0.5.x Release Notes

0.5.6 2009.05.06

New Features

Added Florida QSO Party.

Added CQ World Wide WPX Contest. Includes callsign parsing to extract prefix. Help is needed to find holes in the parser logic.

Added contest name at the top right in the Log window. Thanks W2RU.

When parsing exchange to determine domestic multiplier code, first look at last two characters, then first two characters. Append a space to force use of the first two characters.

Shift-F1 now turns on beacon mode and starts the CQ message.

Modified Make Log Active (Cmd-L) behavior to always move focus to the callsign field of the current log. Previously was bringing the log window forward but not focusing a text entry field when no text entry field was focused when the window itself lost focus.

Revised validation behavior: do not post error alerts when data entry fields lose focus. Do post error alerts when return is pressed (to create a log entry) -- and don't create the log entry.

Misfeatures Fixed

Prevent strlen crasher in code taken from hamlib. Thanks KH6CW.

Cleaned up WinKeyer open/close processing. May have fixed garbage CW sent when SL quits.

Fixed bug: WinKeyer Weight setting had no effect.

Disabled standalone settings and other not-applicable items for WinKeyer embedded in microHAM devices.

Searched in vain for solution to Mac OS Kernel panic caused by unplugging WinKeyer while SL is using it. Contacted the driver manufacturer support group. Work-around: don't pull the USB plug to a WinKeyer while SL is running.

Searched in vain for cause of crash when choosing Open Recent in the File menu. The menu item remains disabled.

Corrected NEQP In NE duplicate rule to include matching on received exchange, so that WA1Z/M in ROCHH isn't a dupe of WA1Z/M in BELNH.

Corrected NEQP In NE multiplier rule to correctly disambiguate PA, OK, etc., and to correctly handle DX callsigns operating in domestic regions, such as KH2AR/4.

Repair duplicate identification in NEQP In NE. Was sometimes marking both QSOs of a pair as dupes. Also was failing to mark same call in different states outside NE as a dupe.

Removed spurious # character in the serial number field.

Corrected spelling of MIchigan in the states multiplier database.

Fix fragility in Cabrillo export when exchange field had too many characters (more than 6). Thanks KH6CW.

Detect and remove RS(T) in QSO sent and received exchange fields when preparing Cabrillo and ADIF output. Thanks KH6CW.

Fixed ADIF export. Thanks KH6CW.

Made Multiplier and Prefix columns in Log table not editable. Thanks WA1Z.

0.5.5 2009.04.18

New Features

Added callsign to the top line in the QSO Information panel.

Added support for WinKeyers embedded inside microHAM devices; specifically, microKEYERs and CW Keyers. This requires first installing the W7AY µH Router application, homepage.mac.com—index.html. The feature hasn't been tested very thoroughly, but it does work properly with an old microKEYER containing a version 9 WinKeyer. In particular:

Misfeatures Fixed

The QSO Information panel wasn't clearing previously populated cells when showing info for a new call where there were no QSOs for those cells.

0.5.4 2009.04.14

New Features

Added support for Yuri Gagarin Contest and Georgia QSO Party, and documented (for myself) how to do this. It's not hard as long as the multiplier scheme and the exchange are uncomplicated.

Added Keyboard Shortcuts item to the Help menu.

Added "multipliers" to Generic QSO Party contest type, where the last component of a space-separated exchange is assumed to name a multiplier.

Updated the URL for K5ZD super check partial file update. Updated the built-in SCP file.

Removed email feedback and check-for-update features; they were poorly implemented and not all that important given the current user base.

Misfeatures Fixed

SCP and cty.dat verison displays weren't updating after download.

New Known Problems

Grabbing a non-split spot when RIT is on and offset is not zero puts the radio in split mode. Work-around: don't use RIT when grabbing spots.

Something is sometimes causing a crash as a side-effect of choosing the Open Recent… item in the File menu. I've disabled that item until I can find the problem. Trying to locate this bug led to quite a bit of code bashing, which has likely introduced other problems. Let me know if anything seems odd.

0.5.3 2009.04.07

New Features

Added Send Feedback and Check for Updates items to the About menu.

Added Release Notes and Frequently Asked Questions items to the Help menu.

Added SSB column to QSO Information window and cleaned up appearance.

Misfeatures Fixed

The previous release introduced a bug that incorrectly flagged all QSOs that were not multipliers as dupes when rebuilding a log. Rebuilding happens, for example, when a QSO is edited, or a log is reopened.

Acknowledge and Log command when His Call field was empty caused a "Call needs at least three characters" alert. This was happening for example, when the command was invoked to send the Ack message after already logging a QSO by pressing return.

Fine-tuned appearance and selection behavior in Summary window.

Scrubbed code for more consistent style, just in case somebody else wants to see it. In particular, remove use of dot notation for accessing properties.

Generalized code that choses which ContestRules subclass to instantiate given a contest name. Previously used a switch statement, which is a sure sign of not-object-oriented thinking.

Updated old code for singleton pattern to the new Apple-recommended implementation.

0.5.2 2009.04.04

New Features

Edit CW message labels in the Log Settings dialog. Labels are shown on the relevant Keyer menu items. The labels apply to all logs.

Always send at least three digits in CW serial numbers.

Cut Serial Numbers check box in WinKeyer Settings now affects how SkookumLogger sends 9 and Ø in its own serial numbers (as well as the WinKeyer standalone serial numbers).

SkookumLogger now supports the Polish DX Contest for outside-Poland entries.

SkookumLogger now has a generic Summary display, opened via the Summary item of the Log menu. The panel shows QSO (sans duplicates) and multiplier counts for each band-mode, and total for each column. It does not compute a score.

Duplicate QSOs are recorded in logs with a special string in the Multiplier field.

Suspect calls are flagged in the status field and recorded in logs with a special string in the Multiplier field. Presently, a call is declared suspect if the cty.dat logic cannot determine its DX entity. For example, VYOA and B0GUS are suspect, while PIRATE is not.

The definition of “band edge” for handling all-digit entries in the His Call field that are smaller than 1000 has been changed back to 1800 for 160m and 3500 for 80m. So, to set the radio to 3519, for example, type 19 when the radio is already on 80m.

0.5.1 2009.04.01

New Features

WinKeyer standalone mode settings now can be managed in the WinKeyer USB Settings window. This feature is intended to eliminate the need for WKMGR for Macintosh users. Set up the parameters and messages as you like, then press the Write to keyer button. The WinKeyer message store is limited to a total of 232 characters; if you overflow that limit SkookumLogger will truncate messages as needed.

Three parameters apply only to standalone mode: Command Speed, Enable Message Break, and Cut Serial Numbers. Note that there is no provision by the WinKeyer for computer control of the serial number value.

Added three WinKeyer settings: Farnsworth Speed, Enable CW 1 Keying, and Enable CW 2 Keying.

Improved the tooltips for all WinKeyer settings. Hover over the label for a setting to see its tooltip.

Misfeatures Fixed

Revised application startup logic so that automatic connects to radio and/or keyer happen after the log window is opened. Previously, a connection failure prevented log window opening, and inserted an extra Help menu.

Corrected logic that was preventing CW message play when SkookumLogger started up with no radio connection. All CW keyer functions should now work whether or not a radio connection is active. If the radio is connected and set to a SSB mode, then SkookumLogger will send DVR messages, not CW messages.

Squished a bug that caused an “Incomplete call” alert when you typed 0 (zero) into the His Call field and pressed return. This sets the radio to the lower band edge.

Known Problems

Sometimes SkookumLogger sends a few garbage characters while quitting.

Unplugging the cable to a WinKeyer USB while SkookumLogger is running can cause a kernel panic. The problem appears to be in the third-party USB driver, which I cannot work-around, so don’t unplug!

It is safe to plug in a WinKeyer while SkookumLogger is running. If the added port was used as a WinKeyer connection previously, SkookumLogger will automatically try to connect to it. When the connection succeeds, the speed pot settings (minimum and range) are incorrect. To work around this one, toggle Keyboard Mode on and off.

0.5.0 2009.03.27

First public release.