[LOGic] Digital operating with Logic (long)

[Wesley Cosand]

I have used Logic for my logging for at least 15 years primarily because  I 
want to be able to take extensive notes during a QSO and then to have them 
immediately available during the next QSO with the same station. I find 
that necessary to be able to really get to know the other party over 
time.  So I make a lot of use of both the Bio and the Notes field.  I do a 
lot of digital operating and I often cut paragraphs from the received text 
and paste it into the logging program.



But digital operating is simpler with other packages that integrate digital 
mode software with a logging program.  So every few years I go on a 
campaign to see what else is available.  This week I spent hours working 
with the DXLabs / DXKeeper package but I finally decided that it  would not 
meet my needs.  (I never did figure out how to export Logics Bio field.)



I would be very interested in how other hams use Logic for RTTY 
operating.  For years I kept Logic plus digital operating software open on 
my computer at the same time.  In the DOS days, I think I may have used two 
computers simultaneously for Logic and AEA PK-RATT.  I eventually spent 
money for a HAL ST-8000 but because it speaks Baudot to the COM port I 
plugged it into my PK-232 as an external modem.  Then I had to plug the 
PK-232 into the COM port and I communicated with the PK-232 using the Logic 
terminal facility.  But operating the PK-232 in the dumb terminal mode was 
"clunky" even with a third party keyboard macro program like Keyboard 
Express.   Eventually Hal brought out a Windows RTTY software package that 
spoke Baudot to the hardware (like Writelog also does) so I removed the 
PK-232 from  the system and once again had Logic and my digital system 
entirely separate.



But when Dennis introduced the Hamscope interface to Logic, I was seduced 
by the ease with which I could enter the other stations call, etc, into the 
log from the incoming text.  The only problem was that the entire 
installation was problematical.  Software would freeze at the most 
inopportune times.  I thought that the Logic / MixW installation might be 
more robust and as MixW became more popular I felt that any bugs in the 
software would be rapidly fixed.  That was a couple years ago and I still 
have problems.  I have tried the configuration with the radio and rotor 
interfaced to Logic, then moved them to MixW, and recently I have moved 
them back to Logic.  But although software components continue to freeze up 
at times, the biggest problem I experience is with MixW overwriting logging 
entries in Logic.  On Saturday morning I often work a string of European 
RTTY stations and I often spend almost as much time going back and 
repairing the Logic log from the MixW receive text file as I did making the 
contacts.  I am certain these are largely attributable to operator error 
but suffice it to say the installation gets very complicated.



I usually have good computer equipment so I am not limited by hardware.  I 
am using USB to COM converters that seem to work well.  I am surprised how 
many CPU cycles are consumed each time Logic reads data from the Orion so I 
usually have it update only once every 10 seconds.  I usually have 
Microsofts Encarta Atlas open since I consider it an extremely valuable ham 
tool.  And I may also have IE open to the QRZ site and the Logic telnet and 
spot collector tools running on dual monitors.  But I am using only a 
fairly modest fraction of the computers resources.



So folks, how are you setting up Logic for digital operations?  What have 
you found to be an effective software environment?  After many years I dont 
have a satisfactory solution.  After 15 years I am back to running both 
Logic and MixW without the interconnection and manually typing all of the 
information into Logic.  That is where started years ago in DOS except now 
there is only one keyboard!

Wes, WZ7I