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- HOW TO PLAY CALLGAME (CALLGAME.EXE)
-
- CALLGAME is played by two persons, both of whom must be
- capable of copying code at the speed selected. The player
- designated as "the Op" is on a DXpedition. The Op will use a
- key and some sort of tone-producing device to respond to the
- callers trying to work the DXpedition. If nothing else is
- available, a vocal imitation of Morse can be used. The
- second player, "the Controller", monitors the Op's keying
- and controls the action.
- Play starts when the Controller enters the command line
- that initiates the execution of CALLGAME. (See Section II of
- README.TXT for details.) CALLGAME first asks the Controller
- for audio frequency and code speed preferences, then spends
- about 10 seconds synchronizing itself with the computer's
- processor chip. At the end of this period, the computer
- sounds the first call and displays it on the monitor for the
- benefit of the Controller. The Op will be given ample time
- to copy the call and acknowledge it with the report 5NN. In
- other words, the call VP2E/KC7IG must receive the
- acknowledgment VP2E/KC7IG 5NN. If the Controller considers
- the exchange correct, depressing the space bar will trigger
- a return exchange from the computer of 5NN TU. The Op will
- have time to respond TU before the next call arrives.
- If the Op didn't copy the call, there are two choices.
- The first, and by far the better, is to confess the fact by
- sending VP2E/? or something of that kind. The Controller
- will immediately press one of the keys directly above the
- space bar to trigger a repeat of the missed call. If the Op
- chooses to do nothing, the computer sends the call a second
- time if the Controller does not respond within the time
- frame allowed; this slows things down and deprives the
- players of some of the excitement of the game.
- The Op is not given a third chance by the disgusted
- caller who promptly leaves the pileup for greener pastures
- elsewhere. Then, a new call will be heard, not necessarily
- at the same speed or frequency! To make things a little more
- interesting, the frequencies and speeds heard are selected
- by the computer in ranges that center on the preferences
- selected by the Controller.
- When the last call in the input file has been answered
- (or blown!), the computer congratulates the Op and reports
- the number of QSOs "in the log". The game will be terminated
- before the end of the input file has been reached if the
- Controller responds to a call by depressing the ESC key.
- When you are ready for a greater challenge than CALLGAME
- offers, let me recommend PED.EXE by Mas Kozu, JE3MAS. It
- goes far beyond CALLGAME and is so realistic that I find
- myself pleading with slow callers to hurry before my QSOs-
- per-hour rate drops into the single digits! In the mean
- time, I hope you'll enjoy CALLGAME and the other XTRAPLUS
- programs. GL ES DX DE KC7IG.
-