[WT-support] Sharing COM Ports

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

I don't understand why it is important to share CAT control of a rig between
CW Skimmer and Win-Test.

CAT Control in CW Skimmer only works with the Softrock-IF, and with a
transceiver in 3 kHz (headphone monitor) mode, which isn't very useful.

However, with some relatively simple software enhancements to Win-Test and
wtDxTelnet, it should be possible to more tightly couple these two programs,
without any COM port sharing.  There is no need to have special hardware
like LP-Pan, or new OmniRig support.  Any SDR supported by CW Skimmer will
work as a great band scope.  Any transmitter currently supported by Win-Test
can be made to QSY by clicking on Skimmer's band scope.

CW Skimmer 1.3 and later were enhanced with important features.  When you
click on the CW Skimmer window, CW Skimmer sends an "Announce" message to
its TELNET server (the one wtDxTelnet is watching), e.g.

To ALL de SKIMMER <2014Z> : Clicked on "TI8/DL4MO" at 14012.9

It also has a "blind" mode (without CW decoding), so that you can use it as
clickable band scope, without violating the single-op rules.

To ALL de SKIMMER <2015Z> :  Clicked on 14023.7

All Win-Test and wtDxTelnet have to do is watch for these annonce messages
and move a VFO to that frequency in an intelligent way, for example, assume:

   Main Radio on 20m in Run mode
   Secondary Radio on 15m in S&P mode

   Click on a 20m frequency in bandscope:  Win-Test sets VFO B of Main Rig
to that frequency
   Click on a 15m frequency in bandscope:  Win-Test sets VFO A of Secondary
Rig to that frequency
   Click on any another band:  Win-Test moves VFO B of S&P radio to that
frequency

In single-radio mode, Win-Test could move VFO B of your rig when you are in
Run mode, and move VFO A when you are in S&P mode.

Similarly, Win-Test could send commands to CW Skimmer via TELNET messages
(through wtDxTelnet), to control it:

To move the CW Skimmer center frequency, it could send this mesage:

   SKIMMER/QSY 14017.0

To place callsigns on the CW Skimmer band scope (with highlighting), it
could send this message:

   SKIMMER/STATUS F5MZN 14017.0 DUPE

I hope we get to see these features of CW Skimmer properly supported by
Win-Test and wtDxTelnet real soon.  I think other programs are already doing
it.

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Thu, Jan 29, 2009 at 12:24 PM, Stewart GM4AFF <stewart at gm4aff.net> wrote:

> Thanks to all for the superb response. Looks like I'm not the only one who
> needs this! I will report back when I have a working solution.
> Thanks and 73
> Stewart
> GM4AFF
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: support-bounces at win-test.com
> [mailto:support-bounces at win-test.com]On Behalf Of Stewart GM4AFF
> Sent: 29 January 2009 09:10
> To: support at win-test.com
> Subject: [WT-support] Sharing COM Ports
>
>
> Does anyone know how to deal with (say) Skimmer talking to your radio via
> CAT on a COM port, but you also need WinTest to talk to the radio on the
> same 'CAT' port?
>
> 73
> Stewart
> GM4AFF
>
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