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QQSL
"Quick" QSL labels, Version 2.0
January 25, 1990
************************************************
* Copyright (C) 1989-90 by Bill Mullin, AA4M/6 *
* All Rights Reserved *
************************************************
READING THIS DOCUMENT
=====================
Over the years, I've discovered that every software author has
his or her own particular idea of how a "DOC" file should be
formatted. Many of these documents are supposedly formatted for
printing through the use of the DOS "TYPE > PRN" command. In
most of these cases, I've subsequently discovered that the for-
matting was wrong for my particular setup and that I had to
totally reformat the document and then print it again! Rather
than subject you to this nonsense, I've formatted this document
for direct viewing on your monitor. There are two easy ways to
do this:
1) Use Vernon D. Buerg's LIST utility program, or
2) Use the DOS "TYPE" command with the MORE option, i.e.
TYPE QQSL.DOC | MORE
I highly recommend option (1) to be the best of the two
alternatives!
If you prefer a printed copy of this document, a minimum of
reformatting with your favorite word processor will be all that's
required. Of course, printing by entering "TYPE > PRN" will
still work, but this isn't a good idea as the printed document
will have no top or bottom margin, and you'll probably find that
some lines have printed directly on the perforations between
pages!
AUTHOR
======
Written in Microsoft QuickC by:
Bill Mullin - AA4M/6
3042 Larkin Place
San Diego, CA 92123-3026
U.S.A.
INTRODUCTION
============
QQSL does only one thing - it prints labels for QSL cards. But,
it does a nice job, it does it fast, and it has lots of "bells
and whistles" just as a good program should! In creating, de-
signing, and writing QQSL, my first priority was to make it
"quick"! I think you'll find that I succeeded with this. My
second priority was to make QQSL the "Rolls Royce" of the QSL
label programs. In my opinion, I'm not quite there yet, but I'm
getting closer with each release. Maybe when version 3.0 is
completed??
QQSL was originally written for the contester, DXpeditioner,
award hunter, or anyone else who sends a lot of QSL cards. But,
version 2.0 has been now been redesigned to also be used by those
of us who send small quantities of QSLs, while still meeting the
needs of the volume user. This was done by having the labels
automatically saved to a file rather than being written directly
to continuous-feed labels. This means that the normal hassle of
loading label paper into the printer each time QQSL is invoked
can be avoided until the label file reaches a suitable size.
QQSL will produce QSL labels for QSOs on all ham bands from 1.8
to 440 MHz, and for six amateur modes: Amtor, CW, FM, Packet,
RTTY, or SSB, and QQSL won't let you enter a bad band, mode,
date, or time!
I've run QQSL on a 386/25 with SVGA, an AT with EGA, and an XT
with CGA, and had no problems on any of these systems. I've not
run the program on a monochrome system, but don't know of any
reason why there should be any problems. If anyone has difficul-
ty running QQSL on a monochrome system, please let me know!
WHY DID I WRITE QQSL?
=====================
QQSL was originally written for my own use. But, as I worked on
the source code, I felt that others would have similar needs, so
I decided to make QQSL available to the public. My primary need
for QQSL is to respond to incoming QSLs from the DX QSL bureau.
I average approximately 100 cards monthly, and find that this
total is increasing as the sunspots increase. During the last
sunspot high in the late 70's/early 80's, I often had months when
I received 300+ QSLs! Although I no longer get excited about
receiving QSL cards, I feel that one is obligated to respond when
he or she receives a QSL card. To do otherwise is RUDE and does
nothing to foster the good will normally generated by ham radio.
Although there are a number of different programs which produce
QSL labels, none of them used a format I cared for. It seemed
that they all used 10 character/inch (char/in) type, thereby
limiting the amount of information which could be printed on the
label and not giving the necessary (in my opinion) added weight
to the call sign. QQSL solved this problem by continually
switching modes while printing, thereby printing the first line
(the call sign) using a 5 char/in font and the remaining lines
using the 17 char/in font. Therefore, the total number or char-
acters which can be printed on a QQSL label are 219. A LOT of
information can be conveyed with this many characters.
In addition to the lack of multiple fonts, I've noticed that many
other programs require a full computerized log and will only
generate QSLs using information from this file. Although I
normally store most of my log information on a computer, I found
it to be very inconvenient to join various logs together, format
them into whatever format the labeling program in question need-
ed, and then tagging the lines which required a QSL label. It
was much faster for me to type the applicable label using written
logs and/or the QSO information from cards received. I think
that once you discover how fast you can enter label information
using QQSL, you'll agree that there is no advantage to working
from a "data base" of QSO information.
DISCLAIMER
==========
The author assumes no responsibility for the results produced by
QQSL, either to your software, hardware, or storage media. While
I've made every effort to ensure that this software works
properly, I know better than to claim that you will never
experience problems while using it. If you believe you have
found a bug, please report it in as much detail as possible,
including a reproducible sequence of events that leads to the
problem, a complete description of your hardware, DOS version
used, amount of free memory reported by CHKDSK, and a copy of
your CONFIG.SYS and AUTOEXEC.BAT files. See the "Technical
Support" paragraph for more information.
LEARNING QQSL
=============
The best way to learn QQSL is as follows:
1) Read the documentation quickly! Don't worry if parts
don't make sense, they will later. I've gone to a lot of detail
on how to use the program, most likely more than really was
necessary. Because of this, detailed study at this point in time
would probably cause more confusion than anything else!
2) Copy the extracted files from the QQSL archive into a
single directory or onto a single floppy diskette.
3) Run one or more QQSL practice sessions, entering ficti-
tious QSO information as you go along. Use ALL possible menu
options as you practice using QQSL. Use the documentation only
when you're stuck!
4) Study the documentation carefully from the first line to
the last.
You're now a QQSL "expert"!
GETTING STARTING
================
QQSL will run on an IBM PC or compatible running under MS-2.0 or
greater. Any monitor and display adapter may be used and at
least 256 KB of memory must be available. If you are running
QQSL from a floppy diskette, make sure that the diskette is
not write-protected.
The following files must all be in the same directory or on the
same floppy diskette from which you run QQSL:
QQSL.EXE
QQSL.PIF
SORTF.COM
Actually, the "EXE" and "COM" files can be anywhere in your DOS
PATH, and you then are only required to execute QQSL from the
same directory or diskette which contains QQSL.PIF. If you're
asking what a PATH is, then disregard this information and ensure
that the above three files are in the same directory or on the
same floppy diskette as stated.
QQSL has one parameter which can be used if needed. This is the
"/SL" parameter, which is to be used ONLY if your printer does
not automatically put a "slash" through the zero digits. If this
parameter is used and QQSL detects a zero in the call sign only,
it will print the zero, backspace, and then print a "/" (slash)
over the zero. QQSL will not attempt to slash zeros other than
in the call sign though. This is because I've tested this option
extensively, and I've discovered that the backspace-slash combi-
nation is NOT the same as the slashed zero normally produced by
dot matrix printers. It's close, but on my test machines it
never quite looked as good as the default slashed zero provided
by printer fonts capable of such. What's worse, if you use the
/SL parameter and your printer normally defaults to a slashed
zero, you may see two slashes! Reminder: Only the zero on label
line one (the call sign) will be slashed if you use the /SL
parameter.
To run QQSL, simply enter:
QQSL <CR>, or
QQSL /SL <CR>
Either upper or lower case (or a combination) may be used.
The first screen is copyright information which should be care-
fully studied the first time you invoke QQSL, and may be largely
ignored (but not forgotten) on subsequent execution. Following a
5-second delay, you will receive a prompt to "Press any key".
When you do, you will see one of two possible menu screens as
described below.
MENUS
=====
Labels are saved to a file named QQSL.LOG. The first time you
run QQSL (or if you run QQSL after deleting your QQSL.LOG file
with the (D)elete option), you'll see a menu with the following
options:
(C)reate a new QQSL.LOG file,
(M)odify QQSL.PIF, or
(Q)uit this run?
Subsequent runs of QQSL will show this menu:
(A)dd new labels to QQSL.LOG,
(C)ount the number of labels in QQSL.LOG,
(D)elete QQSL.LOG,
(M)odify QQSL.PIF,
(P)rint all the labels from QQSL.LOG,
(S)ort QQSL.LOG, or
(Q)uit this run?
A description of each of these options follows.
(C)REATE OR (A)DD
=================
These options are essentially the same. The only difference is
that (C)reate will start a new QQSL.LOG file and (A)dd will
append new labels to the existing QQSL.LOG file. You don't need
to be concerned as to whether enter "C" or "A", as the menuing
system has built-in safeguards to prevent the wrong option being
selected.
You are about to discover that entering label information with
QQSL is FAST! Part of this speed comes from the fact that it is
not necessary to use the carriage return <CR> when creating
labels (except in two places):
1. At the end of each call sign, and
2. Instead of a call sign, to return to the main menu.
All remaining label information can be entered without using
<CR>. Additionally, you don't need to be concerned about whether
or not to use capital letters as QQSL automatically converts all
lower case letters to upper case. Note: You must avoid using
the tilde (~) character! If you ignore this warning, you'll lose
labels! This is because I'm using this character in the QQSL.LOG
file to separate label lines, take a look at a QQSL.LOG file
using your favorite word processor in (N)on-document mode and
you'll see what I mean. If the lack of this character causes
anyone a problem, let me know and I'll think about using some
non-printable "extended" ASCII character in its place.
Prompts/user input are as follows:
Call sign or <CR> to end? Enter the full call sign. Although
I have never heard a call sign with
more than twelve characters (more on
that later), QQSL will accept up to
15 characters. Enter <CR> after the
call sign is entered, or <CR> by
itself to end label entry. Call
signs are not validated, so be sure
to "eyeball" each entry carefully
before entering the <CR>. Reminder:
call signs entered using lower case
(aa4m/6) are automatically converted
to upper case (AA4M/6).
MHz? QQSL recognizes 1.8, 3.5, 3.8, 7,
10, 14, 18, 21, 24, and 28 as valid
entries. Additionally, The 50, 144,
220, and 440 MHz frequencies may be
entered by entering the characters
A, B, C, or D respectively. Any
other entry will be rejected.
Mode (A, C, F, P, R, or S)? These letters stand for (A)MTOR,
(C)W, (F)M, (P)acket, (R)TTY, and
(S)SB. Enter the appropriate letter
and the remainder of the mode will
be automatically displayed. I
realize I left out the satellite and
SSTV modes, but I didn't think there
would be enough demand for these.
If there are any users who would
like to see these modes, please let
me know.
Day? 01 - 31. Invalid days will be
rejected. You don't need to use
<CR> if you precede a single-digit
day with a zero. For example QQSL
will automatically convert 7<CR> to
"07". But, my recommendation is
that you enter "07", rather than 7
followed by <CR>. This is because
if you get into the habit of using
<CR> with QQSL, you may find
yourself accidentally using it at
other places where it is not needed.
Although this will not "bomb" QQSL
nor should it cause the labels to
come out wrong, it does mess up the
display!
Month? 01 - 12. Invalid months will be
rejected. If the day is "31", QQSL
will not accept 02, 04, 06, 09, nor
11. If the day is "30" or "31",
QQSL will not accept 02. Again, I
recommend you precede single-digit
months with "0". The month will be
converted to Roman numerals on the
QSL label. Those of you who send
cards to DX stations don't have to
ask why!
Year (last 2 digits)? 80 - 99 are the only valid years at
this time. If you have entered 29
as day and 02 as month, only a leap
year will be accepted. The two-
digit year will be preceded with
"19" on the label. If this program
(and me) are still around in the
year 2000, I'll change this <HI!>.
Time? Enter the time in UTC (old GMT).
Invalid times will be rejected.
QSL, (P)lease or (T)hanks? "P" or "T" only. Invalid characters
will be rejected. QSL will display
the remainder of the word on the
monitor.
OK (Y/N)? "Y" or "N" only. Invalid characters
will be rejected. If you enter "Y",
the label will be saved to QQSL.LOG.
QSL then prompts for the next call.
If you enter "N", all of the label
information is rejected and QQSL
will prompt for a new call sign. In
either case, QQSL displays a message
telling you whether the label was
saved or deleted.
QQSL was written so that system crashes will not cause you to
lose labels! For example, you're an avid contester in "W6" land
who has just finished entering QSL label information for 600 JA
QSL's which just arrived from the bureau. These labels were
(A)dded to an existing QQSL.LOG file which already contained 200
labels or so. Suddenly, there's a brief power interruption! In
this situation, normally you would have lost the entire QQSL.LOG
file, including the 200 labels from your previous sessions!!
Trust me, these situations in which a computer user loses all his
or her work because of hardware failure are quite common!
Therefore, I have written QQSL in such a manner that it will
never lose more the single label that you are currently working
on, and I have extensively tested this feature! Prove it to
yourself - start a new QQSL.LOG file by entering a few fictitious
labels. Then, switch off the PC as you are entering the
information for a new label. After you turn the power back on,
go directly to the (P)rint option and print out the test labels.
You'll see that only the label that you were working on when you
threw the switch was lost! This might seem to be a minor feature
to some of you, but if you have ever lost a couple of hours of
work from a system crash, you'll appreciate the effort I put
forth to install this capability!
(C)OUNT LABELS
==============
This option is self-explanatory. It's a good idea to invoke
(C)ount from time to time to see if the label file is the size
that you normally like to print. Additionally, the (S)ort option
(described below) will not sort an unlimited number of labels.
If you have a LOT of labels in your QQSL.LOG file, this option
will let you know that it is about to exceed the number of labels
that the (S)ort can handle. (C)ount displays the count
continuously as it counts the labels in the QQSL.LOG file. I set
it up this way just because I thought it looked neat! If you are
(C)ounting a small number of labels, this feature won't mean
much. But, if you're (C)ounting a lot of labels, it's fun to
watch the counter incrementing!
(D)ELETE QQSL.LOG
=================
This option would normally be selected after you have printed out
your current label file. If you have selected this option, you
will see the prompt:
Are you sure (Y/N)?
This second prompt is provided just in case you have accidentally
pressed the "D" key or in case you might have changed your mind.
TIP: I recommend that you keep a copy of PCTools, Norton Utili-
ties, or some other utility program which allows undeleting on
your system, and that you know how to use it! Then, if you
delete QQSL.LOG and discover that you need it back for any rea-
son, immediately stop whatever you're doing and attempt to recov-
er the deleted file. Note that it is very important to recover a
file as soon as you discover that you need it back, as DOS will
write data over your deleted file sooner or later, at which time
it is no longer possible to undelete it! By the way, this
undeleting program will have many uses beyond QQSL, as I'm sure
you realize!
Suggestion: Don't run (D)elete until all the labels have been
removed from their backing and are affixed to your QSL cards.
This way, individual labels can be reprinted if they become
"messed up" in any way.
(M)ODIFY QQSL.PIF
=================
PIF stands for Program Information File. The information which
prints on the last two thirds of the fourth line and all of the
fifth line can be either permanently or temporarily modified by
this option. The original PIF delivered with QQSL contains
information which is used by line 4 and 5 of the label.
Selecting (M)odify will allow you to change either line, both
lines, or neither (should you change your mind). Changes can be
made either (P)ermanent (saved forever) or (T)emporary (saved for
this run only). This part of the menuing is very straight-
forward, so I won't go to any more detail on the (M)odify menus
The QQSL.PIF which came with QQSL contains my personal choices
for use on lines 4 and 5. The first time you use QQSL, I know
that you'll want to make (P)ermanent changes to the QQSL.PIF
file. Go ahead, this part is fairly easy. My only advice is
that you need to remember that the line 4 information will butt
up against the "Please QSL" or "Thanks QSL" which starts line 4.
I made it this way so that you could provide punctuation directly
after the word QSL if needed. For example, you might want your
modified line 4 might appear like this:
Please QSL, hope to see you again!
This would require that you enter: ", hope to see you again!" as
the modified information to be on line 4. Note that the quotes
are not to be entered and the comma (,) is not preceded by a
space.
Or, you may wish to precede the line 4 modification with a space
as follows: " - 73's and good DX. Bill, AA4M/6" to produce a
line like this:
Please QSL - 73's and good DX. Bill, AA4M/6
This is the exact line which will be printed on line 4 of your
label if you don't modify the QQSL.PIF file.
If you (M)odify line 5, whatever you enter as the new line will
totally replace the old.
NOTE: Lower case letters are NOT converted to upper case for
lines 4 and 5.
(T)emporary changes are for use during this QQSL session only,
whereas (P)ermanent changes are used during this session and are
also written to your QQSL.PIF file. Be careful with (P)ermanent
changes! If you think you might want to save the old PIF for
future use, you might want to make a copy with a name similar to
PIF.OLD before making any (P)ermanent changes.
NOTE: I may have made the (M)odify command sound more complicat-
ed than it really is. Play around with it a bit and you'll see
that it's really quite simple.
(P)RINT LABELS
==============
QQSL starts out this option by printing out a dummy label and
then asking:
Again (Y/N)?
Use the dummy labels to line up pin feed labels in your printer.
Each time you enter "Y", QQSL will print out another label. Note
that this is also a good time to turn on your printer's near
letter quality (NLQ) capability. Doing so will make the labels
look MUCH better. After you have properly lined up the labels,
enter "N" and QQSL will begin printing labels. A count of the
number of labels printed is displayed on the screen and is
continuously updated. This count will not coincide with the
label currently being printed if you have a print buffer or
spooler, but in all cases the end count will reflect the actual
number of labels printed.
The dummy label uses the same printer fonts which will be used
for "live" labels. Exception: If you have used the /SL
parameter to slash zeros in the call sign, this slash will not
appear in the dummy label, only in actual live labels.
(S)ORT QQSL.LOG
===============
This option will sort the QQSL.LOG file in alphanumeric order by
call sign. Your old QQSL.LOG file will be renamed QQSL.BAK and
saved in the same directory (or floppy diskette). This backup
file is created for the unlikely situation that something goes
wrong during the sort. The only thing I have found that would
cause a problem with the (S)ort option is if SORTF is not in the
current directory or in the "PATH" as described earlier, in which
case the (S)ort simply will not work. Should this happen, you'll
find that you no longer have a QQSL.LOG file, but the new
QQSL.BAK file can be renamed QQSL.LOG and used for further
processing! Should this happen to you, be sure to correctly
install SORTF before using the (S)ort option again!
During development, I tested the (S)ort option on a 640 KB "AT"
clone with no expanded memory and a minimum of TSR's (Terminate
but Stay Resident) programs installed, and I was able to sort
14,000 labels with no trouble. My suggestion though is that you
should consider the maximum sort capability to be 10,000 records,
or less if you don't have the full 640 KB of RAM.
It's probably a good idea to not use the (S)ort option if your
files are all stored on floppy diskette. This is because the
(S)ort creates two additional files, QQSL.TMP and QQSL.BAK, which
are both the same size as QQSL.LOG. Of course QQSL.TMP is
deleted before the (S)ort is finished, but nevertheless the space
needs to be available during the process. Additionally, the
files QQSL.EXE and QQSL.PIF must also reside on the same
diskette. All-in-all, as your QQSL.LOG file grows, you may find
that there is no longer space to (S)ort on floppy diskette. I
leave it up to you, but be VERY careful!
Note that neither the U.S. nor the DX "Callbook" is sorted in a
true alphanumeric order, so if you are surprised when the labels
print out in an unfamiliar order, this is the reason. As an
example, the "Callbook" will show these random calls in this
order:
WA2XYZ, N5XYZ, K6ABC, AA7XX . . .
Whereas QQSL will sort the same labels in this order:
AA7XX, K6ABC, N5XYZ, WA2XYZ . . .
The above example is an extreme example of the differences
between an alphanumeric sort vs. the "Callbook" sequence. The
reality of the situation is that the sequence produced by the
(S)ort option should be quite acceptable to you and is a LOT
better than no sequencing at all! You'll also discover that DX
label sort fits the sequence desired by the various outgoing QSL
bureaus quite well. FYI, one of the enhancements I'm thinking
about for the future is a (S)ort option which will sort in
"Callbook" sequence. But, my expectations are that this will be
a difficult modification!
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
This seems an appropriate time for me to give a great big THANK
YOU to Vernon D. Buerg, N6MG for his permission to incorporate
his program SORTF into my QQSL program. Without this, I would
have been forced into writing and debugging my own code to sort
labels, and the resulting sort would have been slower than Vern's
program and probably wouldn't have been able to sort as many
labels! Additionally, QQSL would have been delayed while I
worked on my sort option. So thanks Vern! And, all you users be
sure to read the SORTF.DOC which accompanies QQSL. You'll see
that SORTF has many applications beyond just sorting QQSL labels
and will be an important addition to your utility library! And,
if you use SORTF, please be sure to register it with Vern.
Details are in the SORTF.DOC file.
* - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - * - *
(Q)UIT
======
This option is self-explanatory!
LABEL INFORMATION
=================
QQSL prints on standard 3-1/2" X 15/16", 1-up labels. The first
line of the label (the call sign) is printed using wide print (5
characters/inch) and the remaining four lines are printed with
compressed print (17 characters/inch). No other QSL label pro-
gram that I've seen uses multiple fonts to print labels! An
Epson compatible dot matrix printer is assumed. I've tested QQSL
on both a Panasonic KXP-1091i and a Citizen MSP-10, and it works
fine on both. If you're using a non-Epson compatible printer,
give QQSL a try anyway to see what happens (you won't hurt the
printer). If the labels come out "bad", check the manual to see
if the printer can be reconfigured through "dip" switch settings.
If you have a "NLQ" mode on your printer, use it. The labels
will look MUCH better!
The following table illustrates the label's first line, with the
format being determined by the length of the call.
Letters
in call Format
------- ------
1 - 5 *.*..W6XYZ..*.*
6 - 7 *.*.W6XYZ/4.*.*
8 - 9 *..W6XYZ/KL7..*
10 - 11 *.WA6XYZ/VP2M.*
12 - 15 REAL-LONG-CALL!
Periods (.) represent blanks.
The first line, second line, third line, and first 10 characters
of the fourth line are automatically generated by QQSL. The
RS(T) will always be 59 or 599, depending on the mode used. If
you're a contester or a DXpeditioner, you know why I'm using
these reports. The last 41 characters of the fourth line and all
of line five are composed of the characters from the file
QQSL.PIF which must be in the same directory or on the same
floppy diskette as QQSL.EXE. The sample QQSL.PIF accompanying
QQSL gives full information on producing this file. FYI, it is
reproduced here in its entirety, between (but not including) the
lines of asterisks:
*****************************************************************
- 73's and good DX. Bill, AA4M/6
Rig: TS-930S, Alpha-78, KT-34A up 17 meters
First line maximum is 41 characters.
Second line maximum is 51 characters.
Any characters beyond these, even if these are only spaces, have
the potential to screw up the label. But, any line after the
second is ignored by the program. These areas can be used for
comments (as you can see - Hi!).
HINT: Use QQSL's (M)odify command rather than your word proces-
sor to change the first two lines in this file - it's much safer!
*****************************************************************
HISTORY
=======
Version 1.0 (10/18/89):
- Initial release.
Version 2.0 (01/25/90):
- QQSL no longer prints each label as it is entered, instead
a file named QQSL.LOG is created on hard disk (or floppy
diskette). This file can be added to, printed, etc., as
necessary.
- The QQSL.PIF file can now be modified from within QQSL.
- Labels can be counted before printing.
- Labels can be sorted before printing.
- Labels are counted as they print.
- Three new modes have been added.
- Seven new bands have been added.
- A separate copyright screen has been added.
- The program is now Shareware.
- Advertisement message added to end. You can register QQSL
to make it go away <HI!>.
- The "C" source is no longer included.
- MASSIVE documentation changes were made.
THINGS TO COME
==============
Version 2.? A high priority change which I intend to incorporate
soon is the capability to enter reports other than
59 or 599!
The cursor jumps back to col. 1 when labels are
being created if the <CR> is accidentally pressed at
times. Although the labels still look fine after
this happens, it's "bugging" me!
I've been thinking about displaying some default
information which could be selected through the use
of the TAB. For instance, for year I'd show the
last two digits of the current year at first, which
could be either selected by the using the TAB or
overridden as necessary. I'd then use information
from the previous label as defaults for the next.
This would greatly speed up label entry if the QSO
information was in a logical sequence!
A handy modification would be the capability to
print QSL labels for SWLs. Although I don't see a
lot of SWL cards here on the west coast, I vividly
remember all those SWL cards from the eastern
Europeans and Russians back when I lived in 4-land!
If anyone is interested in this option, a little
feedback might be just the thing to get me started!
I'd like to be able to totally eliminate the
QQSL.PIF file by writing PIF information back to the
program itself. I'll do this as soon as I figure
out how to.
Sorting according to the "Callbook" sequence would
be a great enhancement! This may have to wait for a
while though as it is a FAR MORE complex modifica-
tion than it may appear to the casual user.
It would be nice if individual labels could be
displayed on the monitor, and then edited if neces-
sary. I may save this for version 3.0 though as I
think this capability might lend itself to
windowing.
Version 3: This version will use windowing techniques. I'm
adding this to the program mostly as a learning
experience. At this time, I have no clear idea what
kind of improvements windowing will make to the
program, but my experience is that programs using
windows are the most "user-friendly" of any of the
programs I use.
Although the fact that lines 4 and 5 can be modi-
fied, it would still be nice if there were more
flexibility designed into the label format. I'll
give this some thought.
If QQSL proves to be a popular program, I'll add
mouse support!
Other revisions/corrections to QQSL will be released as neces-
sary.
MISCELLANEOUS STUFF
===================
1) My personal QSL card wasn't designed with the idea of
using QQSL labels. But, the card was accidentally arranged in
such a way that the label looks fairly good when I put it over
the preprinted QSO information block. On this subject, I
recently received a QSL from an old friend of mine back in "4-
Land" whose call is KC4B. John wanted to show me his new QSL
card. This card had the QSO block on the front, but he had
overlaid the block with a QQSL label, and it looked great! It
seems this card was designed with the idea that a user might like
to either fill out the card himself OR use a label. John went on
to tell me that this QSL was not a custom design, but one of many
styles made with this "dual function" in mind. This QSL card
came from "QSLs by W4MPY" in Monetta, SC. If this kind of QSL
interests you, write for samples to the address from W4MPY
advertisements in the ham publications. While at it, you might
write to a few other QSL printers for samples. My guess is that
we'll be seeing more and more of this kind of QSL in the future,
especially if QQSL gets passed around <HI!>.
2) During the ARRL RTTY Roundup contest in January, 1990, I
had a QSO with a YL using the longest call I have ever heard on
the amateur bands! This call was KB9BAF/KP2/T, a total of twelve
characters. The call belonged to technician class amateur oper-
ating portable in the contest, so the format of the call was
valid (as far as I know). If anybody has ever worked a "real-
life" valid call (not a hypothetical call) longer than this, I'd
be interested in hearing about it. By the way, the QSO with this
"monster" call was my first with the American Virgin Islands on
RTTY, so I used QQSL to format a label for my QSL card. QQSL had
no problems with this call!
3) During a QQSL test session, I decided to make changes to
the QQSL.LOG file using my word processing (WP) software. Of
course I used (N)on-document mode, as you should if you want to
modify any individual labels with your WP software. If you use
the (D)ocument mode, QQSL will no longer be able to read the
QQSL.LOG file! Anyway, after making changes to only one label, I
found that QQSL would no longer (A)dd to the file. It took a
LONG time for me to figure this one out, but I finally discovered
that my WP software had added some "padding" characters (hex
characters $1A - I think) to the end of the QQSL.LOG file in
order to bring the total number of characters to a multiple of
128. Why it needed multiples of 128 I have no idea. Anyway, I
changed the WP setup so that it no longer added these padding
characters and I can now edit the file with my WP. The moral of
this story is that you MUST BE SURE to make a backup copy of your
QQSL.LOG file before making any changes with your WP software, at
least until you are confident that your label file won't be
"clobbered" by your WP! For those interested, my WP software
package is WordStar, version 5.5. If you're using this WP
software and can't figure out how to eliminate the padding
characters, get in touch with me and I'll be glad to help.
4) I played around with double-printing the first line of
the label in order to emphasize the call sign. But, I discovered
that both of my "Epson compatible" printers handled this part of
the program differently (what worked on one was ignored by the
other). After spending an inordinate amount of time on this
potential enhancement, I decided to abandon it rather than
release a program which might not work in a particular user's
environment. This was unfortunate, because when it worked - it
looked good!
5) Version 1.0 of QQSL was originally released as free (but
copyrighted) software. I even included the "C" source code for
those of you that wanted to "tinker" with the program. That
version of QQSL represented about 400 lines of source code.
Version 2.0 is now over 1,000 lines of source and still growing.
This program has taken me MUCH more effort than I had originally
planned. For a project that originally began as a learning
effort, it has really gotten out of hand! Those of you who are
programmers know what I mean. Because of this effort, I decided
to withhold the source code from this release. If you need the
source for any reason, let me know - we'll discuss it! In
addition to withholding the source, I've made the program
Shareware, as you've already discovered.
6) This paragraph is not directly related to QQSL, so I'll
make it brief. It is VERY IMPORTANT to backup your data! If you
know this and already have a suitable backup schedule in place,
skip the rest of this paragraph. But, if you're not in the habit
of backing up your data on a routine basis, you're going to get
stung some day, BAD! If your system does not have a hard disk,
backing up is as simple as using the DOS DISKCOPY command. For
those using a hard disk, the least efficient but simplest way is
to backup files is with the DOS COPY command. Next is through
the use of the DOS BACKUP and RESTORE commands. At my office, I
personally use and recommend Fastback Plus, of which version 2.09
is the latest. I have lost the entire contents of my hard disk
six times over the last two years, but never lost more than an
hour or two of work thanks to Fastback! If you find that you
have a LOT of data on a BIG hard disk and that the act of physi-
cally swapping floppy diskettes is forcing you to attend Fastback
sessions of 20 minutes or more, you're a candidate for a tape
backup! I'm now using a 150 MB tape backup system on my system
at home, and can honestly say that I'd never again backup more
than 20 MB or so to floppy diskettes. Tape is definitely the way
to go if you have a lot of data!
ABOUT SHAREWARE
===============
Shareware distribution gives users a chance to try software
before buying it. If you try a Shareware program and contin-
ue using it, you are expected to register!
Copyright laws apply to both Shareware and commercial software,
and the copyright holder retains all rights. Shareware authors
are accomplished programmers, just like commercial authors, and
the programs are of comparable quality. (In both cases, there
are good programs, bad programs, and indifferent programs)! The
main difference is in the method of distribution. The author
specifically grants the right to copy and distribute the
software, either to all and sundry or to a specific group. For
example, some authors require written permission before a
commercial diskette vendor may copy their Shareware.
So, Shareware is a distribution method, not a type of soft-
ware. You should find software that suits your needs and pock-
etbook, whether it's commercial or Shareware. The Shareware
system makes fitting your needs easier, because you can try
before you buy. And because the overhead is low, prices are low
also. Shareware has the ultimate money-back guarantee - if you
don't use the product, you don't pay for it!
REGISTRATION
============
You are granted a license to try this program for a period of one
month. If you continue to use it after the trial period is
over, you must register by sending the registration form and the
suggested registration fee of $15 (U.S. funds or 30 IRC's) to the
author as shown on the registration form. The word "suggested"
has special meaning, it means that you are free to send less than
the suggested fee, but this will license you for only the version
which you now are using, and you will not be sent the version
which doesn't print the 30-second "advertisement" at the end of
the program. Upgrades will require additional registration
fees. Should you decide to register by paying less than the
suggested amount, you'll be completely registered once the full
registration fee has been received. Although I intend to keep
tight records, if you decide to only "partially" register QQSL,
please notify me if/when your registration fees total the
suggested amount. On that subject, "suggested" also means that
you may pay more if you think the program is worth it. I know
that some of you are laughing, but please trust me when I say
that I won't make a profit on this program, even if ALL those who
register were to pay more than the suggested amount! The level
of effort to produce this code and personal expenses for both
hardware and software has been tremendous!
Registration is for life, meaning that all future upgrades will
be covered by a single full registration fee! With full
registration, you'll receive a registration number and a 360
KB, 5 1/4" floppy diskette with a copy of QQSL that does not
print out the 30-second advertisement when you (Q)uit the
program.
Note: Except for the end advertisement, the evaluation and
registered copies are identical and the evaluation copy is fully
functional!
REGISTRATION FORM
=================
To register QQSL, please send this form and $15.00 (U.S. funds or
30 IRC's) to:
Bill Mullin - AA4M/6
3042 Larkin Place
San Diego, CA 92123-3026
U.S.A.
NAME: ____________________________________ Call: ____________
ADDRESS: ________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________
Where did you get your copy of QQSL?
( ) CompuServe CIS User ID: _______________________________
( ) BBS (please give name and number): __________________________
( ) Other (please specify): _____________________________________
What version of QQSL are you using? _____________________________
Comments/Suggestions: ___________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Thank you for registering QQSL!
UPGRADES
========
All fully registered users are entitled to free upgrades to the
latest version of QQSL. It can be downloaded from CompuServe's
HAMNET Forum, Library 0 (New Uploads) or Library 6 (Programs). A
search for (KEY)word "QQSL" will find the program. Additionally,
many of the ham radio oriented BBS's across the country will have
copies of QQSL available for downloading. The following BBS will
always have the latest version, uploaded directly by me:
RadioSport (619) 279-3921
You can also get the latest version by sending me a formatted 360
KB, 5 1/4" floppy diskette and a postage-paid mailer.
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
=================
If you have any questions or comments about QQSL, good or bad,
write to:
Bill Mullin - AA4M/6
3042 Larkin Place
San Diego, CA 92123-3026
U.S.A.
I can also be reached via EZ-Plex on CompuServe. My user-id is
[72220,2707]. NOTE: If you wish to contact me via CompuServe,
please DO NOT leave mail in the HAMNET Forum. I seldom read
forum mail, as I've discovered this practice becomes habit-
forming and TERRIBLE things happen to my monthly bill <HI!>. I
can also be reached via E-mail to user BILL MULLIN on the
RadioSport BBS in San Diego, (619) 279-3921 (US Robotics HST).
Additionally, if you use Interlink Worldwide Electronic Mail, you
can post mail to user BILL MULLIN via the HAM Conference.
Please include your registration number with all correspondence!
BCNU
====
I hope QQSL fills a need in your ham/computer shack and that you
have as much fun using it as I had writing it! For now
though . . .
73's and good DX, Bill - AA4M/6
