AmateurRadio.com

My work station and my assistant...sleeping.

I find as most do that as you get older somethings get harder to remember! It's like that for me with ham radio at times bouncing from CW to the different digital modes can be a memory game.
Some of my memory games are:
1. Removing cables from a piece of equipment thinking I have a photographic memory....only when it       comes time to re-connect the picture is blank!
2. Running  digital software and an issue comes up.....I know its happened before and it's a easy fix if I could only remember the dam fix!
3. When software is not playing well together and it's a com port issue....I will be darned if I can remember what com port goes where!
4. A real good one for me is  some of my software share the same virtual comports it's always a brain teaser to figure out what software can and can't work together!
It was now time to address the above issues the Easter weekend was here and I have some extra time on my hands.

Murphy strikes

To solve the first issue was very straight forward but again I just could not seem to put aside the time. I got out my label machine and labeled the cables and also wrote out on a document what goes where. There has been some very frustrating times with my Elecraft kX3 trying the digital modes and it's not working. After checking everything (and I mean EVERYTHING) I simply plugged one of the interfacing cables into the wrong jack on the KX3.

Starting the labeling

To deal with the 2nd issue I now have a document going over the settings and  common problems I have had and the fix for them. One issue I have had in the past was with Fldigi, I start the program up and hit transmit to check my ALC level. Instead of getting a solid 4 bars the ALC is pulsing from 2 bars to 5 bars. The simple fix (when I remembered) is for some reason my transmit is on the edge of the digi mode band. This causes the funky ALC reading. The fix is to  just move your transmit to more centre on the band and your good to go.
Ah yes the 3rd issue....the comport circus! I have found that software does have a mind of it's own and I have had on occasion comports get changed around. So now I have a master list of what comport is for what software.
Finally number 4.......for rig control software I use Win4k3suite and you have available up to 4 virtual  comports. Thats fine if you only have 4 programs you would like to use along side Win4k3suite. As for me I have a few more than just 4 programs mind you Im not using them all at the same time but you have to be aware to not run 2 programs that share the same virtual comports.....or.....things will just not work. To help me out I made a list of what programs and their virtual comports.