You are right,
I have never had a computer noise problem.
The echo effect happens rarely and probably only occurs because of the
multi-tasking windows environment and lack of processor power. I use a
Pentium II 350 and only see it happen when I lose a telenet connection
while a wave file is playing.
Matching the levels is not too hard it you have a brain and know how to
use the mixers on both playback and record. You check it out before the
contest in a 50 Ohm load by watching your ALC and COMP meters. If you
do not have a 50 Ohm load meet a buddy on 10 meters late at night when
the band is closed.
Many of users have problems because we do not read the Help file or the
Help file is not configured very well for users to find all the
information. I noticed many people during the SS phone contest that did
not have the System Sounds turned "off" on their computer. If you
listened to their voice file during the contest and heard a ping then
they more than likely had the system sound still "on". To correct this
problem Search for the word "silence" in the help file. Once "silence"
is selected click the Display button and look at the bottom of the page
that pops up.
I have had RFI problems that was cured by a $8 pair of square Ferrite
cores from radio shack.
So for 28 bucks or so I have a nice setup that I can use with a dozen or
more message of near endless length at one logging session.
What does the XXX contest card cost? I think it costs around 150
dollars. It must store an endless amount of voice files per session for
that price. No, I think it can store 3 short messages. How does it do
on decoding CW or RTTY? Sorry, I do not think it can do that one. How
about the audio quality. Again I do not think it can compare to the DSP
and DACs on most sound cards.
One other thing, the XXX contest card looks like a simple parallel port
to windows. That is nice but windows is unable to detect it on some
computers. So using XXX contest card is great advise unless you can
never get windows to interface to it. I have never had that problem
with a Soundblaster card.
Do not get me wrong, if you are using one of those DOS based logging
programs then by all means use a XXX contest card. I have nothing but
praise for the guys that designed and built those cards and made them
available for the amateur radio community.
However, I will only use the sound card approach when using a Windows
logging program such as Writelog.
So I agree to disagree
Hey, that is what is great about a free country. Do what you want.
Play back a cassette player if you want. Just get on the air and have
fun! That is what it is all about.
73 and Best Regards to All,
Dave KG0US
TOMK5RC@aol.com wrote:
> In a message dated 11/20/2001 4:30:40 PM Pacific Standard Time,
> kg0us@swbell.net writes:
>
>
>
>> If your going to use Writelog in Windows then just buy a $20
>> Soundblaster card
>> and be done with it. There is no need to screw around with a contest
>> card that
>> was created back in the dinosaur age of computers with sound cards
>> as
>> inexpensive as they are.
>
>
> Great advice if you can get the computer noise and echo effects out of
> the sound card and if you can match levels and eliminate RFI. I don't
> have those issues with the W9XT board. It just works.
>
> Tom, K5RC
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