than the field length. You can move between the fields
by using the arrow keys, the TAB key, or by pressing the ENTER
key.
When you first enter this option, the cursor will appear
in the CALL field. Type in the call sign of the station and
press the ENTER key. The cursor will then move to the QSO 1 -
DAY field. Enter the day and press ENTER. The cursor will
then move to the MTH field. Type the month as a 3 letter
abbreviation (JAN, FEB, etc.) and press ENTER. Continue along
by typing the rest of the QSO information.
You can enter up to 3 QSOs on one label. If you only have
one or two QSOs to enter for this station, press the arrow keys
to get to the COMMENT field. Type any comments you wish like
"TNX QSO", "NEW COUNTRY! PLEASE QSL!", etc. Finally press
ENTER or use the arrow keys to go to the "OK? (Y/N): Y" section
of the screen. If everything is correct, press ENTER or "Y"
and the QSO information will be saved.
If you made a typing error, use the arrow keys to go to
the field with the error and correct it. When everything is
correct, go back to the "OK?" and press "Y" to save the QSO
information.
Next, all of the fields except the comment field will be
blanked and the cursor will go to the call sign field to start
entry of the next QSL label's information. The comment field
will remain the same for each successive label until you change
it.
Once you have entered all of your QSOs, press the ESC key
to return to the main menu. You must save the last QSO entered
(by pressing 'Y' at the "OK?" prompt) before pressing ESC, or
it will be lost. Basically, just remember that if you still
see the QSO information on the screen, it has not been saved.
PRINTING LABELS
---------------
PSQSL is set up to print to standard self adhesive 3 1/2"
X 15/16" computer labels. These can be purchased at any store
selling computer supplies. These labels are much more
economical if purchased by the box of 5000 labels. PSQSL only
prints a single column of labels.
When you select the Print Labels option from the main
menu, the PRINT LABELS MENU will appear. You select options
the same way as for all PSQSL menus, use the arrow keys to
highlight an option and ENTER to execute it, or simply type the
first letter of the option.
PSQSL sorts all labels before printing (actually they are
sorted as they are entered). They are sorted by country based
on the country's default prefix (see the section MODIFYING
BUREAU.LST), and sorted alphabetically within a given country.
The labels are also separated into two groups. The first
group contains cards that are all set to go to the ARRL
Outgoing QSL Service. At the end of these labels is a special
separator label that looks like this:
Confirming QSO with: NO BUREAU!
********************************
No QSL bureaus exist or could be
found for the following QSOs:
********************************
Labels that follow this one can not be sent via the ARRL
for one of the following reasons:
1) The ARRL Outgoing QSL Service does not service this country.
2) PSQSL could not determine the country from the callsign
(update BUREAU.LST!).
3) The call sign was for a portable operation outside the home
country. Most of the time they go to the home country's
bureau, but often they have QSL managers and special routes, so
are separated from the rest.
You will have to decide what to do with any labels
following the separator label on a case by case basis. The
separator label is not printed if all cards can be sent through
the outgoing bureau.
PRINT LABELS MENU: Print labels on printer
This is the option you select to print the sorted labels.
Note that PSQSL does not use any special printer control codes
for expanded or compressed print, changing font type, etc.
This is to be sure that PSQSL will work with as many printers
as possible. If you wish to use some special options with your
printer, set the printer up before running PSQSL.
When you select "Print labels on the printer", a message
will appear telling you to check that the printer is on and the
number of labels that are to be printed.
There will also be a window asking you if you want to
print an alignment label. If you type a "Y", a special
alignment label will be sent to the printer. If the printing
is not centered in the label, adjust the printer and type "Y"
again. Repeat this until you have the alignment label properly
centered.
When you are ready to print the labels, answer "N" (NO) to
the request to print another alignment label. The labels will
now be printed. When it is finished printing, control will
return to the previous menu. Note that you can return to the
previous menu by pressing the ESC key before starting to print
the labels.
PRINT LABELS MENU: Write labels to file
This option is like the previous option, except that the
label information is written to a disk file instead of the
printer. You can print this file on the printer by using the
DOS print command, although there will be no alignment labels.
This might be useful if you wish to print the labels with a
printer on another computer.
When you bring up this option, you will be asked to supply
a name for the file. If another file with the same name
already exists, you will be asked if you wish to overwrite the
existing file.
PRINT LABELS MENU: Create comma delimiter format file
This option creates an ASCII file with a format that most
database and some other types of programs can read. You might
wish to load your QSL label into a database program you have
written to keep track of who you already sent cards to.
Another use might be to create custom labels with fancy
fonts if you have appropriate software and a printer with these
features.
Each label will occupy one line. Fields are enclosed in
quotes and are separated by commas. The format is as follows:
"CALL_1","QSO_LINE_1","QSO_LINE_2","QSO_LINE_3","COMMENT_LINE"
"CALL_2","QSO_LINE_1","QSO_LINE_2","QSO_LINE_3","COMMENT_LINE"
"CALL_3","QSO_LINE_1","QSO_LINE_2","QSO_LINE_3","COMMENT_LINE"
<etc.>
A section of labels would be formatted like this:
Normal labels:
Confirming QSO with: JA1ABC
27 OCT 91 1137Z 14MHz 2X SSB 59
26 OCT 91 2347Z 21MHz 2X SSB 59
27 OCT 91 0123Z 28MHz 2X SSB 59
TNX FOR CONTEST QSOS! 73
Confirming QSO with: JA9XYZ
27 OCT 91 2303Z 21MHz 2X SSB 59
TNX QSO & QSL! 73 & DX
Comma delimited version:
"JA1ABC","27 OCT 91 1137Z 14MHz 2X SSB 59","26 OCT 91 2347Z
21MHz 2X SSB 59","27 OCT 91 0123Z 28MHz 2X SSB 59"," TNX
FOR CONTEST QSOS! 73"
"JA9XYZ"," ","27 OCT 91 2303Z 21MHz 2X SSB 59"," "," TNX
QSO & QSL! 73 & DX"
Note that the above comma delimited example occupies several
lines per station to fit on the printed page. In the actual
file, this would only be two lines, one for each station.
IMPORTING DATA
--------------
The main strength in PSQSL lies in its ability to combine
QSO data produced by a number of logging programs. This is
useful if you used one logging program for one radio contest,
another program for different contests, and still another
program for casual contacts.
When you select "Import data" from the main menu, you
bring up the IMPORT DATA MENU. From here you can select which
format you wish to use.
PSQSL supports a number of different logging program
formats. If you use a program that is not supported by PSQSL
you may still be able to use PSQSL. Refer to APPENDIX A,
"Using Unsupported Logging Programs".
IMPORT DATA MENU: CT label format import
CT is a contest logging program written by K1EA and is
probably the most popular contest logging program available.
CT has a post contest mode which allows you to quickly generate
QSL labels for selected QSOs, and a special program to
generate labels for every QSO in a contest. Refer to the CT
user's manual for instructions on using these features.
PSQSL will correctly read labels generated by CT version
7. If future releases of CT change the label format it uses,
PSQSL may not read these labels properly.
When you select this option, you will be asked to supply
the name of the file to read in. PSQSL will print a running
count of the number of labels being read in.
IMPORT DATA MENU: NA label format import
NA is another popular contest logging program and is
written by K8CC. It is very similar to CT (for the most part
it uses the same commands), but covers many contests that CT
does not.
One difference with NA is that its QSL generating program
does not write the label information to a file, but only to a
printer. This difficulty is handled with the QCAPT utility
program which is included on the PSQSL distribution disk.
Briefly, QCAPT captures data sent to the LPT1 port and writes
it to a file where PSQSL can use it later. Refer to the
section "RUNNING QCAPT" for more information on this utility,
and the NA user's manual for using the NA QSL label utilities.
PSQSL has been tested and works with NA version 6. If
future versions of NA use a different file format, PSQSL may no
longer read these files properly.
IMPORT DATA MENU: LOG-EQF label format import
LOG-EQF is a multi-purpose Ham Radio logging program. It
handles station logging functions as well as others such as
allowing the PC to be used with packet. LOG-EQF was written by
N3EQF.
Like NA, LOG-EQF does not allow printing of QSL labels to
a file, but forces you to print them to the printer. The QCAPT
utility supplied with PSQSL will allow you to capture labels
sent to the printer and write them to a file for use by PSQSL.
See the section "RUNNING QCAPT" for more information on this.
Consult the LOG-EQF user's manual for more information on using
LOG-EQF to generate QSL labels.
PSQSL has been tested and works with LOG-EQF version 3.32.
If future versions of LOG-EQF use a different file format,
PSQSL may no longer read these files properly.
IMPORT DATA MENU: Generic label format import
This option allows you to import QSO information from
files in two formats commonly used to exchange information
between different database programs. If you have written your
own logging program in one of the many database programs
available, chances are you can easily produce a file compatible
with one of these two formats.
Any information you put in the QSO_LINEs or COMMENT_LINEs
in the generic formats will appear exactly the same way on the
label. The maximum length of these fields are 36 characters.
Fields that are too long will be truncated.
When you select this option, you will be asked to supply
the name of the file to read. Next, another menu will appear
to select which format you are using.
Comma delimited format:
This is the same format described in detail in the above
section on writing comma delimited files in the PRINT LABELS
MENU. PSQSL will of course read files it produced itself in
this format should that ever become necessary.
Line delimited format:
This format has each field of a record appearing on a
separate line. Each record must occupy exactly six lines.
Pad records with blank lines if necessary. There should not be
any spaces, tabs, etc., at the start of the CALL field. The
line delimited format is:
CALL_1
QSO_LINE_1
QSO_LINE_2
QSO_LINE_3
COMMENT_LINE
<- This line must be present. Any text is ignored.
CALL_2
QSO_LINE_1
QSO_LINE_2
<etc.>
IMPORT DATA MENU: Data file import (PSQSL produced)
This option allows you to read in the data files produced
in previous runs of PSQSL to combine with the data file
currently in memory. Perhaps you did one run of PSQSL with one
datafile. Later you entered a lot of QSO information by hand
before you realized you had put it into a different file. This
command will allow you to combine the two files.
Do not use the same file name as the current data file or
you will duplicate the labels already there.
IMPORT DATA MENU: PSQSL label file import (PSQSL produced)
This option allows you to read in label files produced by
PSQSL with the "Write labels to file" option found in the
"PRINT LABELS MENU". This option has been included in case you
accidentally delete a data file, but had created a printable
label file and wish to combine it with more labels.
MODIFYING BUREAU.LST
---------------------
The file BUREAU.LST is an ASCII file that is used by PSQSL
to determine what country a given call sign is from, and the
bureau status of that country. Because call sign prefixes and
bureau status change from time to time, this file is set up to
be modified by the user.
Before attempting to modify this file, be sure you have a
backup copy of it in a safe place. Use only an ASCII editor or
a word processor in ASCII text mode to edit this file.
Normally word processors embed special formatting characters in
the text. These special characters will cause all sorts of
problems for PSQSL.
Use great care to follow the proper format for this file.
If PSQSL detects an error while reading in BUREAU.LST, it will
print out the offending line and abort. However, if you are
especially creative in screwing up while editing this file you
may find a way to fool it.
The general format for BUREAU.LST entries is:
[*]Name: DPX[,PX2,PX3,...,PXn];
Where:
Name = name of country (ends with a ":")
DPX = default call sign prefix for the country
PXx = alternate valid prefixes (or full calls in some cases)
'*' = optional token to identify the country is serviced by
the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service.
[ ] = denotes optional characters
Notes:
1) The '*' mark (if it is used) must be in the first column.
2) The country name must end with a ':'
3) One or more spaces must be between the country ':' and
default prefix.
4) Commas (,) must separate the DPX and any additional
prefixes.
5) Do not put any spaces or other characters between prefixes
(except ',').
6) The last prefix must end with a ';'
7) Everything in a line after a ';' is ignored.
8) A country can have multiple lines if there are many
prefixes. Be sure that each line for that country uses the
same default prefix.
BUREAU.LST is set up to identify countries which are
handled by the ARRL Outgoing QSL Service at the time of
distribution. From time to time the countries serviced will
change, and you should modify BUREAU.LST accordingly.
If you are not an ARRL member, and use another QSL mailing
service, you can change BUREAU.LST to select the countries that
your service will handle. To do this, start each country name
that is serviced with an "*".
RUNNING QCAPT
-------------
Unfortunately, not all of the logging programs supported
by PSQSL have the flexibility to allow QSL label information
to be stored to a file instead of being printed out on a
printer. PSQSL must have the QSL label information in a disk
file. The QCAPT utility supplied with PSQSL allows you to get
around this difficulty.
Basically, QCAPT.COM is a special type of program called a
Terminate and Stay Resident (TSR) program. When it is run, it
stays in memory, but returns control to DOS to allow other
programs to be run. You may already have other TSR programs
resident in memory
QCAPT sits quietly until it sees some data being sent to
your printer. It then intercepts this data and sends it to a
file for use in the future by PSQSL.
To start QCAPT, you type the following at the DOS prompt:
QCAPT FILENAME<ENTER>
You can enter any legal DOS filename (including drive and
path). If a path is not supplied, the current working
directory will be used. A message similar to the following
will appear and the DOS prompt will appear to allow you to
run another program.
QCAPT: QSL LABELS REDIRECTED TO FILE: C:\NA\IARU92.QSL
You can now run NA or LOG-EQF (or other logging program
that will not allow you to print labels to a file instead of
the printer) to generate the QSL labels. Any labels you send to
the printer will now be captured and instead sent to the file
you specified, in the above case "IARU92.QSL". When you are
finished, you MUST remove QCAPT from memory by typing (at the
DOS prompt):
QCAPT /R
This will remove QCAPT from memory (allowing it to be used
by other programs), flush the buffer of any remaining QSL
labels information, and indicate if there were any errors in
the capture process. Successful removal will cause the
following message to appear:
QCAPT: UNINSTALLED
QCAPT is not meant to be left in your computer's memory
when you are not using it for capturing QSL information. If
you install another TSR or a resident device driver (a mouse
driver for example) after starting QCAPT, you will not be able
to remove QCAPT. Everything you try to send to the printer
will be redirected to the file until the computer is re-booted.
If this situation occurs, QCAPT will send a "CAN'T UNINSTALL"
message to the screen when you try to use the /r option. Wait
a few seconds to be sure that everything in QCAPT's file
buffer has been written to the disk. Then re-boot the
computer.
Once QCAPT has been removed, you can use the newly created
file with PSQSL in the Import Data Menu. If the file exists in
a different directory than PSQSL, you must either copy the QSL
label file to the same directory as PSQSL, or specify the path
to the label file (e.g. C:\MA\IARU92.QSL) when PSQSL asks for
the import file name.
There are a few types of errors that can occur. The first
is the familiar "ABORT, Retry, Fail?" message that DOS uses
when you have done something like forgetting to stick a floppy
into the floppy drive.
Some other types of errors are unlikely, but are checked
for just the same. The most likely is an overflow of QCAPT's
buffer. Data from the printer is stored here until QCAPT gets
enough to make it worthwhile to write to the disk. If data
comes too fast for some reason, the buffer could fill up. When
this happens, some of the data will be lost. An error message
indicating this condition will appear when exiting QCAPT with
the /R message. This is another reason to be sure to remove
QCAPT when you are done with the NA, LOG-EQF, or other logging
program's printing session.
Notes on using QCAPT:
1) Never install another TSR or device driver while QCAPT is
running. QCAPT must be the last TSR to be installed.
2) Be sure that your computer is set up to use the LPT1 port.
3) Always use the /R option to remove QCAPT immediately after
finishing with a LOG-EQF or NA (or other program that only
sends labels directly to the printer) QSL printing sessions.
4) If you try to run QCAPT when another copy is already
resident, you will get an error message to that fact. Printer
data will still be redirected to the original file name.
5) If you try to remove QCAPT (with the /R option), and QCAPT
is not currently resident, you will get an error message.
6) QCAPT is only used if your logging program will not permit
you to send QSL labels to a file instead of directly to the
printer.
7) While QCAPT has only been tested with LOG-EQF and NA, it
should work with any other logging program that only sends
labels directly to the printer.
SUGGESTIONS, COMMENTS, BUG REPORTS, ETC.
Comments, suggestions for improving PSQSL, new features,
and bug reports are welcomed and appreciated. If you are the
author or user of a popular radio logging program which you
would like to see supported by PSQSL, please contact me. If
there is enough interest, future releases of PSQSL may support
it.
I can be reached through my computer and electronics
consulting company, Unified Microsystems. The best way is by
letter to Unified Microsystems, PO BOX 133, Slinger, WI 53086.
If you are having trouble with PSQSL, please include as much
information as possible. Include a disk if appropriate. Of
course, registered users get highest priority.
If you need a more immediate response, you can try
reaching me on the phone at Unified Microsystems, (414) 644-
9036 from 9:30 AM to 5:00 PM Central Time during weekdays.
Most of the time you will get an answering machine.
Availability of telephone support of PSQSL is not guaranteed.
BECAUSE OF THE LOW PRICE BEING CHARGED FOR PSQSL, LONG
DISTANCE PHONE CALLS CANNOT BE RETURNED.
I hope you find PSQSL useful. I do a lot of radio
contesting and receive well over 1000 QSL cards each year. It
has saved me a lot of time and I hope it does for you too.
Special thanks go to KS9K, KZ9K/7, N9XX, NB9C, WB9FRF, and
WW1M for their help in beta testing PSQSL and for their
constructive criticism.
73's & DX,
Gary Sutcliffe, W9XT
APPENDIX A
Using PSQSL With Unsupported Logging Programs
PSQSL supports the most popular logging and contest
logging programs. It also supports the two most common data
import/export formats used by popular data base programs. If
you use another logging program, you may still be able to use
PSQSL with it.
The first step is to create a label file with your logging
program. If your program allows you to create a label file on
the disk, you are all set. If it only prints directly to the
printer, you must capture the information with the QCAPT
program.
PSQSL must extract the callsign of the station for each
label so that it can determine which country it is from. PSQSL
looks for a particular string of characters or a special
location to find the call, depending on which logging program
was used. It is unlikely that PSQSL will be able to extract
the proper information on a file created by an unsupported
program using one of the supported programs' formats.
It may be possible, however, to quickly convert an output
label file from an unsupported logging program to a format that
is supported by PSQSL. Probably the easiest format to convert
it to is the line delimited format which was described in an
earlier section. For review, here is the line delimited label
format:
CALL_1
QSO_LINE_1
QSO_LINE_2
QSO_LINE_3
COMMENT_LINE
<- This line must be present. Any text is ignored.
CALL_2
QSO_LINE_1
QSO_LINE_2
<etc.>
It might be a simple matter to convert the label file to
this format with your editor or word processor. For example,
suppose your logging program produced a file containing the
following:
<Your call> confirms 2 way QSO with DX9DX
on FEB. 21, 1992 at 1432 UTC.
Your 21 MHz CW signals were 599.
Please QSL! 73 & DX
<Blank Line>
<Blank Line>
<Your call> confirms 2 way QSO with DX1XX
on JAN. 1, 1992 at 0252 UTC.
Your 14 MHz SSB signals were 59.
Please QSL! 73 & DX
<Blank Line>
<etc.>
You could use your editor to replace every occurrence of
the string of characters '<Your call> confirms 2 way QSO with '
with a string of zero characters. The exact commands you must
type to do this will depend on the particular editor you use.
It should be possible to do this change on every label in the
file with one command.
You may wish to do some other changes such as remove the
'on' before the date. Again, depending on your word processor,
you might be able to define and save special macros to do this
for you. The next time you produce a label file with your
logging program, a couple of quick keystrokes will do the
entire conversion for you.
If you use a word processor to make any changes, be sure
to use it in the ASCII mode so that you don't introduce any
special characters the word processor uses for formatting text.
An ASCII editor is your best bet if you have one and are
familiar with it.
To be safe, test the converted label file with a special
test PSQSL data file. That way if you need to make further
changes to your label file, you won't get the bad labels mixed
up with good ones.
If you use a commercially available logging program that
you would like to see supported, send a printout of a sample
label file (use regular computer paper, not labels) or better
yet, a diskette with a sample output label file on it to
UNIFIED MICROSYSTEMS. If there is enough demand, future
versions of PSQSL may support it.
APPENDIX B
Using PSQPATH To Set PSQSL Directories
When you run PSQSL, one of the first things it does is to
create a country and prefix table based on information
contained in the file "BUREAU.LST". To do this, PSQSL must be
able to find and read this file. If BUREAU.LST and PSQSL are
in the same directory, AND that directory is the current
working directory when you run PSQSL, you won't have any
problems.
Some PC users, however, like to split up their files in
separate directories and even separate drives. For example,
they might keep all of their executable programs in the C:
drive and all their data in the D: drive. This makes backing
up their drives easier.
PSQSL allows you to do this, but you must make special
arrangements so that PSQSL can find BUREAU.LST. This is done
by setting a special environment variable, "PSQPATH" to tell
PSQSL what directory BUREAU.LST can be found in.
Let us say that you want to put PSQSL and its files on
your C: drive in a directory called HR (for Ham Radio of
course!). Lets also say that you want to keep your logs and
QSL files in the directory "\QSLS" in the D: drive.
When you first install PSQSL, you would copy all the files
on the distribution floppy disk to C:\HR. The label files from
your logging programs would be stored in D:\QSLS.
Before running PSQSL, you would have to let it know where
it could find BUREAU.LST. You do this by typing the following
command from the DOS prompt:
set PSQPATH=C:\HR<ENTER>
Change "C:\HR" to whatever drive and directory combination you
used for saving BUREAU.LST. Instead of typing this every time
you want to use PSQSL, you could also put the same line in your
AUTOEXEC.BAT file so that it is set every time you turn your
computer on.
Next, when you want to run PSQSL, change directories to
D:\QSLS (or where ever your label files are located), and type
PSQSL. Note that in this example, you would have to have a
statement in your PATH (found in the AUTOEXEC.BAT file) command
for C:\HR in order for DOS to find PSQSL. The same would be
true in case you were using QCAPT and it were also located in
a different directory from the present one.
Because BUREAU.LST is a file that gets changed from time
to time, you might wish to keep it in the same directory that
you keep your label files. In that case make your "set
PSQPATH" command indicate the proper directory. In the
example, this would be "set PSQPATH=D:\QSLS".
For more information on directories, paths, and
AUTOEXEC.BAT, consult your DOS manual.
PSQSL Registration Form
Send this form and check or money order to:
Unified Microsystems
PO Box 133
Slinger, WI 53086
Name:__________________________________ Call:______________
Street:____________________________________________________
City_________________________________ State________________
ZIP_________________ Country_________________________
Phone Number (optional):___________________________________
PSQSL Version:__________________
Check one:
_____ Registration only $10
_____ Registration with a printed manual and
the latest version of PSQSL on disk $20
Wisconsin residents include 5% sales tax ____
Total enclosed ___________
Registered users will receive notices of updates to PSQSL.
What features would you like to see added to PSQSL?
What other amateur radio related programs would you like to see
developed?