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1985-12-07
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NN5ILOG
component of the
NN5I LOGGING SYSTEM
Copyright (c) 1985
Carl B. Hayes
All Rights Reserved
1
The NN5I Logging System is a simple-to-use, lightning-fast
contest logging and duping system for the IBM Personal Computer.
Written entirely in assembler language, it has the following
features:
* Records callsign, exchange, time, date, and
callsign of the local station operator for up
to 2999 QSOs per BAND/MODE combination.
* Will print the log of QSOs completed so far, while
simultaneously logging additional QSOs.
* Prints QSOs in chronological order or in order
by callsign, or as a standard dupe sheet.
* Can print QSOs as they are made (real-time printing).
* Essentially immune to loss of power to the PC. If
power is lost while logging, only the QSO currently
being entered will be lost. The others will still
be there when power is restored.
* Extremely fast DUPE checking. If the callsign is a
duplicate, the program will tell you with a flashing,
bright yellow message as soon as you type in the
callsign and hit ENTER. Usually the message will
appear before you can remove your finger from the
ENTER key.
* Gives you the option of logging a DUP or not.
* Continuously displays date, time, number of QSOs so
far, callsign of last station worked, and callsign
of the operator who is operating at the moment.
* Printed log marks each DUPE contact and lists the
date and time of the original QSO.
* Includes a post-editor for use after the contest is
over, for correcting incorrect entries made during
the contest.
FREE DEMONSTRATION VERSION
In order to allow you to try out the NN5I Logging System without
purchasing it first, the system exists in a DEMO version as well
as in the "production" version. The only difference between the
two versions is that the DEMO version runs only fifteen minutes
at a time and then automatically terminates, and will not run
again with the same log file.
2
REQUIRED EQUIPMENT
In order to run the NN5I Logging System, you need an IBM Personal
Computer or close compatible with at least 384K of RAM storage
and one 360K diskette drive. The system will run on hard disk or
on diskette and is not copy-protected. It will also run on a RAM
disk, but this has no effect upon speed and makes it vulnerable
to power loss. Also recommended is a printer, without which it
will be difficult to print out the results.
WHAT YOU GET ON THE DISK
The distribution diskette (in the case of the DEMO version, this
may be an ARC or LBR file downloaded from a bulletin board)
contains several files. One of them, NN5ILOG.DOC, is this
documentation file. Another, NN5ILOG.COM, is the executable
program that you run during the contest. The document you are
reading is the documentation for that program. In addition to
these, you also get NN5IEDIT.COM, which is the program you run
AFTER the contest to make any corrections in the log, and its
separate documentation file NN5IEDIT.DOC. Also included are
several BAT files for use in hard disk systems for rapid
BAND/MODE switching (see below).
HOW (BRIEFLY) THE PROGRAM WORKS
When you execute the NN5I Logging Program, the first thing it
does is format in RAM (not RAMdisk) a file (requiring 240K bytes
of RAM) that will contain the logged QSOs. Then it looks on the
default drive (diskette drive or hard drive) for a file
NN5ILOG.LOG. If it finds one, it reads from it any QSOs logged
in previous executions of the NN5I Logging Program. If no such
file is present, it creates one on the default drive. In the
process of creating the LOG file, the program asks you for the
BAND and MODE. You may enter up to three characters for each of
these; for instance, 160 SSB. After reading or creating the LOG
file, the program invites you to enter callsign and exchange for
each QSO. As you enter QSOs, the program records them in RAM and,
as time permits, records them on disk. The disk recording is
typically finished within 1/3 second after the operator finishes
entering the exchange when using a hard disk; one second on
diskette. There is no need to wait, though; you can be logging
the next contact while the disk update takes place!
3
SETTING UP
Before the contest, you should decide how many BAND/MODE
combinations you intend to work. For instance, if you intended
to work CW and SSB on 160 and 40 meters, you would have four
BAND/MODE combinations. You will need to prepare one diskette
for each combination. But see below for special instructions on
setting up a hard disk for super-fast BAND/MODE switching.
As mentioned above, the program will find or create a large file
(240K) on the diskette. Because loading such a file can be very
quick (often less than ten seconds depending upon how many QSOs
were previously logged in that file), while creating the file can
take several minutes, we recommend preparing the diskettes
(executing NN5ILOG to format the file) before the contest begins.
To prepare a diskette, first FORMAT it, then copy the NN5ILOG.COM
file onto it. Then insert it into the default drive (usually A:),
and enter the command NN5ILOG.
The program will produce a logo on your screen and spend several
seconds formatting its internal tables in memory. Then it will
ask:
WHAT IS THE NAME OF THE CONTEST?
You should reply with the name of the contest (15 characters or
fewer), for example CQ WORLDWIDE 85.
Then the program will ask:
WHAT CALLSIGN ARE YOU OPERATING WITH?
You should enter the station callsign you will use on the air
during the contest; for example, NN5I/CE0 if you were operating
using the program author's callsign from Easter Island.
The program's next question is:
WHAT NAME WILL YOU USE ON YOUR ENTRY?
Your reply may be your name, as CARL B HAYES, or perhaps the name
of a club, as PODUNK RADIO CLUB. You may enter up to 20
characters.
4
Then the program asks:
DOES CONTEST USE SERIAL NUMBERS?
This is an important reply, and is the only reply that you cannot
later change. If you reply YES, then at each restart of the
program (perhaps with a new BAND/MODE combination) the program
will ask the serial number for the next contact. It will
thereafter keep track and constantly display the NEXT serial
number on the screen. We chose not to have the program remember
the serial number on disk because, when you change BAND/MODE
combination (and thus move to a different log file) during the
heat of contest, you might forget to change it and thus end up
with multiple QSOs with the same serial, which might disqualify
your entry in certain contests. In any case, you should enter Y
if the contest requires serial numbers on QSOs (in the exchange)
and N if it does not. Entering N will eliminate ALL questions on
restart of the program on an existing log file, which is faster
and more convenient when changing BAND/MODE combination.
If (and only if) you entered Y to the previous question, the
program will then ask:
ENTER SERIAL NUMBER OF THE NEXT QSO.
You should answer this question with a number from 1 to 5999.
The program's last request before it takes off is:
PLEASE ENTER BAND AND MODE.
Enter up to three characters for BAND, followed by a carriage
return, and up to three characters for MODE, followed by another
carriage return. The program will format the file, counting down
from 3000 to 0 in the lower right-hand corner of the screen. When
the count hits 0 and the program displays the message, "ENTER
CALL SIGN", hold down the CTRL key and strike the ESCape key to
terminate the program.
Repeat this process for each diskette.
JUST BEFORE THE CONTEST BEGINS
Immediately before the contest begins, you should get DOS running
on the PC and set the TIME and DATE as accurately as possible.
Usually you will want to use GMT. In any case, you should use
the TIME and DATE commands to do this; some of the automatic
time-and-date hardware that does this automatically on some PCs
is not accurate enough for communications purposes (yours may be
an exception; you should experiment to see how accurately you can
set it. Then insert the diskette for the desired BAND/MODE
combination into the default drive and execute the NN5ILOG
command by typing "NN5ILOG" and striking the ENTER key. You're
ready to go.
5
HOW TO LOG A CONTACT
To log a contact, simply type in the callsign. You need not
worry about upper and lower case; the program translates
automatically. Simply type it in and enter a carriage return.
The program will check to see whether the contact is a DUP. If it
is, a flashing, bright-yellow message will tell you that it is,
and the time and date when the station was first worked. If you
don't want to log that station again, strike the ESCape key and
the QSO will be discarded. After you have typed in the call sign
and hit the carriage return, the program will replace the "ENTER
CALL SIGN" message with one that says, "ENTER EXCHANGE". If you
want to log the QSO without entering an exchange, simply enter a
carriage return and strike the "+" key (or, to do it with a
single keystroke, strike the F9 key). Otherwise, type in the
exchange. It is not necessary but is OK to enter a carriage
return after typing in the exchange. If you make a mistake when
typing in the callsign or exchange, you can go back to correct
the entry by using a carriage return (ENTER key) to flip back and
forth between callsign and exchange. When you have them both the
way you want them, you are ready to log the QSO.
To log the QSO, simply hit "+" (there are two "+" keys on the PC
keyboard; use either one, again without worrying about the SHIFT
key).
To discard the QSO (that is, NOT log it), simply hit the ESCape
key and no trace of the partially-entered QSO will remain.
HOW TO SPECIFY YOUR STATION OPERATOR'S CALL SIGN
Many contest stations operate with several operators. In these
cases it is desirable to make a record of which operators made
which QSOs. To tell the NN5I Logging Program your operator's
call sign, simply strike the F10 key. The program will ask for
your operator's call sign. Just type it in (up to six
characters) and hit ENTER. QSOs made thereafter will be recorded
with that callsign (until you change it again), and the printed
listings will include that operator's callsign.
TERMINATING THE PROGRAM
To terminate the program, simply hold down the CTRL key and,
while holding it down, strike the ESCape key. This will return
you to DOS. You can then change diskettes for another BAND/MODE
combination and re-enter the NN5ILOG command. This is not as bad
as it sounds; from the time you hit ESCape to the time the
program is ready to log for another band and mode is typically
less than 15 seconds, unless you are especially fumble-fingered
in changing the diskettes. If you have more than one diskette
drive, you can even keep a diskette in each one and switch band
and mode by switching default drives. If you have a hard disk,
you can improve considerably upon this; see the next paragraph.
6
RAPID BAND/MODE SWITCHING ON HARD DISK SYSTEMS
If your IBM PC has a hard disk, you can take advantage of the
ability to have online at all times a log file for each of
several BAND/MODE combinations. The basic plan of action to
switch to a new band and mode is to terminate the program by use
of the CTRL-ESCape keysequence, then enter a BATch command that
switches to a new DOS directory containing the desired
(preformatted) log file and reinvokes the NN5ILOG program. The
program's author (NN5I), whose hard disks are drives E: and F:,
does it this way:
In the AUTOEXEC.BAT file on the hard disk is a statement:
PATH E:\BAT,E:\COM
which assures that the \BAT directory
will be searched first for all entered commands, then the \COM
directory. In the \COM directory is a single copy of the
NN5ILOG.COM executable program file. This copy is executed for
any BAND/MODE combination.
For each BAND/MODE combination, there is a separate DOS directory
with a name corresponding to the band and mode; for instance, for
20 meter CW there is a directory \20CW in the root directory.
For each BAND/MODE combination, there is a BAT file in the \BAT
directory that switches to the appropriate directory and invokes
the NN5ILOG program. For instance, the BAT file for 20 meter CW
is called 20CW.BAT and contains the following statements:
CD \20CW
NN5ILOG
As a convenience, BAT files for CW and SSB on the most commonly
used bands are included with the NN5ILOG programs on the disk.
You can set yourself up to operate this way by making your hard
disk the default drive, inserting the diskette, and entering the
command BUILDDIR to execute the batch file BUILDDIR.BAT which
creates the directories.
When operating on, say, 15 meter SSB, all one need do to switch
to 20 meter CW is enter the CTRL-ESC keysequence (which returns
to DOS), and then type 20CW and strike the ENTER key. The system
searches the \BAT directory for 20CW.BAT and finds it; then it
executes the commands in 20CW.BAT. The first of these is CD
\20CW, which changes to the \20CW directory, containing the
appropriate log file for 20 meter CW contacts. The second
command is NN5ILOG, which starts up the NN5ILOG program. The
program starts up, then looks for the file NN5ILOG.LOG, which is
the name of the log file. If it finds the file, it reads it and
continues logging in it from the point at which it had last been.
If the file isn't there, the program creates it.
7
Thus, all that you need do to prepare for rapid BAND/MODE
switching during the contest is to set up the appropriate
statements in AUTOEXEC.BAT (the PATH statement), create the
directories you intend to use (\COM, \BAT, and one for each
BAND/MODE combination), place NN5ILOG.COM in the \COM directory,
and create an appropriately named BAT file in the \BAT directory
for each BAND/MODE combination (perhaps using the ones supplied
on the disk). Then switch to each BAND/MODE combination in
sequence to test the BAT files and preformat the log files. As a
convenience, we have included a BAT file (BUILDDIR.BAT) to create
the necessary directories and place the BAND/MODE BAT files in
the \BAT directory.
8
KEYBOARD REFERENCE
The following is a complete summary of the use of the keys on the
IBM PC keyboard. Please note that it is NEVER necessary to use
the SHIFT keys. For instance, the plus sign is a lower-case
character on one key and an upper-case character on another key.
The program will always interpret the key correctly, whether you
use the SHIFT key or not.
LEFT and Right arrow keys: There are two left-arrow keys
and one right-arrow key on the
keyboard. These can be used
as backspace and forward-space
while you are typing a callsign
to correct entries.
+ (plus sign) There are two of these. Either
can be used to log a QSO (think
of it as ADDing it to the log)
after you have typed in the
callsign and exchange.
ESCape (by itself) Used to abort (NOT log) a
QSO that you are typing in.
CTRL-ESCape Holding down the CTRL key while
striking the ESCape key ends
the program.
F1 Stops any printing that is
in progress.
F2 Starts printing the QSOs already
logged, in order by date & time.
You can continue logging while
the printing takes place.
F3 Starts printing the QSOs already
logged, in callsign order. You
can continue logging while the
printing takes place.
F4 Tells the program to print each
subsequent QSO as it is logged.
F5 Tells the program to print a
standard-format dupe sheet.
You can continue logging while
the printing takes place.
F6 Tells the program to eject the
paper to the top of the next
sheet. You can continue logging
while this takes place.
9
KEYBOARD REFERENCE continued
F9 QUICK-log. Used in checking
an old log. Typing in a
callsign and hitting F9 will
immediately DUPE-check the QSO
and, if not a DUPE, log it.
If it is a DUPE, you must hit
"+" or ESCape to log or discard
the QSO. It is not necessary
to enter the exchange or any
carriage returns.
F10 Specify station operator's call
sign. When you strike F10, the
program will ask you to enter
the callsign of the station
operator so that it can be
recorded with subsequent QSOs.
NumLock NumLock is used to stop the
updating to disk, temporarily.
This allows you to carry the
diskette to another PC, perhaps
in order to copy the LOG file
to another diskette for printing
on another PC. While disk up-
dating is thus suspended, you
can continue to log QSOs.
After the diskette is back in
the drive, hit NumLock again to
write any accumulated QSOs and
resume normal operation. Note
that, while the disk logging is
stopped, printing (if in
progress) will stop too.
CAUTION: while you have the
diskette out of the PC that is
working with disk logging thus
suspended, you must not, on
another PC, do anything (such
as logging, deleting, or
modifying QSOs) that modifies
the NN5ILOG.LOG file. If you
do, the file may be damaged
and irretrievably destroyed
when you resume disk logging.
10
OBTAINING A COPY OF THE NN5I LOGGING SYSTEM
The DEMO version of the NN5I Logging System, which runs only for
fifteen minutes at a time, is available free on the NN5I BBS and
possibly on other BBSs.
The NN5I BBS is active at
(214) 960-2730
300 or 1200 baud
The DEMO version can be obtained for $5.00 by sending a diskette
and self-addressed, stamped mailer to:
Carl B. Hayes
Box 5988
Richardson, TX 75083
The best way to send a 5-1/4" diskette mailer is to enclose it in
an 8" diskette mailer, which can usually be bought at the same
places that sell 5-1/4" mailers. Simply enclose your diskette and
the new, stamped and addressed 5-1/4" mailer, along with your
check or cash, in the larger mailer, along with a NOTE that says
WHAT YOU ARE ORDERING!
The PRODUCTION version of the NN5I Logging System is available
for $75.00. Please order it from the above address; it is not
necessary to include a mailer when ordering the PRODUCTION
version. You should include a NOTE that says you are ordering
the PRODUCTION version of the NN5I Logging System.
Although extreme effort has been expended in the creation and
debugging of the NN5I Logging System, no guarantee or warranty is
given. Prospective purchasers are urged to use the DEMO version
to determine whether this program is suited to their needs, and
to assume all risks. Payment for either the DEMO version or for
the PRODUCTION version is not refundable under any circumstances;
this is basically a one-man hobby operation.
11
