[Dx4win] DX4WIN freezes

[Ernie Howard]

I brought this up a few months ago to see if anyone else was 
experiencing the same problem. A couple of people responded to me. So 
far I don't have a resolution. This appears to be a bug in DX4Win or the 
rig file for the Yaesu FT-950.

What has been happening is that DX4WIN, when configured to link up to a 
Yaesu FT-950, experiences a freezing every 3+ seconds for about 1.5+ 
seconds (poll rate 500 ms). This causes serious problems when attempting 
to run CW with the keyer interface, as well as problems with clicking on 
anything in DX4WIN. If I change the poll rate to 5000 ms, the period 
between freezes goes to about 5 seconds. And if I set poll rate to 10000 
ms, the time between freezes is 10 seconds.

If I am typing or even clicking on the Fkeys in the CW window, it will 
freeze sending (or response) every 3+ seconds for 1.5+ seconds (poll 
rate 500 ms). Very annoying to have my sending pause in the middle of a 
word!

Another example where I see this is to go to the DX spots window and 
press the up/down arrow keys fast to move up and down the list of spots. 
The highlighted spot will move up the page for 3+ seconds and then pause 
for 1.5+ seconds. Menu action during this 1.5 second pause will freeze too.

At the exact time this freeze happens, taskmanager shows CPU load of 50% 
on one of my computers and about 30% on another.

I am running DX4Win 8.05. The main computer is a newer Dell  running 
Windows XP SP3. I have also tried a new laptop running Windows 7. I have 
tried connecting using standard RS-232 connections and a USB to RS-232 
adapter (FTDI chip).

I have tried different CAT speeds, polling rates and comm port settings 
but nothing fixes it.

I do not have this problem with any other radio, including a Kenwood 
950-SD and Icom 706. And I never had this problem when I used my Yaesu 
FT-920 that I sold last summer.

I have also used the same computers and FT-950 with Ham Radio Deluxe. 
HRD is always immediately responsive, with no problems at all. I have 
also used N3FJP contest software with no freezing problems.

My only solution to this problem so far has been to run DX4Win with the 
radio stopped when I want to send CW with it.

Can anybody help with this problem?

Ernie W8EH