Using Macro Express

Using Macro Express with Writelog

I have been using a nifty WIN95 ultilty for several RTTY contests with my single op-2rig-1computer setup that lets me do the actions of CQing and Running with single key presses on the Numeric Keypad of a standard PC. I can hit the most common keys with the thumb of my mouse hand while my left is on the RIT of the radio, like this:

I used some keys for a second rig (whose VFO is directly above the mouse hand) but Hunt & Pounce exchanges on the second rig are made with the standard PF keys 7&8, although you may want to include them in the Numerical Keypad. With the second rig, the hands reverse tasks with the right doing the VFO and the left the keyboard. Some detail on what is on the Numerical Keypad:

When things are going well, the run frequency is handled by simply clicking on the callsign, pushing "!st" with the thumb, clicking on the response, and then pushing "Log & QRZ". The left hand is on the RIT of RIG 1 as RTTY tuning is super critical. The screen of my Writelog RTTY setup is click here . Some unusual keys are:

"MAP" (click a callsign on the 2nd Rig and push MAP .. it is entered on the Bandmap and the focus is returned to Rig 1, less than a second);

"BUFF" (brings up the buffers/macros for editing things like the requested QSY freqs );

"CQS" for dueling CQ's on two rigs .. for example, with RIG 2 active, pressing it sends a short CQ on Rig2 and immediately switches the focus to Rig 1 where an exchange is made with a station there as soon as the RIG 2 CQ stops or it is pressed again and a CQ goes out on RIG 1 and the focus shifted back to RIG 2 to look for a response to the first CQ. You defintely want the "Single Transmitter Lockout" turned on for this! )

Here is what is entered into each key:

Hot Key: KeyPad *     Hot Key: KeyPad 4               Hot Key: KeyPad 1

Name: Wipe            Name: MAP                       Name: CQ

Text: {ALT}w          Text: {ALT}ya{ALT}w{UP ARROW}   Text: {SHIFT}{F11}



Hot Key: KeyPad +     Hot Key: KeyPad 5               Hot Key: KeyPad 2

Name: Log & QRZ?      Name: TNC                       Name: CQ CQ

Text: {F3}{ENTER}     Text: {UP ARROW}                Text: {F11}



Hot Key: KeyPad -     Hot Key: KeyPad 6               Hot Key: KeyPad 8

Name: 1ST             Name: Clear Field               Name: Edit Buffers

Text: {F10}           Text: {CTRL}w                   Text: {ALT}PC



Hot Key: KeyPad /     Hot Key: KeyPad 7               Hot Key: KeyPad 9

Name: KILL            Name: Txmit                     Name: delete last

Text: {ESC}           Text: {ALT}k                    Text: {ALT}EUY

These are precisely the commands you would use to to do it manually. The menu for adding and changing hot keys has several ways of capturing or changing what you want the keys to do:

If I click on the "MAP" key and then "Modify Directly", the details of the key are revealed and a menu is ready for us to change things:

"<alt>ya" actually maps it .. "<alt>w" wipes it from the entry window, and "<UP ARROW>" puts us back to
the Entry window we were in before clicking the callsign. That's about 5 keyclicks (that I probably would
not bother with) replaced with one. Just as importantly, it is far easier to remember how to do it.

Macros/Buffers that cause transmission must also be installed on the regular PF keys or existing Writelog Hotkey as Writelog does not allow you to directly control the TNC or include keywords like %D.

There are many other options with Macro Express .. a compact table can be made with significant Icons which act like hot keys when mouse clicked; keys can be told to work only when a certain window is open; macros can be recorded by following your keystokes (or mouse clicks ! ) when trial running an action; saving the macros as say WRITELOG and then starting another set for NETSCAPE, etc; far more major features than I have explored. Turning off NUM LOCK returns the keys to the normal arrows, DEL, etc temporarily; the Macro Express Icon is in the System Tray and clicking on it gives full access.

The selected actions will be quite different for SSB, CW, and 1-Rig or multi-station, of course. I don't know of a good keyboard macro utility for the Numeric Keypad for DOS programs so Writelog has an advantage here. Macro Express has a very complete Home Page with tutorials and applications on:

http://www.macroexpress.com/index.htm

There is a 30 day free trial of the full version. With thousands invested in the rig, this $30 utility will let you use it more efficiently. It works better than my $150 programmable 144 key keyboard in the Writelog application. The time saved just trying to remember a key combination late at night is worth points. It also makes some boring things like Bandmapping practical. The author was very helpful and frank in answering my questions before I bought it.

73 de Dick 20 Jan 99