[DXBase] Functionality Ideas

Tue, 3 Dec 2002 18:13:09 -0500

Two ideas I thought I'd throw on the reflector to see what other
users think -
1 - The DX INFO - One used to be able to right click a spot then
left click "log current entry" and DXB would log the spot and
tune the rig to that freq, mode etc. Left clicking the spot line
in the "Type" column would tune the rig to the spot freq but make
no log entry. In DXB 2k3 the "log current entry" action no longer
automatically tunes the rig. To tune the rig to the spot freq one
must left click the spot in the "Type" column. Personally, I like
the old way better. I can't understand why some one would be more
likely to want to enter the spot in their log but not QSY to his
freq. I realize that if one wanted to do that the old
functionality didn't allow it. I'd really like to see it changed
back or made a user option.
2 - CW - I am using the W5XD multi + keyer with great success.
Definitely the right technical choice to solve the choppy CW
problems of the older versions. The only thing I don't like
about it is the speeds that step up above 22 wpm are fixed at 25,
28, 32, 35, 40, 45 and 50. (admittedly I rarely use 40 or 45 and
never 50) As we all know, proper CW etiquette is to respond to a
station at the same speed they are sending. I often find DXB's
fixed speeds in the 25-35 wpm range are spread out too much to do
this. Using the W5XD keyer with Writelog the user can choose the
CW speed steps as part of the set up. It would be great to be
able to choose steps more like 22, 24, 26, 28, 30 wpm etc. and
forget about 40, 35 and 50 wpm in DXB. Making these changes in a
future release of DXB would probably require a considerable
effort, like supporting multiple rigs at once, and I suspect it
would be low on the "to do" list unless a good number of users
want it.
( As for the multiple rig support, I use my 2nd HF rig so
infrequently for DXing that even if DXB supported two rigs I
would not bother with it. Operating in a contest using Writelog
is an all-together different story).
73,
Dale
AA1QD