Re: tlf comments after CQP

[jim smith]

Hi Drew,

Thanks for your input.  I also had questions about how to get tlf set
up for this contest.  In the end, I made a multiplier file with all the
counties, and added a format line to cabrillo.fmt line.  It wouldn't
score the mults during the contest, but wrote them correctly in the
cabrillo file, which is all I was really concerned with.

I love tlf, and am woking on using it for SO2R.  Basically, I'll have a
computer hooked up to each radio, but send the xterm of one to the
other so they're both on the same monitor.

73, Jim KK0U

On Sun, 4 Oct 2020 23:23:24 +0000
Drew Arnett <arnett.drew@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi,
> 
> I used TLF for the CQP (California QSO Party) yesterday from San Diego
> county.  (Debian stable tlf package version 1.3.2-1)
> 
> Worked fairly well.  Would be nice to have 2 entry boxes to tab
> between for serial and qth (mult) instead of one, but it was workable.
> 
> I used an initial file which held QTH (mult) as well as super partial.
> The only thing that wasn't so hot was that when I'd enter the serial
> (and made sure QTH sent matched the initial), sometimes it would
> revert the serial to blank or to the serial it had prefilled from
> earlier QSO when I used ESM to finish the Q.  Not sure on the details
> of how and why, yet.  Haven't played with it at home after the event
> to better understand.
> 
> So, that's the feedback.
> 
> I love TLF.  Love using it from linux console.  I was running QRP off
> of battery all day long.  I didn't want to run a laptop off the
> battery as well at 40 or 80 W.  That just seems like a mismatch.  So,
> setup a Raspberry Pi 2 B which was the lowest power consumption model
> from what I could find.  Used the official Pi display & case.
> 
> Peripherals were:
> Elecraft's USB serial adapter for CAT
> Winkeyer USB
> generic USB to PS/2 adapter with old IBM model M keyboard
> NO MOUSE!  :-)
> 
> 12 to 5V was using Powerwerx USB Buddy.  (I hoped it would be RFI
> free.)
> 
> On the bench, this drew 0.4 A off of a bench 13.8 V supply.  Wow, nice
> match with a 5 W QRP rig!
> 
> Linux console, default font, and a cardboard box for a sunshield.
> Glare wasn't bad unless my light t-shirt was lit up by the sun.  (I
> was trying to stay in the shade.)
> 
> And, the model M with it's curly PS/2 cable, still is prone to RF on
> 40m.  I had to use a snap on ferrite choke for 40m even QRP.
> 
> I actually prepped a folder with tlf config files and database files
> and pywinkeyerdaemon ahead of time on a regular PC.  Checked it out,
> make a git repot, and then copied onto the Pi.  Nice.
> 
> Best regards,
> 
> Drew
> n7da
>