[MacLoggerContest] SO2R features

[Jack Brindle]

First - can the list "mom" change the reply setting so that replies  
automatically go to the list? At least that's my request.

On Feb 7, 2005, at 11:27 AM, Jonathan G0DVJ wrote:

> SO2R was in my original posting on the other list and I was leaving it  
> for a future thread here.   But over the weekend I saw an interesting  
> post from CT1BOH on the CQ-Contest mailing list about SO2R on the PC  
> and so I wanted to bring it to the table here and earlier now that  
> Jack has raised the topic.   In the same way that Don's other software  
> often allows various add-on devices to be used to control things (e.g.  
> SarTek rotor controller), we should consider when a contest feature  
> would be best achieved by having a MacLoggerContest (MLC) that is  
> compatible / designed to work with the best external units that are  
> out there for things that us contest ops need that don't need to be  
> directly implemented by the software itself.

SO2R in a contest program is not just about working with external  
controllers but far more about how the radios are represented and  
handled. There are fundamental items such as how a radio's controls are  
displayed, its band map, etc. Even more, how exchange data is input and  
tagged to a specific radio (and thus its band/frequency).  How this is  
presented to the user is something that needs to be understood up front  
and properly architected. The big problem with doing this is that it  
takes someone who is really comfortable with SO2R operation to be able  
to say how things should be done. Unfortunately different ops do things  
their own way, and there really is no commonly accepted way of handling  
and displaying SO2R information yet.

Having said that, once a proper framework is in place, it actually  
becomes relatively easy to enhance the user experience with various  
additions and external controllers as well as making subtle changes in  
the UI. One other benefit is that a program architected for SO2R is  
very readily useful in SO1R operation. In fact going to SO2R really  
involves just plugging in a second radio.

Is there anyone on the list who is deeply into SO2R and would like to  
comment on how they would like to have things done?

While talking fundamentals, it would be interesting to hear Don's take  
on handling different radio types. I only have to worry about a K2, but  
that doesn't help the folks with other radios... ;-) Plug-in  
architecture, maybe?

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
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