Over a year ago, a call went out on the WSJT-X Development Reflector for a programmer who could write a piece of software, which would work with WSJT-X give visually impaired Hams the ability to make contacts using FT8. A programmer, who spent over 4 decades programming for a number of Wall Street financial firms, answered the call and accepted the challenge. He had already developed a logging program called QLog.
After months of work modifying and adding a voice to the program, QLog for the visually impaired was ready for testing. A team of blind beta testers was recruited. For many months, they have been working with the developer of QLog to tailor the program to the point where it’s now ready for use by our fellow visually impaired Hams. Configuration of QLog by a blind Ham, is relatively easy, however some of the configuration changes to WSJT-X have been difficult, if not impossible for the blind. I’d like to address one of them in hopes that the WSJT-X Development team can come up with a solution. The QLog program, using UDP data from WSJT-X, can initiate a CQ or answer a CQ from a list of decoded stations. In the process, depending on the message received, QLog announces the status of each step in the QSO process. In order for QLog to proceed in an orderly manner to the completion and logging of a QSO, the TX4 message of WSJT-X must be set to calls and RRR and NOT calls and RR73. A sighted op can easily toggle between the two messages by double clicking the TX4 button or the TX4 bullet. A visually handicapped operator cannot do this. Attempts to make the change using NVDA, Window-Eyes and JAWS screen readers have been unsuccessful. Switching the TX4 message from RR73 to RRR message could be done by editing the WSJT-X.INI file. The “\RR73=true” would have to be changed to “RR73=false” for each configuration in the INI file. But as we know, editing an INI file can be dangerous for a sighted person and probably even more so for a blind Ham using a screen reader. So here is the question of the WSJT-X Development Group. Is there a way that a blind Ham could make the required TX4 switch? There are 41 known WSJT-X shortcuts, but a shortcut to toggle TX4 from RR73 to RRR does not exist. Your consideration of this matter would be greatly appreciated. In closing, if you know of a visually impaired Ham who is interested in diving into the world of FT8, FT4, MSK144, etc., a new group called QLogusers has been created. Once a member of that group, a user can download the qlog.exe program as well as the “QLog Initial Setup Manual” for sighted helpers as well as the “QLog Users Manual”. You can subscribe at: qlogusers+subscr...@groups.io 73, Rich – K1HTV PS: Two of the QLog Beta Testers already have worked over 100 FT8 DXCC countries….. QLog works!
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