[Dx4win] Bandmap - Observations

[Hal Kennedy]

Thanks for the private emails regarding bandmap issues, particularly on 
six meters.  Here is the info I should have provided:
Rigs:  FTdx5000, FT1000MP, FT857 - all do the same thing.
Version 8.03.  I have run 8.05 at times however and it does the same thing.
Yes - box at bottom of bandmap is checked "follow the radio"
Polling rate - was 100 mS, but tried 500 mS and 1000 mS....all the same; 
just slower
Computer: WIN2KNT, approx 2GHz early Pentium - with nothing else 
loaded.  Runs WRITELOG and N1MM fine, both of their bandmaps work fine.
Connected or not connected to a packett node - no difference.
I have the FT5K on COM1 and the 1000MP on Com2.  DX4WIN lets you switch 
back and forth.  Both do the same thing when selected.
The correct frequency is always displayed in the QSO entry box and at 
the top of the bandmap - the program is receiving the radio's frequency 
just fine.

What I see:

First, the bandmap is programmed to start and end at the ham band 
edges.  It does not go into general coverage areas - no loss there, but 
it creates a problem I had not noticed before I started digging this 
morning.    That problem goes as follows:  On any band, if the bottom of 
the bandmap, by chance, is within about 5 KHz of the bottom of the band, 
the bandmap will not jump lower to show you the bottom if you tune 
there.  Example:  If the bandmap bottom edge is 7005 and you tune 
between 7000 and 7004.99 you never see the arrow - the bandmap wont make 
the final jump down if it will have to display frequencies below 7000 to 
do it.  I didn't look at the top of the bandmap, but I suspect its the 
same.  If it happens to land at 7295 and you tune above 7295 you will 
likely lose the arrow and not see the spots up there.  I see this as one 
problem that's worth addressing, as I need to see the spots in the 
bottom 10 KHz of the band and at times the bandmap won't go that low.  
Using the slider on the right hand side can take you there.

The bandmap appears to be programed to make approx 10 KHz jumps, or go 
back to the middle of the bandmap, whichever is smaller.   Some 
examples:  If the resolution of the bandmap is very high - say 10 KHz 
covers the entire map - then moving off an edge makes the map jump such 
that the arrow is back at the center.  If however, the resolution is 
low, say the map is showing 50 KHz of the band, then moving off an edge 
will make the map jump such that the arrow is now 10 KHz off the edge, 
not re-centered.   I can live with this, but it would be nice if it 
always re-centered.   My best suggestion is below.

Back to my original problem.  The bandmap seems to work fine (except for 
the above) from 160 through 20M.  On 17, 15, 12, and 10 it is 
intermittent in following the radio - even though the frequency at the 
top of the bandmap always reads correctly.  Sometimes the map will jump 
properly to show the arrow as you move off an edge, sometimes it won't.  
This is not the "too close to the edge" issue I mentioned above - it 
happens anywhere in the band and at any resolution.  On six meters it 
almost never works.  Just moving to six meters the bandmap will be 
wherever it was last on six and not show the arrow.  I can use the 
slider to find it, but tuning off an edge, the bandmap seldom jumps to 
keep up - although on rare occasion it will.   Having the band full of 
spots or empty makes no difference.

I have heard I'm not the only one who has this issue although others 
report everything works fine.  I could try another computer next I guess.

If the bandmap code is going to be changed to be able to see the bottom 
10 no matter what, then I'd suggest the best way to make it work is as 
WRITELOG does it and I believe N1MM as well.  The arrow is always 
centered.  The bandmap always moves as the radio moves. That way you can 
always see up and down by the same amount. Resetting the hard-limit 
edges to 20 KHz above and below the band - slightly into general 
coverage territory, would fix the inability to see the bottom 10 at times.

I'm open to suggestions....

73
Hal
N4GG