[WT-support] Questions

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

On Sat, Dec 9, 2017 at 3:40 PM, Bob Shohet, KQ2M <kq2m at kq2m.com> wrote:

> 1)  Will I be able to use WT in SO2R mode with two computers and two
> keyboards?
>

You can certainly network two computers, one keyboard per computer, but
Win-Test's SO2R features are designed to work only on one computer, with
one keyboard.  A couple of motivated folks have managed to make two
keyboard SO2R work while running Win-Test on a single computer using
http://download.win-test.com/utils/wtRemote-1.1.zip, but much customization
and additonal programming is required, which is explained (though not
completely) in the Readme file inside the Zip.


> 2)  Will it provide a lockout for both computers?
>

Software lockout between two computers is not supported by Win-Test.


> 3)  Does it support automatic alternating cqing for 2 radios with two
> computers on 2 different bands?
>

It does not.  There's a canned "Alternating CQ" scenario built-in to
Win-Test for use on a single computer, but most people don't like the way
it works since it constantly swaps the Primary and Secondary Radio windows.


> 4)  Does it have the ability to access an external DVK and its functions
> through the keyboard?  (F1 for example)
>

Yes, if your computer has a 25-pin LPT port, and your external DVK is
configured to be driven by pins on the LPT port, as documented here:

http://docs.win-test.com/wiki/Interfaces#Digital_Voice_Keyer

But most folks either the sound card in the PC for voice keying, or trigger
the radio's voice memories using LUA scripts (doesn't work with Icom radios
due to missing commands).  The newest radios with USB connectors look like
external USB sound cards to Win-Test, and Win-Test can use those instead of
the sound card in your PC.  But, since Win-Test only supports a single
sound card for voice keying, this will not work for SO2R Alternating CQs on
two radios.

In sum, most folks use other methods, such as an external SO2R box
controlled by Win-Test (e.g. microHAM micro2R, microHAM MK2R+, YCCC SO2R
box) on a single computer, or they run two copies of Win-Test on two
computers and use a custom hardware lockout box to ensure that only one
transmits at a time.  The latter does not work well in the WPX contest
because there is no serial number reservation system between computers; the
same serial number can be sent on both, then when you log the QSO, a
different serial number can be logged than the one you sent (send n on
both, log n on one and n + 1 on the other).  This is also a problem when
using a single computer in SO2R mode.

73,
Bob, N6TV
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