[Ham-Mac] Contents of Ham-Mac digest, Vol 112, Issue 1 - can FLDIGI upload QSOs directly to LoTW?

[Mark Cohen]

Interesting discussion!

To be perfectly honest, I've tried both MLDX as well as FLDIGI. 

I chose to go with Aether. 

Here's why : 

While I like FLDIGI for its abilities, in my experience, it wasn't a very "mac" experience. In fact, I think it is tailor made for Linux and gnome/kde.. The design/fonts are fairly low tech. It does appeal to the knob/button pusher in all of us though.

Here is a link to the FLDIGI osx png : http://www.w1hkj.com/images/OS-X.png

My experience with MLDX is a little different. I was an early adopter, but had way too many problems with the program crashing and freezing while trying to do rig control. When I approached Don about these problems (being a paid user) my experience was less than wonderful. (Basically the "It works for me" kind of response).. Then with the paid upgrades, I decided that with my previous experience, it wasn't worth it to me. 

Now, I found Aether, and I'm very happy with this product.. Sure, it doesn't have all of the bells and whistles of MLDX with the pretty graphics and such, but setup took about 5 minutes and have not a single problem controlling my IC-706 MKIIG. No crashes, no hangs, etc.. It also handles LoTW and eQSL beautifully.  

To me, Aether is a very "mac" experience.

As a side note, I'm a hardcore linux/solaris/hp-ux kind of guy (25 years as a Unix Systems Admin) and far from a mac newbie.

So, while I hope I don't get blamed for libel here, and I have no hard feelings for Don or his software. I believe that a free market economy where software designers are in competition for your dollars is a good thing, and I'd love to see FLDIGI and MKDX improve.

73, de K6EF 

On May 11, 2013, at 4:58 PM, Dave Wright <hfradiopro at gmail.com> wrote:

> On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 5:58 PM, Don Agro <dagro at dogparksoftware.com> wrote:
> 
> "Please check your facts before you libel our product or deal with the
> consequences."
> 
> Don,
> 
> Interesting way to dealing with your critics...especially since your
> response simply supported my comments.
> 
> I took the rest of my response the other night off-the-list to avoid
> creating any hate and discontent and to give time for you and I both to
> cool down; unlike yourself who decided to cross-post your response to the
> MLDX mailing list as well.
> 
> I do want EVERYONE to know, as I stated in my review on eHam, that I really
> do respect MLDX and the work that Don has done and the excellent support he
> does provide.
> 
> However, I do NOT appreciate being threatened with "libel" when every statement
> I made was true. As far as my review of MLDX on eHam.net goes; it is a
> review, it is my opinion, and I stand by it from the perspective of MY ham
> radio needs.
> 
> As I told you in my email to you personally, if you can convincingly
> demonstrate where I have said something that isn't true here or in my
> review, I will update my review and will issue a public apology here. As a
> reminder, my comments here were related to
> 
> 1) MLDX does not automatically import logs from Fldigi, like RUMlog.
> 
> 2) MLDX does not offer one-click upload/download of LoTW/eQSL like RUMlog
> or Aether.
> 
> 
> 
> 73
> 
> Dave
> K3DCW
> www.k3dcw.net
> 
> "Real radio bounces off the sky"
> 
> Dave
> K3DCW
> www.k3dcw.net
> 
> "Real radio bounces off the sky"
> 
> 
> On Thu, May 9, 2013 at 5:58 PM, Don Agro <dagro at dogparksoftware.com> wrote:
> 
>> Dave,
>> 
>> On 2013-05-09, at 5:32 PM, "Dave Wright" <hfradiopro at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> with MLDX being the only major Mac logbook program that doesn't play well
>> with Fldigi and LoTW.
>> 
>> 
>> That is quite a load of misinformation for one email, but with your nasty
>> comments on eHam it comes as no surprise.
>> 
>> Please check your facts before you libel our product or deal with the
>> consequences.
>> 
>> 
>> We make it very easy for anyone to interface with MacLoggerDX.
>> 
>> MacLoggerDX has been a standard Apple scriptable app since Version 5.0 was
>> released.
>> 
>> MacLoggerDX supports an open and documented AppleScript interface for
>> logging which cocoaModem integrates with seamlessly and has done so for
>> some years now.
>> 
>> AppleScript is the standard for Mac interprocess communication and it is
>> not surprising that *fldigi* does not yet provide this since it is a
>> ported application rather than a native Mac application but hopefully they
>> will in the future.
>> 
>> SInce the interface is open and documented there is absolutely nothing to
>> stop them from doing so.
>> 
>> This is the entire script that cocoaModem uses to lookup and log a QSO...
>> 
>> *tell* *application* "cocoaModem 2.0"
>> *set* cocoaModemCall *to* *get* qsoCall
>> *end* *tell*
>> 
>> *tell* *application* "MacLoggerDX"
>> *lookup* cocoaModemCall
>> *delay* (1)
>> *log* cocoaModemCall
>> *end* *tell*
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> *
>> How do I upload my LoTW, ClubLog and eQSL QSOs?MacLoggerDX supports LoTW
>> and eQSL with Ham standard ADIF files. QSO's can be exported by ADIF,
>> signed (using the ARRL supplied applications) and uploaded to LoTW.
>> MacLoggerDX also uses LoTW and eQSL ADIF confirmation files to update the
>> QSL received status of your logged QSOs (See the *Confirm QSOs with ADIF
>> File...* Menu command under the *Log* Menu). There is also a user script
>> written by Kevin Williams (WM4J) in the MacLoggerDX Yahoo Group File
>> section which automates the upload and confirmation processes:
>> 
>> http://groups.yahoo.com/group/macloggerdx/message/4872
>> 
>> The new version is in the "Files" section - *"DQSLManager_v0.06.2.zip"* and
>> the setup instructions are in the readme file included in the zip archive.
>> 
>> *
>> *
>> 
>> 
>> 73 de VE3VRW Don Agro
>> 
>> 
>> 
> ______________________________________________________________
> Ham-Mac mailing list
> Home: http://mailman.qth.net/mailman/listinfo/ham-mac
> Help: http://mailman.qth.net/mmfaq.htm
> Post: mailto:Ham-Mac at mailman.qth.net
> 
> This list hosted by: http://www.qsl.net
> Please help support this email list: http://www.qsl.net/donate.html