Ever since I bought my first PC in 1994 I have been searching for a good log program för general logging. As my interest has moved in the direction of higher and higher frequencies, the need for other pieces of software has also increased. DX-cluster operation, database lookup, condition monitors and such things need to be accessible at the same time as band and mode selections should be available to the logging software.
Even though I am a professional software developer (I get paid to do it) I have always considered writing a complete logging software as a too big undertaking. The more experience I have gotten in the field the more convinced about this fact I have become. Since I do develop things in my spare time partly for the fun of it and partly for the challange and to learn new techniques I have become more interested in what I can do without taking on something that would occupy all my spare time for the next two decades.
As I have evaluated other radio amateurs very nice pieces of work I have collected a number of Ideas. These ideas are based on both what I have seen implemented, and what I have seen as missing. Some things I have come to think about has apparently also popped up in other developers heads since I have seen some show up in new software.
Another inspirational source is my work, even if the software I construct during daytime has a totally different different audience. Despite the different users work have given me a possiblity to pick up knowledge about techniques such as XML and HLA that can either be used directly or in some "lite" versions.
As always when constructing software one should start to define some requirements that are the drivers of the development. This is a first cut list of the requirements I have for the software I have been looking for but not yet found.
In addition to the requirements listed here there are naturally a whole load of requirements regarding the type of information that needs to be recorded, how interaction with a DX cluster is done, how the loggernet protocol looks and so on. When / If I find time to elaborate further on this project I might set up a proper requirements database and list all such requirements.
To proove to myself and others that my concept work I have created a number of applications that communicate using distributed objects. These applications are far from useable yet and I cannot even guarantee that they will execute on any other computer than mine. That is since I think I have hard coded some serial port numbers and IP stuff. Anyway, if you want to see it you can so far download the zip file below. It contains four exe files. (For windows)
From time to time I am working on these applications to make them more useable as not even I use them for the moment other than for demos. Whenever I make an update I will try to update the download aswell.
Hamtalq download (exe files only). Last app. update 2005-01-16
The work I will have to do next is to improve the protocol for object updates so that I will more closely follow when I have in mind above. When I do that I will also have the possibility to fill this page with more information and the the applications will be working slightly better.
There is a logtalq.exe application on my hard disc. This however relies on interbase and is not very useable for the moment. I will have to upgrade this application aswell in order to present it here. That would make my suite of applications sort of complete for the moment.
The next application to implement would be a band-switch
application with transverter interfacing. That application would
have two modes, internal and external switch.
In the internal switch mode it would provide buttons for desired
band and send data to a com port for an external actuator which do
the electrical switching.
The external mode would listen to a com port and receive
information from an external switch about currently selected band
for those that prefer a physical switch for band change.
The common objects provided would be used by kwtalq to send correct
frequency information in the VFO objects.
After this I might implement a virtual keyboard using a graphics tablet. I have one of these old calcomp MM1812 tablets that would fit nicely into ham radio by providing a way to control just about everything with it's key. I will fill you in if I ever get around to do this.
AALog is a suite of software that seems to integrate into each other dynamically. There is however one thing that I really don't like. Where is the specification of the protocol? If the protocol is not specified, how should anyone have the possibility to plug their own software into AALOG?
DXTelnet is a kind of a driver software for connecting to DX clusters in several ways, for instance via a TNC and Radio or on the internet using telnet. Integration from several log softwares exist. I really don't see a big problem with this one as I have not tested it.
Omni-rig is a driver software for different types of radios. I have not been able to get it working on my computer. Looks interesting though since it creates a common interface to all radios independent of make and model. The biggest drawback, and not a small one, is that it uses Microsoft COM for its interface, which is not much supported on Linux and Mac.
The one software that tries to do it all....