I am evaluating the N3FJP products to determine whether to purchase the package and use N3FJP for general logging and contests.? I have a couple of questions so far that I was hoping to get answers for here.? This posting is lengthy because I'm trying to be thorough in providing information on my station and what I've seen during this evaluation.
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1)? I first installed ACLog and used the program - I like it!? I then downloaded a contest (ARRL Int'l. DX Contest), and discovered that it installs as a separate program from ACLog.? Do all of the various contests install as separate programs, resulting in a list of ACLog + contests under the Windows Start menu folder for "N3FJP Software - Affirmatech"?? Do users keep these various contest programs after the contest is over, or do they save away the contact information (ADIF, Cabrillo or some other means) and then delete the completed contest program?
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2)? I have a question regarding Comport utilization.??Here is my station setup:
- Elecraft KX3 transceiver and KXPA100 amplifier.? I utilize the full Elecraft integration between the rig and amp;
- 2013 Macbook Pro (Intel based) running Windows 10 HE through Boot Camp (I have no desire in subscribing to Parallels).? The MBP has a single USB Serial Port;
- External SoundBlaster sound card for "Line In" communication usage;
- Win4K3 Suite for rig interface/control using the single MBP USB Serial Port - Very happy with this with no plans to abandon it;
- com0com Virtual Comport software
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I first loaded ACLog and created/used a pair of com0com virtual ports to link ACLog with Win4K3.? This required using one of the Win4K3 Aux/CAT Ports in the 3rd Party HW/SW tab of Win4K3 Settings to assign one of the comport pair to Win4K3.? In ACLog I used the Rig Interface Setup to connect to the "Elecraft" rig through the other comport of the pair.? Communication seems to work fine for frequency, band, and mode across the KX3, Win4K3 and ACLog.
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Later, I loaded and opened the ARRL Int'l DX Contest program.? I found that I could not use the same pair of virtual comports that I used with ACLog.? I created a new pair of virtual ports, ran through the same setup steps as I did with ACLog, and again communication seems to work fine.? However I had to use another of the Win4K3 Aux/CAT Ports in the 3rd Party HW/SW tab of Win4K3 Settings to assign one of the comport pair created for the contest program to Win4K3.? There are a total of 6 Aux/CAT Ports available.? I'm curious how users handle this with the multiple N3FJP contest programs?
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So to summarize my questions:
1)? How do users manage/retain the multiple N3FJP programs (ACLog + multiple contests)?
2)? Regarding Win4K3, how do users manage the 6 available Aux/CAT Ports for assigning comports with the multiple separate N3FJP logging programs?
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My thanks to anyone willing to read this entire post and provide useful feedback.?
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73's,
Ralph, KG8ZY
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