[WT-support] Handling serial numbers on multiple computers

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

The idea of reserving or locking serial numbers has been discussed at length
on this reflector many times.  The author has tried to explain that they do
not want to implement the complexity of a serial number server or network
lock.

http://lists.f5mzn.org/pipermail/support/2009-August/078077.html

<http://lists.f5mzn.org/pipermail/support/2009-August/078077.html>Serial
numbers should be *by band* if you are MULTI-TWO or MULTI-MULTI.  Serial
numbers should be sequential if you are multi-single, partially to
discourage the use of the octopus.

The bottom line is that it is very unlikely that the Win-Test code is going
to be changed to implement serial number reservation, so you need another
system.  It is also perfectly acceptable to give the same serial number to
two different QSOs, as long as the sent serial number is shown  correctly in
the Cabrillo file.

I do think it should be a lot easier to update a sent serial number than it
is today, where you have to select Edit Sent Serial Number from the menu.

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Mon, Mar 28, 2011 at 11:06 AM, <kd4d at comcast.net> wrote:

> Good day:
>
> First time WinTest User here - we were successful using WinTest for the
> first time
> in WPX!  :-)  It was refreshingly stable compared to CT (DOS) and we only
> had ONE
> minor configuration problem on one computer!
>
> Like CT before it, WinTest has the "feature" of changing the serial number
> in
> the logging window if another station logs a QSO using that number.  The
> suggested solution in the manual requires the operator to log the QSO with
> a bad
> serial number and go back to correct it.  Tired operators don't do this
> well.
>
> I suggest "locking" the serial number update on the screen whenever a
> character
> is typed in the logging window (or, perhaps, requiring a "space" to get to
> the
> entry window).  This WOULD cause sending duplicate serial numbers sometimes
> (unless something complicated like a serial number server is implemented),
> but that's preferable to logging a different number than is sent.
>
> N1MM's solution is elegant, but it sends wildly out of sequence
> serial numbers and requires a central server.  I think this proposal would
> probably be reasonably easy to implement and, with minimal operator
> training, eliminates the problem of logging a different serial number than
> was sent.
>
> (I think that freezing the number on on the first character being typed
> into
> the window is preferable.  It can be "unfrozen" if the line is wiped).
>
> Comments?
>
> 73,
>
> Mark, KD4D
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