[WT-support] Bugs and needed features

[Tõnno Vähk]

Hi all,

I received my EZMaster a week ago and now have set up my station with 2 FT1000MP's, Wintest (v 2.29.1) and EZMaster (v 1.37, WK 10), hooked by USB cable only. I have done a lot of testing in the Advanced SO2R mode and also in network as we would also like to use WT at WRTC. Laptop is running Windows XP Pro.

WT surely is a magnificent program and future of contesting. EZMaster is a very well thought through and solid device also.

There are some bugs and needed features that are critical for WRTC and there are less critical ones that would be needed for SO2R. I know several have been mentioned here (I went through every last email in the list except the French ones:) Let me give you the lists and I do have some questions as well that I hope someone can answer.

Bugs (maybe not bugs but I have not managed to configure correctly) identified (first 5 are critical for WRTC):

1. The paddle is not working for me. It behaves identically when WK is enabled and disabled. It switches PTT on and sends carrier for about a second and then dots or dashes at very high speed. Does paddle work for anybody?? Have I done something wrong?

2. SWAP FREQUENCY command (from menu or SWAP) is also changing the Active Radio! It should not of course.

3. If your message starts with $RESET then it cancels the LATCH mode. We really need this $LATCH command or something else to use LATCH mode at all. Or is it possible for the RESET not to cancel the LATCH mode?

4. CAT Polling with MP's is generating backround noise (pulses) in SSB (this is reported before in the list). NO POLL DURING PTT feature would be needed.

5. If your F1 message is R2R2 F1 R1R2 for example and you press ESC during CQ then the Audio terminates correctly in R1R2 but if you terminate it with any other key (e.g. starting to enter callsign) then the Audio terminates at R2R2 and you have to switch manually to R1R1 or R1R2 to copy the station.

6. With WinKey disabled the beginning of the CW transmittions are being cut sometimes. A dot is missing. PTT DELAY of ca 50ms in Configure Interfaces usually cures it. It also cures the CTRL T carrier problem. With smaller or no DELAY the carrier does not always come on although the DATA led at EZM is lit.

7. When you have Automatic CQ enabled and during or after a CQ message on Primary Radio you give your call with SHIFT key on the second radio to call a multiplier then the Automatic CQ continues on 2nd Radio!! The cycle should stop of course but it does not!

8. Changing Active Radio in TX/RX Split mode back and forth swaps the 2 VFOs.

9. When your Audio is set to R1R2 and you swap Active Radio back and forth then both ears stay on Primary Radio (R1R1) although the Secondary Radio Window shows BOTH! It should stay on Both.

10. Alternate CQ does not continue in SSB after completed QSO like it does in CW mode. Also in SSB the Alternate CQ sending stops on the other radio when you start entering callsign. It should not stop. In CW it is working correctly.


Features that I miss (first 5 are critical for WRTC):

1. ESM mode

2. Auto sending (i.e. activating the Insert Key without pressing it at e.g. 3rd or 4th character of the callsign entered)

3. Shortcut for the SWAP FREQUENCIES command - menu or typing SWAP+ENT is not really possible efficiently. Any shortcut is fine as it can be remapped.

4. Band map ALL BANDS. Right now only shows the band of VFO A. In WRTC it would be important to see all bands and be able to click on the station on some other band to QSY there. Can it be added to the right-click menu on the Band Map to be able to choose Current Band - All Bands??

5. $CR working in SSB. Could create Quick QSL Messages etc. Insert and Plus are not modifiable in SSB unfortunately also.

6. Option to fill the callsign field automatically when tuning on station in the bandmap.

7. Tail end feature. PTT stays on after sending TU and you can enter call and push Insert right away without dropping PTT. It could be just some command ($KEY) to activate ALT K or keyboard mode and Insert would stop it. The same command could be used in messages to send endings like frequencies etc.

8. Ability to pick calls from Partial window. In TR you can move with keys in the Possible Calls list and select one to fill the Callsign field. This is very handy especially with long portable calls that you have worked in the contest before. Would it be possible to at least double click on the Check Partials windows to pull a callsign on the Callsign field?

9. More standard messages in CW than just 7. It is not really possible efficiently to operate the ALT-C to get Additional Messages. I propose to create shortcuts for Additional messages. CTRL 1, CTRL 2.. etc are all free! Would it be possible to use those to call the respective additional message? CTRL F1 to CTRL F12 are also free exept F1, F2, F3, F9 - those could be repositioned if this seems better. Another option would be to move F8 to F12 keys somewhere else and create 5 more messages there!?

10. Complete manual. At least an updated list of commands and shortcuts would be really needed.


Questions:

1. I can't get WINKEY working. When I enable it the CW sending is completely messed up - all the dashes are cut short etc.. can it be settings problem? Any changes in the Configure Interfaces, WK Configuration or EZM Configuration menus do not seem to help. Can anyone help?

2. I understand it is not possible to add Exchange info to HF.DTB. Only to specific contest files. How should I update those specific contest DTB's with latest MASTER.DTA? Do the developers update the HF.DTB? Is there a way to merge HF.DTB and contest DTB?? Or should I take K5ZD master.DTA, turn it into Cabrillo log and Import to WT and then Update my Database?

IF possible I would like to know if those 5 critical bugs and features are in the list for the pre-WRTC version and when do you think this might come out. We have to decide if we can use WT or not.

73
Tonno
ES5TV