> > > At the same time, we've agreed that no single front end will suffice
> > > for both contesting and casual QSOs.
Correct.
The answer is to be able to configure the front end.
When contesting, you may want to see a rate meter, and a running total.
Also, a window that checks the callsign against a master database of known-
good callsigns. etc.You'll want the software to tell you the next serial number
you are going to give out.
For DXing, you would be more interested in country info (where is A5???)]
Rag chewing, you want the logging s/ware to search the log to see if you've
worked the guy before, what his name is etc.
> > > I don't
> > > think a web front end could be fast enough or flexible enough for
> > > contesting.
Any perceptible delay becomes a nuisance. In contesting and DX hunting,
there's only the Quick & the Dead. If you have to scramble for a mouse to
submit info, forget it.
When calling in a pile-up, if this DX comes back to you, you must be able to
fire off the '599 tu' within a second. Or else you'll find yourself doubling with
the DX station calling QRZ.
> >
> > Well, how long lasts a Contest QSO in seconds? 5 secs?
A CW rate of 300/hr is not unheard of. That would be 5 QSOs/min, or once
every 12 seconds. But the problem is more to do with sluggish response.
Computer induced delay should be small compared to the human response
time, which is probably in the order of fractions of a second. And that
includes the CW keyer.
This is why most contest software runs as a text based application under
single tasking OSs like DOS etc.You simply cannot afford to have to wait
even half a second for some other process to finish.
Which brings me to the GUI side of things. A graphic interface, if quick
enough, would be OK, provided it would let you bind keys to perform mouse
tasks. No contester would use a mouse. Firstly, moving between keyboard
and mouse takes too much time. Secondly, having hooked up the CAT
interface, the keying interface and a serial network, there are no serial ports
left to plug a mouse into.
Contesting has two modes of operation: Search & Pounce and Running. You
need to be able to set the logging software up so as to minimise the number
of keystrokes.
Wilbert ZL2BSJ
