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PAGE i LOG-EQF Version 3.42 Amateur Radio Logbook Database System Copyright (C) 1989-1991 Thomas J. Dandrea N3EQF ------------ USER'S GUIDE ------------ NOTICE: LOG-EQF is copyrighted by the author, and has been released for public distribution as "Shareware" or "User-Supported" software, for use by radio amateurs. The author reserves all rights to the software under the copyright laws. Registered users of LOG-EQF are provided notification of program revisions, technical support, and additional programs which make LOG-EQF even more useful. To become a registered user of LOG-EQF, please send $10.00 to the author: --------------------- Tom Dandrea N3EQF 396 Sautter Drive Coraoplis, PA 15108 --------------------- Improvements and revisions will be made to LOG-EQF in direct proportion to the number of requests for them. Your comments about the program and suggestions for improvement are welcome. PAGE ii --------------------------------CONTENTS------------------------------- PAGE NUMBER 1. LOG-EQF Overview......................................1.0 2. Installation..........................................2.0 SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS........................2.0 INSTALLING LOG-EQF.........................2.0 FILES REQUIRED FOR OPERATION...............2.2 3. Program Startup and Customization.....................3.0 CONFIGURATION SETUP........................3.0 LOADING LOGBOOK INFORMATION FROM FILES.....3.2 QUICK LOAD OF LOG-EQF......................3.3 4. Main Menu Commands....................................4.0 VIEW IN DETAIL.............................4.0 QUICK VIEW.................................4.1 PRINT LOGBOOK..............................4.1 QSL LABELS.................................4.2 LOG - AUTOMATIC............................4.2 LOG - MANUAL...............................4.6 EDIT.......................................4.7 LOAD.......................................4.8 SORT.......................................4.9 SEARCH.....................................4.9 NORMAL/CONTEST SELECTION...................4.10 SHELL......................................4.11 SETUP......................................4.11 EXIT.......................................4.11 5. Contest Operation.....................................5.0 INTRODUCTION...............................5.0 CONFIGURATION SETUP........................5.1 OPERATION DURING THE CONTEST...............5.3 OPERATION AFTER THE CONTEST................5.4 6. Radio Control Commands................................6.0 7. Maintenance of the DX Prefix Library..................7.0 8. In Case of Trouble....................................8.0 PAGE 1.0 1. LOG-EQF OVERVIEW -------------------- The LOG-EQF program helps you maintain a complete and accurate station logbook with minimal effort. LOG-EQF will function as a full-featured electronic logbook when used alone on a personal computer. If the pro- gram is used on a computer that is connected to a Kenwood transceiver via an RS-232C serial port, many additional automatic logging and con- trol features are enabled. Below are some of the features of LOG-EQF: - DAILY LOGBOOK (STAND-ALONE) --------------------------- - Full-screen entry of logbook information in any order desired. - Easy edit or deletion of any logbook entry. - Automatic date and time logging with built-in UTC conversion. - Quick reports of DXCC Zone and Continent info from callsign prefix. - Beam Headings displayed from DXCC prefix of callsign. - Abbreviated or complete display of logbook entries. - Ability to search logbook for a pattern in any entry field. - Able to sort logbook files by any field. - Print all or part of logbook, either in abbreviated or detailed form. - Print QSL labels with personalized message line. - Customized screen colors and on-screen display of your callsign. - Run other programs while LOG-EQF stays resident in memory. - CONTEST MODE ------------ - Fast dupe checking with displayed details. - Optional automatic generation of serial numbers for exchange. - Optional printout of each entry as it's logged (data security). - Generate Dupe sheets. - Print entry logbook w/ auto QSO and multiplier totals (user-defined). - ASCII disk files created for dupe sheets and contest logs. - Partial callsign check. - On-screen QSO rate and lapse time displays. - KENWOOD INTERFACE ----------------- - Automatic display and logging of radio mode and frequency. - Control over radio VFOs and mode from log entry screens. - "Local Memories" - programmable VFO/mode/split memories. - On-screen display of two VFOs and "TRANSMIT". - On-screen display for last station heard on what frequency. PAGE 2.0 2. INSTALLATION ---------------- - SYSTEM REQUIREMENTS ------------------- - IBM PC, XT, AT, PS/2 or compatible - DOS 2.1 or higher - 512K memory (The program executable requires about 200K) - Monochrome or color monitor (no graphics adapter required) - 1 floppy drive and/or a hard drive (hard disk drive recommended) - 1 serial communications port (COM1 or COM2) for Kenwood radio I/F - 1 parallel printer port and printer recommended If a Kenwood radio is to be interfaced to your computer for use with LOG-EQF, it must be connected to the computer's serial port following Kenwood's documentation guidelines. The appropriate Kenwood board/chip set for your radio must also be installed, along with the IF-232C inter- face (if required for your model). Please refer to the appropriate Kenwood manual(s) for specific interface information about your radio. - INSTALLING LOG-EQF SOFTWARE --------------------------- Before proceeding, make a WORKING copy of the LOG-EQF floppy. (Refer to your DOS manual for information about copying programs). USE THE WORKING COPY YOU CREATE TO INSTALL LOG-EQF, AND MAINTAIN YOUR ORIGINAL DISK IN A SAFE PLACE! A. SINGLE-FLOPPY SYSTEMS: 1. Copy the file COMMAND.COM from your DOS master disk onto your working copy of LOG-EQF. If your floppy drive is a 360K density type, there is not enough room on one floppy to hold all the files required by LOG-EQF, along with the logbook data files which are created when the program runs. For this reason, you will need to create a separate floppy which will be used to store logbook data files. Format a blank floppy disk for the logbook data files. You MUST install the COMMAND.COM file on this floppy also. (If you format your floppy using the /S option, COMMAND.COM will automatically be put on the disk, and the disk may be used to boot your computer). If your floppy drive is a 720K, 1.2M or 1.44M density type, you may either format a blank floppy as above, or use the LOG-EQF disk to store the logbook data files. 2. Insert the working copy of LOG-EQF into the floppy drive, and type "LOG-EQF <Enter>". Proceed to Section 3 of this manual. PAGE 2.1 B. DUAL-FLOPPY SYSTEM: 1. Copy the file COMMAND.COM from your DOS master disk onto your working copy of LOG-EQF. 2. Format a blank disk to be used for storage of logbook data files. 3. Insert your working copy of LOG-EQF in floppy drive A, and your blank logbook disk in floppy drive B. 4. Type "LOG-EQF <Enter>" at the DOS prompt, and proceed to Section 3 of this manual. Each time you load logbook data from LOG-EQF, enter the file name proceeded by "B:". C. HARD DISK SYSTEMS (RECOMMENDED) 1. Create a sub-directory on your hard disk for the LOG-EQF software, using the DOS "MKDIR" command, and use the change directory command "CD" to make this your current working directory. This directory will be the one used by LOG-EQF to store logbook data files it creates. 2. Copy all of the files from the LOG-EQF program disk into the new sub- directory, using the DOS "COPY" command. If you do not have a PATH statement in your AUTOEXEC.BAT file on your disk, to tell DOS where the COMMAND.COM file is located, (see your DOS manual if you are not familiar with these terms), then you must either add a PATH statement or copy the DOS COMMAND.COM file into the new subdirectory. 3. From the subdirectory above, type "LOG-EQF <Enter>" and proceed to Section 3 of this manual. PAGE 2.2 - FILES REQUIRED BY LOG-EQF ------------------------- The following is a list of files which are necessary for all functions of LOG-EQF to operate, along with their description: LOG-EQF.EXE Main executable logbook module LOG-EQF.CNF User-defined configuration parameters * LOG-EQF.MEM User-defined radio LOCAL MEMORIES, file #1 DUPE-EQF.EXE Dupe-sheet and contest log generation module LOG-EQF.DOC Documentation file - Users Manual SAMPLE.LOG Example logbook data file DXPREFIX.LIB DXCC Prefix Library COPY-EQF.BAT Batch file to make a copy of LOG-EQF for distribution * NOTE: The configuration file LOG-EQF.CNF should not be copied when you distribute the LOG-EQF program to others. This file contains your own callsign and personalized computer/radio parameters. Although these parameters are easily changed, they can cause confusion to the first-time user. Logbook file names are defined by the user. The only limitation on file- names are the restrictions imposed by DOS; file names can be no longer than 8 characters. LOG-EQF automatically adds the ".LOG" file extension to the end of the logbook name you define. When you enter a logbook name from within LOG-EQF, you do not type the ".LOG" extension. To load the sample logbook, for example, you type in only "SAMPLE". -NOTE:------------------------------------------------------------------ To make a copy of all the files required for LOG-EQF on a floppy disk, you can use file COPY-EQF.BAT. Simply type COPY-EQF A: to make a copy onto floppy disk A, or type COPY-EQF B: for floppy in drive B. This will cause all the needed files to be copied onto a blank, formatted floppy disk. THANK-YOU for distributing copies of LOG-EQF !!! ------------------------------------------------------------------------ PAGE 3.0 3. PROGRAM STARTUP AND CUSTOMIZATION ------------------------------------- - CONFIGURATION SETUP ------------------- The first time you run LOG-EQF (unless another user has previously configured the program) you will be directed automatically to the LOG-EQF configuration setup menu. If you wish to change a previously- defined configuration, you can access the setup menu by selecting it from the LOG-EQF Main menu. Below are the parameters available from the SETUP menu (note that the actual screen display does not include the item numbers): (1) Callsign -->N3EQF (2) This station's Latitude (N = +) --> Longitude (E = +) --> (3) Logbook Name used most often (BLANK = Yearly Rename) --> (4) Kenwood Radio/Computer Interface Installed? Y (5) Radio Interface Connected to Computer Serial Port -->2 (6) Hours to add to clock time for UTC (0 = SAME) -->0 (7) Program Name or DOS Command to run from Main Menu SHELL -->PACKET (8) Do you want to keep a separate field to TRACK awards? N <Page Down> = SCREEN COLOR <Page Up> = PRINT COLOR -------------------------- ------------------------ For each item on the menu, the values to the right of the arrow can be changed. To do that, position the screen cursor to the line desired by using the Up or Down arrow keys. When the cursor is on the desired line, type in the new value and hit <Enter>. In most cases, an erroneous input will be ignored. Item (1) above is the callsign to be used at the top of most screen displays, printouts, and QSL labels. Item (2) is used to enter your station's location, by entering Latitude and Longitude in degrees. This information is used by the program to calculate beam headings. LOG-EQF defaults to a lat/lon in the central United States, until you enter the location of your station. Item (3) is the name of the logbook file you will want to use for most of your logging. The name you enter here will appear when you run LOG-EQF each time, so you don't have to type it in yourself. If you leave this setup item blank, the program will make up a name for you, based on the current year, such as "1990LOG". You can type in a new name at any time, no matter what option you decide on for this item. Item (4) tells the program if a Kenwood radio interface is connected to your computer. If the answer is no ("N"), then the next menu item's value is ignored. PAGE 3.1 Item (5) is the computer serial port number to be used for the radio interface. The only possible values here are "1" for COM1, and "2" COM2. Item (6) controls how the date and time for LOG-EQF logbook entries is determined. If the response to the menu item is "0", then the time used for each log entry will be exactly the same as your computer's clock time. If you enter any other number for this menu item, that number will be ADDED (SUBTRACTED, if you enter a negative number), to the computer clock to calculate the date and time used for logging entries. This item enables you to keep your computer clock on local time, and have your logbook times in UTC. Item (7) is used to enter a program name, or a standard DOS command, which can be accessed from LOG-EQF's Main Menu. For example, if you enter "DIR/P", when the SHELL item is selected from the Main Menu, a directory of the working directory will be displayed on the screen just the same as if you had entered the command from the DOS prompt. When the command display is finished, you will be prompted to HIT ANY KEY, which returns you to the LOG-EQF Main Menu automatically. Everything within the LOG-EQF program will be exactly as it was when you left it. You can use this feature to access often-used programs through LOG-EQF. For example, if you have a packet radio program, you can enter that program's name here. If the program you want to run cannot be located in the same directory as LOG-EQF, you can prepare a small file called a BATCH file to execute it. If LOG-EQF is contained in a directory called C:\MYLOG, for example, and a packet terminal program called PTP is in directory C:\PACKET, you could run PTP from the SHELL item by making a BATCH file. The BATCH file would look like this: CD C:\PACKET CALL PTP The above BATCH file example changes directories to C:\PACKET, then runs program PTP in that directory. The BATCH file could be named anything convenient with the ".BAT" suffix, and that file name would be specified from the SHELL item. Usually the BATCH file would be called the same name as the program to be executed, for convenience. The above file name would be "PTP.BAT". The BATCH file would be created in the "C:\MYLOG" directory. Item (8) allows you to keep a separate line called the TRACK field in the logbook, for storing information for use in tracking awards or special exchanges. For example, if you want to track 10-10 numbers or oblasts, you should answer "Y" for yes on this menu item. Ten characters are reserved for this field. If you select this field, there will also be 10 fewer characters in the INFO field. The TRACK field can be used for searches and sorts, and will appear on all entry and edit screens, as well as the detailed view and print modes. PAGE 3.2 If your system has a color adapter and monitor, you can customize colors which LOG-EQF displays for background and characters. Hit the <Page Down> and <Page Up> keys on your keyboard, and the display will will update to show you the current color selection. When all parameters on the configuration menu screen are set, hit the <Esc> key again to save all the values to a disk file called LOG-EQF.CNF. When the program is started from now on, the configuration file will be accessed automatically, and you do not have to access the configuration setup menu again unless you want to change some parameter. - LOADING LOGBOOK FILES --------------------- The first step in operation of LOG-EQF (once the configuration setup is complete) is to tell the program the name of the logbook file to be used. LOG-EQF will prompt you to "Enter logbook name", display a log file name, and then wait for your response. If the name that is displayed is the logbook you want to use, just hit <Enter>. (This is what is known as a DEFAULT value, meaning if you don't type in new information, the program uses the old information that is displayed on the screen). If this log already exists, the program will read all the entries from that file. If the log name is a new one, you will be asked if you want to create a new log file on the disk. If you want to use a file name other than the default, you may type it in and then hit <Enter>. Note that logbook names cannot be longer than 8 characters (plus ".LOG"). A sample logbook file should be present on your LOG-EQF distribution disk. This file may be used to demonstrate the features of LOG-EQF, and for experimentation until you become familiar with the program's operation. To load this sample file, type "SAMPLE" at the prompt. The default file name is determined by information supplied by you from the Configuration Setup menu. If you supplied a logbook file name on the Configuration Setup menu line for "Logbook name most often used", then that name will be used by LOG-EQF each time you run the program. If you didn't supply a default name (left the item blank), the first 4 characters of the file name are taken from the last 4 characters of the computer clock's date variable. The last 3 characters are always "LOG". If the current date is 1990, the default file name is "1990LOG". PAGE 3.3 NOTE: If you wish to load data from a disk other than the one running LOG-EQF currently, you may preceed the file name with the disk assignment. For example, if LOG-EQF is being run from hard drive C, and you wish to load logbook data from floppy drive A, file 1990LOG, then you would enter "A:1990LOG" from the prompt. This will remain the logbook file which is viewed, edited, sorted, searched, or entered into by LOG-EQF, until you enter a new name. - QUICK STARTUP OF LOG-EQF ------------------------ A shortcut is available to allow you to start the program and load the logbook file faster. To take advantage of this feature, you need only know in advance what logbook name you are going to be using. Instead of typing "LOG-EQF" and hitting <Enter>, follow the program's name with a space, and the name of your logbook file. For example, if you want to do a "quick startup" using the SAMPLE logbook, type: LOG-EQF SAMPLE <Enter> When you use the "quick startup" method, the program will not display the Welcome Screen or pause for you to hit a key to continue. If you are using a Kenwood interface, the radio and interface must be turned on before you start the program. You will also not be prompted to enter the name of logbook file to be loaded. Instead, LOG-EQF will auto- matically load the logbook you entered when you started the program. When the logbook loading is complete, the Main Menu will be displayed, and program operation will revert to normal. You may also specify the program to startup in CONTEST mode by supplying " -c" after the log filename from the command line. The following line would cause LOG-EQF to present the contest SETUP MENU and then load the file TEST.LOG: LOG-EQF TEST -c <Enter> One additional option forces LOG-EQF to use the display options for MONOCHROME computer displays. To do this, add " -m" after the other command line parameters. For example: LOG-EQF TEST -c -m <Enter> PAGE 4.0 4. MAIN MENU COMMANDS ------------------ After a logbook has been loaded (or created), a menu will be displayed with 14 items for selection. To select an item, use the arrow keys to change which item is highlighted (displayed in reverse video). When the desired item is highlighted, hit the <Enter> key to select that item. Selection of a menu item will, depending on the the type of operation selected, display another menu, prompt you for some further information, or switch the selected item to display some other item. No matter which item is selected, hitting the <Esc> key will again display the Main Menu. The following paragraphs discuss the operation of each item on the Main Menu. - VIEW in DETAIL entries in logbook --------------------------------- Selecting this item will display the first screen of entries contained in the current logbook. One screen page in this mode contains 5 QSO's. The format of this display consists of three lines for each QSO, showing the complete details for each entry: CALLSIGN CITY DATE START TIME SENT REPORT QSL NAME STATE FREQ. END TIME RECEIVED RPT MODE POWER QSO # TRACK INFORMATION... (Note that the TRACK field only appears if you selected this field from the configuration setup menu). As soon as the first screen page of entries is displayed, several options are available, and these options are explained on the bottom line of the screen. Selecting the <F1> function key activates the EDIT option. The program will prompt you to enter a QSO number for the log entry you wish to edit. Selecting the <Esc> key causes the VIEW in DETAIL mode to be stopped, and the Main Menu will be displayed again. The <Page Up> and <Page Down> keys may be used to scroll through the next five entries, or the previous five entries in the log. The <Up Arrow> and <Down Arrow> keys have the same effect, except the log entries scroll forward and backwards one at a time. At any time while scrolling through the log entries, you may select <Esc> to return to the Main Menu. PAGE 4.1 - QUICK VIEW entries in logbook ----------------------------- Selecting this item causes display of a page containing abbreviated, one- line entries for the first 23 QSO's in the current logbook. This mode allows you to browse quickly through the log. The format of each entry line is: DATE TIME CALLSIGN FREQ MODE SENT RCVD QTH NAME QSL To advance to the next page of 23 QSO's, just hit a key. To start over again at the first page of 23 QSO's, hit the <Home> key. The <End> key may be used to jump to the end of the logbook. The <Up Arrow>, <Down Arrow>, <Page Up>, and <Page Down> keys may be used to scroll through the log entries in either direction. To return to the Main Menu, hit the <Esc> key. - PRINT logbook record pages -------------------------- This menu item allows you to print some or all of the current logbook, using either the same format as is displayed on the screen during the VIEW IN DETAIL option, or the shorter format as used during the QUICK VIEW option. A two-window menu appears, enabling you to either print all the QSO's in the logbook, or to print any series of QSO's. To select an item in the top window, highlight it by using the arrow keys and hit the <Enter> key. When the "Print QSO's from number [ ] to [ ]" option is selected, enter the first QSO number, hit <Enter>, then enter the last QSO number to be printed. The default numbers for these are the first and last entries in the logbook. You may alter either one of both of these numbers or just hit <Enter> to accept a default value. To switch between the short and long print formats, use the <F1> key until the desired format type is displayed in the bottom menu window. After you have made your selections, hit the <Enter> key. The program will prompt you to prepare the line printer and hit any key to begin printing. The printed page is setup to accommodate standard 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper. If you elect to keep your printed logbook in a 3-ring binder, a few QSO numbers may be lost when the paper is punched, since the numbers appear on the extreme left edge of the page. Most printers will allow you to shift the paper position to the left far enough to allow the logbook pages to be punched without interfering with the printed information. PAGE 4.2 - QSL LABELS output to printer ---------------------------- Select this item to print QSL labels for all or part of the QSO's in the current logbook. The selections available for this option are the same as for the "PRINT logbook" option described above. Once the desired option is selected, the program will prompt you to enter text to appear on the bottom line of the QSL label(s) to be printed. A default text line which includes your callsign will be displayed. You may either hit <Enter> to accept the displayed text, or enter new text in its place. The text you enter will be automatically centered on the bottom line of the QSL label(s). This text line is limited to a length of 35 characters. One final prompt will appear on the screen, asking whether you want the logbook to be automatically updated for the QSL status of each entry for which a QSL label is printed. If you answer "Y" for yes, LOG-EQF will mark a "S" in the QSL status field if the field was empty, or it will mark a "X" in the QSL status field if it previously contained a "R". Note that this is the "default" system for tracking QSL status within LOG-EQF: S = Sent R = Received X = Exchanged QSL cards The print format is setup for use with standard 3-1/2 x 15/16 inch plain labels. It is recommended that you print one label only at first, until the label stock is properly adjusted on the printer to accept the printed text. Once the printer is properly aligned, you may print a series of labels, as the format spaces the printing correctly for a continuous roll of adhesive labels. - LOG new entries - AUTOMATIC mode -------------------------------- This menu item selects the automatic logbook update function. This mode enables you to enter new entries into the logbook in "realtime", during a QSO. The function is called AUTOMATIC since the Date, Start Time, and End Time for each QSO are taken from the computer clock. If you have the Kenwood radio interface connected, the Frequency and Mode fields are also automatically logged. A full-screen display shows entry lines for CALLSIGN, NAME, CITY, STATE or COUNTRY, FREQUENCY, MODE, REPORT RECEIVED, REPORT SENT, POWER LEVEL, QSL STATUS, and INFO. These fields may be entered in any order, by using the <Up> or <Down> arrow keys to position the cursor on the desired line. Also, the <Enter> key can be used to step through the lines without affecting any information already entered. PAGE 4.3 If you selected the optional TRACK field from the setup menu, this field will also be available on the screen. The keyboard edit keys may also be used to make corrections to any of the text already entered, so the entire line does not have to be retyped. Position the cursor on the line to be corrected, then move the cursor over the character desired using the <Left> and <Right> arrow keys. To delete a character, position the cursor over the character and depress the <Delete> key. To insert additional information between characters, depress the <Insert> key and type in the additional characters. You may deselect the insert mode by again depressing the <Insert> key, or it will automatically be deselected when you move the cursor to another line. An "INSERT" message will be displayed at the bottom of the screen when this mode is active. The <Home> key may be used to position the cursor back to the beginning of a line when you have already moved the cursor to within the line. The <End> key positions the cursor at the end of current text on any line. Five function keys, plus the <Esc>, <Alt>, and <Ctrl> keys, provide control over logbook operations: - <F1> is used to save the logbook entry to the disk file, after all logbook information has been supplied. If a valid callsign has not been entered, no action will be taken. When <F1> is selected, the current log clock time is logged as the QSO END TIME. If <F2> had not been selected previously, then the QSO START TIME will be logged as the current clock time also. A message will be displayed confirming the log entry was saved, and you will be prompted to hit any key to clear the screen in preparation for the next log entry. - <F2> is used to LOG START TIME of QSO from the computer clock. When the key is depressed, the current time is displayed on the screen. Each time <F2> is pressed, the current time will be displayed again. - <F3> allows you to update any of the most recent 11 QSO entries in the logbook. This feature can be used during a roundtable QSO to fill in details for any of the stations in the group. - <F4> may be selected to clear all information displayed on the screen. When the key is pressed, the program will prompt you to verify you want to clear the screen. If you respond with anything other than "Y" for yes, the entry in progress will not be cleared. - <F5> may be selected to lookup DXCC information based on the prefix of the callsign currently entered. The DXCC prefix, country name, CQ and ITU zones, continent, and beam heading are displayed in a box below the Log Keys box. Note that beam headings are only valid for DX. PAGE 4.4 - <Esc> may be used to return to the Main Menu, the same as with the other program screens. You can do this at any time, without losing any of the information currently entered into any of the logbook fields for a new entry. Note that no information in this case will be permanently saved, however, until <F1> is selected to add the entry to the current logbook file. Each time a new callsign is entered into the CALLSIGN field, the logbook is automatically searched to see if that station has been worked before. If it has been, information from your most recent QSO with the station will be entered for you by the program in the NAME, CITY or COUNTRY, and QSL fields. The information may be modified, of course, by using the keyboard edit keys. Also at the top of the page will be a display showing when and on what band and mode you worked last, along with information you may have logged in the INFO field of that former log entry. - <Alt> key may be used to control which of the logbook items you want to fill in, instead of using the <arrow> keys to position the cursor on the screen. When you first press the <Alt> key, one letter of each of the logbook items on the screen will be highlighted. If you again press and hold the <Alt> key, and then press the letter key corresponding to the letter highlighted in the item you desire, the cursor will immediately jump to that item. Entering information into the log from this point is exactly the same as if you had positioned the cursor to the item using the <Enter> or <arrow> keys. If you already know the letter code for the item you want to select, you can press and hold the <Alt> key along with the correct letter to select that item. For example, if the cursor is located at the CALLSIGN item, and you want to enter the signal REPORT RECEIVED, you can press the <Alt> and "R" keys together and the cursor will move to that item immediately. The <Alt> key method of entry described above gives you a faster way to jump from item to item using fewer key strokes. This feature is enabled for both AUTOMATIC and MANUAL log modes, but is not available in CONTEST mode. The <Ctrl> key has several functions. Hitting the <Ctrl> key, and at the same time hitting "D", will put you into DOS, and leave LOG-EQF resident in memory. You can execute any command you like from DOS, and when you are ready to return to LOG-EQF, just type "EXIT". The LOG-EQF log entry screen will reappear, just as you left it. Hitting <Ctrl> while holding down the letter "S" key, will result in a SHELL to whatever program you entered in the SHELL item on the Main Menu. As with the <Ctrl D> function, when you exit the other program or command, the LOG-EQF entry screen (either MANUAL or AUTOMATIC) will reappear. When a Kenwood radio interface is in use, additional function keys provide radio control features, and a help menu for these keys is automatically displayed on the screen. The operation these additional function keys is described in Section 6 of this manual. PAGE 4.6 - LOG new entries - MANUAL mode ----------------------------- The manual logbook entry page may be used to update a logbook "off-line", after the QSO has already taken place. The manual entry mode can be used to enter information into LOG-EQF from previous logbooks. This full-screen entry page is very similar to the AUTOMATIC mode, with the following exceptions: - Additional entry fields are provided for DATE, TIME ON, and TIME OFF. Note that only the numerals need to be entered for date and time, and LOG-EQF will insert the ":" in the time and "-" in the date fields. The <F2> function key may still be used, if desired, to put the current UTC clock date and time into the DATE and TIME ON fields. - The <F1> key will save the QSO information as displayed on the page, but will not insert the TIME ON or TIME OFF fields. The date and time information must be entered manually. - Defaults are provided for the REPORT RECEIVED and REPORT SENT fields for each new QSO entry. If the mode entered is CW or FSK, both fields default to "599". For all other modes the default report is "59". - When the <F4> function key is used to clear the screen, the DATE, and TIME ON fields will remain at the last values entered. (The POWER, FREQUENCY, and MODE fields will also remain at their last values, just as in the AUTOMATIC entry mode). - The FREQUENCY and MODE fields will not automatically update from the radio when the interface is enabled. Radio control functions are available, however. PAGE 4.7 - EDIT an entry - based on callsign --------------------------------- This function is used to make changes to an existing entry in the logbook. When the EDIT item is selected, the program will prompt you to enter part or all of a callsign to be found in the log. Any number of characters may be entered. If you enter a partial callsign, every log entry containing that character pattern in the callsign field will be displayed. If you enter a complete callsign, every log entry for that callsign will be displayed. If only one callsign match is found in the log, the EDIT screen will be displayed immediately. If more than one callsign match occurs, all matching entries are displayed and you will be prompted to enter the entry number to be edited. A number will also be displayed in brackets ( [] ) indicating the last "match" located, as a default value. If you depress the <Enter> key, the default log entry will be edited; if you enter another number, that entry will be edited. Once you have selected the entry, a new screen will be displayed. The top portion of the screen will show the logbook entry in full detail, as it would be if the VIEW IN DETAIL option were selected. The bottom part of the screen will display each field of the entry on a separate line. Each line may be edited for the desired changes. Any time a change is made to any line, the text on the line will be shown highlighed. When all the desired changes have been made, the edited entry may be saved to the logbook disk file by selecting <F1>. The <F2> key is used to delete an entry from your logbook. When either <F1> SAVE or <F2> DELETE have been selected, you will be prompted to make sure you have selected the correct function. If you do not answer "Y" for yes, no action will be taken. If you elect to delete an entry using <F2>, the program will "mark" this entry to be deleted, and wait for you to either select other entries to delete or edit, or else exit the EDIT screen by hitting <Esc>. When you exit the EDIT screen, LOG-EQF will rebuild the logbook omitting any of the entries you selected for deletion. To return to the Main Menu at any time during the edit session, hit the <Esc> key. The <F3> key may be used to locate the next log entry for the callsign currently displayed. If no other matching entries exist, the program beeps. PAGE 4.8 The <Page Up> and <Page Down> keys may be used to leave the currently displayed entry for edit, and instead edit the logbook entry preceeding or following it. You may "page through" all the logbook entries in this way, until you find an entry to be edited. After 10 entries have been edited, a backup logbook file will be created for you (if there is enough room on the disk). Backup files are named the same as regular logbook files, except the last three characters after the "." (known as the file extension) are .BAK instead of .LOG. - LOAD new logbook entries from disk ---------------------------------- Selecting this menu item will allow you to change the logbook disk file from the current loaded file to another logbook file on the disk, from another disk, or to create a new file. Whatever file name you specify will become the file for which VIEW, EDIT, SEARCH, SORT, or LOG functions operate on. The file which was in use before you selected this menu item will remain on the disk, and will not be acted on in any way until you again specify its name from this item. You may hit <F1> to enter CONTEST mode, or <F2> to enter the CONFIGURATION SETUP MENU. The <F3> key can be used to display all available logbook files in the current directory. A prompt will appear at the bottom of this screen so you can enter the logbook filename of your choice. Hitting the <Esc> key while the LOAD LOGBOOK ENTRIES FROM DISK screen is displayed will return control to the Main Menu, and the logbook file name in use before the item was selected will remain in effect. (See "Loading Logbook Files" in Section 3 of this manual for more info). PAGE 4.9 - SORT logbook file by any field ------------------------------ This menu item allows you to arrange the currently-loaded logbook file in order based on the field of your choice. A menu page is displayed which lists the fields which may be chosen for a sort: CALLSIGN, DATE/TIME, FREQUENCY, MODE, CITY, STATE or COUNTRY, QSL STATUS, or INFO. If you selected the optional TRACK field from the setup menu, this field will also be available for sorting. You may also hit the <Esc> key to leave the Sort Menu and return to the Main Menu. The sort function can be useful in a number of instances. For example, if you are interested in finding all the different countries worked, you can sort the logbook according to the STATE or COUNTRY field. The sorted log can then be printed, and each new country will be easier to spot, since they will appear in alphabetical order. If you enter logbook entries using the MANUAL mode that are earlier QSO's than those already entered, you can sort by DATE/TIME to arrange the logbook in chronological order. NOTE: The sort program is a very disk-intensive operation. The sort may take a long time to complete, depending on the size of the logbook and the speed of the disk drive being used. A running-time display is provided on the screen while the sort is in progress. This sorting method was chosen to accomodate very large log files without requiring massive amounts of memory. - SEARCH logbook - Print/File/QSL Options --------------------------------------- As the menu item suggests, there are options available for this function. A menu screen is presented for selection of the desired option. The options are as follows: (1) Disk File - selecting this option causes the results of the search operation to be stored in a disk file. You will be prompted to enter the log name to be used, and prompted again if the name you enter "Y" for eady exists. If the log file does exist already, and you answer "Y" for yes to the program's prompt, you will be given a choice to either APPEND (add) the new search entries onto the end of the old file's entries, or to replace the old file completely. The file stored using this option is a complete logbook file, and may be loaded at any time by LOG-EQF. (2) Screen - this option displays the results of the search on the screen, using the same format as the VIEW IN DETAIL function. (3) Printer - this option dumps the search results to the printer in the standard logbook format. PAGE 4.10 (4) QSL Labels - this option prints QSL labels from the search results, using the usual format. Once the output option is selected, another menu will be displayed, pro- viding selections for which logbook field is to be searched. Any field may be searched, except for the TIME and NAME fields. After you position the highlight bar to the field you wish to search and hit the <Enter> key, you have one option remaining. You can begin the search in the selected field by hitting <Enter> again, or you can choose a SECOND field in addition to the first one and then hit <Enter>. If you choose to search two fields, any entry which matches BOTH patterns you enter for each of them will be sent to the output. Certain guidelines for the search apply: - When searching CALLSIGN or MODE fields, a match will only be found for upper-case letters. (The current version of LOG-EQF always stores entries in these fields as capital letters). All other fields must match as either upper or lower case letters, exactly as entered. - To search for empty fields (no information entered) hit only the <Enter> key when prompted to "enter the pattern to be searched for". - NORMAL/CONTEST mode select -------------------------- This menu item is used to switch LOG-EQF from a "routine QSO" logbook to a contest logbook and back again. When the item is switched to the CONTEST mode, the program automatically calls a subroutine which is used to select the configuration "rules" to be followed during the contest. When the item is selected when already in CONTEST mode, LOG-EQF operation returns to the normal mode. Each time the item is toggled back to the contest mode, the contest setup menu will appear again, and the contest configuration can be modified. Operation of LOG-EQF in the contest mode is described in Section 5 of this manual. PAGE 4.11 - Run [PROGRAM NAME] or DOS SHELL ------------------------------- This item is selected to execute a DOS command of your choice, or run another program, without leaving LOG-EQF. The file name you specified when the configuration file was established (see Section 2) will be displayed with this item. When you hit <Enter> to select this menu item, you will be prompted to either hit <Enter> again to run the command or program, or to specify a new command or program name to run. If you want to leave LOG-EQF temporarily and return to the DOS environment, you may enter blanks in response to the prompt instead of a command or program name. Once you are ready to return to LOG-EQF from DOS, type "EXIT", and the LOG-EQF Main Menu will appear. This same file or command may also be accessed directly from the AUTOMATIC or MANUAL Log Entry screens, by holding down the <Ctrl> and letter "S" keys together. (Think of this command as "<Ctrl> S hell"). This is a convenient shortcut when you are logging, as it eliminates the need to return to the Main Menu. - SETUP program configuration --------------------------- Selecting this menu item causes the LOG-EQF configuration setup menu to appear on the screen. Operation of this setup menu is explained in Section 3 of this manual. - EXIT from program ----------------- This item will cause a message to appear, asking you to confirm that you want to exit LOG-EQF, and return to the operating system. If you do not answer "Y" for yes, then no action will occur. PAGE 5.0 5. CONTEST OPERATION --------------------- - INTRODUCTION ------------ The CONTEST mode of LOG-EQF provides a quicker way to enter the log exchanges during a contest than the NORMAL mode. It also provides ways to help you determine your score when the contest is over, and generates a dupe check sheet to prove you have no duplicate contacts. (Since duplicates are spotted by the program automatically during the contest, you shouldn't have any dupes anyway!). Please take time BEFORE the contest to read this section of the User's Guide, to get familiar with LOG-EQF's CONTEST mode. The program provides you with several options, which you can choose from the CONTEST SETUP MENU to fit the contest you will be operating. Once you have made your selections (see the following pages), try logging a few "practice" contacts before the contest starts. That way you will have time to change any of the setup parameters without wasting precious time during the event. Try printing the "practice" contest log to be sure it works the way you want it to. LOG-EQF is designed so that it can adjust to many different types of contests. It is NOT designed to print out a ready-to-send-in entry form for any specific contests. Instead, LOG-EQF is a "general purpose" program that provides scoring assistance and dupe-checking. There are some fine programs out there already setup to handle specific contests, should you decide you need more contest power than LOG-EQF provides. One very popular program is the CT contest program by K1EA. It is tailored specifically to the CQ Worldwide and ARRL DX contests. A conversion program is available from N3EQF for REGISTERED USERS of LOG-EQF, which will convert CT logbooks into the format used by LOG-EQF. This allows you to combine CT contest results into your daily LOG-EQF logbook file(s). One other note about the CONTEST mode concerns the Contest Entry Logbook. For most contests, the LOG-EQF printed log is suitable for submission with your official contest entry. LOG-EQF also stores a copy of the Contest Entry Logbook on your disk drive, naming the file the same as the logbook, except it will end in ".TXT" instead of ".LOG". This file is stored in pure ASCII format, which means you may edit it using any Word Processor program. If you need more information on the Contest Entry Logbook than LOG-EQF automatically provides, this is a way for you to make these changes, and then print the final logbook form to submit with your entry. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO SUBMIT THIS FILE ON A FLOPPY WITH YOUR CONTEST ENTRY!!! The file is not in the ARRL format required! If enough LOG-EQF users wish to have this capability added, I will be happy to oblige! PAGE 5.1 - CONTEST CONFIGURATION SETUP --------------------------- When you select the CONTEST mode from the LOG-EQF Main Menu, another menu appears on the screen, which contains items specific to contest operation. Once the contest setup is completed, you will be returned back to the Main Menu. You may return to the contest setup menu to change any contest parameters by switching to NORMAL mode, then back to CONTEST mode from the Main Menu. This may be done before, during (with caution!), or after the contest. Below is a description of each parameter available from the contest setup menu: (1) Contest NAME. The title you enter here will be used on the contest logbook and dupe sheet printouts, and will also be automatically entered in the INFO field of each entry in the contest log. (2) Contest LOGBOOK NAME used most often. The name entered here will be used as a default file name, displayed when the Main Menu LOAD item is selected. The file name may have no more than 8 characters, and can- not include a file extension (.LOG extension is automatically added). Choose a file name which will be recognizable to you, with characters which represent band and mode as necessary to differentiate between files, especially for contests with multiple bands and modes. You can include the entire "path" for your logbook file, which can specify both the disk drive and a disk directory with the file name, if you desire. If the disk directory you specify does not already exist, LOG-EQF will prompt you to ask if you want to create the new directory. (3) Number of QSO'S PER PAGE on printed results. Enter the number here depending on the contest rules. (4) POINTS for each CW or FSK QSO. Enter the points to be earned for each "digital" QSO. This value will be automatically entered on the logbook printout after the contest, for each non-duplicate CW or FSK QSO, and totalled at the end of the log printout. (5) POINTS for each PHONE QSO. Enter the points to be earned for phone QSO's. As above, the score will be calculated for QSO points based on the number provided here. NOTE: If "0" is entered for BOTH the above POINTS items, the logbook will be printed with only "____________" under the QSO POINTS column, to allow for manual scoring, if desired. PAGE 5.2 (6) Does each band worked require a SEPARATE DUPE SHEET? If a "Y" for yes is entered here, LOG-EQF will keep track of the band and mode for each station worked. The same callsign worked on different bands and modes will therefore not be flagged as a duplicate. If a "N" for no is entered, you will be alerted each time you enter a callsign which has already been worked, regardless of the band or mode. Only one logbook file will be created for the entire contest, no matter which option you choose for this item. (7) Enter the default REPORT to be SENT for exchange. The default report will appear on the log entry screen for each QSO, and may be over- typed as needed. (Again, "default" means that the report displayed on the screen will be logged if you don't change it). (8) Is there a SERIAL NUMBER sent as part of exchange? If you enter "Y" for yes, an automatically-incremented number will be appended to the SENT report for each QSO (and displayed on the logbook entry screen). (9) Enter the default REPORT to be RECEIVED for exchange. This default report will appear on the log entry screen for each QSO, and may be over-typed as necessary. (10) Enter MULTIPLIER FIELD title for RECEIVED exchange. If a title is entered here, an additional field will be available on the contest log entry screen. This field may be used to log the part of the received exchange that counts towards multiplier points, which will make scoring easier after the contest. Anytime a contest requires a longer receive report than the RECEIVED field can hold, use this field to accept the information, with a length up to 12 characters. If the MULTIPLIER FIELD is selected, it will be placed on the entry screen just below the CALLSIGN field. The MULTIPLIER field should usually be the one most likely to change with every QSO, while the REPORT RECEIVED field will usually be the same (59 or 599) for every QSO. If possible, limit the MULTIPLIER FIELD to that part of the contest exchange which will be used to calculate the score. For instance, many ARRL contests use the ARRL SECTION for a multiplier, with the total sections worked being multiplied by QSO points for the final score. In this case, the MULTIPLIER FIELD should be called SECTION, and LOG-EQF will calculate the total number of unique sections logged. PAGE 5.3 - OPERATION DURING THE CONTEST ---------------------------- The basic operation of LOG-EQF during a contest remains similar to the "normal" mode, except that certain features are streamlined for faster operation, and certain new features appear. (1) Different LOG screen fields. Probably the most important changes are on the LOG-AUTOMATIC and LOG-MANUAL entry screens. No matter what selections you made when you setup the contest configuration, you will see fewer lines for information entry on the screen. The NAME, CITY, STATE, COUNTRY, POWER, and QSL lines do not appear in contest mode. If you elected to use the MULTIPLIER field option when you configured the contest, the title entered from the configuration menu will appear on a separate line just below the CALLSIGN line. The information you enter here is automatically appended to the REPORT RECEIVED information when the contest logbook is printed. The MULTIPLIER field information is kept separate within the program's logbook data file. (2) Automatic SERIAL NUMBER generation. If you selected the option to create SERIAL NUMBERS for the contest exchange, a 3-digit serial number will appear on the REPORT SENT line. This number will be automatically incremented after each new QSO is logged, and will be appended to the REPORT SENT information. (3) Realtime PRINT of each QSO. On the screen's LOGBOOK KEYS menu, key <F2> controls the status of the printer during the contest. If you toggle <F2> to get the printer "ON" message, the printer will output the complete exchange every time you log a QSO. This feature is not intended to generate a "presentable" contest logbook, but is provided as a safety feature, in case Murphy decides to strike your computer system in mid-contest! If you have a printer connected, I highly- recommend you use this option. (4) DUPE CHECKING. A dupe-check routine runs each time you enter a call. If a duplicate is found, you will be greeted with an audio "rasberry", and a corresponding message will appear. Note that you always have the option of logging this contact anyway, even if it was found to be in the log already. A duplicate callsign will not be reported as a dupe, as long as that call was not logged on the current band and mode. The current band and mode (either DIGITAL or PHONE) will be displayed on the screen for you, so that you can be sure the log agrees with your current radio mode and frequency. If you are using the Kenwood radio interface, this display will be updated automatically as you change radio parameters. PAGE 5.4 (5) PARTIAL CHECK. This feature allows you to check part of a callsign to see any callsigns in the log which could possibly match. For instance, if you copy only "ABC" as the callsign, hitting the <Alt> key would display any calls ending in "ABC" which were worked already. (6) QSO RATE and LAPSE TIME DISPLAY. A box will be displayed to give you progress information during the contest. A running timer shows how much time has passed since the last QSO was logged. Another display will track the rate (in QSO's per hour) of your last 10 QSO's. This rate display will become active once you log more that 10 contacts. - OPERATION AFTER THE CONTEST --------------------------- IMPORTANT: Always make a backup copy of your contest data files before attempting to generate dupe sheets or log forms, in case something goes wrong! Anyone who has worked with computers for long will tell you it can and does happen eventually! Several Main Menu items change their title and function when in the contest mode of operation: (1) PRINT contest entry logbook. This is the menu item used to generate the logbook which is to be submitted with your contest entry. This item also generates a disk file in true ASCII format, which contains the same information as is printed. (2) Run and Print DUPE CHECKSHEET. This menu item will create a duplicate checksheet for each band/mode combination in the contest log. If you selected "N" for the CONTEST SETUP MENU item concerning separate dupe sheets for each band, only one dupe sheet will be created. It will flag duplicate contacts based on callsign alone, so if the same station is worked on different bands, it will be marked as a duplicate. You will be given the option to print multiple copies of the DUPE CHECKSHEET, and to create ASCII disk files from this same information. PAGE 5.5 Some of the parameters which affect the contest logbook printout are controlled from the contest configuration menu. You can alter any of these parameters after the contest is over, in order to change the appearance of the printed log. The number of QSO's per page, and the number of points for each type of QSO, will change only the printed logbook, not the contents of the logbook data file itself. (2) Run and print DUPE CHECKSHEET. This operation is controlled completely by LOG-EQF. All that is required is that you load the logbook data file for the contest being duped, select the Main Menu item, and wait until prompted to turn on the printer. The printed dupe-sheet is formatted to fit on 8-1/2 x 11 inch paper, and will be automatically numbered and titled, with duplicates marked. The number of valid QSO's (not duplicated) will also be printed at the bottom of the last page. Again, a true ASCII file will be created on the disk. PAGE 6.0 6. RADIO CONTROL COMMANDS -------------------------- When a Kenwood radio with IF-232C interface capabilities is attached to either COM port 1 or 2, control and display of certain parameters is available from the MANUAL or AUTOMATIC logging screens. The following keys are available for radio control functions: <Pg Up> These keys may be used to control the radio VFO by slewing <Pg Dn> frequency up when <Pg Up> is pressed, and down when <Pg Dwn> is pressed. The tuning rate begins in 10 Hz increments, then switches to 100 Hz, and finally switches to 1 KHz if the key is held down. Once the key is released for a second, the rate resets to the slow 10 Hz tuning step. <F6> VFO A frequency may be entered directly from the computer keyboard by hitting <F6>. The program will prompt you at the frequency display to enter a new one. A very flexible entry scheme is pro- vided, accepting two different frequency formats. The same format as the radio front panel (no decimal points, and leading zeroes required) may be used, or you may enter a frequency with a decimal point as desired. <F7> VFO B frequency may be entered directly by hitting <F7>, using the same entry format as above. <F8> Depressing this key will switch the radio VFO's between A and B. The current active VFO is displayed next to the current frequency on the screen. <F9> This key displays a menu which may be used to change the current radio mode of operation. Highlight the desired mode in the item box using the <Up> and <Down> arrow keys and then hit <Enter>. <F10> The <F10> function key causes a new screen menu display for access to the LOCAL MEMORY system. Up to 63 files with 22 memories in each can be created for frequency and mode control, with 25-character comments for each memory. A help menu on the screen lists the available commands. To save the current VFO frequencies, mode, and split from the radio into a LOCAL MEMORY, position the highlight bar to the memory line desired, and hit <F1>. You will be prompted to enter a comment to be stored along with the memory. To recall any memory, and set the radio to that memory's contents, position the highlight bar again and hit <F2>. A third option is to edit an existing memory manually by hitting <F3> and following the prompts. The <F4> key is used to select (or create) the memory files. To return to the log entry menu, hit the <Esc> key. PAGE 6.1 <Ctrl R> - Holding the <Control> key along with the letter <R> key, will cause LOG-EQF to attempt to activate another program, called RIG-EQF. RIG-EQF is a separate program which provides radio control features beyond those of LOG-EQF. RIG-EQF provides a full- screen display of radio control parameters, including a large frequency display, XIT and RIT, Split VFO operation, and a programmable scan feature. (RIG-EQF is a Shareware program, and is available from N3EQF or from Shareware distributers). Exiting from RIG-EQF will return the LOG-EQF logging screen just as it was when you left it when you pressed <Ctrl R>. Another feature enabled when a Kenwood radio interface is used, is the display of the previous station's callsign entered, and on what frequency it was heard. This feature is triggered anytime a full callsign is entered, and either the entry is saved by selecting <F1>, or the page is cleared using <F4>. PAGE 7.0 7. MAINTENANCE OF THE DX PREFIX LIBRARY ---------------------------------------- The DX Prefix Library is a disk file called DXPREFIX.LIB, which is accessed by LOG-EQF whenever the <F5> function key is depressed from the Automatic or Manual LOG ENTRY screens. The file contains a list of possible callsign prefixes, with corresponding DXCC prefixes, ITU zones, CQ zones, ITU continents, and Latitude/Longitudes for each. Since the DXCC country list changes fairly often, it will probably be necessary to update the prefix file from time to time. It is extremely important that the format of the library file is not changed even slightly if you decide to edit it, or the file cannot be read by LOG-EQF. One missing or extra comma in a single line of the file will result in an error when the program tries to read that entry from the library. If you decide to edit the library file, you must use an editor which does not add any control characters to the text. The only non-printable character which may reside in the library file is the carriage return, following each line of text. The following rules apply to the file format: 1) Each line in the file must have the following format: Prefix,DXCC Prefix,ITU Zone,CQ Zone,Continent,Latitude,Longitude 2) Longer Prefixes must preceed shorter ones which have the same characters. For example, "ZL7" must occur ahead of "ZL", or else ZL7ABC would be incorrectly reported as New Zealand, instead of Chatham Island when the library is searched. 3) If more than one DXCC prefix exists for a single callsign prefix, the DXCC prefix must be preceeded by an asterisk ("*"). For example, since both Bouvet and Peter Island are recognized by the "3Y" prefix, the following two lines are present in the file: 3Y,*3Y/B,Bouvet,67,38,AF,-54,3.4 3Y,*3Y/P,Peter Is.,72,12,AN,-69,-90.6 4) Please note the sign conventions for Latitude and Longitude. Latitude is positive if it is North, and Longitude is positive if it is East. Always make a backup file before editing the library file, in case some- thing goes wrong! I would appreciate hearing from you if you find and correct errors in the prefix library. Other users will benefit from your efforts. PAGE 8.0 8. IN CASE OF TROUBLE ---------------------- Every effort has been made to provide a bug-free program, but as with any software, there may be combinations of events which cause problems. If you have found some problem which you feel is caused by a progam error, please call it to the attention of N3EQF, at the following address: Tom Dandrea N3EQF 396 Sautter Drive Coraopolis, PA 15108 USA Please include your callsign with any correspondence, along with the LOG-EQF Version number you are running, and as many details concerning the problem as possible. As always, REGISTERED USERS are given priority over others! Below are some suggestions for locating the source of problems with LOG-EQF should they occur: (1) PROBLEM: LOG-EQF "hangs-up" the computer; no error messages are displayed, and no way to recover use of the computer until it is "re-booted". - Check to see if there are any memory-resident ("TSR") programs running at the same time as LOG-EQF. One way to verify this is by listing your AUTOEXEC.BAT and CONFIG.SYS files, to see if any programs are being activated automatically when your computer is started. Some programs can interfere with each other's operation. If there are any programs of this type on your machine, try removing them temporarily and running LOG-EQF by itself. (2) PROBLEM: With the Kenwood radio interface installed, a "IF-232C ERROR" message is displayed while LOG-EQF is running, and no radio control operations function. - Most interface problems are due to cabling faults between the computer and the radio level translator. Check the Kenwood documentation to ensure all 5 wires (not just 3, as in some RS-232 cables) are connected as specified. In some cases, computer serial ports require the DTR, DCD, and DSR signals - or the RTS and CTS signals to be jumpered together for correct operation). - If this error occurs intermitently after the radio interface has been working properly for some time, it means that communication between the computer and radio was interrupted. This can occur for many reasons, but stray RF is a common source of this problem. Pay particular attention to the grounding of your computer cabinet, and consider the use of a shielded RS-232C cable between the Kenwood and computer. The shorter this cable is, the better. PAGE 8.1 (3) PROBLEM: LOG-EQF displays the Main Menu with a message "ERROR CODE xx" at the bottom left corner of the screen. - There are various routines which attempt to recover from most error situations within LOG-EQF. If you encounter the above message, with an error number in place of "xx", then an error occurred which can not be recovered. The best thing to do here is to carefully note what led up to the program's "crash", and to jot down the error number. If this error comes up again, chances are that you have discovered a legitimate program bug. Please report your findings to N3EQF, and help prevent other users from suffering the same frustrations! Some operations from LOG-EQF (such as the creation of backup files) require the use of DOS commands. If LOG-EQF cannot locate DOS, an error message will result. Make sure that COMMAND.COM is accessible by either copying the file into the same directory as LOG-EQF, or (preferably) by including the DOS directory in your PATH statement. (4) PROBLEM: A logbook data file cannot be loaded successfully by LOG-EQF. - There is always the possibility that your data file has been corrupted, either accidently from an incorrect DOS command, or as a result of a power glitch or some other interruption during a disk save operation. LOG-EQF creates a backup file regularly when you perform an edit, sort, or search-with-output-to-the-disk operation. The backup file's name is always "xxx.BAK", where xxx is your logbook file name. To load from a backup file, just type the DOS command "COPY xxx.BAK xxx.LOG", where again xxx is the logbook name, and then start up LOG-EQF. - A utility called FILE-EQF is available for Registered Users of LOG-EQF, and it provides a routine which attempts to recover damaged logbook files. FILE-EQF also can be used to convert between LOG-EQF files and other file formats, including dBASE, ASCII, CT, and NA. If you're a Registered User of LOG-EQF, just send a formatted disk and postage-paid mailer to N3EQF to receive your copy of FILE-EQF. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------