I'd love to see DX-Atlas behave the same under DX-Base as it does standalone.
The last request to fix this a year or two ago simply resulted in each company pointing a finger at the other. I'd also like to be able to click on a band/mode in the Summary window while the Previous QSO window is open. I'd like to be able to re-position columns in any window by dragging the column label as in most Windows-based row/column dialog boxes. And I second the motion for a reconnect-on-disconnect from an internet connection. - Tom K2TA ----- Original Message ----- From: "Peter Dougherty" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "DXBase List" <[email protected]> Sent: Tuesday, December 19, 2006 11:23 PM Subject: [Dxbase] Xmas Wish List for DX Base 2008 > In no particular order, here are my observations/wishes/fixes for DXB 2008 > (and beyond).... > > 1) Tight integration with all Afreet software (the makers of DX Atlas). > All of their apps play together very nicely, and if all could be > integrated with DX Base, you'd have a suite that would positively rock. > IonoProbe, DX Atlas, HamCap and most importantly Band Master - with > clickable spots a-la-N1MM, and even cooler, clickable PATHS from spots. > > 2) If a device is not found (radio, K1EL), don't automatically disable it. > Sometimes it's just a matter of bringing up DX Base with the radio off, > and now all of a sudden I have to re-enable control. PITA. > > 3) In the DXB Utility program, please allow users to set desired colours. > The utility now uses the inactive window colour and if you use a light > colour like yellow (as I've done for >15 years in Windows), it renders > text within the utility unreadable. > > 4) This one's been elusive for years now: Frequently I still need to kill > the DXBase2007.exe process in the task manager; closing the app often > doesn't kill it completely. This is random, but the chances of it > happening are greater if DX Base has been open for a long time with lots > of log entries made in the session. > > 5) In DXCC AWARD SUBMISSIONS: > a) Would like to see the CALCULATE button re-pressable! This is > quite annoying, having to quit the module and re-start it when selection > criteria changes. > b) After it does the calculation and it asks you a great long > question with YES currently set as the default--two things: First, change > it to NO as the default (REALLY important, that one!!), and second, > re-phrase the question to something urgent and to the point. Maybe ending > with "Only say YES when you are making you actual submission to the ARRL!" > A way to undo an accidental "YES" here would be wonderful! > > 6) There's still something odd going on with DIGITAL versus RTTY that I > can't quite put my finger on yet. Specifically, sometimes I have some > worked-not-confirmed-in-mode alarms getting triggered. After playing with > PSK a few years ago, I only operate RTTY for digital mode now, none of the > others. I have a few entities (Italy in specific), that I have confirmed > from a PSK-31 contact but I'd never worked them on RTTY until a couple of > months ago -- no need, after all since PSK and RTTY count for the same > thing as far as DXCC is concerned. Yet, whenever Italy showed up on RTTY, > a "needed" alarm would go off, despite it being clearly shown as confirmed > on PSK/digital. As I said, I don't know what's going on here, but I really > want to kill the digital/PSK divide on my implementation of DX Base. Great > option for digi mode ops, but a complete PITA for RTTY-only guys. > > 7) When doing a DXCC printout for submission, with records selected from > both CARDS+LoTW, highlight BOTH and LOTW in unique colours to allow for > easy identification while compiling cards. If you're doing a 400+ card > submission, it's too easy to go looking for a "missing" card when the > confirmation in question is actually a LoTW confirmation or both paper and > LoTW (in which case, no need to hunt the paper card). > > Another option for this problem could be a 4th selection button > (Cards/LoTW selected, LoTW suppressed in printout). If you do a hybrid > LoTW/paper card application with the ARRL, they will "sweep" all pending > LoTW confirmations to the award. Therefore, if the user retrieves and > loads Lotw ADIF files from the leage regularly, he knows what's confirmed > on logbook and what isn't. IF you just select paper cards, it ignores LoTW > hits. As such, if you select BOTH, but suppress the LoTW hits in your ARRL > printout (you won't need to bring these cards to field checkers or the > League, so why have them on paper to begin with!) the problem will be > solved. > > 8) In PERSONAL DATA/DXCC awards, and in calculating DXCC totals, THERE IS > NO SEPARATE RTTY AND DIGITAL AWARD! > > 9) Please PLEASE allow users to modify/delete QSL manager data from the > QSL Info window, without having to explore the bowels of the database. > This is quite unintuative now and it's MOST annoying to work with as new > managers appear and old routes disappear. > > 10) CQ Zone stats (HF Numerical stats) > There needs to be a separate 5B WAZ column total (for JUST the 5 > old-school bands, 10-15-20-40-80). Do this similar to the DXCC Challenge > numbers as implemented last year. Remember, that unlike DXCC totals, CQ > WAZ confirmations need to be QSL cards ONLY, as LoTW is not yet accepted > for the WAZ awards! > > 11) When an entire entity maps to an IOTA, please populate that IOTA field > (ex: VU7 is AS-011 only. Continental Australia is OC-001, etc, etc, etc). > > 12) URGENTLY needs a 5BWAZ report form!! In this report, you should be > able to show cards with multiple QSOs on different bands (just like you do > for DXCC reporting). Essentially, this should be a 6-page report. Pages > 1-5 are UNIQUE band-zones (10m page, 15m page, etc). The selection > criteria should put multi-zone cards ahead of uniques. In other words, if > you work HC8N, CN8R, PJ2T, W2IRT and ZL6QH across 5 bands in a contest, > those five-QSO cards should be selected ahead of any four-QSO cards, ahead > of 3's, etc. Only uniques show up on the first five pages, then all multis > show up on the 6th (and 7th, if necessary) page, etc. > > 13) Speaking of the WAZ module, in the selection criteria in DXB 2007, ALL > in this case is the same as MIXED! All bands counted, mixed mode. There is > no 20m CW award, just a 20m award and a CW award; same as DXCC. In this > case, the 5B WAZ award module should go in place of the ALL selection > under 'BAND.' > > 14) Allow wildcard exclusions for callsigns in the DX INFO window. i.e. > VU7LD/VU2SWS and VU7LD/VU3DMP, both on 20m SSB, count as the same entity > on the same band. Per the operators' request, work the VU7LD op once on a > band-mode only, yet here every different op will set off an alarm. Would > be nice to set an exclusing for VU7LD* on 20 SSB, or even VU7* on 20 SSB, > regardless of the full legal callsign of the operator. > > 15) Have a "timeout" period of excluded stations. i.e. purge entries after > x months or weeks, etc, and of course, automatically once the band/mode > QSL arrives. No sense having 15 band-mode exclude entries in the table for > 5A7A now that the operation is QRT and the cards are still pending, nor > after the cards arrive and the band/modes change from W to C. > > 16) Ability to easily fix a busted callsign that's been already logged. > Now, if you fix the callsign, the old data still remains in the record. > i.e. 5Z7A logged instead of 5A7A. Sure, you correct the call, but the > prefix and zone data still show it as Kenya, not Libya. Ditto operator > info, etc. Essentially, if you change the call, the new data should come > up right away. Now, the only way to be 100% sure you've fixed it is to add > a second entry and then delete the first. > > 17) On importing an ADIF file you should have the opportunity to populate > fields used in DX Base that were not generated in the other logging app. > Example: Power. I use this field quite a bit but it remains unpopulated > after I import a contest log file. > > 18) This is a real biggie: As mentioned the other day in this forum, I'd > love to see DX Base work as a true distributed server/client application > for multi-seat club stations. > > 19) Perhaps, someday, modify the GRID system to allow drag-and-drop column > moves, etc. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. > > 20) FULL Multi-monitor support, also with windows that can be moved and > kept on either monitor. N1MM has this done right, and it's urgently needed > here. > > 21) Different registration mode to allow for essentially any number of > callsigns, not keyed to the OPERATOR field in the log. Another BIG request > from my club station! > > 22) Regular feature updates, via a subscription service. Yes, we'd pay for > it gladly, if it's a regular thing and well implemented. > > 23) Regular table updates as world data changes. i.e adding Montenegro and > Swains Island last year, modifying the primary prefixes for the Cook > Islands and in 2007, the liklihood exists for St. Barts to become a new > entity as well will make for more updates necessary. > > 24) Better recognition of native USB and serial devices and interfaces. CW > Keying via serial Rigblaster, for example, has never been supported! > Thankfully, my Micro Keyer works 100% with DX Base now, but it was a PITA > before I got it, that's for sure! > > 25) Allow multiple logs to be open at once. I manage my club's log, my > DXpedition-to-C6-land log and my regular log, and when I get a buro pack > or a big load in the PO Box, I'd like to be able to work with all of these > in separate windows, and not have to re-launch the program (and kill > processes half the time). > > 26) AUTOMATIC backup to selected path or device, of all critical files, > set BY DEFAULT to run at program close, start or a fixed time, etc...plus > a warning if the batch can't run (drive not connected, network down, etc). > > 27) AUTOMATIC RECONNECTION to a dropped Internet cluster! This is > mitigated with AR User, but if I need to re-start AR User (for example, > after an upgrade), I need to close and re-initialize my 'Net connection. > Of course, for those telnetting to a cluster directly, it's even more > vital! > > 28) Rotor integration: Have an option to automatically turn to a spot when > it's highlighted or entered into the log from the DX Info window (at the > same time as the frequency, name/QTH data is autopopulated, the rotor > should turn short-path by default). > > That's about it for this request list. I know some of these are a > long-shot, but here's hoping some of these can make it to DXB 2008. > Looking forward to it!! > > Thanks Jack, et al, for another great year. > > > > Cheers, > > Peter, > W2IRT > > ______________________________________________________________ > Dxbase mailing list > Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/dxbase > Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm > Post: mailto:[email protected]
