SD by EI5DI – PC Contest Logger [602278]
SD by EI5DI – PC Contest Logger
___________________________________________________ __________________________
SD is fast, simple and effective. It is written for contesters, not for IT special ists
who happen to be contesters. Your logs are standar d text files that look like Cabrillo,
with no cryptic characters – and no binary files or proprietary databases.
SD is different! It combines the power and capacity of Windows wit h the efficiency
and visibility of a character-based user interface – function takes precedence over
appearance. SD supports CW and SSB operation in single-op unassis ted entries. It
does not support networks.
SD concentrates on the basics and does them right – with instant display of rele vant
information, but no visual overload. All the criti cal information is where you need it –
right by the callsign.
SD sets the standard for ESM (Enter Sends Message) in both Run and S&P modes.
SD is the only contest logger to offer text files, fu ll-screen editing of any QSO, no
multiple keystrokes, and status fields above and be low the callsign that update as you
type callsign characters – with no need to touch an y other key.
SD is comprehensive! It supports all the major international contests, the FOC
Marathon, QSO Parties, and dozens of others events worldwide – with over 200
templates supplied.
___________________________________________________ ____________________________
SD – single keystrokes for all logging and editing funct ions.
SD – shows your correct score after each QSO or Edit.
SD – real-time duping, and auto prefix checking, as yo u type callsign characters.
SD – permits any combination of real-time or post-contes t logging.
SD – supports WinKey and SO2R.
SD – combines ASCII (plain text) logs with real-time edi ting of any QSO.
SD – shows multiplier status and bearing/distance dis play, as prefixes are typed.
SD – provides an audit trail of QSOs logged and edited.
SD – Cabrillo, ADIF and CSV output files.
This manual has 18 pages: Help stamp out bloatware – use SD .
If you read only one page, read the last one – the Feature Summary .
June 2015
2 Index – by Page:
Notice: 3
Introduction: 3
Installation: 3
Getting Started 3
Screen Size 4
UTC 4
Logging QSOs 4
Operating Time 5
Changing Band and Mode 5
Comms Parameters 5
Rig Control 6
CW Keying & WinKey 6
Serial Port Keying 6
Parallel Port Keying 7
Keyboard Mode – CW 7
CW & WinKey Commands 7
ESM – Enter Sends Message – CW 7
ESM Standard for Run Mode 8
ESM Standard for S&P Mode 8
CW memories – Initial Content 8
Help 9
Serials Sent 9
Variable RST Sent 9
Editing QSO Fields 9
Data Entry Modes 10
AutoInsert 10
Dupes 10
Search & Pounce 10
DXpeditions & Special Events 11
Super Check Partial (SCP) 11
Keyboard ASCII Character Mapping 11
Skeds & Reminders 11
Band Map 11
Multipliers 12
Navigate the Log 12
Editing Previously Logged QSOs 12
Voice Keyer 13
ESM – Enter Sends Message – SSB 13
Edit Bands on QSOs already logged 13
QSO Rate Meter 13
Callsign Databases 13
Leaving SD 13
Backups 14
IOTA Contest 14
After the Contest – SDCHECK 14
Colours 14
Initialisation File SD.INI 14
Program & Reference Files 15
Editing your .ALL Files 15
Template Files 15
Template Parameters 16
FAQs 16
Contests Supported 17
CW Demos – Impress your Friends 17
Feature Summary 18
Index – Alphabetic:
After the Contest – SDCHECK 14
AutoInsert 10
Backups 14
Band Map 11
Callsign Databases 13
Changing Band and Mode 5
Colours 14
Comms Parameters 5
Contests Supported 17
CW Demos – Impress your Friends 17
CW Keying & WinKey 6
CW & WinKey Commands 7
CW Memories – Initial Content 8
Data Entry Modes 10
Dupes 10
DXpeditions & Special Events 11
Edit Bands on QSOs already logged 13
Editing your .ALL Files 15
Editing Previously Logged QSOs 12
Editing QSO Fields 9
ESM – Enter Sends Message – CW 7
ESM – Enter Sends Message – SSB 13
ESM Standard for Run Mode 8
ESM Standard for S&P Mode 8
FAQs 16
Feature Summary 18
Getting Started 3
Help 9
Initialisation File SD.INI 14
Installation: 3
Introduction: 3
IOTA Contest 14
Keyboard ASCII Character Mapping 11
Keyboard Mode – CW 7
Leaving SD 13
Logging QSOs 4
Multipliers 12
Navigate the Log 12
Notice: 3
Operating Time 5
Parallel Port Keying 7
Program & Reference Files 15
QSO Rate Meter 13
Rig Control 6
Screen Size 4
Search & Pounce 10
Serial Port Keying 6
Serials Sent 9
Skeds & Reminders 11
Super Check Partial (SCP) 11
Template Files 15
Template Parameters 16
UTC 4
Variable RST Sent 9
Voice Keyer 13
3 NOTICE.
To use SD effectively, you should have a general
understanding of the Windows file system. In parti cular,
you will need to know how to find, copy, rename, vi ew,
edit and delete text files, how to attach files to emails, and
how to save files attached to incoming emails. If you can’t
do all this, you may be dependent on someone else w ho
can.
File Extensions : It's useful to have all file extensions
displayed – Windows hides common extensions by defa ult.
You can tell whether your computer shows all extens ions
by looking for the program file SD.EXE in your SD folder.
If the .EXE extension is not visible, you need to change a
Windows parameter. Try a Google search with the wo rds
show file extensions to find references for your version of
Windows. If you do not do this, you may have diffi culty
finding some of your SD program and data files. This is a
Windows issue, unrelated to SD .
INTRODUCTION
SD is a Windows program operating in text (console) mode.
It may look like a DOS program, but that’s the only
similarity. It runs on Windows XP and later versions of
Windows, but will not run on a DOS PC. Please see your
HISTORY.DOC file, or follow the What’s New link on the
website, for information about recent additions and
changes.
SD is intended for single-operator unassisted entries. You'll
soon appreciate how good it is at the basics – logg ing,
editing, and identifying multipliers, with single i ntuitive
keystrokes for all logging and editing functions, a nd no Alt-
This or Ctrl-That ! SD was written for contesters, not for
programmers or IT specialists – though, again, an
understanding of Windows files and folders helps wi th any
contest logger.
SD is unrivalled in displaying all relevant informati on in
real-time as you type callsign prefixes, with no ne ed to
touch any other key – and all before you move to th e next
field. For example, in contests with multipliers, you see an
instant band/multiplier analysis below the callsign – for
both modes when appropriate. You have the informa tion
you need to instantly decide if it’s worth moving a station
to pick up a multiplier. This information is where it should
be – right by the callsign.
SD provides simple and consistent data entry options. You
may use any standard character for moving from one field
to the next – including Enter (or Return) , Tab , Shift_Tab ,
Right Arrow , and even Space Bar as a substitute for Enter .
However, Enter is strongly recommended after all fields.
A configuration file, SD.INI, is created the first time you run
SD , and is updated as you select standard options whi le
logging.
INSTALLATION
Installation is fast and simple. When you click on the
download link at ei5di.com , a small window appears with
the heading “ Do you want to run or save sdsetup.exe
from ei5di.com? ". You may select either option, but Run
is faster. The next message is " This file is from an
untrusted location. Are you sure you want to run i t? "
Select "Yes" – SD will not harm your computer! Next, you're asked to choose the language to use during
installation (English is the default). Select “ OK ” to see
“Welcome to the SD Contest Logger Setup Wizard ”.
Select Next to continue to the Select Destination Location
window. Select Next to accept the default location C:\SD –
the SD folder on your computer’s C: disk and continue to
the “ Start Menu Folder ” window.
Note: Do not change SD ’s default folder without good
reason – this is where all your program and reference files
will be located, together with any logs and other f iles
created by SD and SDCHECK. There is no need to de-
install previous versions. Your contest logs will not be
affected when a new version replaces an older one.
Select Next to accept the default “ SD by EI5DI ” entry and
continue to the “ Select Additional Tasks ” window. Tick
the “ Create a desktop icon ” box in the next window (if
it’s not already ticked) and select Next . This will create
two separate icons on your computer’s desktop – one to run
SD , and another to run SDCHECK , the post-contest
program for creating your Cabrillo entry logs. Fin ally,
select the Install button, and you’ll be ready to run SD in a
few seconds. You may ignore all warnings – SD will not
damage your computer,
GETTING STARTED.
Start SD by double-clicking its desktop shortcut icon. When
you install or update SD , you will probably want to increase
the size of the default window. You'll need to do this
separately for both SD and SDCHECK .
Click on the title bar, or the SD icon at the top LHS of the
window and select Properties, then Font. If you hav e a
widescreen (16:9) monitor, select the Lucida Consol e font.
For a 4:3 monitor, select the Consolas font (not av ailable on
XP). Then choose whatever size of font you prefer. SD 's
window expands or contracts in direct proportion to the
chosen font size.
SD then expects a contest (file) name, and will defau lt to
your most recent log name. What happens next depen ds on
whether you enter a new name, or nothing at all.
If the file name field is blank, SD displays all contest files
in its folder. Use the arrow keys to select one, a nd Enter to
reload it, or Z (short for Zap) to delete the file. Zap is
handy for deleting test files you no longer need – but be
careful not to delete those you do need! Esc takes you back.
Contest file names may be any combination of alphab etic
and numeric characters, up to a total of eight. SD ignores
other characters, including spaces. It’s useful to include the
year in each contest name, for example CQWWCW15 or
IOTA15, so that you can distinguish one year’s log from
another. SD ’s contest files have a .ALL extension.
When you enter a new, unused, file name, SD lists all
contests supported, and you select the one you want . Use
the arrow keys, then Enter , to select a contest. Take care not
to accidently select the wrong option. Page Down takes
you to the second and third page of options.
When given the name of an existing contest file, SD re-
loads and re-scores it, and takes you immediately t o the
logging screen.. When you run SD for the first time, you
should enter your name and address for storage in SD.INI ,
the initialisation file. Parameters for the remain ing fields
are taken from whatever template you’ve chosen, and are
4 shown for information only – they should not be cha nged.
If you do need to change any field on this screen, answer
“N” to the “ Continue ?” question, otherwise Enter takes you
to the logging screen.
When asked for mode in a mixed-mode event – this me ans
your starting mode, and you may change this later. The
band is determined by your radio when rig control i s
enabled. Otherwise, it's whatever band you last us ed
(stored as SD_BAND in SD.INI ). The default is 80m when
there is no entry in SD.INI . If you don’t have rig control,
use any appropriate band change command – try the HELP
command or see the “Changing Band or Mode” section, or
SD ’s Feature Summary (the last page of this manual).
SD is optimised for real-time logging. Post-contest mode is
supported, but you’ll miss out on many of the featu res that
make SD so efficient. To switch, use the commands REAL
and POST ( for real-time and post-contest ). When you
switch to post-contest mode, you’re asked for the
appropriate logging date – this must be entered as 8
characters in the format DD-MM-YY . Don’t worry about
having to change the date for later QSOs. Once you enter
an “earlier” time for the next QSO, SD asks for the new
date.
The commands listed in the Feature Summary apply on ly to
the callsign field on the QSO logging screen. They don’t
work in the callsign field on the opening screen – the one
with your name and address.
SCREEN SIZE:
You can change SD 's window size to match your screen’s
dimensions (in pixels). Many users don't know this ,
because they don’t read this manual, and simply use the
default installation window – which is invariably t oo small.
Follow the instructions in "Getting Started" on Pag e 3 – or
shown in SD 's opening screen each time it's started..
There is one further option to consider. Depending on your
personal preference, Check Partial and Super Check Partial
(SCP ) callsigns will appear in place of the Score windo w,
or underneath the logging line (the default when SD is first
installed).
In terms of operating efficiency, underneath the lo gging
line is better – but not at the expense of font siz e and ease of
visibility on smaller screens. You can control thi s with the
EXPAND command to toggle the location of the Check
Partial display. Please experiment, then make your own
choice.
Most monitors and laptops are supplied in widescree n
(16:9) format. With a small screen, say 13 inches or less,
visibility is generally better with SD ’s non-EXPANDed
(default) option. Here are suggested font sizes for Lucida
Console corresponding to a some common screen pixel
dimensions – assuming that no Zoom options are acti ve.
Screen 1366 x 768 pixels
Non-EXPANDed 26
EXPANDed 19
Screen 1920 x 1080 pixels
Non-EXPANDed 37
EXPANDed 27
UTC.
SD displays UTC, and the corresponding date, at all t imes –
but only when your PC is set to your correct local time
and time zone – using Windows Control Panel.
LOGGING QSOs.
For most contest QSOs, you record only the callsign and
district code or serial (the exchange) received. W hen
logging or editing serials, there's no need to incl ude leading
zeros – SD takes care of them for you. A received report of
59(9) is assumed, but can be easily changed.
As you type callsign prefixes, the corresponding co untries
and zones are identified, and you know instantly wh ether
the QSO will be a multiplier, or a double multiplie r – with
no need to press Enter, Space or any other key. Wh en only
certain countries can be worked for points, other-c ountry
callsigns and prefixes turn red as you type them.
Beam headings and distance are shown as you type ca llsign
prefixes, except for own-country calls. Distances are in
kilometres. If you prefer miles, change the SD_DISTUNIT
record in SD.INI to M rather than K. Reminder : SD.INI is
created only after you run SD for the first time.
SD takes your own latitude and longitude from your
country record on whatever .CTY file is first used, converts
it to a six-character locator and stores it in SD.INI with the
description SD_LCTR . You're free to edit your locator to
increase the accuracy of SD ’s beam headings and distance
calculations.
While logging, press Enter (Return ) after every field unless
you do not want to complete (log) the QSO. Each QS O
will be logged, following an Enter , only when all required
data fields are present. Note that “present” is no t
necessarily the same as “correct”. With Tab or Right Arrow ,
you can move between fields without logging the QSO .
Don’t worry about logging a QSO too soon, or loggin g an
unwanted QSO. If unwanted, the ZAP command deletes it.
To edit a QSO, use Up-Arrow and then tab across to any
field to be changed – followed by Enter to log the changes.
You can edit any QSO in the log, and what you see o n the
screen is what’s on disk – at all times!
You may ZAP all the way back to the start of your log – a
handy way to get a bit of practice before the conte st, and to
check that everything is set up correctly. Note th at ZAP
may temporarily distort your QSO Rate figures. The ZAP
command works only on the most recent QSO in your l og.
(Note: ZAP does not work for all contests – to avoid
surprises, test it first.)
To delete earlier QSOs, add /ZAP or just /Z to the callsign –
this marks it for deletion, and it will disappear t he next time
you start SD .
In contests with serials, Enter takes you directly to the
Serial field after entering the callsign. Type 0 (zero) to
record no serial – it will appear as blank, or spac es, in your
final log. If you need to edit RST Received, press Enter in
the empty Serial field to get back to the RST field. When
you've edited the RST, a further Enter returns you to Serial.
By pressing Enter , SD takes you to all QSO fields in the
correct sequence – even for those rare occasions wh en you
choose to edit RST Received.
5 To summarise, press Enter after each field, but use TAB or
Right Arrow to move around the QSO fields without
logging. The QSO will be logged following Enter , but only
when all fields are valid.
In contests where you log serials and district code s, you
have the option of entering both values in the “Ser ial”
field. For example, enter 6AB to see 006 AB in the ir
respective fields.
When logging, use quotes “ to repeat the callsign f rom the
previous QSO – for example, after moving a multipli er
station to another band or mode, or working a “rove r” on a
county boundary.
As each QSO is logged, you'll see an analysis, by c ontinent,
of countries worked and needed on the current band and
mode. This replaces the Summary Score window for 1 5
seconds. Use F4 or F5 , with Caps Lock Off, to see
countries for other continents and bands. Minus restores the
Summary Score at any time. Tip : Any time you get into
trouble, Minus is a good option.
In contests where zones or other fixed district cod es are
logged, SD pre-fills the field based on what was logged
previously, or on the default value (the zone) for the
callsign. You are free to overtype whatever is rec eived. If
you enter a different value for a station already w orked, all
QSOs with that station will be updated accordingly, and
mults flagged or unflagged as necessary on all rele vant
QSOs on all bands, whether with that station or any other.
No other contest logger does this.
OPERATING TIME .
Your cumulative operating time is shown under the d ate
and time bar. Time starts when the first QSO is lo gged.
Gaps between QSOs of 60 minutes or longer are ignor ed.
Following such gaps, time starts again from the nex t QSO
logged.
Seconds are ignored in calculating operating time. A QSO
logged at 12:00:59 is considered to have taken plac e at
12:00:00.
This feature is needed for the "Classic" category i n CQWW
– with single-ops limited to 24 hours operation. I t applies
also to WAE, WPX , and to IOTA 12-hour categories.
The SHOWTIME command toggles the display of operating
time. The display reverts to On each time SD is started.
CHANGING BAND AND MODE.
SD links to most Elecraft, Icom, Kenwood, Ten-Tec and
Yaesu radios to synchronise band and mode. 2R cont rol is
supported.
Rig control is recommended, because SD then follows your
band and mode changes on the rig, and ensures you’r e
always logging on the correct band and mode. F11 and F12
change bands corresponding to the band sequence (le ft or
right) in the Score window. In this context, there is no “up”
or “down”, as it depends on whether you think of ba nds in
term or metres or frequency – “up” for one is “down ” for
the other. If you prefer, Alt-F1 and Alt-F2 change bands in
the same way.
F11 and F12 work this way only when all QSO fields, apart
from RST, are empty. Otherwise, their alternative
functions are unchanged. F11 deletes (wipes) an unlogged QSO without updating the Band Map. F12 silently logs a
QSO when ESM (Enter Sends Message) is enabled – in
contrast to Enter which also plays the corresponding ESM
message
To change mode, use the C command (for CW) and S (for
SSB). Although SD follows frequency and mode changes
on your radio, the mode will not change in single-m ode
events. When you change mode, from SSB to CW, the
CW sideband is restored to its previous setting for that
band.
With rig control, you can QSY instantly by entering the
new frequency in the callsign field. The appropriat e mode
is automatically selected (CW, LSB, USB). Your orig inal
“run” frequency is stored in the Band Map and you c an
restore it by pressing F10 twice. This is very useful for
returning to your run frequency after moving a mult iplier.
If you prefer, you can move directly to any band – the B40
command takes you to 40m, B20 to 20m etc.
To reverse the sideband, on either SSB or CW, use t he X
(eXchange) command. Why should anyone worry about
reverse sideband on CW? There are two reasons. Th e first
is to reduce QRM (this may not always work), and th e
second is for consistency with regard to whether yo u're
tuning up or down the band. On CW, I like to tune towards
zero beat, not away from it.
COMMS PARAMETERS.
Use the RIGPORTS and KEYPORTS commands to define
ports for rig control and for keying. To operate SO2R , use
the 2R command..
CW Port – internal or WinKey.
0 Disables CW.
1 – 48 Assigns COM1 – COM48
51– 54 Assigns LPT1 – LPT4 (not WinKey)
Rig Control Port
0 Disables rig control
1 – 48 Assigns COM1 – COM48 for R1
Printer ports cannot be used
Radio-1 Model
Enter (leave blank) to list supported rigs.
Enter NONE to clear the previous model.
If you enter a COM port number and get the message “No
COMx on this computer”, it means that SD cannot see that
port number. You can verify your computer’s port n umbers
using Windows Device Manager – select Ports (COM &
LPT). You cannot assign any port that is not liste d.
When rig-control is active, SD , by default, asserts DTR and
RTS on the corresponding port, and either of these may be
used to power external level converters for rig con trol. The
RIGDTRON , RIGDTROFF , RIGRTSON and RIGRTSOFF
commands serve to assert or disable the correspondi ng
"pins".
RIG CONTROL
The following default rig-control parameters apply the first
time you run SD . They are held in SD.INI and stay in effect
until you change them.
Bits per second: 4800
Data bits: 8
6 Stop bits: 2
Parity: N (None)
Use the PARITY , DATABITS , STOPBITS and BPS
commands to edit your serial port parameters. Reme mber
that your rig must be set up to match all these par ameters.
Use the highest BPS value your rig supports . Two radios
must share the same parameters, with the exception that
BPS1 and BPS2 set separate BPS values, and STOPBIT1
and STOPBIT2 set separate stop bit values.
Again, the STATUS command displays your settings.
The LINK command toggles rig-control On and Off – this
can be useful when you need to temporarily break th e link.
The RESET command restores the comms parameters to
their default values. RESET will reset the screen colours
and set the Com ports to 0.
The POLLTIME and LINKTIME parameters (in SD.INI )
influence how your rig responds to SD ’s control signals,
and they may be changed with the PT and LT commands.
Link Time represents the time, in milliseconds, for your rig
to respond to a polling request for its frequency a nd/or
mode. What you need to do is determine the lowest Link
Time that is 100% reliable
When you first install SD , the initial values are 750 ms for
Poll Time, and 500 ms for Link Time. If rig contro l works
right away, SD will be relatively slow to respond to
frequency changes on your rig. Regardless of whet her rig
control works immediately, here’s what you might
experiment with – assuming you have previously used the
PORTS command to define the COM port and to identify
your rig.
1. Set the BPS to the maximum supported by your rig – and
ensure your rig is set to the same value (if variab le).
2. Use the STATUS command to confirm your POLLTIME
and LINKTIME settings.
3. Confirm that rig control is working. If not, the re is a
separate issue. If working, reduce LINKTIME until rig
control fails. Then increase it by 25% or so, and confirm
the frequency displays correctly even when continuo usly
turning the VFO dial.
4. Reduce POLLTIME to its minimum value – this will be
either 300 ms, or 50% greater than the current Lead Time
value – whichever is the larger. There’s nothing t o stop
you experimenting with larger values of Poll Time ( up to
1500 ms), but they make rig-control less responsive .
With rig control enabled, your frequency (to 10Hz) is held
in each QSO record, and in Cabrillo or ADIF logs (1 kHz)
created by SDCHECK.
For 2R operation, use backslash “\” to swap rigs, c omma
“,” to swap frequencies (but keep the same rig acti ve), and
equals “=” to send the active rig’s frequency to th e other
rig. R1 or R2 appears to the left or right of the Date/Time
heading to indicate the active radio.
Again, for 2R operation, Pin 14 on LPT1 is set high when
Rig 2 is active. Otherwise, it remains low.
CW KEYING – & WinKey
CW keying defaults to SD ’s internal keyer. With an
external WinKey or microHAM keyer, use the WINKEYON
command to enable o/p to WinKey, or WINKEYOFF to revert to SD's internal keying. The default is inte rnal, with
WINKEY=0 in your SD.INI file. With WinKey enabled, SD
sets the required serial port parameters directly – the ones
in SD.IN I are ignored
WinKey (www.hamcrafters.com ) is recommended , because
it guarantees smooth CW from all PCs. It is controlled by,
and integrates with, SD directly from your PC’s USB port.
It lets you change speed with a pot, even while sen ding a
message, and is fully integrated with the paddles – just
touch either paddle to interrupt WinKey , and then continue
manually at the same speed.
See www.microham.com for units which combine rig
control and WinKey – all from a single USB port.
microHAM Notice : For microHAM units with an internal
WinKey chip, the router software discards many stan dard
WinKey control commands issued by SD . Instead, you
should set these parameters using miroHAM’s router
Control Panel.
The WKPOT command lets you choose between control of
WinKey’s speed with its internal pot, or with the k eyboard.
The default is P (Pot) – corresponding to SD_WKPOT=1 in
SD.INI .
Internal keying and PTT are supported via both parallel and
serial ports. If you already have leads which work with
other contest loggers, they're likely to work with SD.
Use the PORTS command to assign your keyer and rig-
control ports. To see the current parameters, use t he
STATUS command. You can assign a single serial port for
both keying and rig control, but not when using WinKey .
Note that, when a port is used in this way, its DTR and RTS
pins are used for keying and PTT, and will not prov ide
power to level converters (if any) for rig control. With
WinKey USB , you can assign the same (virtual) serial port
to both R1 and R2.
If nothing seems to work, re-start your PC and run SD
again. If you still can’t get CW or rig control, d elete the
SD.INI file in your SD folder, then re-start SD and use the
PORTS command again.
Serial Keying: You'll need any general-purpose small
signal NPN transistor, such as 2N2222, BC182A or BC 317,
and a 2k resistor. They should fit inside the cover of your 9
or 25-pin D connector to the computer. Data Termin al
Ready (DTR) is pin 20 on a 25-pin connector, or pin 4 on a
9-pin connector. Signal Ground is pin 7 on a 25-pi n
connector, or pin 5 on a 9-pin connector.
Signal ground connects to ground on the transmitter key
input. The 2k resistor goes between the base of th e
transistor and DTR. The emitter goes directly to s ignal
ground, and the collector goes to the positive side of the
transmitter key input. A PTT signal is available from RTS.
That’s pin 4 on a 25-pin connector, and pin 7 on a 9-pin
connector. Again, when using WinKey , you must select
separate serial ports for rig control and keying.
Parallel Keying: The standard parallel interface is a 25 pin
female D connector. Again, use an NPN transistor a nd a 2k
resistor. Connect the resistor between Pin 17 and the base
of the transistor. Connect Pin 1 to the emitter. Connect the
collector to the positive side of the transmitter k ey input,
and Pin 18 is the keyer return (Earth/Ground). A P TT
signal is permanently available from Pin 16. To us e it,
you'll need another 2k resistor and NPN transistor. The
7 resistor goes between Pin 16 and base. Connect Pin 1 to the
emitter, and the collector to PTT input. Pin 25 is the PTT
return (Earth). (Note: Pins 18-25 on the parallel port are all
Earth).
SD 's internal keying works perfectly well most of the times,
but you can't depend on it because of Windows backg round
activities which may be specific to individual PCs.
WinKeyer USB is preferred, because it eliminates CW
timing errors caused by Windows.
I recommend you connect the TX end of the keyer lea d in
parallel with the output of your present key(er) ra ther than
connecting it to any of your keyer inputs, or direc tly to the
TX. On some computers, when you start your compute r
with a serial cable connected, DTR may be set to ON which
will key your rig. Once you use the keyer from wit hin SD ,
DTR will be set to OFF.
Remote Band-Switching signals are available from th e
parallel port. You'll need the same cables and con trol
circuits that are standard with other contest logge rs.
Pin 9 Pin 8 Pin 7 Pin 2
160 m 0 0 0 1
80 m 0 0 1 0
40 m 0 0 1 1
20 m 0 1 0 1
15 m 0 1 1 1
10 m 1 0 0 1
Pin 14 is set high when Rig 2 is active – otherwise , it’s low.
KEYBOARD MODE (CW).
Switch to keyboard mode with Ctrl (Alt-K may be necessary
for old versions of Windows). A quick tap of Ctrl is all
that’s needed – it does not work when you press Ctrl f or any
length of time. Note that keyboard mode does not work
unless a CW ports has been enabled using the PORTS
command. Use Esc , Minus or Enter to return to logging
mode. You must be in keyboard mode to change the
weight. Right-Arrow to increase, Left-Arrow to reduce, and
Home to restore it to 50%.
Page Up and Page Down change your CW speed at any
time. With WinKey, by default, the speed pot contr ols your
speed.
SD provides eight CW memories and three methods of
using them. With Caps Lock ON , F1 to F8 play the
memories. The only disadvantage is that you must h ave
Caps Lock OFF to get the standard F1 to F8 functions.
You'll know Caps Lock is On when the symbol ^ is visible
to the left of the Callsign field. Esc instantly s tops
playback of any CW memory. With WinKey, you have t he
option of touching either paddle to do the same.
The numeric keypad (with Num Lock OFF) gives another
memory playback option.. It has the advantage of g iving
continuous access to the keyer and all the function key
options. If you need an alternative, try Alt-F1 to Alt-F8.
With internal keying, SD performs an automatic CW speed
calibration each time it starts. Nevertheless, if the speed
seems to be incorrect for any reason, use the CALIBRATE
command to reset it. Calibration takes place only when
your selected keyer port is non-zero. WinKey does n ot need
to be calibrated.
The T(UNE) command enables continuous keying as soon
as you press Enter. Once you've started tuning, yo u can
toggle it On and Off using only the Enter key. Use Esc or
Minus to clear the callsign field when you've finished.
CW & WinKey COMMANDS (In the Callsign field)
CAL (IBRATE) Calibrates internal keyer – not WinKey.
CQTIMER / CQT Sets CQ auto-repeat in seconds : 0=Off.
CWSTART / START Select start character for F2 auto playback.
CWZERO Select CW zero – Ø, T or O.
PORTS Set keyer & rig ports.
PTTON Enables PTT.
PTTOFF Disables PTT.
PTTLEAD Set PTT lead delay, 0 – 250 ms.
PTTTAIL Set WinKey PTT lead delay, 0 – 250 ms.
RANDOM Generate Random RST Sent
SIDETONE Toggles WinKey’s Sidetone – not for WK1 .
SWAP WinKey – reverses paddles.
TUNE CW key down.
WINKEY Toggles between WinKey and SD’s keyer.
WKPOT Control speed with the Pot or the Keyboard.
WKINIT / INIT Initialises WinKey.
WKCOMP Adds a fixed amount to all dots & dashes.
WKEXTN Adds a fixed amount to the first dot or dash.
IAMBICA WinKey – emulates Iambic A.
IAMBICB WinKey – emulates Iambic B.
ULTIMATIC WinKey – emulates Ultimatic.
BUG WinKey – emulates a bug key.
AUTOSPACE WinKey – toggles AutoSpace support
MINWPM WinKey – sets minimum WPM.
WPMRANGE WinKey – sets WPM range.
Esc Stops memory playback.
ESM – ENTER SENDS MESSAGE – CW.
To use ESM, you must have enabled a CW port using the
PORTS command. Hint: your WPM is shown only when a
CW port has been enabled.
ESM lets you log CW QSOs, and send the “correct” CW
messages at all times without the need to “play” fu nction
key memories. The Apostrophe key toggles ESM On and
Off, and the Grave Accent key , above Tab , toggles between
RUN and S&P modes .
In RUN mode, other stations are calling you. In S&P mode,
you’re calling other stations. You just have to be aware of
which mode you’re in (not too difficult), and toggl e the
mode as necessary.
At all times SD displays your ESM mode, together with the
message it will send after the next Enter .
SD’s ESM standard for RUN mode :
Enter in an empty Callsign field plays your F1 message,
(TEST or CQ). To repeat your CQ ( F1 ) message at fixed
intervals, use the R1 to R15 commands. The number
corresponds to the interval in seconds – including the time
to send your F1 message. Use the R command to toggle
auto-repeat without changing the interval. Auto-re peat
works only in RUN mode, and stops once you type anything
in the callsign field.
Enter, after a callsign (minimum 3 characters) plays your
F2 message (callsign + exchange). Your F2 message should
end with the #E (Enter ) parameter. Callsign type-ahead is
supported. For example, W3L Enter PL sends W3LPL
followed by the exchange.
To leave the callsign field without playing a memor y, use
TAB .
8 With ESM enabled, a duplicate callsign followed by Enter
plays the F4 message. If you’re happy to log dupes, make
your F4 message the same as your F2 message – using
Shift_F4 . Otherwise, set F4 to your dupe message (with #E
as the last parameter).
When the QSO is logged, F3 (TU MyCall) plays – but only
if you previously used Enter (not Tab ) to leave the Callsign
field. If you change a callsign before logging the QSO, the
new callsign is added to your F3 message to confirm the
correction to the other station.
If you want to log a qso (while ESM is enabled), but not
play the keyer, use F12 instead of Enter .
With ESM enabled, you have the option of starting the F2
(exchange) message automatically after a given numb er of
callsign characters – you then complete the callsig n while
the exchange is being sent. Use CWSTART (or START ) to
select the starting character – 4 is a good initial option. The
status line, under the callsign, then shows RU X instead of
RUN – where X represents your chosen starting character.
SD’s ESM standard for S&P mode :
Enter , in the callsign field, plays F5 (MyCall) and, if a
callsign is present, takes you to next field – Seri al or
District.
If the next (exchange) field is empty, Enter again sends
MyCall, otherwise it send the exchange ( F6 ) and logs the
QSO.
When SD identifies district codes from the callsign, or fr om
previous QSOs, it auto-fills the data in the exchan ge field.
This can be a nuisance in S&P mode – you must then use
F5 to repeat your own call
Esc stops the keyer instantly.
If you run into problems, simply disable ESM with
Apostrophe . Once again, F12 lets you log a QSO
(assuming all fields are valid) without playing the “normal”
ESM message.
When using SD 's internal keyer, apostrophe does not work
during message playback.
Shift+Enter , while in S&P mode, toggles to RUN mode and
sends your CQ message – handy when you find an unus ed
frequency.
CW MEMORIES – INITIAL CONTENTS.
1 TEST OwnCall OwnCall TEST (Where OwnCall is
from the opening screen)
2 Call Logged, Exchange, Enter
3 TU OwnCall Enter
4 Call Logged, Exchange, Enter (Dupe message)
5 OwnCall
6 TU RST, Serial
7 RST Previous Serial
8 ?
The following parameters may be embedded in any pre set
memory message.
#R Own callsign.
#C Current or most recent callsign logged.
#S Current serial (or other exchange data)
#T RST Sent – Default 5NN
#P Previous serial
#N Name (after callsign match with LOAD ) #E Simulates the Enter key.
#B Simulates the Space Bar.
#1,9 Increase speed (1 – 9 wpm)
#-1-9 Reduces speed (1 – 9 wpm)
#0 Restores normal speed
^ One-half dot space.
For example, #C #T #S#E would send callsign + full
exchange followed by Enter – all with a single keys troke.
When you get a callsign match after LOAD ing a .LST file
(see Reference Lists below) such as FOC or CWOPS, t he
#N parameter will send the other op's name. If there is no
match, nothing is sent. When editing keyer memorie s, with
Shift-F1 etc, do not insert a space in front of #N – the space
is assumed when a callsign matches.
In contests with serials, leading zeros are sent as "T" and
other zeros are sent in full. CWZERO allows you to choose
abbreviations for non-leading zeros, the number 1, and the
number 9. In addition, you may choose to omit lead ing
zeros, or add extra spacing (serial padding factor) to
variable exchange items such as serials, making the m easier
to copy.
Use the # keyer parameter followed by a single digit 1 to 9
to temporarily increase speed, and #0 to reset speed to
normal. Use a minus for speed reductions.
For example, #6 gives a temporary speed increase of 6
wpm, #8#6 an increase of 14 wpm, and #-4 a reduction of 4
wpm.
If your normal speed is 32 wpm, then the message
#8TEST#0 EI5^DI EI5^DI #8#8TEST sends
TEST at 40 wpm
EI5^DI EI5^DI at 32 wpm
TEST at 48 wpm
Normal speed is reset automatically at the end of a message
– there’s no need to add a parameter to do this.
Another example – with normal speed of 25 wpm:
#C #6#6#T #0#-4#S#E sends
Callsign (#C) + 1 space at 25 wpm
5NN (#T) + 1 space at 37 wpm
#0 resets normal speed 25 wpm
Serial (#S) at 21 wpm
Enter (#E) – automatic move to next field
to be logged.
The ^ character adds a half-dot space between chara cters.
They can be strung together to give better readabil ity with
some callsigns. Try G3RTE and G3R^^T^^^E to hear the
difference for yourself. I use EI5^DI for my own callsign –
it’s subtle but effective, and makes it more readab le. If
your callsign doesn't need any "tailoring", simply use the
#R parameter in keyer messages to represent your call sign.
To edit keyer messages, use Shift-F1 etc. This will display
the current message and invite you to enter a new o ne. If
you don't change anything, or use Esc after changes , the
original message will be unchanged.
If you get into trouble, either in keyboard mode or when
sending a preset message, Esc will stop the message
instantly. On the numeric keypad, + works like Esc to stop
memory playback.
Use Tab to leave the callsign field without playing a
memory. When the QSO is logged, F3 plays, but only if
9 you previously used Enter (not Tab ) to leave the Callsign
field.
When using SD ’s internal keyer, I’d recommend you
connect it in parallel with whatever alternative ke ying
method you have. If you make a mistake in entering a
callsign, it's often quicker to send it on your nor mal key or
paddle and then correct the computer entry later.
In contests with serials, if you’ve already logged a QSO and
need to repeat the exchange, F2 sends the correct callsign
and serial – but only if the current callsign (on t he logging
line) is blank.
HELP.
The HELP (or H) command displays a summary of all SD ’s
commands and edit functions. The information is hel d in
the HELP.TXT file, and you’re free to edit it. For more
information, please refer to the Feature Summary at the end
of the manual.
SERIALS SENT.
SD displays the current serial on the logging line, r egardless
of whether you have typed any data in any logging f ield.
In CW contests, it is sometimes necessary to repeat the
exchange, including Serial Sent, after a QSO has be en
logged – using F2 or F6 . Until recently, the test for sending
the "previous" serial (the one just logged) was an empty
callsign field for the “next” or “current” QSO
This test is not appropriate when you have already entered a
Serial Received or, more specifically, typed any pr intable
character in the Callsign, RST, or any exchange fie ld for
the current QSO. In such cases, SD now sends the current
serial – even when those characters have been edite d or,
perhaps, cleared in the meantime.
To fully reset, or wipe a QSO, use Minus or F11 as usual.
When repeating an exchange, SD then sends the previous
serial.
VARIABLE RST SENT.
In some HF contests, you may prefer to send somethi ng
other than 59(9) – even though it’s not recommended ,
because it slows everyone down. The RST command
toggles between fixed and variable reports.
With fixed RST 59(9), SD ’s default setting, RST Sent is not
shown, and you're taken directly to the Serial or D istrict
Code field once you’ve entered the callsign. You d on't
have to worry about RST Received unless it's anythi ng
other than 59(9).
If you do receive something other than 59(9), press Enter ,
in the empty Serial Received field, to return to RS T
Received. Type the changed RST, followed by Enter , to
return to the Serial Received field.
With variable RST, you're taken in sequence between
Callsign, RST Sent, RST Received, Serial or Distric t.
If you need to, you can tab between all fields rega rdless of
the status of variable RST. This way, you can log any
value of RST Sent even though fixed RST has been
selected. In most circumstances, Enter is the recommended
terminator for all fields.
<Soapbox> In the major international contests, including
ARRL DX and 10m, CQWW and WPX etc. there is no
need to log anything other than 59(9), regardless o f what
was actually sent or received, because signal repor ts are
ignored during log-checking. Why, then, is 59(9) s till
required as part of the exchange? I’ve asked that question
many times, but no one has given an answer – other than
the circular answer that it’s in the rules. It seem s to me
there’s no point in persisting with a redundant exc hange – a
legacy of contesting from the last century. After a ll, no
signal reports of any kind are required on QSLs for ARRL
awards including DXCC – and LOTW discards all repor ts.
</Soapbox>
EDITING FIELDS – Call, RST, Serial, Locator.
SD offers versatile editing functions. They’re effici ent, but
may differ slightly from other loggers, and it’s wo rthwhile
taking time to get used to them. Many, but not all , of the
“standard” multiple keystrokes are supported – so p lease
experiment before the contest.
Esc Deletes or clears any single field – a second Esc
restores it.
Minus Wipes the current QSO Entry, or abandons an Edit
and returns to QSO Entry mode. (Think of Minus
as "take away" – it's useful if you get into troubl e
during an edit or if making corrections to a new
QSO takes too long – it lets you start again from
the beginning). ESM is initialised, and the Band
Map is updated (call and frequency is stored).
F11 As Minus , but the Band Map is not updated.
Home or [ Moves to the start of a field.
End or ] Moves to the end of a field.
Delete Deletes the character under the
cursor.
Backspace Deletes the character to the left of the
cursor.
Use the arrow keys to move right and left within fields, or
to move from one field to the next (Right-Arrow onl y). Up
Arrow , in an empty Callsign field, lets you edit previou s
QSOs. Up Arrow, when there is one or more characte rs in
the Callsign field, retrieves partial calls – and i s very useful
when there is a single call in the Check Partial window, as
Up Arrow instantly transfers that call to the Calls ign field.
DATA ENTRY MODES.
The entry mode options are Overwrite and Insert . Unlike
other contest loggers, the default is overwrite, as shown by
OVR under the Callsign field. You can toggle to inser t
mode, if you prefer, by pressing the Insert key.
In Overwrite mode, anything you type replaces what' s
under the cursor. In Insert mode, whatever you typ e is
inserted (added) before the cursor.
Insert mode can be useful when you have missed the prefix
in a callsign and need to complete it after recordi ng the
remaining QSO information. In this mode, when you return
to the Callsign field, press Home or [ to move the cursor to
the first character, ready to insert the prefix.
If you’re in OVR mode, and need to insert callsign
characters, place the cursor as necessary and press the space
bar to create a few spaces. You can then type the missing
characters. It's usually faster to do this than to switch to
10 Insert. Don't worry about leaving extra spaces in t he
callsign – they disappear when you leave the field.
AUTOINSERT (or AI ) is a powerful data-entry option
exclusive to SD . It toggles SD ’s auto-insert feature for
Callsign entry in the callsign field on the logging line. It
applies only when you have not selected INS (Insert ) as
your default date-entry mode.
With Auto Insert On (the default with effect from V16 ), the
“V” in OVR is highlighted. Then, any time you move to the
start of callsign field, SD switches temporarily to Insert, so
that you can enter prefix characters directly. Whe n you use
any other character to change the position of the c ursor, the
mode reverts to OVR .
DEALING WITH DUPES.
SD gives auto-prefix checking once you’ve typed two o r
more callsign characters. This lets you know about potential
and actual dupes without having to type the full ca llsign.
If a callsign is a dupe, its colour changes to red, with the
word Dupe above it. You can delete the callsign with Esc,
Minus or F11. If you have moved to another field, Minus
or F11 will wipe the QSO. Enter , in an empty Serial or
District Code field, will wipe a dupe.
To log the QSO as a dupe, type (or accept) the exch ange
followed by Enter .
When SD flags a callsign as a dupe, press F9 to see the fu ll
QSO details.
<Soapbox> When the caller is a dupe, it's nearly always
quicker to send your normal exchange and log the QS O. No
one likes to hear QSO B4 – you may have logged his call
incorrectly or he may have logged your call incorre ctly.
You may have thought he had worked you when he had
actually logged someone else on the same frequency. Either
way, if you don’t log the QSO this time, you will l ose
points.
With the introduction of the Cabrillo format for co ntest
logs, together with automated log-checking, there is no
penalty for dupes , whether marked or not. In fact, Cabrillo
QSO records contain no scoring information whatsoev er –
whether points, mults or dupes. Now that Cabrillo i s
universal, contest organisers independently score a nd dupe
each log – and the concept of “unmarked dupes” has gone
forever. </Soapbox>
For duping purposes, SD tests for calls of the type W6AA,
W6AA/9, KP2/W6AA, W6AA/KP2, and ignores the following
suffixes.
/P /M /A /MM /AM /QRP
For example, if GI3OTV/M has already been logged,
GI3OTV will be flagged as a dupe on the same band. This
applies both to new QSOs and to edits of earlier QS Os.
Use SETDUPE to reset dupe checking at any time – it’s
intended for contests that are divided into separat e time
periods and permit you to log, without penalty, the same
stations in each period. SETDUPE optionally resets
multiplier checking. You should not edit any QSO l ogged
before the time of the most recent SETDUPE command –
otherwise dupe checking may fail.
SEARCH AND POUNCE.
SD offers fast, simple and powerful options for searc hing
and pouncing.
When searching, the Check Partial window shows pote ntial
dupes once you've typed two or three characters of the
callsign. It displays a list, in alphabetic order, of all stations
already worked, on any band, which include those
characters. Callsigns shown in bold, and in upper case, are
needed on this band. If yellow, they represent mult ipliers.
Those shown in lower case are dupes. If the call w ould be
a dupe, use Esc to clear it – ready for the next callsign or
prefix. If the callsign isn't shown in the Check P artial
window, or no callsign appears, then it hasn't been logged
on any band and you free to call.
The default display option for Check Partial is to replace
the Score Window. Use the EXPAND command to increase
the size of SD’s desktop, and enable Check Partial display
underneath the logging line. This option is worth t rying,
especially when with SCP enabled, simply because th e
information you need is close to the Callsign field .
You can quickly retrieve any needed callsign from t he
partial call window – sometimes this is faster than typing it
in full. Use Up Arrow to go to the window, then any Arrow
keys to move around the window. Only non-dupe call s
may be selected. Press Enter to retrieve a selected call and
place it on the logging line.
As mentioned earlier, when there is only one needed
callsign in the Check Partial or SCP window, Up or Down
Arrow (on its own) instantly retrieves the call. This i s neat –
please try it!
Auto-suffix check: Full Stop (period) lists all stations
worked with any given suffix. You should then use
Comma to revert to standard Check Partial – for adv ance
warning of dupes.
In the IOTA contest, type any IOTA reference in the
callsign field to get a corresponding band/mode mul tiplier
analysis. Clear the reference with Esc or Minus .
DXPEDITIONS and SPECIAL EVENTS.
SD supports CW and SSB operation, and tracks new
countries on all 10 bands from 6 to 160 meters. Se lect the
DXpedition Logging or Special Events templates.
SUPER CHECK PARTIAL (SCP)
SD uses standard MASTER.DTA callsign databases as
references for super check partial with two or more callsign
characters.
Use equals = to toggle SCP ON or OFF . Note: Equals does
not work when you have configured SD for SO 2R operation
– use the SCP command instead.
With SCP enabled, comma toggles the display between
“prefix only” and “All”, and full stop (period) swi tches the
display to “suffix only”.
Up-to-date SCP callsign databases may be downloaded
from www.supercheckpartial.com .
11 KEYBOARD ASCII CHARACTER MAPPING.
SD can be used with all keyboards – not just UK and USA.
SD.MAP, a character-mapping file, lets you convert any
character to any other. In the absence of SD.MAP, no
character conversion takes place. You can map "stan dard"
characters, including numbers and letters, but not function
keys or cursor control keys. SD.MAP files are supplied for
French, Belgian and German keyboards. They give ac cess
to the number keys without the need for Caps Lock, so that
users retain the option of single-key playback for the F1 –
F8 keyer messages.
If your keyboard does not display all the top-row n umbers
correctly (with Caps Lock off), try the FORCENUM
command. This is simpler than character mapping and it
guarantees numbers at all times – regardless of the status of
Shift and Caps Lock. FORCENUM is also appropriate for
non-UK/US keyboards (such as French) where Caps Loc k
must normally be enabled to access the top-row numb ers.
Whatever keyboard you’re using, even UK/US, should you
find that SD will not accept some characters, or displays
incorrect ones, use the SHOW command to indicate what
SD sees for each character, and to see the correspond ing 3-
digit ASCII code. Next, create or update SD.MAP with any
text editor. Each line in the file has two 3-digit ASCII
codes. They represent a mapping from the first char acter
(what SD “sees”) to the second (what you expected to see).
This is a low-level process, and no assumptions are made
about upper or lower case letters. Therefore, you should
map both versions of any letter.
Sample SD.MAP file – to exchange A and Q.
113 097 (q a)
081 065 (Q A)
097 113 (a q)
065 081 (A Q)
NOTE: Character mapping applies to logging, but no t to
the fields on SD ’s opening screens.
When a district multiplier file (. MLT ) contains non-English
characters, you may have to use the CODEPAGE command
to see them displayed correctly. For Norwegian cha racters,
set your code page to 865, and ensure you have sele cted a
TrueType font – see Starting SD on Page 4.
SKEDS and REMINDERS.
SD lets you record any event for which you would like a
reminder, and you can also record notes or memos fo r
reference after the contest. Use F7 , or enter SKED or
MEMO to create skeds, reminders and memos. This writes
a timed record to NAME.MMO , where NAME is the name of
your contest file.
The difference between a sked (or reminder) and a m emo is
that skeds include a time. For a memo, leave the ti me blank.
SD tracks your skeds and reminders and displays a one –
minute warning before the due time, and also during the
relevant 60-second period unless another sked is du e. F8
displays the next 7 scheduled events in a table tha t replaces
the Score window. Minus returns you to the Score window.
Minus can also be used to abandon data entry for a Sked.
You can use Skeds as a reminder to do backups (with
DUMP or BACKUP ), or to check for band openings, or
change operators, or fill the generator – anything you want! There's no need to include the time with such comme nts. If
you do enter a time, SD assumes you're recording a sked or
reminder.
BAND MAP.
Each time you log a QSO, or use Minus to delete a callsign
or abandon (wipe) a QSO, the callsign is recorded i n the
band map table.
There is usually no need to display this table dire ctly, but
F10 will do it! Scroll through the table with Up Arrow and
Down Arrow . To retrieve a highlighted entry (and set your
radio to that frequency and mode), press Enter (or F10 ).
Delete or Backspace will delete a highlighted entry. Any
other key will return to normal logging.
The Band Map saves time in identifying stations alr eady
worked or flagged as you tune up and down the bands .
With rig control enabled, calls appear when you tun e close
to (within the threshold) the recorded QSO frequenc ies.
The default threshold is 300 Hz, and may be changed with
the THRESHOLD command.
Calls already worked are shown in lower case. Call s not
worked (ones that you deleted from the logging line with
Minus) are highlighted.
When you log successive QSOs on the same frequency
(while running), only the most recent call logged o n that
frequency is shown when you next tune across the
frequency.
When you log successive QSOs with the same station, on
different bands, the second QSO is not stored in th e band
map table.
The band map feature is particularly useful in shor ter
contests, where many stations occupy a fixed "run"
frequency for most of the time – you know their "wo rked"
or "not worked" status without having to wait for t hem to
identify.
To retrieve the most recently stored entry, press F10 twice.
With rig control, and after a QSY by entering the n ew
frequency, this returns your radio to your original frequency
(and mode) – very handy after moving a multiplier s tation
to another band.
MULTIPLIERS.
There are only two basic types of multiplier in HF contests!
The first type is indicated by the exchange, for ex ample,
district multipliers such as zone, state, county or district.
For these, SD uses reference files with the .MLT extension.
For example, the multiplier file for RSGB contests is
RSGB.MLT – this contains a list of the standard UK district
codes and names.
The second multiplier type is derived directly from the
callsign, and it may represent a country, a zone, a district
within the country, or a prefix. These are “countr y”
multipliers . SD’s c ountry multiplier files have the .CTY
extension. The country multiplier file for most ARR L
contests is DXCC.CTY , and for RSGB contests it is
RSGB.CTY . Prefix multipliers do not need separate
reference files – they’re part of the callsign.
Some contests have both country and district multip liers.
In most cases, apart from CQWW, a single QSO cannot be
both a district and a country multiplier. In CQWW, SD is
12 the only contest logger to alert you to potential c ountry and
zone multipliers, in real-time as you type callsign prefixes,
with no need to leave the callsign field or touch a nother
key.
In contests with district multipliers, the multipli er window
appears in the top right of the screen. As you log QSOs,
this window shows the relevant districts worked and needed
on the current band. You can quickly check multipl iers for
other bands by using F1 and F2 (with Caps Lock off) to go
up and down the bands. Multipliers needed remain i n bold
type, whereas those worked are dimmed and appear in
lower-case.
To see the layout of .MLT files, refer to the Questions and
Answers section later in this manual.
There are 9 fields in each record of the country mu ltiplier
files ( .CTY ) – each separated by a colon and with semicolon
after the last field. Spacing between fields is no t critical,
but you must not omit any colons or the final semic olon.
I've kept the fields aligned vertically because it looks better.
You can edit the files with text editors such as No tepad. Do
not use “Word” or other word processors.
Field 1 Text description
Field 2 CQ Zone
Field 3 ITU Zone
Field 4 Continent
Field 5 Latitude
Field 6 Longitude
Field 7 Time difference
Field 8 Standard prefix.
Field 9 Standard and alternative prefixes and c alls.
Field 10 Island References – IOTA Contest only.
NAVIGATE THE LOG.
To see earlier log entries, use the following keys in the
Callsign field (which should be empty).
Up Arrow Back 1 QSO.
Down Arrow Forward 1 QSO.
To see all QSOs for a particular callsign – type th e callsign
and press F9 . Use this to find the QSO number or the serial
corresponding to a specific QSO, in the event that you want
to edit the QSO – enter the QSO number in the calls ign
field. If you press F9 when the Callsign field is empty,
you'll get the information for the most recent QSO (or Edit).
EDITING PREVIOUSLY LOGGED QSOs.
SD lets you edit any QSO in real-time. There are two
simple methods for getting to the one you want. Th e first is
to use Up-Arrow or Down-Arrow .
As an alternative, you can go directly to a QSO by typing
its number in the Callsign field followed by Enter . To find
the relevant QSO number(s), type the callsign followed by
F9 . Use Esc to clear the callsign. Note that if you enter a
number in the Callsign field followed by TAB , SD assumes
you've entered a partial callsign and takes you to the next
field (usually RST).
To move between fields, while editing, use TAB or Right
Arrow . With Up and Down Arrow , any changes are logged
to disk, and you are taken to corresponding fields in other
QSOs. If you change your mind, or get into trouble , you
can abandon an Edit with Minus .
SD' s editing facilities set it apart from all other co ntest
loggers – intelligent, real-time, full-screen editi ng on any
QSO in your ASCII log.
When you edit a callsign, SD examines all QSOs for dupes
and multipliers to be marked or unset, and instantl y updates
all relevant QSOs, and your score. In addition, the state,
zone or district on the edited QSO will be reflecte d in all
other QSOs with the callsign concerned. With the single
exception of prefix multipliers, you can edit any
combination of fields and everything will be kept
consistent, with all dupes, multipliers, and points correctly
recorded. Do this on SD , then try the same thing with any
other contest logger and see the difference for you rself.
Remember that edits take priority over previous log entries.
You can change the state/zone/district for all QSOs with a
specific station merely by editing any one such QSO . The
software prevents inconsistencies in your log, but may not
stop you from doing something wrong!
If you log a QSO in error, the ZAP command will delete it –
so long as you have not logged any subsequent QSOs. You
can ZAP repeatedly to delete every QSO in your log, if
necessary.
Once again, to delete individual earlier QSOs simpl y add /Z
to the callsign. This marks them for deletion – th ey will
disappear when you re-start SD , and your score will be
recalculated.
VOICE KEYER.
WAV sound files may be created with any Windows audio
utility program, and should be named F1.WAV to F8.WAV .
If your rig has an internal DVR (Digital Voice Recorder)
supporting external control, SD ’s DVR command lets you
use it directly – this is an integral component of rig control
using the corresponding .SD rig-control file. The options
are similar to SD 's CW keyer. With Caps Lock ON, press
F1 to play F1.WAV etc. With Num Lock Off, you can use
the numeric keypad to play messages. With DVR playback
enabled, Esc instantly stops playback.
Suggested message contents are:
F1 – your CQ.
F2 – your Call
F3 – Thanks + your Call.
ESM – Enter Sends Message – SSB:
When running, it's convenient to have your CQ and
exchange voice messages ( F1 and F3 ) play automatically
when you press Enter . Apostrophe toggles ESM . You'll
know it's On when "SSB", in the status line below t he
callsign field, is bright. In these circumstances Enter , with
no callsign, plays F1 . When you have typed the received
exchange, Enter plays F3 and logs the QSO.
If you try to play a non-existent or corrupt WAV file, you'll
get a Windows beep (error). To stop playback, play an
"empty" WAV file. The file must exist, otherwise you'll
hear a beep.
PTT is enabled and disabled with PTTON and PTTOFF . It
works in exactly the same way for both CW and SSB, and
uses the same serial or parallel ports. On SSB, whe n PTT is
enabled, you cannot abort voice keyer messages.
13 Use the STATUS command to see the status of PTT and
other comms parameters.
When you use apostrophe to enable ESM , PTT is enabled,
and remains enabled even when you toggle ESM Off.
EDIT BANDS – QSOs ALREADY LOGGED.
Without rig control, it’s easy to change band on-ai r but
forget to do it on the computer. To edit the band on a QSO,
move to it, as for an Edit, and then use F1 or F2 (Caps Lock
must be Off) as required.
With the exception of prefix multipliers, SD checks your
complete log for consistency and instantly updates any
relevant QSOs and displays the correct multipliers and
score, on both the old band and the new band. No o ther
contest logger does this .
QSO RATE METER.
This window gives the QSO rate per hour for your la st 10
QSOs, last 100 QSOs, and overall rate since the tim e of
your first QSO. The values are updated every 5 sec onds –
just to keep you on your toes!
With fewer than 10 or 100 QSOs, the figures relate to the
actual number of QSOs completed. They are accurate only
when real-time logging is selected for all QSOs. T o see
your previous rates at any stage of the contest, us e the
arrow keys to navigate through the log – it’s a goo d way to
find if you’ve broken any personal records for your Last-10
or Last-100 QSOs,
SD does not calculate off-periods, and rates may not be
accurate when they span off-periods.
Points/QSO value is shown for all contests with var iable
points, whether by band, mode or location.
CALLSIGN DATABASES.
The LOAD command allows you to load reference files with
the extension .LST . These files are typically membership
lists showing callsign, name and membership number, and
the information will be displayed whenever you ente r a
corresponding call.
You can use them (with the LOAD command) for lookup
either by callsign or by membership number.
For example, with –
EI5DI Paul 1905
1905 Paul EI5DI
If you type EI5DI, "Paul 1905" is displayed and if you type
1905, "Paul EI5DI" is displayed.
However, in the second case, if you then press Enter , the
callsign is extracted and placed in the callsign fi eld. For
this to work, the callsign must be the last or only field in the
record – apart from the membership number. This fe ature
is particularly useful in the FOC and CWops events.
Use a text editor to create your own reference file . Each
record may have up to 12 characters in the callsign and up
to 20 characters of other data. There must be at l east one
space between the end of the callsign and the data. The
record length may vary.
For the IOTA contest, it’s useful to add island ref erences to
your corresponding .LST records. On a callsign mat ch, the
references are extracted and placed in the received IOTA field on the logging line. This makes it easy to id entify
potential multipliers, using the lists of DXpeditio n callsigns
and island references published before each contest .
Three .LST files are distributed with SD , and automatically
loaded, as appropriate.
CWOPS.LST – CW Open and CWOps Mini Tests.
FOC.LST – FOC Marathon and FOC QSO Party.
RDA.LST – RDA Contest.
The UNLOAD command clears all callsign reference data
already loaded, and the SD_LOAD parameter in SD.INI .
LEAVING SD.
To leave the program, type END or QUIT in the Callsign
field. If you're using SD in post-contest mode, END and
QUIT may be entered in the Time field.
If your computer is connected to the internet, SD checks for
a later version and, if available, invites you to download it.
Also, SD emails its version number and the default DXCC
country prefix, from DXCC.CTY , corresponding to the
callsign used. This helps me to identify levels of use of SD
in each country. At most, a single email is genera ted for
each user per day, regardless of how often SD is ru n. No
personal information is included. Every third time SD is
run, your browser opens the donations page at ei5di.com ,
but not when you have a current key file in your in stallation
folder.
What happens if the power to the computer fails? SD
updates your log on disk immediately after logging or
editing each QSO. When power is restored, simply r estart
SD, go to the QSO entry screen and you’ll see the last QSO
logged immediately above the logging line.
BACKUPS.
All QSOs and edits are written to a separate audit (.AUD )
file in the same format as the .ALL file. The audit file is
opened in append mode, which means that new or edit ed
records are always written to the end of the file. As a
result, the .AUD files serve as very reliable backups, and as
references from which your log (the .ALL file) may be
recreated if necessary – a standard option in SDCHECK .
To backup your log, use the DUMP or BACKUP commands.
Your log (. ALL and audit .AUD ) files are copied to any
device you choose. In each case, the last letter of the file
extension is changed to B (for backup).
IOTA CONTEST.
SD uses SDIOTA.CTY to identify countries from callsign
prefixes and to list corresponding IOTA references. IOTA
references with lower-case continent abbreviations, for
example, eu005 (mainland Ireland) is the default IOTA
reference for the EI prefix. If the continent (eu) is in upper-
case, no default value will appear. You're free to edit these
as you prefer.
To check the multiplier status of a specific islan d on the
current band and mode, type its reference in the ca llsign
field – redundant zeros are not required. For exam ple, type
EU1 – if it's a multiplier, "M" appears above, and your
multiplier status for EU001 (Dodecanese) on all bands and
both modes, appears below. No other contest logger does
14 this. Add 2 to see your status for Shetlands EU012 , and add
3 for Scottish Coastal Islands EU123 .
Multiplier slots are highlighted. Use Esc or Minus to clear
the IOTA reference and multiplier analysis.
SD is unique in displaying all possible island refere nces, if
any, as calls and prefixes are typed. For example, G, on its
own, instantly shows all possible IOTA references f or
England, together with their multiplier status on t he current
band and mode. Add M to see the equivalent for Sco tland.
AFTER THE CONTEST – SDCHECK
Finally, you'll probably want to prepare your entry . Use
program SDCHECK , after the contest, to generate whatever
file(s) you need.
SDCHECK has the following options.
1. Entry File . Creates your Cabrillo .LOG file to be
submitted by email or disk. The .LOG file is the
only file needed with your entry.
2. Multiplier Summary . Lists multipliers by band –
not needed for Cabrillo disk entries.
3. Dupe Sheets . These are a legacy from the days of
paper entries. Nevertheless, they’re useful for
finding “broken” callsigns. This option is not
supported, and formatting errors will not be fixed.
4. Print File . Again, a legacy from the days of paper
entries, but you might like a printout to paste int o a
hard-copy station log. This option is not supported ,
and formatting errors will not be fixed.
5. Export Log as ADIF . Exports your log in
Amateur Data Interchange Format for integration
with your station log.
6. Export Log as Text . An alternative to ADIF , it’s
in CSV format with # as the delimiter, and can be
imported directly into Excel, or Access and other
databases.
7. QSO Rate Analysis . Gives an hourly analysis of
your log by QSOs, points and multipliers.
8. Restore .ALL File . Restores your .ALL file from
the .AUD audit file. Your original .ALL file is
saved to a .OLD copy.
SDCHECK generates a single .LOG file, in Cabrillo (ARRL
Standard File) format, which contains all Summary S heet
and QSO information. While running, you’re asked t o
input the Summary Sheet data one line at a time. Y ou can
move around the data fields with Up and Down Arrow.
If you use a general-purpose logger you can import ADIF
logs from SDCHECK and then generate QSL labels. ADIF is
Amateur Data Interchange Format
www.hosenose.com/adif.
COLOURS
Use the COLOUR (or COLOR ) commands to choose the
Window background colour, the Log (previous QSOs)
colour, the QSO entry colour, the Title text colour and the
background colour.
INITIALISATION FILE – SD.INI.
All your selected parameters, including the message s in the
memory keyer, are recorded in SD.INI .
Whenever you start SD, t he appropriate parameters are
applied. You can change them singly, using the sam e
commands as before, or use the command RESET to reset
them all to their default values.
If the .INI files are not present, or have been deleted for an y
reason, they will be re-created the next time you r un SD .
RESET does not change keyer messages.
Here’s a brief explanation of the parameters.
MSG1 to MSG8 Keyer memories, 1 to 8.
CONTEST Most recent log name.
VERSION The version used.
CWSSB Most recent mode.
BAND Band last used, 1=10m, 6=160m
CALL Your Callsign.
NAME Your Name.
ADD1-5 Your address – lines 1 to 5.
EMAIL Your email address.
CLUB Your club
LCTR Your 6-character locator
CODEPAGE Most recent code page.
CQZONE Your CQ Zone.
ITUZONE Your ITU Zone.
WPM Keyer speed – WPM
WEIGHT Keyer weight, default 50%
CALWIN Your PC’s keyer calibration factor.
KEYPORT1 Radio 1 keyer port. 0 if unused.
KETPORT2 Radio 2 keyer port. 0 if unused.
WINKEY 1 = WinKey, 0 = internal keyer.
WKBIT0 – 7 WinKey – internal control bits.
See WinKey manual for more info.
WKCOMP WinKey – all dots/dashes compensation.
WKEXTN WinKey – first-character extension.
WKRATIO WinKey – dot/dash ratio – default 50.
WKSWITCH WinKey – paddle switching point.
WKFARNS WinKey – Farnsworth WPM.
MINWPM WinKey – minimum WPM.
WPMRANGE WinKey – WPM range.
POTRANGE WinKey – 127 or 255.
PTTON 1 when Enabled.
PTTLEAD Lead time (ms), before keying.
PTTTAIL WinKey – PTT tail time (ms).
CQTIMER F1 (CQ) auto-repeat timer.
1-10 seconds.
RIGPORT1 Radio 1 control port – 0 when unused.
RIGPORT2 Radio 2 control port – 0 when unused.
SO2R Set to 1 when using 2 radios.
RADIO1 Radio 1 Name – uses corresponding . SD
Control File .
RADIO2 Radio 2 Name.
POLLTIME Time between polling signals (ms).
LINKTIME Your rig’s response time. Set to lowest
reliable value.
STEPFREQ Unused.
DATABITS Serial Comms – default is 8
STOPBIT1 Rig 1 – default value is 2
STOPBIT2 Rig 2 – default value is 2
PARITY Serial Comms – default is N (None)
TIMER Countdown timer (0-10) between
allowable band/mode changes.
15 TIMERTYP B-Band, M-Mode, BM Band/Mode
SAMERST If 1, sets previous RST Sent as default.
FORCENUM 1 to force numerals from top row,
regardless of state of Shift or Caps Lock
PRIORITY SD’s runtime priority – normally 0.
BPS1 Rig 1 BPS – default is 4800
BPS2 Rig 2 BPS – default is 4800
SCP Super Check Partial – using
MASTER.DTA . Default is 0 (Off).
Toggled with the SCP command.
MODE Mode last used. 0=CW, 1=SSB
AUTOINS 1 – Auto Insert mode enabled.
LOGENTER Log on Enter – default is 0 (Off)
RSTS RST Sent always 59(9) – default is Y
QTCCHAR Defines field terminator for QTCs.
AUDIT Additional audit to .TXT file.
CWSIDETONE WinKey – 1 indicates monitor On
CWSTART Defines callsign start character for F2
exchange message – with ESM enabled.
RUNRANGE Frequency limit for auto toggle to S&P.
CWZERO 5 characters = 019N0
1 – Character for non-leading zeros.
2 – Character for 1 (in serials)
3 – Character for 9 (in serials)
4 – Omit leading zeros. Y/N
5 – Serial Padding Factor 0 –5.
DISTUNIT K=kilometres, M=miles
LOAD Name of .LST names database loaded at
startup. Blank if None.
WINCLR Window background colour.
DESKCLR Desktop colour
LOGCLR Logged QSOs colour
QSOCLR Logging colour
TTLCLR Window Titles colour
PROGRAM and REFERENCE FILES
SDCHECK.EXE Post-contest program.
*.CTY Reference files for identifying country
and continent from callsign prefixes.
*.MLT District multiplier reference files.
*.SD Rig control files.
SD.INI Preset keyer messages and user
preferences. Created by running SD .
HELP.TXT HELP file – you can edit this yourself.
*.TPL Templates for individual contests.
TEMPLATE.TXT The template index file.
HISTORY.DOC History of updates and bug fixes.
EDITING THE .ALL FILE.
Your SD log is a plain text (ASCII) file – it looks simila r to
a Cabrillo log, and has a .ALL extension, for example
NAME.ALL – where NAME is the name you gave the contest
when you started the program. It holds all your QS O and
scoring information. You can edit the QSO records with
any text editor (NotePad is a good option – word pr ocessors
are not recommended), You should not edit the control
records – the ones before the QSO records. Make sur e to
keep all QSO columns aligned vertically – keep the
columns aligned, especially the markers at the end of each
line.
Take a copy of your contest files before attempting any
edits.
TEMPLATE FILES.
SD was developed initially with fixed, hard-coded, co ntest
options. Later, some of the options were expanded to let
users select their own country and district multipl ier files,
and to specify points by band, mode and continent. The
final step in the process has been to introduce sep arate
templates holding all the parameters for each conte st.
Template file names begin with “ Q” and have a .TPL suffix.
They are referenced from the TEMPLATE.TXT file – one
record for each contest, showing the name of the ev ent and
its template file.
The range of template parameters is continuously be ing
extended to support more contest types. You are fr ee to
experiment with your own templates. In general, yo u
should experiment only with those with Type 4, 9 or 10 as
the first parameter. However, there’s nothing to s top you
editing any template and observing the results.
TEMPLATE PARAMETERS.
SD makes use of individual templates (text files) for each
contest supported. Each template consists of multi ple
parameters which describe the scoring, the exchange , the
multiplier files and the requirements for Cabrillo logs. This
approach make it easy to support new events, and ru le
changes in existing events. The file TEMPLATE.TXT lists
all available templates – they have a .TPL extension. When
you start a new contest, SD displays the contents of
TEMPLATE.TXT so that you can choose the appropriate
template.
Users are invited to use templates as models for ot hers to
support new events. Make sure to give your new tem plate
file a .TPL extension, then add a record (with a name for the
contest and the name/prefix for the template file) to the
TEMPLATE.TXT file using a text editor such as NotePad.
Here is a summary of the parameters. They may appe ar in
any order, with the sole exception of the TYPE parameter
which must be first. You should not experiment wit h
templates other than Type 4, 9, 10 and 11.
OPTION: Associated with certain contest types – should
not be edited.
BONUSPOINTS: Has a value of 0 when normal multipliers
apply, otherwise it defines the score for each bonu s QSO.
CTYFILE: The file (.CTY) used to identify country
multipliers.
DUPETIME: Indicates the number of minutes after which
contacts with the same station/band/mode will not b e
flagged as dupes. Used in the LZ Open and Dnieper Cup
contests.
LOGSERIAL: Y means Serial Received is logged.
MAXBAND: Highest band allowed – 160 is “high”.
MINBAND: Lowest band allowed, where 10 is “low”.
MIXED: Y if mixed-mode operation is permitted.
MLTFILE: The file (.MLT) used to identify district
multipliers.
MODE: Defines the mode in single -mode events.
16 MULTSBOTH: Y if multipliers count separately on both
mode (in mixed-mode contests).
MULTSCOUNT: B, by Band – O, once only.
NON-AREA MULTS: Y when other countries, the ones that
don’t send a district or area code, count as multip liers.
NORST: Y when no reports are exchanged.
POINTS: The value of points of each QSO, regardless of
mode, band or location.
POINTSAREA: The value of points for all QSOs with
stations giving an area code as part of the exchang e (SD
Contest Type 10). When set to 0, points are assign ed in the
same way as QSOs with other stations – the ones not giving
an area code.
POINTSCW: QSO points for CW QSOs with own country,
own continent and other continent – all bands from 10m to
160m.
POINTSSSB: As above, but for SSB QSOs.
REPLACE_RST: For events (with no RST) in which a
district code, or anything else, is entered before a serial. In
effect, the district code replaces RST.
SCOREMULTS : Applies only to contests where serials
(only) are exchanged and mults do not apply. The o nly
valid value is "N".
SENDFIXED: Y when a fixed element is sent as part of the
exchange in every QSO.
FIXEDTEXT: The corresponding (to SENDFIXED ) on-
screen prompt.
FIXEDSIZE: The maximum size of the FIXEDTEXT field.
FIXEDLOCN: The screen position (column number) for the
start of the SENDFIXED data.
LEAVEBLANK: Y if the SENDFIXED field may be left
blank..
SENDSERIAL: Y means you send serials in this contest.
SINGLEBAND: 10m, 15m etc.
TIMES: Indicates the number of times each multiplier or
bonus (country or district) counts. When not speci fied, the
default is 1. In the template file for the Common wealth
Contest, TIMES is set to three – the first three QS Os with
each Commonwealth area count as bonuses.
TRUESERIAL: Y means that cut numbers (letters) will be
converted to numbers
TYPE: SD uses Contest Types 1 to 12 – these are for
internal use and should not be edited.
WORKBOTH: When Y, it’s OK to work the same station
on both modes (by band) without the second QSO coun ting
as a dupe.
QSOPARTY: When Y, callsigns ending in /M or /R are not
dupe-checked.
FAQs.
Q. I've got some QSOs in the .ALL file that I want to
delete. What do I do?
A. Use the ZAP command to delete the most recently
logged QSO. You can delete earlier individual QSOs in the
log by adding /ZAP (or just /Z ) to the callsign – they will
disappear the next time you load that contest log.
Q. What should I do if the program stops with some
strange error message?
A. Assuming there is room on your disk, try reloadi ng your
contest file. If you have time to examine the .ALL file,
check with NotePad that it appears to be formatted
correctly. If any record appears to be corrupt, co py it from
the .AUD file. You have the option, in SDCHECK , of
recreating your .ALL file (in full) from the audit .AUD file.
Error 7 Out of memory.
Error 14 Out of string space.
Error 57 Device I/O error.
Error 61 Disk full.
Error 68 Device unavailable.
Error 70 Disk is write protected.
Error 71 Disk drive not ready.
Error 72 Disk media error.
For contests controlled by templates with TYPE=4 or
TYPE=10 parameters, district codes are held in separate te xt
files corresponding to each contest type. You can edit the
multiplier files, using a text editor, to reflect a ny necessary
changes in existing contests and, more significantl y, you
can set up new files and templates to cater for oth er
contests. All you have to do is to use the same fo rmat as in
the existing MLT files.
This is a 1 to 5-character multiplier identifier (a lways the
same length for a particular contest, and trailing spaces are
allowed), followed by an equals "=" sign. You have the
option of adding a description of the multiplier af ter the
equals sign. You may have a maximum of 1000
multipliers.
CONTESTS SUPPORTED.
Templates are supplied for more that 200 contest op tions,
with frequent additions. If you would support for another
contest, please send me a link to the rules.
WAE Contest.
The QTC command lets you log QTCs (if you're in EU), or
send QTCs (if you're outside EU).
For sending QTCs, use the QTCCHAR command to define
your preference for the Enter, Tab, or Space keys t o send
the data in CW – Enter is the default option. To m ove from
one QTC to another, use the Up and Down Arrow keys.
You can repeat any QTC when it is highlighted. Whe n
finished, use Down Arrow on the last QTC – then con firm
the callsign and QTC sequence.
CW DEMOS – IMPRESS YOUR FRIENDS .
The DEMO command is useful when you want to prove to
anyone, or an audience, that Morse Code really does work.
WinKey must be connected. Ask a volunteer to type a
question – followed by Enter. The corresponding CW is
then sent at the default speed, and you can impress the
audience with your answer. They will all think it’ s magic,
and so it is.
THIS IS THE SMALL PRINT .
All SD users must accept this disclaimer of warranty.
SD is provided as is. You use it at your own risk. It is not
warranted to be bug-free. EI5DI reserves the right to add
modify or discontinue program features without noti ce or
obligation.
17 Please use the SD-User mailing to get help, to keep
informed about updates and bug fixes, and for infor mation
about using SD in upcoming contests.
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/SD-User
Known Bugs.
Following mode edits, on QSOs already logged in mix ed-
mode contests, there are no consistency checks for dupes or
multipliers. It’s not a problem, because SD rescores your
log each time it’s loaded. Rig control does away w ith this
problem.
In Type 6 (Prefix multipliers), no multiplier consi stency
checking is performed after callsign or band edits on
previously logged QSOs.
In CQWW and IARU HF, no zone checking is done
following callsign edits. When you edit a callsign , it's your
responsibility to edit the zone if necessary.
SD scores /AM and /MM callsigns according to the home
callsign. This may not be correct in all contests.
___________________________________________
The next page is the Feature Summary. Please experi ment
with them all, otherwise you will miss some of the features
that make SD so efficient.
SD Feature Summary – Commands apply to the Callsign field on the QSO log ging line.
LOGGING
Enter Accepts a completed field.
Space is an alternative (not recommended)
TAB Accepts a partial or completed field.
tab delays logging.
Esc Deletes or clears a single field.
A second Esc will restore it.
Minus Wipes a QSO (all fields) – adds data to the
Band Map .
F11 Wipes a QSO – no Band Map update.
F12 Enter, without any ESM message.
Home or [ (In a field) Move to start of the field.
End or ] (In a field) Move to end of the field.
Home Back 50 QSOs – in Edit mode.
End Forward 50 QSOs – in Edit mode.
Serials No serial received – enter 0
___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
BAND MAP
F10 Display Band Map
Up/Down Arrow Select entry
Enter or F10 Retrieve entry – Call, Freq, Mode
(removes entry from QM table)
Del or Backspace Delete highlighted entry
Esc Return to logging.
___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
WHEN WARNED OF A DUPE
To log it Complete the exchange.
else Press Minus to wipe the QSO.
___________________________________________________ _________________________________________________
SEARCHING & POUNCING
Full Stop Partial call search by suffix.
F9 List QSOs by Call
SCP Toggle Super Check Partial
F12 or = Enable SCP for current QSO only.
CHECK PARTIAL WINDOW
Up Arrow Move to window
Arrow Keys Move around the window
Enter Retrieve callsign
Esc Return to logging.
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EDITING LOGGED QSOs
Use Up/Down keys or enter QSO number.
Callsign + F9 gives QSO numbers
Use TAB between fields. ENTER when complete.
F1 Edit Band HF. (Caps Lock off)
F2 Edit Band LF. (Caps Lock off)
F3 Edit Mode . (Caps Lock off)
Minus Abandon Edit – leaves QSO unchanged.
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SKEDS, MEMOS and REMINDERS (Caps Lock off)
F7 Record them.
F8 Display them.
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KEYER
Ctrl or Alt-K Toggle Keyboard/Logging mode.
Page Up/Down Increase/Reduce speed
Left/Right Arrow Reduce/Increase Weight
Home Restore 50% weight
; (semicolon) Toggle 20% speed change (QRS)
Apostrophe Toggle ESM – Enter Sends Message.
Grave Accent Toggle RUN / S&P mode (ESM)
Memory Playback Options: (Esc or + to abandon)
F1 to F8 With Caps Lock ON ^
Alt-F1 to Alt-F8 With Caps Lock OFF
1 to 8 On Numeric keypad (Num Lock OFF)
Edit Keyer Memories: Shift-F1 to Shift-F8
Running: F1-F4 Search & Pounce: F5-F6
F1 TEST #R #R TEST F5 #R
F2 #C #T #S#E F6 #T #S#E
F3 TU #R#E F7 #T #P
F4 #C #T #S#E (dupe message) F8 ?
#R OwnCall #C Callsign logged
#T RST Sent #S Current serial
#P Previous serial. #N Name from .LST file
#E Simulates Enter #B Simulates Space Bar r
#1 1 – 9, increase speed – wpm
#-1 1 – 9, reduce speed – wpm
#0 Reset speed to normal
^ One half dot space
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MULTIPLIER ENQUIRIES (Caps Lock OFF)
F1/F2 District Mults – next band HF/LF
F3 District Mults – all bands.
F4 Countries worked/wanted by Continent.
F5 Countries worked/wanted by Band.
F6 Single country status by Band.
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COMMANDS (In the Callsign field while logging)
1B – 2B, etc List calls logged on 1 – 6 bands.
2R To define COM ports for second radio.
AB List calls logged on any band.
AI Toggle Auto Insert entry mode.
B10 , B15 etc Change Band – 10m, 15m etc.
BPS Set bits per second.
CAL IBRATE Calibrate CW speed.
COLOUR Change screen colours.
CQTIMER / CQT Set time between repeat CQs.
CW SSB Change Mode.
CWREVERSE Toggle the rig’s CW “sideband”.
CWSTART Set position for auto-start in ESM.
CODEPAGE Defines the default code page.
DATABITS Set databits parameter.
DUMP Backup log.
DVR Enable DVR message playback.
END or QUIT Leave the program.
EXPAND Toggles expanded desktop for SCP.
F11 – F12 Change Bands – Up and Down.
FORCE NUM Forces numbers from top-row keys.
HELP Displays Help Window – HELP.TXT
KEYPORT Set CW port – internal or WinKey
LINK Toggle rig comms link on/off.
LINKTIME (LT) Set your rig’s response time – ms.
LOAD Load LST files.
LOGONENTER Toggle Log on Enter.
MEMO Enter memo – same as F7 .
OFF/POST Post-contest logging.
ON/REAL Real-time logging.
PARITY Set parity parameter.
POLLTIME (PT) Set Rig Polling interval – ms
PRIORITY Toggle between 0 and 1 levels.
Quotes – “ Repeat previous callsign.
QTC Log or Send QTCs in WAE .
RESET Reset comms/colours/ports.
RIGPORT Set rig-control port.
RST Toggle variable RST Sent.
SETDUPE Reset dupe and mult checking.
SHOW Show input characters – diagnostic.
SHOWTIME Toggles Operating Time display.
SIDETONE Toggles sidetone (WinKey only).
SKED Enter sked – same as F7 .
STATUS Display user parameters.
STOPBITS Set stopbits parameter.
SUPER or SCP Toggle Super Check Partial.
TESTRIG or TR Send Control Sequence to Rig.
X Swap sideband – CW & SSB.
ZAP Delete previous QSO.
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