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1995-01-10
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#1zz
The Amiga Contest Logging Programs V4.02
Copyright 1992,1993,1994 by Peter Hardie VE5VA
General Instructions (12-Jan-94)
New in V4.02
- If you type the DELETE character immediately after entering a DUPE QSO
the entire entry will be deleted rather than just the last field.
- The backspace character will backspace over a string of spaces instead
of one at a time.
- The program now uses a built-in form of the rexxhostlib package and so
the rexxhost.library is NOT required any more.
- The program now has the ability to colour code the DX spots arriving
from a packet cluster. Currently only the CQWW program supports this but
it will be added to the other appropriate programs soon. (Full
packetcluster support is not yet implemented).
- The SS program no longer requires the w-ve.list file and RAC no longer
needs the ve.list file. Both now obtain the info they need from
dxcc.list.
New in V4.01
- The program can be forced to totally ignore a QSO by editing the log
(using ^E) and putting a letter Q as the first character of the
callsign. This provides a way of deleting a QSO from the log, although
the entry is still there it will be ignored by the scoring and reporting
routines.
New in V4.00
- partial call lookup has been added. Up to 20 calls will be displayed.
The partial call display shares the same area on the screen as the CW
memories. See Section 3.2.
- Partial support for the Workbench has been added thanks to Ernie VE5CJ
who provided me with all the icons used in this distribution. See
Section 3.4.
New in V3.05
- The log file structure has changed slightly. I have added one comment
line at the front of the file. This line contains the callsign used for
the contest. For many ops this callsign will never change between
contests, but in Canada, for example, we are sometimes allowed to use
special prefixes. In this case it is convenient to have the callsign
stored in the log file so that a program that generates QSL labels, for
example, won't have to hunt around for the callsign. You also won't have
to try to remember, possibly months after the event, which special
prefix was used.
- there is now a driver for Kenwood rigs. It should be able to handle
anything from the TS-440S upwards. It only uses a small subset of the
available commands and all the rigs should be able to handle them.
z
1. Introduction
These instructions describe the features that apply to all versions of
the contest logging programs (currently: CQWW, WPX, RAC, FD, SS, ARLX,
IARU, WAE, NAQP and QRP).
Chapter 8 describes instructions specific to each contest program.
You use these programs AT YOUR OWN RISK on an AS-IS basis. I do NOT
guarantee that these programs will perform as described, nor as you
expect them to, and I accept no liability whatever if these programs
lose information, score incorrectly or in any other way fail to perform
correctly.
You MUST read Chapter 7.
If you have used these programs before, then at least read Chapter 6
"KNOWN BUGS and SHORTCOMINGS" to see if any major bugs have been fixed
or found. Also look at the file "changes" which documents changes made
to the programs as I go along.
In order to use the programs you MUST be able to use a text editor to
set up some of the files that control the programs and at the moment the
programs can only be started from the shell. I hope to add workbench
support some time or other.
1.1 For the impatient
Those of you who don't read past the introduction of any documentation
will find that as long as you use the same directory structure as exists
on the disk, then you won't need to do much in the way of setting up the
programs other than to put a setenv command in your startup-sequence
which describes your local timezone so that the program can compute UTC
for proper timestamping of your log entries. You must also do the
following:
- If you are going to use computer control of your rig you must start
up the appropriate driver program before you start up a contest
program.
- If you use the AREXX functions (PacketCluster) then you must have a
copy of rexxhost.library in your LIBS: directory. The library is
supplied with this distribution. BUT there is currently NO program
to send the packetcluster information to the logger programs. You
can write one yourself. I hope to have one ready soon.
- You must set up a default file for each program you wish to run. In
addition, you can put some of the common default commands in a
global.defaults file in the lists directory.
z
2. Hardware Requirements.
2.1 Computer
The logging programs should run on any Amiga which has at least 1Mb of
memory and they might work on a 512kb machine if you don't use the
default 2000 QSOs (see next paragraph). A hard drive is preferable for
storing the log during the contest as the I/O is faster, but it is not
essential. However, when running the program, your log file MUST be on a
disk. If you tell the computer to store the log in ram, a power failure
will lose your entire log. The program has been tested on an A3000 using
Kickstart 1.3 and 2.04 and both work. It has also been partially tested
on an A1000 with 2Mb using Kickstart 1.3 and it also works (although the
AREXX port hasn't been tested there).
The memory requirement will be the most critical for those of you with
only 512k. When allocating the memory for the log, the programs ask for
it all in one big lump. This way you will know before you start a
contest whether or not you have enough memory. By default, the programs
ask for enough space to handle 2000 QSOs. You can specify a larger or
smaller number of QSOs by using the 'n' command in the default file for
the specific contest. But you must ensure that whatever number you
choose, it will be big enough to handle the whole contest. If you don't
make the number big enough then the program will terminate as soon as
the limit has been reached. In this case you can increase the QSO size
by editing the default file and then starting the contest program again.
The programs also allocate chunks of memory for the multiplier lists and
to do some types of report but their sizes cannot be altered.
2.2 Audio output
The computer sends an audible beep out of the audio jacks and flashes
the monitor screen when an error (e.g. a dupe or unrecognized callsign)
occurs. The old A1000 monitor has the audio built-in so there's nothing
for you to do to use it except turn up the volume. Some of the newer
monitors (e.g. 1950) do not have audio output so you must hook up the
Amiga's audio output to a suitable amplifier and speaker.
It takes a noticeable amount of time to transmit the three beeps to the
audio device when a dupe or error occurs and so you have the option, in
the default file, of turning the audio off (if you use headphones you
probably won't hear it anyway!). The command "a 0" in the default file
will turn the audio off.
The hardware described in the remaining sections is all optional.
2.3 Computer controlled radios
The program has been tested with an ICOM IC-735 using a homebrew
interface. It also works on a FT-767GX using their FIF-232C interface.
I also plan to have the program understand various other ICOM, Yaesu andz
Kenwood rigs. The diagram for my IC-735 interface, which uses two 2N2222
transistors is included in a separate file (iface.txt). If your rig is
not supported yet then send me a detailed spec of the computer commands
and the interface required and I'll try to add it to the list.
All computer controlled radios use the serial port but some of them need
more of the pins wired up than others. The IC-735 requires that the
following pins be connected:
Pin 2 Tx
Pin 3 Rx
Pin 7 Gnd
My interface also requires +12V to be connected and some commercial
interfaces may also need it:
Pin 23 (A1000 only) +12V
Pin 9 (all others) +12V
If you make up a homebrew interface you must be VERY careful to
identify the +12V pin correctly or you could blow the 8520 chip. You
must also take great care when plugging the interface into the serial
port's DB-25. The port uses a male plug and if you use a DB-25 female
with a metal shell, then the shell could short the +12V to ground. This
blows a fuse in the computer and it costs a lot of money to replace it.
Therefore, whenever you plug in the serial port interface, TURN THE
COMPUTER OFF FIRST! The only way you can safely plug in the interface
without blowing the fuse while the computer is switched on is by using
an all-plastic DB-25.
Yaesu rigs appear to need the same pins connected as the ICOM.
Kenwood rigs also require:
Pin 4 CTS
Pin 5 RTS
Some rigs, notably the Yaesu FT757GX can only receive commands from the
computer and cannot transmit responses at all. The logging programs
allow for control of the radio from the computer so that provided you
use only the program to control the rig, it can log your contacts for
you. But it might be safer to get used to doing without.
2.4 Morse code output
WARNING - as of V3.00 the morse code output has been moved from the RS-
232 Pin 20 to Pin 9 on the second joystick port.
All the contest programs have a built-in keyer with ten memories. The
keyer speed and the content of the memories can be initially set in a
configuration file and also modified on-the-fly from 10 to 50wpm. The
morse code is transmitted out of pin 9 of the second joystick port. PTT
is output from Pin 5 of the second joystick port. You do not have to use
the PTT output - you can use your rig's VOX to key your rig if you wish.z
The cursor UP and DOWN keys can be used to change the keyer's CW speed
by plus or minus 2wpm each time the key is hit.
2.5 Morse code input
All of the contest programs also provide an electronic morse code keyer.
The keyer can emulate an iambic paddle with dot and dash memory and a
choice of either Curtis A or B timing. It will also emulate a semi-
automatic bug with automatic dots and manual dash, or just a straight
key (which is just the key connected to the dash side of the semi-
automatic bug).
This function is used by connecting your key to the second joystick
port. The pin connections are:
Pin 8 - Gnd
Pin 2 - Dot Input
Pin 4 - Dash Input (or straight key)
This function was provided more as an academic exercise to show that I
could do it, but it can also be useful if you need to send something
which is not covered by the content of the ten memories and it is more
convenient to have your paddle connected to the computer instead of your
keyer.
In the future, I may add code to read what you are transmitting with the
paddle so that it will read the callsign and save you having to type
that in.
z
3. Software
When you use the contesting software you will need one or two programs
depending upon the hardware configuration. If you are going to use
computer control of your radio then you must first run a program (in the
drivers directory) that corresponds to your rig. For example, before I
use any contest program, I must first:
run drivers/ic735
This program handles the interface to the rig. Once this program is
running you do not need to kill it after stopping the logging program.
You can leave it running in the background so that if you start up the
logging program again later, you do not also have to start up the
driver.
There are currently driver programs for the ic735 (and any ICOM rig
using the same protocol), the Yaesu FT767GX II, and recent Kenwood rigs.
All drivers default to using the serial.device unit zero. The ic735
defaults to 9600 baud and the other two programs default to 4800 baud.
These can be changed using CLI arguments to the programs:
-s name Use the device name specified by the "name".
-uN Use the unit number N.
-bN Use baud rate N.
-hN For the ic735 program, set the rig's address to N (default is
4)
-mN For the ic735 program, tell the computer to use N as its
address instead of the default 1.
If you do not start up a driver program, the contest program will report
that there is no driver and will then use a default frequency and mode
which you can set in one of the default files (see below). Also, if
there's no driver, you must tell the program when you change frequency
or mode on the rig. There is an easy way to do this using the band
stacking feature which is explained later.
The driver program can be terminated by executing the program called
stopdriver in the drivers sub-directory.
Once the driver is running, you can start up the appropriate logging
program, whether it be WPX, QRP or whatever. All contest programs need
the name of the logging file to be used. I use, for example,
qrp ve5va.qrp
If you do a lot of contesting it would probably help if the name of the
logging file contained the date and mode: e.g.
cqww 1992-cw.cqww
Do NOT use a name that starts with the word "log". The programs output a
formatted log to a file whose name begins with "log" and it is safest
not to use this so that the program does not destroy your log file.z
Some of the functions of the logging programs are common to all and
others are specific to the particular program.
3.1 General functions
All of the programs can be terminated by typing a Control-D or by
clicking the left mouse button while pointing at the top left corner of
the window. The window does not have any gadgets on it but you can also
make the window go to the back of all the windows in the current screen
by clicking the left mouse button while pointing at the top right of the
window. You can push the entire current screen to the back of all other
screens by typing right-amiga-B.
3.1.1 Default file
All of the logging programs read two default files when they start up.
These allow you to set various options. All programs first read the
file called "global.defaults" which is in the "lists" directory (see
section 4 which describes support files). This file can be used to set
options such as your callsign which will usually be the same for all
contests. Each program then reads a defaults file which is specific to
that contest program. The name of this second file depends upon the
specific program being used and consists of the program name followed by
".defaults" and the file must be in the same directory as the contest
program. For example, the WPX program looks for the file "wpx.defaults"
and the QRP program looks for "qrp.defaults". This file is used, for
example, to initialize the content of one or more of the morse code
memories which would change depending upon the contest exchange. If you
are not using computer control of your rig you can specify a default
frequency and mode that the rig should use. Each sample default file has
documentation of the available commands but, briefly, they are:
! Comment - the line is ignored.
c call Set your callsign. NOTE that this is normally your
standard callsign but if you use a special prefix, or are
portable in a different call area or country, then you
should set this to the special callsign used so that the
reports have the correct callsign on them.
This command MUST be present.
z N Set your zone to N for the CQWW or IARU contests. You
don't need to set this if the program is able to
determine your zone uniquely (e.g. if you are in
Britain). But if you are in the U.S., for example, your
zone canot be determined with certainty from your
callsign. When you start up a contest program requiring a
zone, make sure that the program displays your correct
zone with your callsign near the top left of the screen.
F Allow the program to use Forbid() and Permit() while a
CW memory is being transmitted. This suspends
multitasking so that other processes won't interfere withz
the timing of thetransmitted code. It is not foolproof
and sometimes something still interferes but I have tried
using Disable/Enable and they cause a wierd bug whereby
the program will send the same memory over and over again
forever.
n N Set the number of QSOs in the in-memory log to N. The
program defaults to 2000. Each QSO is about 80 bytes, so
the default requires at least 160Kb of ram for the log.
If you aren't going to make anywhere near 2000 QSOs you
can cut this down to a more reasonable number (e.g. 1000,
500 or whatever - but make sure you OVERestimate).
l N string Set CW memory N to the string.
m S Set morse code speed to S wpm. S is an integer between 10
and 50.
p N Set the Field Day or QRP ARCI power output multiplier to
N. You MUST have this set correctly for these two
contests because it directly affects the scoring and the
report outputs.
P string Set your output power to the string (no more than 5
chars). Not used in scoring the log, it is only printed
on QSLs when I get around to writing the QSL label
program.
s F Set the QRP ARCI power Source multiplier to F. F defaults
to 1 but if you use a battery you would use 1.25.
t Z Set your local timezone to Z (see next section for
format).
f freq Mode Set the default frequency to 'freq' and mode to 'Mode'.
The frequency is specified in kilohertz.
k N Set keyer type to N. 0=Iambic-B, 1=Iambic-A, 2=Bug
h N Set QRP ARCI homebrew bonus points to N.
b Backup the log entries to the printer as they are
entered. The program always writes each QSO to the disk
and this command makes it write it to the printer as
well. If you edit the log and make any changes they are
written to the printer so that you can keep track of the
changes. Serious contesters should always use this option
as a failsafe.
a n Turn the audio on (n=1) or off (n=0). If the audio is
off the program responds to dupes faster because it
doesn't have to send three beeps to the audio device.
q n Set the type of QRP contest. Currently 0 is QRP-ARCI andz
1 is MI-QRP. If MI-QRP is chosen then the power
multiplier (p command) is forced to one.
x N Set the PTT delay to N*10 milliseconds ... i.e. the PTT
delay is specified in units of 10 milliseconds.
e string REQUIRED for the FD and SS programs. Used to set your
class and section so that they can be printed in the log.
ALSO REQUIRED for Canadian ops (only) in the RAC contest
and must be used to set the two letter abbreviation of
the province from which operation took place. Examples:
In FD e 1e sk
In RAC e sk
In SS e a ve5va 82 sk
Note that for SS you put your whole exchange except for
the serial number (i.e. precedence,call,check and
section)
It is strongly recommended that you use the printer backup throughout a
contest so that a disk (or program) failure will not lose your entire
log.
3.1.2 The date and time
All versions of the logging programs keep track of the date and time and
store these in each log entry. They also show the current time at the
top left of the screen. Just before you start a contest you should first
ensure that your clock is set to the correct time (local or UTC) by
synchronizing it to one of the time services such as WWV. If your
computer time is local time and not UTC, then you must also tell the
computer about your local time zone. This can be done in one of two
ways. Either you can specify the 't' command in the default file or you
can put a setenv command in your s:startup-sequence file which defines
the name TZ_CHU as your local time. In either case you specify your
local timezone as hours (and optionally minutes) west (positive) or east
(negative) of Greenwich. The program also handles daylight savings time
conversion and this must be specified in the same 't' command or setenv
call if it is applied in your area. Finally, if your timezone uses
daylight savings time, then the program also needs to know whether you
are in the northern or southern hemisphere and you encode this bit of
information by specifying the DST indicator in lower (North) or upper
(South) case. The general format of the time is:
[-]hh[:mm][D]
This means that the time is specified as a number of hours which can be
preceded by an optional minus sign (for EAST) and optionally followed by
a number of minutes (e.g. 3:30 for Newfoundland) and all of this can
have an optional letter after it to specify that your timezone uses
daylight savings time.
The dates of the start and end of DST are different in various parts of
the world. You indicate which is used in your zone by one of the
following letters. If you are in the northern hemisphere then you must
specify the letter in lower case, and if you are in the southernz
hemisphere then you must specify it in upper case. The letters and the
dates of the start and end of DST are listed below:
d or D: North America. Start first Sunday in April and end last Sunday
in October.
u or U: U.K. Start last Sunday in March and end last Sunday in
October (approximately! - the precise dates are set by act of
parliament each year).
e or E: Europe. Start last Sunday in March and end last Sunday in
September.
c or C: China(!). Start 12th April and end 12th September.
If you specify upper case for the southern hemisphere then the start and
end of DST are reversed. In all cases the start and end occur at 2am.
The best thing to do is to add a setenv command in your
s:startup-sequence file. If you use any of my other programs, such as
the C_BBS packet program or the CHU program, then you won't have to do
anything extra with them if you use setenv TZ_CHU in your startup file
because they all use the same routine to check for your timezone and
adjust to UTC. I use the command:
setenv TZ_CHU 6
in my s:startup-sequence file because I am in the Central Standard Time
zone (6 hours west of Greenwich) and we do not use daylight savings
time (to be pedantically precise, we are actually on permanent Mountain
Daylight Savings Time but very few people understand the difference, or
care!). In Germany, which is one hour ahead of UTC and uses European
daylight savings time you would use:
setenv TZ_CHU -1e
I am not sure what DST is used in Australia or New Zealand but if, as an
example, they use the same DST as the U.K. (except that they start in
October and end in March) then an upper case 'U' is specified along with
the timezone correction.
(The odd name "TZ_CHU" is derived from a program I wrote which reads the
time from Canadian radio station CHU and sets the amiga battery clock
fairly precisely).
3.1.3 QSO entry
All of the programs enter a QSO on the bottom line of the screen and
when it is complete, move it up one line. Above that line is a title
which shows the name of each field. The fields whose title is
highlighted are the only fields that you need to enter data into. The
others will be filled in by the computer. For example, in the WPX
contest the title starts with the callsign, rst and QSO number. Thez
callsign and QSO number are highlighted but the rst is not. Thus, you
enter a callsign and QSO number, but the computer will fill in the rst
for you.
Some of the contest programs require that you type a space or tab
between each field (they ALL require a tab or space after the callsign).
However, there are some exceptions. The SS program does not require any
tabs between the fields of the exchange because it can determine where
one ends and another begins so you can type the entire SS exchange in
without typing a tab or space.
Some of the programs will fill in information for you if they can. For
example, CQWW will fill in the CQ zone of the callsign just typed if the
country is entirely contained within one CQ zone. For example, entering
any G call will cause CQWW to fill in 14 for the CQ zone. I have set up
the dxcc.list file so that it also splits some of the Canadian callsigns
into their call areas and CQWW will fill in those zones that can be
identified from their prefix.
The SS program will fill in some dummy information for an exchange if
you enter a DX call.
The ARLX program will accept just the letter 'K' if a DX stations sends
you "KW" as their exchange. The program will change the 'K' to 'KW' for
you.
As you type in data on the QSO line you can use:
- the backspace key to delete the previous character
- the delete key to delete the current field. If the cursor is at the
beginning of a field, then move to the beginning of the previous
field.
- the cursor left key moves the cursor one place to the left without
deleting the character. Typing the cursor left key with the shift
key down makes the cursor move back to a question mark in the
callsign field if there is one, or to the first field that is
blank.
- the cursor right key moves the cursor non-destructively one place to
the right.
- a space or tab key causes the cursor to move to the next field to the
right. If the field just entered was the callsign then the call is
duped and the program will flash the screen and cause an audible
beep (if audio is on) for a dupe (in which case you can either
delete the call and start again, or enter the QSO anyway). If the
cursor is at the beginning of a field and nothing has yet been
entered then the cursor will remain where it is. But if the cursor
is at the beginning of a field that already contains data then the
cursor will skip to the next field without changing the current
one.
- a carriage return key is only valid at the end of the last field and
then the line is entered, but ONLY if there is no question mark in
the callsign field. This is the ONLY way to get a QSO entered in
the log.
- typing the Alt key and carriage return makes the cursor go to the endz
of the entry line but does not enter it (you must hit CR again for
that).
- the escape key makes the cursor move to the right until it finds
either a field whose first character is blank or the end of the
data entry line, and then the cursor stops. This is useful for
skipping over previously entered fields, or fields that have been
automatically filled in by the computer.
- Control I causes the program to move the cursor to the beginning of
the callsign and enter Insert mode. This allows you to enter a
callsign prefix when you only had a suffix in the field. Insert
mode is terminated by typing a tab at which point the new callsign
is again duped. If it is not a dupe, then the cursor will skip to
the next empty field or the end of the entry line.
The first field on the line is always the callsign of the station being
worked. When you hit a space or tab key, the callsign is checked and if
it is a dupe under the contest rules, then the screen will flash and the
audio output will beep. The program will also display the highlighted
string "*DUPE*" above and to the right of the callsign - typing any key
makes this disappear. If you have a dupe, you can enter the delete key
to remove the callsign or you can continue with the exchange and enter
the QSO anyway. Dupes are indicated in the log by putting "?DUPE" in the
score field. But, in any case, the QSO will score zero and will not
generate any multipliers. If you do not hear a complete call, you can
enter a question mark (e.g. NJ7?) and then enter the remainder of the
QSO. You can then easily return to the callsign to fill in the missing
piece by typing the shift and cursor left keys. Then type escape to get
to the end of the field, followed by carriage return to enter the QSO.
If you enter an invalid callsign then the display will flash and the
message "INVALID CALLSIGN" will appear above the title line. If the
call is valid but the program cannot locate the callsign in the country
list, or it cannot find a valid prefix in WPX, the program will beep and
the multiplier field will have question marks entered into it. If you
entered the call incorrectly then edit the call and try again. But if
you are sure you have the call entered correctly then you should enter
the QSO anyway and proceed with the contest, although this contact won't
be scored at this time. The error will be caused by a problem with the
dxcc.list. Either during the contest (if you have time) or after it is
over, you can examine the callsign and the dxcc.list to see why the
program could not recognize the call. Then correct the error, either
using the editing function in the logging program to correct the
callsign, or with a text editor to correct the dxcc.list and then simply
start up the logging program again with the log as input. When the
logging program is started, it always re-scores and re-dupes the current
log file so that once you have corrected an error the logging program
will correct the score and remove the question marks from the
multiplier field. You can then proceed to generate the required reports
using the %R command.
Some numeric fields in the contest will allow you to type in a cut-
number instead of a numeral. The RST field and the serial number field
in WPX and other contests allow you to do this. This is useful on CW so
that you can type exactly what you hear (if you wish). For example, inz
WPX you may get a serial number transmitted to you as "aont". If you
type this in, the program will correctly translate it into 1090.
The serial number field in WPX, the Nr/Power field in QRP-ARCI and some
other fields will also be right adjusted after entry. For example, if
you receive the serial number "45" in WPX, it will be left adjusted in
the serial number field when you type it, but when you enter the QSO by
typing carriage return, the field will be right adjusted.
3.1.4 Frequency and mode
If you are using computer controlled frequency and mode then you can
change the rig's frequency and mode by using the mouse. Pointing the
mouse at the mode display and clicking the left button causes the
computer to change the rig's mode to the next in its list which is in
the order LSB, USB, AM, CW, RTTY (if the rig has it) and FM.
Pointing at any digit of the frequency display and holding down the left
mouse button will cause that digit to be incremented at a rate of 7
times per second until you let go of the button. If you hold down the
right mouse button then the digit will be decremented 7 times per
second. In either case the rig's frequency will be updated as this
occurs IF the rig is capable of handling that frequency. The Yaesu and
Kenwood protocols are rather slow and so this function is not too
impressive on those rigs, but on an ICOM IC-735 it works much better.
If you are not using computer control of a rig (i.e. there's no
background driver) then the program initially displays the frequency and
mode that are set in the default file and these can also be modified by
using the mouse buttons.
3.1.5 Morse code display
If the rig is in CW mode, the morse code speed is displayed below the
list of the memory contents and you can change the speed of the keyer by
pointing the mouse at either of the digits and clicking either the left
or right mouse buttons. Each click of the left mouse button adds one to
the digit and each click of the right mouse button subtracts one. The
keying speed is limited to between 10 and 50 WPM.
Beside the CW speed is the name of the type of keyer - one of Iambic A,
Iambic B or Bug. Clicking the left mouse button on this field will cause
the program to change to the next type in the sequence. The keyer type
can be set in the default file.
The line underneath the CW speed shows the value set for PTT delay.
This number is in units of 10 ms. Setting it to zero turns PTT off.
Each of the 10 CW memories is associated with one of the corresponding
Function keys - thus, memory 1 is associated with F1. Typing just the
function key causes that memory to be transmitted in morse code out of
Pin 9 on the second joystick port. The content of a memory can be
changed by holding down the shift key and then typing the corresponding
function key. The cursor will move to the selected memory and you can
then type in what you want. Type a carriage return to finish typing thez
string. The display only shows the first 15 or so characters of each
memory string, but each memory string can be up to 80 characters long.
There are some abbreviations which you can use when entering data into a
memory.
%c is replaced by the callsign that is currently stored on the bottom
line of the display even if it is incomplete (e.g. NJ7?)
%C is replaced by your callsign which is specified in the default file.
%N is replaced by the current QSO number. A limited form of cut number
is employed. Leading zeroes are sent as the letter 'T'. Embedded or
trailing zeroes are sent as the letter 'O' and the number 9 is
always sent as 'N'.
%n is the same as %N except that leading zeroes are sent as the letter
'T' but no other cut-numbers are used.
%R is replaced by the transmitted RST field.
%dD Decrement the current code transmission speed by the number D which
must be a single numeric digit.
%iD Increment the current code transmssion speed by the number D which
must be a single numeric digit.
As an example, you might enter a CQWW exchange in a memory as:
%i95nn%d9 14 k
which will increase the current code speed by 9 wpm, send 5nn, drop the
code speed back down by 9wpm and then send the zone (14) and the 'k' at
the original speed. If you wish to increase or decrease the code speed
by more than 9 wpm, you can string two or more increment or decrement
commands together. Thus, %i9%i6 will increase the code speed by 15 wpm.
There is no way to change the speed to an absolute amount yet.
At the moment none of the memories has a specific meaning to the
program. However, I intend to make memory 10 a "CQ" memory such that if
you type the control key and F10 then the content of the memory will be
transmitted followed by a delay of about 5 seconds and if you do not
type any key or touch the CW paddle, then the memory will be transmitted
again to a maximum of 20 times. I may also add another feature which
will require that you use memory 1 as the exchange.
At a future date I also hope to change the program so that you can
specify a separate speed for each memory and also a way to chain the
memories together.
3.1.6 Band stacking
Holding down the shift key while pressing one of the up, down, left or
right arrows on the NUMERIC PAD (not the cursor control keys) causes one
of the band stacking functions. Shift-8 causes the current frequency,
mode and content of the callsign field to be stored in an internalz
stack. Pressing shift-4 or shift-6 causes the program to move through
the stack returning the content of the stack to the operational fields.
If a computer controlled rig is used, its current frequency and mode
will be set to the current stacked value. The stack will hold up to 50
entries. This feature is useful when you hear a station that is very
busy and you decide not to wait to bust the pileup. Type in the callsign
of the station and then hit shift-8 to remember the station's callsign,
frequency and mode. Once a stack entry has been recalled, it can be
deleted from the stack by typing shift-2. The band stacking feature
works even if a computer controlled rig is not present and allows you to
store common frequency/mode pairs (the callsign can be blank) in the
stack. Switching to another frequency or mode is easy using this
feature.
The program stores the current content of the stack in the file
"stack.dat" and if this file is present when the program is started, it
is used to initialize the content of the stack. If you do not have a
computer controlled rig you can initialize the stack to contain a
frequency/mode pair for each band and then use the left and right arrows
on the numeric pad to select the appropriate freq/mode.
3.1.7 Special Functions
If the callsign field on the bottom line of the screen begins with the
'%' symbol, then the remainder of the line is interpreted as a command
to the logging program. These commands perform such functions as
generating reports and editing the log. Each function can be called in
one of two ways. Either you can type a command of the form:
%C <arg>
where C is a single character and <arg> is an optional argument. This
command is typed in place of a callsign.
Alternatively, the commands can be called with a control key combination
consisting of the control key and the command letter. In this case you
cannot specify an argument. As an example, to do an all-band report you
can either type the command:
%R
in place of a callsign, or you can just type the key combination
control R (i.e. type the "r" key while holding down the control key).
3.1.7.1 %R Generating Reports
The %R command generates various types of reports, logs and dupe sheets
which depend upon the particular contest. Two of the programs, IARU and
FD, also produce a log (called arrl.report) in ARRL Standard format
(although FD doesn't currently use this format).
z
The command:
%R
produces an all-band summary report, logs for each band and dupe sheets
for each band. Some contests, such as Sweepstakes, do not require
separate band reports, in which case the program simply produces one log
and dupe file.
If you want to create a single band entry then specify the band with the
%R command:
%R 15
Will produce single band entry reports for the 15 meter band. The file
name of the summary report (which should always be printed) has the form
report_MM.PGM where MM is the mode ('cw','sb' or if all-mode then 'all')
and PGM is the name of the logging program ('qrp', 'wpx' etc). The log
file names are of the form MM_BB.PGM where MM is the mode (cw or sb) and
BB is the band (either the numeric band for a single band entry or 'all'
for an all-band entry). Similarly, the dupe file names have the form
dupe_MMBB.PGM. All the files are produced in the current directory and
are spaced ready for printing (you can use the print command in the
df0:c directory).
The QRP contest also allows hi-band and lo-band entries and reports for
these entries can be generated with "%R H" or "%R L".
At the moment the contest reports are generated in a form suitable for
printing. I hope to add the ability to output reports in a format such
that, if you have CROSSDOS(tm) or the public domain program MSH, the
logging programs will generate the reports ready for copying to an MS-
DOS formatted disk. Currently, you can do this only with those programs
which generate an arrl.report file which is in ARRL Suggested Standard
File Format. Copy this file to an MS-DOS formatted disk and change the
name so that it consists of your callsign followed by ".log". For
example, using crossdos, I use the command:
copy arrl.report pc0:ve5va.log]
(The square bracket on the end of the filename tells CROSSDOS to convert
the file into MS-DOS format - with a CR/LF at the end of each line
instead of just a LF as is used on the Amiga). Note that the name on the
MS-DOS disk MUST have your callsign as its name and ".log" as its
extension. You then write the details of the contest on the disk label-
your callsign, contest name, entry class and the date of the contest.
If you do this, then the only paperwork you have to fill out and send in
is the summary report file for the contest.
z
3.1.7.2 %E Edit the Log
The command:
%E
causes the program to enter screen editing mode. It shows QSOs in blocks
of 16 at a time on the screen and you can edit the QSOs and move forward
or backwards through the log. When the program first enters edit mode it
always shows the last block of QSOs and the cursor will be pointing at
the callsign of the last QSO in the log. This enables you to rapidly
edit the last QSO, if necessary. The four cursor keys in combination
with the shift, control and alt keys can be used to perform the
following functions:
- Cursor up
Moves the cursor up to the previous QSO, maintaining its current X
coordinate on the screen. If the cursor is on the top QSO on the
screen then the previous block of 16 QSOs will be displayed unless
the program is displaying the first 16 QSOs in the log, in which
case nothing will happen.
- Alt Cursor up
Moves cursor back to a previous QSO which contains '?' (indicating
a questionable callsign or a DUPE).
- Shift cursor up
Move back one QSO block if there is one.
- Control cursor up
Displays the first block and moves the cursor to the first QSO.
- Cursor down
Similar to cursor up functions. Moves cursor down one line on the
screen if not at the last QSO in the log. If at the last line on
the screen then show the next block if there is one.
- Alt cursor down
Move cursor down to next QSO containing '?' if there is one.
- Shift cursor down
Move forward one QSO block if there is one.
- Control cursor down
Displays the last block and moves the cursor to the last QSO.
- Cursor left
Move cursor one place left. If at the beginning of the line, do
nothing.
- Shift cursor left
Move cursor to beginning of current line.
- Cursor right
Move cursor one place right. If at the end of line, do nothing.z
- Shift cursor right
Move cursor to end of current line.
The backspace key deletes the character to its left (i.e. changes it to
a space).
Typing alphanumeric characters or the characters '/' or '.' or a space
types those characters over the top of what was there - i.e. it
replaces them in the log.
If you edit any log entry and are also backing up your log to the
printer, the program will write each corrected entry out to the printer
preceded by a line which says "*EDIT". This allows you to keep track of
everything that has been done to the log.
When you edit a log entry it can change the score. You can change as
many QSOs in the log as you wish but when you terminate the editing
session the program rescores the whole log.
Typing Control-D terminates the editing function and returns you to
logging mode (after rescoring the log if any changes have been made).
If you edit any QSO, then when you terminate the program, it will also
do a backup function (see next section).
3.1.7.3 %B Backup the memory log
If no filename follows the %B command then the current disk log is
copied to the file:
/backup/backup.PPP
where PPP is the abbreviation for the contest program you are using such
as wpx or wrp. Then it writes the in-memory log into the original disk
log. Note that this requires that the directory called "backup" is
present as it is provided on the distribution disk. If you cannot put
the backup directory on the same disk as the contest programs then an
environment variable LOGBACKUP must be defined before the program is
started. It is best to put a setenv command in your s:startup-sequence
file so that it is defined every time you reboot your system. It can be
defined to be in ram: (not very wise though!), or a directory on a hard
or floppy disk (much wiser).
If you specify a filename e.g. "%B work:log.backup" then the disk log is
copied to that file before the memory log is copied to the current disk
log.
The program does an automatic backup when you terminate the program if
you have edited any QSOs at all.
z
3.1.7.4 %F Changing the Frequency and mode
When the computer is not being used with a computer controlled radio the
displayed frequency and mode can be changed using the mouse or the stack
as previously described. You can also use a command of the form:
%F FREQ MODE
This command changes the displayed frequency to FREQ which must be
specified in kilohertz and must not contain commas. The MODE must be
present and is one of:
cw lsb usb am fm rtty
3.1.7.5 %S Score the log
The command %S causes the program to rescore the log and display any
changes that result. You should normally not need to do this since a new
QSO is scored upon entry and if you edit the log it is also rescored if
necessary when the edit function is terminated.
3.1.7.6 %X Screen dump
The command %X creates a file of the form screen.PPP where PPP is the
name of the program (e.g. wpx) and the file will contain an ASCII
representation of what is on the screen at the time the %S command is
given. This is more a debugging command than a feature.
3.2 Partial Lookup
When you type a callsign and then a space or tab, one of two routines is
performed. If the string in the typed callsign field looks like a valid
call then the program does a normal dupe of the callsign. But if what
has been typed is not apparently a valid callsign then the program
performs a partial callsign lookup instead. If what has been typed
consists only of alphabetic characters, then the program searches
through the suffixes of every call and makes a list of any matches. If
what has been typed contains alphabetic and numeric characters then all
of each callsign in the log is searched. The program will count and
report the number of matches and show up to 20 of those matches. The
program starts at the most recent entry in the log and searches
backwards so that it is more likely to find and display recent dupes.
The display of partial calls is done in the same area as is occupied by
the CW memory display. The CW memory display will be redisplayed over
the partial calls if you type a delete character or when a QSO has been
entered.
z
3.3 AREXX Support (PacketCluster)
I have added an AREXX port to the contest programs and included on the
distribution disk the public domain AREXX library called
rexxhost.library. All contest programs start up the AREXX port named
VE5VA_LOGGER so that they will be able to send and receive AREXX
commands. In order to use the AREXX functions you must have a copy of
rexxhost.library in your LIBS: directory. If you do not have AREXX
running, or do not have a copy of rexxhost.library, it doesn't matter
because the programs will ignore it if it isn't there. At the moment the
AREXX port is used to do a simple demonstration of PacketCluster support
which will be expanded in the future to give full support from a
separate program (like the computer interface drivers). The trivial
AREXX program test.lgx shows how to send DX messages to the contest
program.
When a DX spot arrives, the program first dupes it. If it is a dupe then
the DX spot message is ignored. If it is not a dupe then the program
displays the new DX info in the bottom right of the screen at the top of
a list of DX spots. As new ones are added the old ones are pushed down
so that the one displayed at the top of the list is the most recent one.
The program displays the most recent five DX spots it has received but
internally it actually stores up to 50.
As you work stations and add them to the log, each contest program
rechecks each DX spot to see if it is still not a dupe or if its
multiplier status has changed.
At the moment, only the CQWW program colour codes the DX spots. A plain
colour means the spot is not a multiplier (but also not a dupe). If the
spot is displayed in yellow then it is a new country. If it is displayed
in red then it is a new zone (which implicitly means a new country as
well).
You do not have to respond immediately to an incoming DX spot. If you
are busy, the spot can be left on the DX queue as long as you don't let
the queue get too big. However, there are three control characters you
can type which affect the DX spots. Typing ^K deletes the DX spot at the
top of the list. Typing ^P pushes the top DX spot onto the stack and
then deletes it from the list. Typing ^G means "Go there right now" and
the program will change to the frequency of the DX spot and will also
copy the callsign into the data entry area at the bottom of the screen.
You can type ^K or ^P while you are entering a callsign or other QSO
data.
Although not useful yet, the programs can also send AREXX messages. The
@ command typed in the callsign field specifies an AREXX port address
(similar to the AREXX ADDRESS command). A string following the & command
is sent to that port. For example:
@FANCYDEMO
&HELLO THERE - THIS IS A TEST
will send the string "HELLO THERE - THIS IS A TEST" to the AREXX port
whose name is "FANCYDEMO". At the moment the program only uses upperz
case and therefore it can't be used to send to ports whose AREXX address
contains lowercase or which expects lowercase commands. This ability to
send to an AREXX port will be used to send DX spots to a PacketCluster.
The addition of the AREXX port will allow other programmers to write
separate programs which can interface to the logger programs. The only
thing we would need to cooperate on is the structure and content of the
AREXX commands and all details of the internal workings of the programs
will be irrelevant.
3.4 Workbench Support
I do not use the workbench and so the original versions of these
programs would only work with the CLI. I have now added some icons to
the programs so that they can be started up from the workbench. However,
you must still be able to edit the default files, and will still need
the CLI to be able to print out the reports after the contest.
If a contest program is started up by clicking on its icon, then it uses
the contest name followed by the string ".log" as the name of the log
file to be used. For example, clicking on the IARU contest icon means
that the iaru program will use the log file named "iaru.log".
A driver can be started up by clicking on its icon. There will be no
output or window created by the driver and so it will appear that
nothing has happened but it will be in the background.
Clicking on the stopdriver icon will cause the driver to close. This
should only be done after the contest program has been terminated.
3.5 Morse code memories.
There are some special codes that can be put in a morse code memory
string which will be interpreted and replaced at the time the code is
transmitted.
%N Transmit the QSO serial number. Leading zeroes are transmitted as a
't', other embedded or trailing zeroes are snet as the letter 'o'
and the number nine is sent as the letter 'n'.
%n Transmit the QSO serial number as for %N but only leading zeroes
are changed to the letter 't'. No other replacement is done.
%c This is replaced by the callsign which is entered on the QSO line.
%C This transmits your callsign (the one entered with the 'm' command
in the .defaults file).
%R This is replaced by the transmitted RST entered on the QSO line. It
is usually used only in the QRP contest where you actually send an
RST other than 599! z
4. Support Files
All of the contest programs use some auxiliary files. For contests in
which a DXCC country is a multiplier, the file dxcc.list is used. The
CQWW program uses both the dxcc.list and the file called wae.list which
contains a list of countries that are in the WAE list but not in the
DXCC list (e.g. Sicily). The FD and SS programs use files to describe
the ARRL sections.
All of these files must reside in the same directory and on the
distribution disk they are in the directory called "lists". If you keep
this structure then you do not need to do anything to tell logger where
to find this directory. If, for some reason, you must move the lists
directory somewhere else then you can tell logger where it is by
defining an environment variable called LOGLISTS. For example you could
use:
setenv LOGLIST work:logger/lists
in your startup sequence.
4.1 The DXCC files
The dxcc.list and wae.list files have the same format and their
structure is described in the comments at the beginning of the files.
The CQWW program reads both the dxcc and wae files. Several of the other
programs, such as ARLX, use the dxcc file.
It is very difficult for me to keep these files up to date. It is
therefore essential that you ensure that these files are correct when
using a DX contesting program.
Wildcards are allowed to specify a range of matching callsigns and
currently the wildcards are:
# matches a string of numeric digits.
$ matches a single numeric digit
@ matches a string of alphabetic characters
$ matches a single alphabetic character
* matches an alphanumeric string only
Country prefixes can also be specified as a range when this is
appropriate. For example, Canada is allocated the entire block of
callsigns from VAA through to VGZ. This can be entered in the dxcc.list
file as VA-VG (but NOT VAA-VGZ). However, wildcards are more efficient
if they can be used because they cause only one prefix entry in the
internal country list. Thus, 4U#UN will cause only one entry in the
table but will match a large number of possible 4U calls. Whereas VA-VG
will generate seven entries, one for each of VA, VB, ...., VG.
The DXCC files contain entries for CQ and ITU zones. These MUST be
entered correctly and if the country being entered covers two or more of
these zones then ALL the zones must be entered. This is because if onlyz
one zone is entered, then the CQWW contest, for example, will assume
that the country is entirely within one zone and will automatically fill
the zone information into the QSO line during the contest. So, if the
country (e.g. the U.S.) covers more than one zone, these zones must be
entered so that CQWW will not fill in a zone at all. It is possible to
split up a country into callsign areas if this also splits them into
individual CQ and/or ITU zones. For example, although Canada is spread
across several ITU and CQ zones, the province of Saskatchewan (VE5) is
entirely contained within CQ zone 4 and ITU zone 3. An entry can be made
in the dxcc.list file which informs the program of this so that the CQWW
program can fill in the zone. See the dxcc.list file for an example of
how this is done. It is more difficult to do the same thing for U.S.
calls because their callsign areas do not necessarily reflect actual
geographic location. Thus a W6 need not be in California. It is best to
leave the U.S. entries as they are.
Currently the latitude and longitude are read in by the program but are
not used in any way. I plan to add a beam heading calculation to the
programs at some point so you should ensure that the latitude and
longitude entries are correct.
4.2 ARRL sections (FD and SS)
The ARRL sections are kept in the file ss.list. The format is somewhat
different than the country lists since zones and lat/long are omitted.
The first column specifies the correct abbreviation for the ARRL section
and the second column specifies the full name of the section. The last
column specifies any of the variations that you might receive in an
actual contest. You can type in what you hear and the program will
replace it with the correct abbreviation when you enter the QSO. For
example, if someone sends you the section "MISS", you can type this in
and the program will change it to "MS" when you enter the QSO. On SSB,
whenever you hear the words "North", "East", "South" or "West", enter
them as a single letter with a space after them. So if you hear "EAST
BAY" enter it as "E BAY". It would help if you look through the ss.list
file before a contest to familiarize yourself with what it considers to
be acceptable abbreviations. You can, of course, add more abbreviations
if you wish. The only wildcard used in these files is the asterisk which
matches the remainder of the string.
One word of caution. The ARRL abbreviation for the Los Angeles section
is "LAX", whereas "LA" is the state of Louisiana. If you type "LA" for
the Los Angeles section, the program has no way to know that it is
incorrect and will score it as a QSO with Louisiana. On SSB, it is best
to just enter "LOS" for a Los Angeles QSO because the ss.list will take
care of it and change it to LAX.
4.3 QRP contest
The QRP ARCI contest uses states/provinces/countries as multipliers, but
the only file it uses at the moment is the dxcc.list. This means that
you MUST enter the correct state abbreviation. I will eventually add
another file to this program so that it will do for states/provinces
what the ss.list file does for ARRL sections.z
4.4 RAC contest
This contest uses two files. The first, rac.list, contains a file
formatted like ss.list which allows mapping of strings into the correct
province abbreviation. For example, "QUEBEC" or "QUE" will be mapped to
the correct "PQ". The other file is the dxcc.list and the program will
extract only the information it needs to resolve VE CY0 and CY9
prefixes.
4.5 SS contest
The sweepstakes contest program uses the ss.list as described above in
Section 4.2. Like the RAC program, the SS program also requires the
dxcc.list file to resolve all entries for Canada, the U.S.A. and its
possessions. This allows the SS program to detect when a DX callsign has
been entered. It will log, but not score, a DX contact.
4.6 IARU contest
The IARU contest program uses the cqww.list just like the CQWW program.
When you do a report in the IARU program it produces the usual reports.z
5. LOG FILE STRUCTURE
No matter which contest program you use, the log file always consists of
lines of 80 characters each, the 80th character being the linefeed and
the 79th character indicates which contest program produced the log.
This allows you to edit the log file with an editing program instead of
using the editing function in the contest programs. BUT be warned that
if you modify a line, it MUST still be exactly 80 characters long when
you are done. You should use a TEXT editor to edit the file, NOT a word
processor. Word processors add their own hidden control codes in a file
which will totally confuse the logger programs.
The codes used at the end of the line are:
F Field day (FD)
X CQ WPX (WPX)
Q QRP ARCI (QRP)
A ARRL DX (ARLX)
C CQWW DX (CQWW)
E DARC WAE (WAE)
S Sweepstakes (SS)
R Canada Day (RAC)
I IARU HF (IARU)
As of V3.03, the very first line of the log file is always a comment
line which can contain the callsign of the operator and their zone
(which is optional). The logging programs automatically generate this
line when a new log is opened. The line must begin with a semicolon and
is then followed by a 'C' to indicate a callsign follows after a space.
If a zone is included, it occurs after the callsign and is indicated by
the presence of the letter 'Z' followed by a zone number. For the IARU
contest, this should be an ITU zone, and for the CQWW contest it should
be a CQ zone. This line must also be 80 characters long and have the
contest indicator at the end.
As an example, the beginning of the line may look like this:
;C VE5QST Z3
This indicates that the callsign used for the contest log was VE5QST and
that they are in zone 3 (ITU).
For many areas of the world, the contest programs can figure out which
zone the callsign is in and so the zone can be omitted in these cases.
However, for U.S. ops in particular, the programs cannot uniquely
determine either the ITU or CQ zone from the callsign. So the operator
must provide this zone information in their default file. This
information is then written into the contest log file.
If you look at the log file you will notice that all the fields up to
and including the callsign are always the same size and in the same
columns. What follows after the callsign depends upon the contest
exchange but the received exchange follows the callsign. After that arez
columns which, depending upon the contest, show the contest exchange,
new multipliers and, finally, the score for that QSO. If the QSO is a
dupe, or the program could not recognize the callsign, then the score
field contains "?DUPE" or "?ERROR". The SS program also uses ?DX if the
QSO was a DX contact.
6. KNOWN BUGS and SHORTCOMINGS
- There is currently no way to change the transmitted QSO serial
number. It is directly tied to the number of QSOs in the log.
- The Field Day program is very limited in which bands it can score. At
the moment it will only handle the HF bands from 160 to 10m excluding
the two valid WARC bands. Although it shows PKT and SAT as bands on the
score display, there's no way for you to set those bands yet.
z
7. The AUTHOR
I have had chronic fatigue syndrome since September of 1984 and have
been on long term disability ever since. These programs are the result
of very slowly working on them a bit at a time, when I am able, over the
course of over two years (plus some prodding from Cyril VE5CB). There is
no timetable associated with enhancements to the programs. If I feel
well enough to tackle something I will do it. If I don't, then it
doesn't get done.
I have made these programs available for anonymous FTP on the site
ftp.usask.ca in the directory pub/amiga/hamradio. If you want to be
notified of a new release then send your Internet address to me:
ve5va.qrp@usask.ca
The programs may be freely distributed - with the accent on FREELY. NO
CHARGE MAY BE MADE FOR DISTRIBUTING THESE PROGRAMS (other than the cost
of the disk and a reasonable charge for postage) AND NO COMMERCIAL
DISTRIBUTION, INCLUDING THAT BY COMPANIES WHO SELL COLLECTIONS OF
PROGRAMS, IS PERMITTED.
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I RESERVE TO MYSELF THE RIGHT TO SEND THESE PROGRAMS TO FRED FISH FOR
DISTRIBUTION. DO NOT SEND THEM TO HIM.
IF I FIND THAT THE ABOVE CONDITIONS ARE NOT ADHERED TO THEN I WILL
EITHER STOP DEVELOPMENT AND/OR DISTRIBUTION ENTIRELY, OR I WILL MODIFY
THE PROGRAMS SO THAT VARIOUS PARTS OF THE PROGRAM ARE ENCODED AND YOU
WILL ONLY BE ABLE TO GET THE UPDATES FROM ME.
Thanks to Olaf Barthel for his completely public domain
rexxhost.library. The complete package is on Fred Fish disk #682
My thanks also go to Ernie VE5CJ who made up the icons used in this
distribution.z
8. Contest Programs.
This section is incomplete - sorry. It describes the idiosyncrasies of
each contest program. The major difference between each one, of course,
is the exchange. But some programs also require that certain information
be provided by the default files.
All programs require that the user's callsign be set in the default
files unless it is already present in the log file.
8.1 IARU
This program will correctly score the contest for ops anywhere.
8.1.1 Default requirements
This program differs in one respect from the other programs in the way
in which it displays the CW memories. All other programs display the 10
memories down the right hand side of the screen. But there's not enough
space on the screen to show the 90 IARU zone multipliers with the CW
memories displayed this way. So IARU displays the CW memories as two
groups of 5 side-by-side.
The program will normally determine your ITU zone (to put in the log)
from your callsign. However, if you are in an area where your callsign
could be in one of several zones, then you must use the 'z' command in
the iaru.default file to specify your ITU zone. The 'z' command
overrides the zone determined from the call, so that if you are
operating out of zone, but this is not indicated in your call, then you
must also use the 'z' command to tell the program which ITU zone you are
in.
If you are operating an IARU HQ station (very unlikely, but I have done
it - VE5QST in 1993) then you must use the default 'e' command to
specify your HQ abbreviation. e.g. I used 'e rac'.
8.1.2 The exchange
You should enter the callsign followed by a tab. There is then a
received rst field which the program automatically fills in to be 599
and it then skips over to the zone field. If you receive something other
than 599 you can back up the cursor and edit the field.
If the callsign falls within only one ITU zone, then the program will
fill in the zone number for you. Normally it will be correct and you can
proceed to the next QSO by hitting carriage return. If it is wrong, or
if the other station is an HQ station, you can delete the zone and
enter the received zone or HQ name. The zone field is 5 characters wide
so that it can accept the Hungarian's MRASZ.
The program always stores your transmitted rst as 599 and during the
contest the only way to change this is to use the edit function after
the QSO has been entered.
z
8.2 CQWW
This program will score correctly for ops anywhere. It determines your
zone and continent from your callsign (or from the default file if
necessary - e.g. for U.S. ops who MUST use the 'z' command).
8.2.1 Default requirements
Like the IARU program, if your CQ zone cannot be uniquely determined
from your callsign, you must use the 'z' default command to specify your
correct CQ zone. Make sure that the zone displayed beside your call at
the top left of the screen is correct before proceeding. If it is wrong,
then you must either edit the zone stored on the first line of the log
file or delete the log file, put your zone in the default file and start
the program up again.
8.2.2 The exchange
The CQWW exchange is RS(T) and CQ zone number. If the program can
determine a unique zone for the given callsign, it will fill in the zone
number for you. Like the IARU, received RST is filled in as 599 but can
be edited but the transmitted RST is stored as 599 and can only
bechanged by editing the QSO after it is entered (using the ^E
function).
8.2.3 DX spot multipliers.
The CQWW program colour codes DX spot information. All programs
automatically throw away spots that you have already worked on the
specified band. If an incoming spot is not a new multiplier then it is
displayed in white. If it is a new country then it is displayed in
yellow. If it is a new zone (and therefore also a new country), it is
displayed in red.
8.3 FD
This is the ARRL Field Day. I don't know the rules for the RSGB/European
Field Day.
8.3.1 Default requirements
You must use the 'e' command to specify your class and section so that
they can be entered in the log. For example, I use 'e 1e sk'. This
information is used to generate a properly formatted ARRL log file
called "arrl.report".
8.3.2 The exchange
As you enter the received exchange, the FD program can tell where the
class field ends because it consists of a number followed by a letter.
So when entering the FD exchange, you do not need to type a space or tab
between the class and section fields.
When entering the section, the program uses the ss.list to convertz
received exchanges into standard ones. For example, if you receive
'SASK' as a section, the program will store this as 'SK' in the log.
8.4 QRP
8.4.1 Default requirements
The QRP program can handle the ARCI and MI-QRP contests. You must tell
the program which one you are entering by specifying the 'q' command.
'q 0' specifies ARCI and 'q 1' specifies MI-QRP. For ARCI you must also
specify your power output multiplier using the 'p' command. I run less
than one watt so I use 'p 10'. For powers greater than 1 watt use 'p 7'.
If you are in the MI-QRP contest then 'p' is forced to one. In ARCI, you
must also specify a power bonus multiplier if it applies. If, for
example, you use a battery which has been charged by natural power then
you can claim a 1,25 multiplier bonus, in which case you would specify
s 1.25
Finally, ARCI has bonus points for homebrew rigs and your number of
homebrew bonus points is specified with the 'h' command. e.g. 'h 5000'.
The above defaults all affect your score and the program cannot score
your entry correctly if you leave any of these out.
8.4.2 The exchange
The ARCI exchange is RST, state/province/country and either ARCI
membership number or RF output power (for non-members). At the moment,
you must enter the correct state abbreviation because the program does
not check it against a list of standard abbreviations. This will be
added in the future.
8.5 WAE
This program is not complete. It does not know anything about QTCs. It
will not send, receive or score them. I plan to add this feature later
but it may be quite some time before I get to it.
8.6 SS
The Sweepstakes program is similar to the Field Day program.
8.6.1 Default requirements
You must specify the 'e' command in the ss.defaults file to describe
your SS exchange excluding the serial number. For example, I use
e q ve5va 82 sk
The program uses this information so that it can generate a properly
formatted ARRL output file for you if you are going to send the resultsz
on disk. The file is called arrl.report.
8.6.2 The exchange.
Like the FD program, SS can tell which part of the exchange you are
entering and so it is not necessary to type a space between each part.
8.7 RAC
This program handles both the Canada Day and Canada Winter contests
sponsored by the Radio Amateurs of/du Canada. It works for both Canadian
and non-Canadian stations.
8.7.1 Default requirements
Canadian ops must use the 'e' command to specify the abbreviation for
their province. e.g. "e SK" or "e PQ".
8.7.2 The exchange
The exchange from a Canadian op is RST and province and from any other
station it is RST and serial number.
8.8 ARLX
This is the ARRL DX contest program. Unfortunately, I do not have it
working for DX. c