Menu:Options

Menu:Options

Load contest at startup

Options | Load contest at startup
Enables or disables the automatic loading of the last contest file in use. This command is useful to get on line again quickly if - for some reason - Win-Test crashed or you had to quit the Win-Test in the middle of the contest.

If you like to switch to another file, close this file using File | Close an then File | Open menu dialog.

Automatic backup...

Options | Automatic backup...
This function enables or disables the automatic backup of the .wtb file to another location, e.g. network drive or removable media like an USB stick. You can choose an automatic backup interval between 1 and 120 minutes. If a backup fails, your are prompted if you wish to disable the backup.

Optionally a different (time-stamped) filename will be used for every new backup file (actually a good idea for backing up to a network drive!).

If the option "Always notify..." is ticked, an informal message will be displayed at the bottom of the screen after a backup run has finished.

Setting up Automatic Backup

Here is some additional advice:

• Backups are processed in a separate thread, meaning that you will not even notice that a backup is in progress! No slowdown, no keyboard blocking etc...

• Of course, it makes sense to backup to a different volume than your "working" drive. This avoids loss of everything if your hard disk fails. Do not smile... It happens, sometimes! (ARRL SSB 2002 FY5KE, IIRC!)

• Once you entered the last QSO, for safety, generate your Cabrillo log(s) before exiting. A simple "MAKELOG" command opens the appropriate dialog.

• In all cases, always make a copy of a file when you want to use/test/modify it. Always keep a backup, never use the original! If you have FTP access somewhere, copy the file there as soon as possible! If your computer crashes, you still will have a safe copy.

Call me paranoid, but believe me, you need to loose some day a very big chunk of data to understand the importance of backups!

Disable log synchronization on network

Options | Disable log synchronization on network
If checked, automatic log synchronization over the network (in multi/op environments) is disabled. May be useful under certain circumstances.

CW

Options | CW
This menu item allows you to control different aspects of CW operation. It is enabled only when the selected operating mode is CW. (otherwise it is greyed out)

No sound

Options | CW | No sound
If checked, no CW sound will be played through the internal speaker. This option is also available through the SOUND/NOSOUND text commands.

Note for some new Laptop

In some new generation Laptop, it is necessary to enable the PC Speaker in the BIOS to have it to work properly.

Moreover, with some Sound system, you have also to enable the PC Speaker in the "Volume Control". Here how to do it:

• double click on the Speaker icon in the system tray
• then menu Option | Properties, and search for the PC Speaker Volume Control and enable it.
• then set the Volume slide rule to appropriate sound level.

Unfortunately, it is also possible that recent Laptop doesn't support PC Speaker anymore... :(

Initial Speed

Options | CW | Initial Speed
Sets the initial CW speed for new files.

Modify standard messages

Options | CW | Modify standard messages
The place to change the CW messages, both for Run and S&P mode. To access this screen quickly, use the text command MESSAGES or MSGS.

Modifying CW messages; you may also edit the memories one by one using Shift+F1, Shift+F2 etc.

Please have a look at the list of message variables you can use in the CW memories to control different aspects of the operation.

The Options tab of this window lets you redefine the $QSOB4 macro. The only variable that can be used in this field is $MYCALL, e.g. "QSO $MYCALL TEST".

It also allows enabling the Sprint Exchange logic -- a feature used in the Sprint contests to signal to a listening station that you will take over the frequency after the QSO. When checked, pressing Insert sends the "Run Message" if the logged serial field is blank (e.g. Insert (Run) = $LOGGEDCALL $MYCALL $F2), and the "Search & Pounce Message" if the logged serial field is not blank (e.g. Insert (S&P) = $LOGGEDCALL $F2 $MYCALL).

CW messages options.

Modify additional messages

Options | CW | Modify additional messages
The place to create or modify additional CW messages which can be accessed using Alt-C. These memories can be used for transmitting QSL information, special greetings, QSY/sked information. It also defines the macros $MSG1 to $MSG12 that may optionally be used as part of any standard CW message.

Additional CW messages that may be used occasionally like QSL info etc.

Serial number

Options | CW | Serial number
The leading zeros below 100 can be (or not) keyed by Win-Test, depending on the chosen option.

Similarly, there are 5 possible abbreviation levels for the serial numbers :

• Not abbreviated
• Half abbreviated : leading zeros are replaced by T.
• Abbreviated : The 0 and the 9 are shortened in T and N.
• Pro : The 0, 1, 4, 5 and 9 are shortened to T, A, V, E and N.
• Custom - there is a custom table. so each number can be shortened to a letter of your choice. Have fun!

By the way, this option affects serial numbers only, but never numbers in callsigns.

Correction

Options | CW | Correction
Controls the value of the $CORRECT variable. See message variables for more information.

Shortened spaces (CT spaces)

Options | CW | Shortened spaces (CT spaces)
The standard spacing between CW words is 7 dits length, instead of 6 (known as "CT space"). With this option you can set it back to 6 dits if you want, achieving slightly shorter spacing between words. You can also use the new text commands CTSPACE and NOCTSPACE to set or reset it.

Auto sending...

Options | CW | Auto sending...
This allows to automatically start sending the [Insert] message after some characters are entered in the callsign field.

Configuring Auto sending

Hitting [Escape] when CW Auto Sending is enabled and the radio is on receive will disable Auto Sending for the current QSO. When you hit [Escape] during transmit will only stop the current transmission but not change the Auto Sending settings.

TODO: There is one other statement in the release notes, which I do not comprehend "...or if the caret is not in the callsign field.". Larry?

RTTY

Options | RTTY
This menu item allows you to setup the standard and additional messages for RTTY operation. It is enabled only when the selected operating mode is RTTY. (otherwise it is greyed out)

Modify standard messages

Options | RTTY | Modify standard messages
The place to change the RTTY messages.

Modifying RTTY standard messages; you may also edit them one by one using Shift+F1, Shift+F2 etc.

Please have a look at the list of Message Variables you can use in the RTTY memories to control different aspects of the operation.

Modify additional messages

Options | RTTY | Modify additional messages
The place to create or modify additional RTTY messages which can be accessed using Alt-C. These memories can be used for transmitting QSL information, special greetings, QSY/sked information, ...

Additional RTTY messages that may be used occasionally like QSL info, greetings, etc.

Since version 3.8.6. the Message Variables can also be used within these additional messages.

Frequency Offsets

This function is mainly used for a VHF/UHF/SHF setup involving a transverter. An HF radio tuned on 28 MHz is used as the user front-end which drives the transverter for 144 MHz or 432 MHz. Or a 144 MHz transceiver is used to drive a transverter to 5.7 and 10 GHz.

The point is that Win-Test only sees the frequency of the front-end. For example it would find the radio tuned to 28 MHz and simply ignore its frequency read-out when set up for a VHF/UHF contest. Likewise, the radio would ignore commands to tune to 144.054 from Win-Test because it is a HF transceiver that only knows 1.8-30 MHz. This is where the frequency offset feature comes in handy. It allows you to specify a frequency (in kHz) that will be added to any frequency read from the radio and subtracted from any frequency command that goes to the radio.

In other words, assume the frequency offset is set at 116000 kHz. The radio is tuned to 28054 kHz. Now Win-Test "sees" the radio at 144054 kHz, because the offset is added. Likewise, when the user clicks on a packet spot on 144088, Win-Test sends the radio to 28088 because the offset is subtracted.

This way, Win-Test gives you great flexibility to enter one offset per band per radio.

Frequency Offset allows you to use a transverter with Win-Test

Configure interfaces...

Options | Configure interfaces...
All the interfaces you wish to use with Win-Test can be parametered by using this dialog box.

Interface Configuration

Serial Ports

The serial ports can be used for the network (with crossed cables), for a connection to a packet radio controller, or for a RS232 radio interface. In that last case, you must specify what transceiver you are using. You also need to verify the port configuration:

Serial port configuration

The DTR(4)/RTS(7) pins can be controlled as

• Handshake
• PTT
• CW
• Always on
• Always off
• Active radio

Note: The pin numbering applies to a standard DB9 connector.

Transceivers

This region of the interfaces configuration window lets you select the type of transceiver for radio 1 and 2 plus various settings like polling, polling rate (actually, delay before polling the radio again after the previous sequence) and if the ICOM specific CI-V feature is to be used or not. By the way, when you use an ICOM radio with an address different from factory settings, please see WT.INI

Printer Ports

The parallel ports can only be used to interface the CW output from Win-Test via a classical interface. You just need to specify, in the dialog box, which radio is connected to the parallel port. More, the delay between the PTT command and the effective CW transmission is adjustable between 0 (QSK) to 1000 ms.

Parallel port configuration

Ethernet

The Ethernet interface is used by the Win-Test's local area network, in a multi-operating environment. If needed, you can change the broadcast address and the port number used. If you ignore the meaning of these terms, note that there should normally be no need to modify the default values given by Win-Test. See Networking for more information.

Network Protocol Advanced Settings

Under the Network Protocol Advanced Settings dialog you will find a way to restrict network traffic in a very specific way. CAUTION: Modifications to the default settings must be considered with an extreme attention. It is reserved for very particular configurations or purposes, mainly used by expert users. You're on your own!

Network Protocol Advanced Settings allows you to fine-tune your network traffic

Some pre-set typical configurations are available:

• Silent time master: Can be used if the computer is used to *only* distribute an accurate clock. It will not appear in the status window of the other networked computers.Note that no QSO will be recorded on (and sent from) this machine with this setting.

• Silent backup: Can be used if the computer is *only* used for this purpose. It will not appear in the status window of the other networked computers.

• Packet sharing: Can be used if stations are networked with different callsigns, do not want a common log, but want to share a commun packet stream. Can be used for several co-located single OP stations on VHF/UHF for example.

• Silent log rebuilding: Can be used if you need to rebuild from scratch a complete log from networked stations, without appearing in the status wnd of the other networked computers.

Note that in all settings, the station will be visible in the network with an INVENTORY command.

Voice Keyer

At last, if your computer has an embedded sound card, you can select and use it as a digital voice keyer by checking the appropriate box.

If you want to use a third-party software to record or modify voice messages, be sure to use the following file format : WAV, PCM, 8000 Hz sampling frequency, 1 channel (mono) and 16 bits per sample.

WinKey configuration...

Options | Winkey configuration...
TODO WinKey configuration

EZMaster configuration...

Options | EZMaster configuration...

Advanced SO2R mode and setting up scenarios requires external SO2R control equipment of the last generation, communicating with Win-Test via a USB port.

This menu option enables the user to configure five different option for EZMaster to work with Win-test:

CW Keyer

Internal EZMaster CW Keyer (tick Enable WinKey Box) or Win-Test keyer (do not tick box).

Radio set-up

In the image below find configuration for FT1000MP

Antenna configuration according to RX/TX

RTTY configuration...

Options | RTTY configuration...
This menu entry opens the control box for RTTY configuration.
Please refer to the RTTY chapter for all the details.

Log

Options | Log
Allows you to change the display of the log entry area (the last 9 QSOs plus the current QSO entry line). You may select font size, colors, headings and so on.

It is also possible to hide the QSO number column, to save space with a redundant information.

When selecting Stay in field when moving up and down in the log, the cursor will for example stay in the report field, when pressing the Up or Down cursor key instead of jumping into the callsign field.

Spot Warnings

When this option is enabled, the DX cluster spots are briefly displayed (as soon as they arrive), in the line under below the log entry line. You can choose to display only the spots of the current band and/or the new multipliers, as well as your own callsign (good to know when you're being spotted!). And of course you may want to hide dupes and invalid callsigns.

DX Cluster

Options | DX Cluster

DX Cluster window shortcuts

This option controls the syntax of the DX-cluster used (DX Spider vs. AK1A, DXNet, etc.) and the count of spots and solar information requested by using the buttons in the DX cluster window.

Start/stop wtDxTelnet automatically

When wtDxTelnet is installed in the Win-Test directory, this option allows you to start and stop this application from within Win-Test or start and stop it automatically when Win-Test is launched.

Starting and stopping wtDxTelnet from Win-test

HamCAP

Options | HamCAP

With this menu option you can configure the way Win-Test will integrate with HamCAP (by VE3NEA).
You can select if you want to see immediately the HamCAP window, as soon as you call for it with the shortcut Ctrl-P, or if you want it to calculate in background and you will recall the propagation forecast window later.

Option In Background

It is just a matter of taste and of how big is your monitor screen: if you have plenty of room, maybe you don't care to leave it in background (In background option checked), but in a visible part of the screen, so you don't loose the keyboard focus from the WT main window; otherwise you will see immediately HamCAP (In background option unchecked), and so you'll need to regain the focus with a mouse click.

HamCAP in foreground

Then you need to setup which HamCAP tab you want to see first.

Option In Background

The most useful are the Charts or the Map tab, which are those that give the propagation information, while the others, namely Params, Settings, and Antennas, are useful in the HamCAP itself setup phase.

See HamCAP in this manual for more details on the setup phase.

Then you have to setup in which way HamCAP has to deal with Solar figures (SSN, SFI, A and K indexes).
(See Menu Windows Solar_Activity in this manual).

HamCAP has at least three different modes of operation:

• stand-alone
• in cooperation with IonoProbe (by VE3NEA)
• feeded by a calling application (Win-Test)

Option Solar indexes passing

So, at this time, you should check one of the following options:

• None, if you don't want, or need, Win-Test to pass any data to HamCAP, which will be working in stand-alone mode or in cooperation with IonoProbe;
• WWV only, or WCY only, if you want Win-Test to pass the corresponding Solar figures, if present, to HamCAP;
• All, and then choose Priority, if you want to try to use both figures and Win-Test to pass the prioritized one in case both data are present.

WAEDC

Options | WAEDC
Special option for the Worked All Europe DX Contest. This menu item is only visible when WAEDC Contest is selected.

For more information about Win-Test and WAEDC see WAEDC.

Data files

Options | Data Files

Through this section you will be enabled to select four more different options in the pop-up menu as shown in the following picture.

Selecting Options Data files section

Country files...

Options | Data Files | Country files...
This option controls which CTY file to use. There are three to select from. You can even start an immediate download from the www.win-test.com web site.

Selecting the appropriate CTY file

Default extra data files...

Options | Data Files | Default extra data files...
This option will allow to select which EXTRA files WT will use to show specific information (like operator's name, IOTA reeferences, club member names, etc.) in the Extra Information window (see Menu:Windows Extra Information for more details). When selecting this option a window will pop-up where you can check the files you need. You can see an example in the following picture.

Selecting the Extra data files

Markers files...

Options | Data Files | Markers files...
This option will allow to select which Markers files WT will use to show the relevant information in the BandMap. Please refer to the description of the band map's context menu for detailed information on these files. When selecting this option a window will pop up where you can check the files you wish to display information from. You can see an example in the following picture.

Selecting the Markers files

Segments files...

Options | Data Files | Segments files...
This option will allow to select which segments files WT will use to show the relevant information in the BandMap. Please refer to the description of the band map's context menu for detailed information on these files. When selecting this option a window will pop up where you can check the files you wish to activate. You can see an example in the following picture.

Selecting the Segments files

Bandplans...

Options | Bandplans...
A flexible and powerful band plan management allows you to specify band boundaries on a permanent basis depending on the mode of operation. We all know, that on 40 m CW, the band goes up to 7100; on RTTY, the band goes from well below 7030 to 7100 etc. etc. Since Win-Test tries to filter incoming DX spots by frequency, this is the way to have Win-Test make the correct decision to drop the spot or display it as needed DX.

The Band Plan Manager window

Different band plans can be saved and re-loaded at a later time. It's smart to create a band plan for SSB, another for CW, yet another one for 160 CW etc.

Windows

Options | Windows
The child windows of the application can either be included in the main Win-Test window, or floating, thus allowing the Windows desktop or other running software to remain visible. Please remember that, depending on your computer and/or operating system capabilities, you can have Win-Test windows on more than one screen.

See Positioning Windows for a practical example.

Toolbar

Options | Toolbar
If this option is checked, the Icons toobar is displayed below the menu.

Icon toolbar

Refer to the Icon bar chapter for a detailed explanation of all the pictorial symbols.

Language

Options | Language
It is possible to choose the language of the Win-Test user interface. Currently supported languages are English, French and German.

Selecting the Language

Win-Test has to restart when the language is switched.

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