RELEASE7.TXT Version 7.01 This document contains items that came up after the manual for Release 7 had gone to print. The manual, provided free to all registered users, has 54 pages, and is a major benefit of owning a registered version of CT. The manual is also one of many reasons that CT is not freeware. By the way, there are no authorized distributors of Release 7 as shareware. Prices New users pay $37.50, plus shipping and handling (we have to mail you a disk and thick manual). Shipping and handling is $2.50 U.S. and Canada, $5.00 DX. Thus, U.S. purchasers should send checks for $40.00, and overseas purchasers should send checks for $42.50. Users who purchased Release 4, 5 or 6 versions from us pay $25.00, plus shipping and handling. Thus sending $27.50 U.S., or $30.00 DX. Make checks payable to CT, and purchase it from: CT c/o Bill McGowan, KC1EO 33 Truell Road Hollis, NH 03049 Telephone: 603/465-2392 Sorry, VISA and Mastercharge are not (yet) accepted. Eventually, someone will point out an error or two, or we'll find something that can be improved, and we'll advance within Release 7. To obtain the latest and greatest version of Release 7, after you are already a registered user of Release 7, send $10 (U.S. or DX) to Bill, and he'll take care of you. We're also thinking of setting up a telephone BBS so that registered users can get the latest and greatest version by modem, for FREE (we thought that would get your attention). That would be another reason to be a registered user. As of May 1, 1991, this hasn't happened yet. Someday, we will think of some really nifty advancements, and move on to Release 8. We'll give everyone advance notice, with prices. And now ... corrections, additions, and clarifications. Page 1 AR10.DAT Note that AR10.DAT contains three extra "sections": R1, R2, R3. These are ITU Regions, and the multipliers for /MM and /AM stations. Page 14 Category Popup Menu (formerly Class Popup Menu) The category popup menu now reflects the actual permitted categories for each contest. For example, VHF allows QRP Single Operator and Limited Multiop, while Multi Two only appears in the ARRL DX Test. Page 16 DVK Port Popup Menu The DVK port popup menu now offers another choice: VB8. This permits the user to key a QRZ Industries VB-8A Natural Voice Recorder from a COM port. Choose the COM port from the SETUP menu. Page 19 CT.CFG When starting a new contest, CT will preload the Information Sheet if you have a file called CT.CFG. This will save you time, avoiding the need to fill out each block every time you start a new contest. CT will search for CT.CFG and use it as a set of defaults. The format for the defaults is set forth below. Copy this block into a new file, that you must create, called CT.CFG. Then edit to match your station. This will save you time forever. If you don't have radio connected to the computer, change the radio type from IC765 to NONE. If you don't have a network connection, change the network comm port to NONE. You may enter any valid selection available in the popup menus for TNC, Radio, Key, DVK or Network. Name: Bill McGowan Call: KC1EO Address: 33 Truell Road Town: Hollis State: NH ZIP: 03049 Zone: 5 Club: Yankee Clipper Contest Club Contest: CQWW Category: SO Mode: SSB Radio: IC765, COM1, 1200 TNC: Local, COM2, 4800 Key: LPT1 Network: COM3, 9600 Network: NONE Station Number: 1 CQ: CQ TEST de KC1EO EXCHANGE: 5nn5 QRZ: R QRZ de KC1EO Page 25 Logging Keys (continued) Ctrl-K Think of it as Controlled KILL. Wipe a QSO. Synonyms: Alt-W, Alt-F8, F11. Alt I The MULTI TALK window may be enabled and disabled with Alt I. Page 33 Sweepstakes Section abbreviations can be a problem. Abbreviation CT Thinks It is NOT Which is Really AL Alabama Alaska AK AK Alaska Arkansas AR LA Louisiana Los Angeles LAX OR Oregon Orange ORG Page 34, top of page ARRL VHF QSO Party Use the text command "MYGRID" to set your current grid in the ARRL VHF QSO Party. The current grid set by MYGRID is used by when the text command "WRITEARRL" is executed. All QSO's reported by WRITEARRL in mycall.LOG will show the last grid set by MYGRID. In the VHF QSO Party, the CT's ROVER category is incomplete (and may not be completed for some time). Rovers are allowed to "restart the log" when they change grids. After a change of grid, a rover may work everyone again. CT does not record the change of grid and restart. Use separate .BIN files to do this, starting again from scratch, although the CT.CFG file will save you some effort. Page 34, mid-page ARRL 160 Contest If you wish to change your section before printing your log, probably because you bungled the entry of your section during the set up procedure (and you can't go back to correct it), use the text command "MYSEC" to set your current SECTION in the ARRL 160 Meter Contest. The current section set by MYSEC is used when the text command "WRITEARRL" is executed. All QSO's reported by WRITEARRL in mycall.LOG show the last section set by MYSEC. Section abbreviations can be a problem. Abbreviation CT Thinks It is NOT Which is Really AL Alabama Alaska AK AK Alaska Arkansas AR LA Louisiana Los Angeles LAX OR Oregon Orange ORG Page 34, mid-page CQ 160 Contest If you work a maritime mobile station in the CQ 160 contest, enter his or her section as MM. Page 34, mid-page Field Day If you work a DX station, enter his or her section as "DX." Section abbreviations can be a problem. Abbreviation CT Thinks It is NOT Which is Really AL Alabama Alaska AK AK Alaska Arkansas AR LA Louisiana Los Angeles LAX OR Oregon Orange ORG Page 34, bottom of page ARRL DX Contest The ARRL requires DX stations to report transmitted power in the ARRL International DX Contest. Use the text command "TXPWR" to enter a transmitted power. All subsequent contacts will be recorded at this new power, until "TXPWR" is used again. Acceptable values are 1 through 100 in 1 watt steps, 100 through 1500 in 10 watt steps, and the letters "KW". On CW, transmitted power sent with F2 is not updated automatically. Use SHIFT F2 to change power sent with F2. Page 40 Power User Techniques PATHs. See page 11 to set up multiplier files in the PATH. Take note that the environment variable CTYPATH has changed to CTPATH. That's where you should deposit .DAT and .CTY files. CT.CFG. See page 19, CT.CFG, above in this document, to save time in bringing up CT for a new contest. If you use a properly edited CT.CFG file, CT will default to the existing equipment configuration it finds in CT.CFG. Kill a QSO. There are times when you want to wipe the slate clean. CT offers four ways to do this to a QSO. You may wipe out a QSO with Ctrl- K (controlled kill), Alt-W (alternative wipe), Shift-F8, and F11 (for AT keyboard users). All four techniques do the same thing. Page 45 Preparing the Paperwork Writelog. This command writes the following files: contest.ALL (the complete log in chronological order) .BRK (a rate sheet with QSO's/Mults per hour, and minutes/QSO's per hour) .CON (breakout of QSO's by continent) .CTY (countries worked, with call of first station worked, by band) .DUP (duplicate contacts; uses compressed type as default; all bands are in one file) .SUM (the cover sheet for submission -- edit to taste) AND mycall.LOG (for all ARRL contests, in the form required by the Contest Branch for log submission on disk) WriteSum. This command is unnecessary if you have done a WriteLog. Page 49 Reference Information Commands which begin with Ctrl are missing from the Function Key Maps. Sorry. See the chart labelled Key Sequence Functions on page 51. Page 51 Key Sequence Functions (the chart) Ctrl-K wipe QSO (=Alt-W, =Alt-F8, =F11) Page 19 Software Installation The Install program has not been written yet. Follow the directions in README.TXT instead. Rev 7.02 * Field Day allows contacts on 12 and 17 meters. * In Field Day the mycall.LOG file produced for the ARRL now includes your section instead of state and properly reports your category. * The -d switch now enables MASTER.DAT properly. * In WPX MM category each band log now reports the correct serial number. Rev 7.03 * ALT F caused the program to halt in FD and SS contests * The period (.) after the time field for computed calls was a garbage character. Fixed. * SS qsl module is fixed. Rev 7.04 * Several lingering bugs in expanded memory management cleaned up. Rev 7.05 * In WAE, the country totals in the summary window and summary sheet fixed. * QSL mode prints labels to accomodate all possible band countries Rev 7.06 * Radio control in FD was broken in version 7.02. Now fixed. * ALT O opened packet window for Single Ops. Now a warning is issued and the window is not opened. Single Ops may send spots using ALT F3. Rev 7.07 * The talk window for networked multi transmitter operations has been moved the left. * In contests with both CW and SSB, the CW speed always started at 22 if the program was started in SSB mode. Now comes up at 32 for both modes. * In the VHF test, a fresh log showed the starting band at 144, but first qso was logged at 1296. Now it really starts at 144. * In WPX, packet spots for stations NOT NEEDED were grabbed, not for stations NEEDED. Fixed in 7.07. * PGUP, PGDN used to wipe out typing in call field. Fixed. (TNX N6TV) * F5 followed by '+' used to truncate call being sent (CW). Fixed. (TNX N6TV) * In FD, class D working class D fixed to record zero points. (TNX N6TV) * The right arrow key used to push the cursor into white space. It now stops in first column after the end of call. (TNX N6TV) * CT now credits 100 pts per TX running in emergency power. (TNX WK5M, W6RCL and others) * Post contest mode is fixed (again!). (TNX NC6U and WK5M) * CT now strips the portable when checking dupes. IE K5ZD and K5ZD/3 are the same call for duping purposes. (TNX K5ZD, N6TV and a host of others) Rev 7.09 * In WAE networked configuration, CT now passes QTC info between stations. Rev 7.10 * Bug in QSLMODE fixed which caused program to halt when updating busted calls. * WAE did not accept PacketCluster spots into announce window. Fixed * ALT-Y (change run/mult stn) was broken. Fixed. * A number of WAE QTC bugs involving networked multiop computers Rev 7.11 * No Work Dupe flag is now stored in .BIN header. If no-work-dupe was enabled last time the .BIN file is run, it comes up enabled the next time the .BIN file is run. (Tnx N6TV) * A space has been added after the report as sent by CT on CW. (Tnx N6TV) * There are two new text commands: CORRECT and NOCORRECT. If a station is worked on CW using the INSERT key, CT remembers the callsend sent. If that callsign is modified and F3 (QRZ) or '+' (QRZ plus mycall) used, then CT inserts the new, corrected call before the QRZ msg. For example: G3FXB calls in, but the operator types G3FXD and INSERT. CT sends G3FXD 5nn5. The operator corrects the call and presses '+'. CT sends G3FXB R DE K1EA. CORRECT and NOCORRECT enable and disable this feature. CORRECT is on by default. N6TV thought this one up. * Around QSO 280, the rate meters read incorrectly. Fixed (Tnx K5ZD) * New switch for multiop: -MO. When MO is used, CT passes multipliers only between computers. After contest, use MERGE.EXE to combine the logs for printing. (Tnx the VP9AD crew) * There is a new syntax in the .CTY files. A prefix may be placed in a zone explicitly. An example line: Italy: 15: I: I, IG9(33), IH9(33); IG9 and IH9 are both in zone 33. Thanks N6RJ