Changing software is hard. This year I have had to learn DXlog and N1MM+.
Each has its good things, but nothing beats the comfortable pair of shoes that
you have been wearing for a long time.
You can get to the keyboard macro by going to Setup, Writelog Options, Keyboard
Shortcuts. For more info, go to Help, Index, then type shortcut.
If you right click in the SCP window there are some options for how it does the
matching. You might experiment a bit. I am set for All Except 1. You might
want to try the one Exact Match Hides.
If you want much better multiplier box colors, modify these lines in the ini
file
[Multipliers]
BandColor01=0x0076ce "Blue"
BandColor02=0x7c4400 "Midnight"
BandColor03=0xe6b641 "Light Blue"
BandColor04=0x1164ee "Orange"
BandColor05=0x5a29b7 "Berry"
BandColor06=0x04a26e "Green"
You can tell WL what calls you are in the ini file with this
[Configuration]
CallsThatAreMe=K5ZD, AK1W, WR1TC
You can set WL to clear the entry window when you start tuning. From the Help
Distance radio must tune in order to say its is tuning the band. Set this to
zero and WriteLog will not clear the Entry window when the radio is tuned.
AutoClearOnTuneMinHz=200
Randy
PS. I think I first heard the term "shoveling" for running guys endlessly from
Trey WN4KKN. Comes from those long hours on DXpeditions where you just keep
putting guys in the log.
-----Original Message-----
From: Bob Wolbert, K6XX <k6xx@k6xx.com>
Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2023 8:15 PM
To: Randy Thompson <k5zd@outlook.com>; writelog@contesting.com
Subject: Re: [WriteLog] Learning WriteLog
Randy,
I was hoping you'd respond as I recall you describing your love of "shoveling"
(your term?), and I simply could not see anyone efficiently doing that the way
I have WL configured.
More below...
73 de Bob, K6XX
On 2/21/2023 3:46 PM, Randy Thompson wrote:
> Bob,
>
> Let's say someone moves into your neighborhood and the first 5 things they
> talk about are how bad things are. They haven't lived there very long but
> all they can do is say how things should be different.
I understand and tried composing this to avoid sounding that way. I'm really
not here to gore your ox, but to get this program running smoothly before July.
By the way, in my "neighborhood" most everyone is indeed from somewhere else
and they seem to do an awful lot of complaining... Sure wish I could limit them
to five complaints.
>
> Maybe WL is not the software for you. Some of us like it a lot and find it
> works very well.
Well, don't think that I'm selling MM+. Paraphrasing some wise man, "It's the
worst contest logger I know, except for all of the others."
But that's not the point.
>
> With that out of the way...
>
> WL has a keyboard macro editor. You can map any keystroke you want to
> a command. Maybe pick something other than F12 for wipe. Ctrl-w also does
> the same > I personally don't like the way N1MM+ puts a call in the entry
> field when you tune by a spot. Obviously you would prefer this. Make an
> enhancement request.
Better: I'm told there is an .ini command making this an option. Now that I can
_find_ the .ini file, that complaint is likely handled.
> I use the Home and End keys all the time when editing a call in the entry
> field. Have never really had a problem with cursoring around a callsign, but
> you are correct, if you keep hitting right arrow it will move to the next
> field.
This is what I was looking for. Thanks for mentioning HOME and END. I tried
ALT-A, but dislike key combinations (there I go complaining again).
>
> The "C" column is weird and annoying. There is a way in the ini file to turn
> that off. I have had it off for so long I can't even remember what it was
> for.
>
> Good point on the multiplier windows. I find mults by continent a bit of a
> pain, but I don't really look at it that much.
>
> You can turn on ESM in WL.
Sorta! It works for running anyway.
> The SCP window has changed over time. I miss the winnowing down as you get
> more letters, but I have adjusted to the new way which always assumes there
> are wildcards between every letter.
>
> There is an ini file setting where you can tell WL what your own call is so
> it won't select in RTTY when you hit Insert.
Excellent. In WPX I used an unusual callsign--which explains why this didn't
happen in RTTY RU...
>
> If you have questions, feel free to ask. The people here are very helpful.
Absolutely true. I've received a dozen, mostly direct, messages already.
The key was finding the .ini file, in the very first reply received, sent by
Keith Regli. Then a very complete and helpful .ini file explanation from NS3T
has me confident that most of my issues are manageable--with a few hours and a
few hundred more Qs in the log. I appreciate all of the replies!
>
> Randy K5ZD
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: WriteLog <writelog-bounces@contesting.com> On Behalf Of Bob
> Wolbert, K6XX
> Sent: Tuesday, February 21, 2023 2:49 PM
> To: writelog@contesting.com
> Subject: [WriteLog] Learning WriteLog
>
> I promised to learn WL for a contest this summer and have been struggling
> with it since December. It is difficult for a new user to adopt WL. "Help" is
> unhelpful--a prime example: writelog.ini is discussed throughout, but no
> longer exists. Most of my recent Help searches have not answered my issues,
> hence this post.
>
> As background, I've entered 'a few' contests over the years, and
> started confuzer logging with CT, progressed through TRLog, TR4Win,
> then to
> N1MM+. I've heard glowing reviews for WL over the years, but need
> N1MM+expert
> suggestions to optimize the experience. Bluntly, the way it runs seems rather
> clunky.
>
> I have mostly figured out running.
>
> BUT... How to S&P in WL? The way I've been doing it is awkward.
>
> Enter call, then Spacebar.
>
> If Non Dupe, F4 to send my callsign, then "," or F2, which is programmed to
> autolog without requiring a further ENTER.
>
> If Dupe, F12 to clear it from the callsign window, then turn the big knob.
> Is there way to autoclear this dupe to eliminate second keystroke?
> F12 is in the middle of a row on craptop, so not as easily located as with a
> full-size keyboard. While a key redefinition would work, I'd rather eliminate
> this redundant keystroke and have it flash off a few ms after pressing the
> spacebar (and still show up in the bandmap, of course). Is this possible?
>
> In both cases, there are extra keystrokes from various places around the
> keyboard. Isn't there a more efficient technique? I'm used to TRLog/ESM
> functionality where the ENTER key is my friend.
>
> Bandmap:
> When we tune back to same frequency, the callsign is not automatically
> entered unless I mouse click on it (and the recorded bandmap frequency may no
> longer be zero beat). Can this be automated? Any way to avoid using the
> rodent?
>
> General Functionality
> Editing my frequent mistakes has been difficult. Why does the cursor
> key move between fields?! If the cursor is in the middle of a
> callsign, I don't want to have to watch and count the keystrokes to
> edit a prefix or suffix. I just want to hit "lots" of arrows to
> guarantee the cursor is at the beginning or end of a field, and then
> fix the call. For example,
> 5 keystrokes generally assure me that I'm at the correct spot in all of the
> other logging programs. But in WL, I could be in a completely different part
> of the exchange. Sometimes. It isn't consistent. Isn't there a better way?
>
> Why does the default contest setup have fields for "Country" (full name,
> spelled out) and "C" fields? These seem unnecessary and exacerbate my cursor
> movement problem. What the heck is "C"? Any downside to eliminating them from
> the entry window?
>
>
> Nice Features Hiding or Missing?
> The other loggers have features that I can't find in WL.
>
> Multiplier Window. How do I:
> -DX contest-show the world, not just one continent.
> -Show both Zones and DX mults at the same time?
>
> Partial check. In the contest I'm preparing WL for, SCP databases are
> verboten, but we are allowed both full and partial calls from our own log.
> How is this done? If the SCP window is the only way, how does one clear out
> the SCP file? I really miss seeing possible callsign matches winnow down as
> more letters are entered. Or watch the "duplicity" of a callsign that I've
> tuned before typing the entire thing (and hitting the spacebar!).
>
> Bandmap decay time. Is it adjustable?
>
> I'll end on a minor nit: in WPX RTTY, INSert kept selecting my callsign and I
> then called myself. This was addressed by logging myself on each band so that
> I became a dupe. How is this avoided?
>
> Suggestions are appreciated. TU!
>
> 73 de Bob, K6XX
>
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