Hi All,

Thanks so much for your great enthusiasm and kind words on last week's release of Amateur Contact Log 7.0! Kimberly, Chris and I really appreciate it!

For those of you who missed last week's announcement detailing our direct WSJT-X integration, support for the 13 Colonies event and more, with lots of details and setup information, you will find that here.

We knew that you would really enjoy having the WSJT-X direct connect integration into Field Day, VHF and other contest logs that use the FT modes too, so we have been working hard on that as well. As a result...

The following contest program upgrades are now available!

ARRL RTTY Roundup 3.9 (which also supports FT Roundup)
CQ WPX 4.9 (not WSJT-X applicable, but you can enjoy the rest of the enhancements in next week's CQ WPX CW contest)
Field Day Log 6.6
VHF Log 6.6
World Wide Digi DX 1.2

You will find all the details on directly connecting these programs with WSJT-X here.

In addition to the WSJT direct connect feature, which will also display duplicates in red, right on the WSJT-X Band Activity list, etc., these programs also include many of the features you've already been enjoying in the recent releases of Amateur Contact Log including:

- Font scaling based on manual form height changes of main form.
- Frequency Privileges form enhanced to show current frequency and DX spots.
- Winkeyer settings now saved along with your other CW settings when you click the Save Settings button.
- Winkeyer: Use _ to merge characters and | to add a small amount of space between characters.
- RI: commands in F1 now can be programmed with loop delay.
- You can now toggle most rigs from transmit to receive with Ctrl + Shift + A.

Lord willing, we plan to release upgrades for the rest of the contest programs with these new features within the next few months.

As always, upgrades are free to registered users. If you are currently running the last released version, it should detect the new upgrade and offer to retrieve it on start, but if you have any problem, or you are running an older version, you can install the latest from the specific program's download link on n3fjp.com (you should not have to uninstall your previous version).

Amateur Contact Log 7.0.1 Now Available!

Immediately after releasing Amateur Contact Log 7.0 last week, along with the great feedback, we received lots of requests for two features related to the WSJT-X decode coloring including:

- A color for AC Log Watch List decodes (displayed with a black background and different foreground, depending on duplicate status).

- The ability to control what defines a decoded needed entity (new, new on band, new on mode or new on band and mode) based on your selection in Settings > New Contact & QSL Alert Options.

Not only have we accommodated both of those requests in AC Log 7.0.1, you can also optionally set an audio alert that will let you know when a call sign in your Watch List is decoded. That way, rather than staring at the screen, waiting for that rare, juicy DXPexpedition callsign to appear, AC Log will let you know the moment WSJT-X decodes it! After you click Settings > Application Program Interface and check the Listen for WSJT check box, just click the Configure button to enable audio alerts and customize the colors that will appear in WSJT-X.

We also corrected the circumstance in which grids were sometimes appearing with the purple color, indicating they were needed, when they had already been confirmed.

Also, immediately after releasing AC Log 7.0, the 13 Colonies folks contacted us to let us know that there will be an additional bonus station from France this year. If TM13COL (TM1 on the display) is not appearing in your 13 Colonies display (View > 13 Colonies), just click File > Download Country Files from AD1C and that form will update as well.

As always, AC Log upgrades are free to registered users. If you are currently running AC Log 6.8 or later, it should detect the new upgrade and offer to retrieve it on start, but if you have any problem with the automatic upgrade, or you are running a version prior to 6.8, you can install AC Log 7.0.1 from here (you should not have to uninstall your previous version).

A Couple Notes on Field Day!

- Field Day Log 6.6 is the last planned release before Field Day, so please go ahead and install it now. Please do not wait until the week of Field Day to get set up!!!

- If you are operating in the Delta class, be sure that Settings > Enable Delta Station Scoring Waiver is checked, so that you can log and score other Delta stations properly per ARRL rules.

- If you can't find your Field Day password, please e-mail us direct now and we will be happy to look it up for you, but please do not wait until the week of Field Day!

If your club is planning to operate from your individual homes this year, please review these tips for enjoying the event together virtually, using our free Club Score Processor and other on line tools.

If your club is gathering together, you plan to use a network for Field Day and haven't already done so, it's time to get all the PCs you'll be using together and make sure your network is all set. Complete details on networking my Field Day software using both File Share and TCP methods are here.

Please take a little time well before the contest, get your PCs together and your network up and running. As always, problems easily solved in a relaxed atmosphere can seem insurmountable when the clock is ticking!

Whether you are a contester or not, please get on the air and make some Field Day contacts!

As we approach Field Day weekend, groups from all over the continent will be making final preparations, getting equipment, generators, food, rigs and computers together, antennas airborne, coordinating operating schedules and all the little things that make Field Day go. In many cases they will be on the air for many hours, striving to both show off the amazing hobby of Amateur Radio and turn in a competitive score. It is a huge amount of fun and a heck of a lot of work! Please help reward their great efforts by providing plenty of QSOs for their logs!

Even if you aren't a contester, and you only have an hour to spare from home, please fire up your rig and give as many stations as you can a contact. Every group you call will really appreciate your QSO, and it will make their Field Day that much more enjoyable! In addition, you might be able to pick up a few more states towards your Worked All States Award. If you are ambitious, it is very possible that you can achieve the goal of working every state on Field Day weekend alone!

For folks new to Field Day, if you are on a single transmitter home station with commercial power, your exchange is simple. You'll simply send your Call, your Class as 1D and your ARRL section.

Here is a quick start video on using our Field Day software.

Encouraging visitors can change a life (and even affect yours)!

When I was 14 years old, a family friend took my Dad and me to a local Field Day on a Saturday evening. That was my first exposure to Amateur Radio. I didn't understand the significance at the time, but the guys had an amazing run going as we arrived at their site. Still, they took the time to explain what was going on, the exchange, and they were completely willing to abandon their run to encourage this shy, 14 year old to take over the mic. I got started, the run resumed and so much was happening, I forgot all about being nervous. Before I knew it I was having a blast! Anyone who has ever been at the bottom of a pile up, running a frequency, knows the thrill. They kindly said I was a natural, and I was hooked!

Had it not been for the positive, encouraging spirit of that great group, willing to forego an awesome run for the sake of possibly encouraging a kid, I'd very likely never have become an Amateur Radio operator. I wouldn't be doing what I'm doing today, and there would never have been N3FJP Software for you to use. Those couple hours changed my life and hopefully, through my software, has brought some added enjoyment to yours, too!

If you see a visitor with a hint of intrigue in their eye, please offer them that same gracious encouragement that was given to me. It's very possible that you will be helping to shape a destiny, and we will all be better for it!

Have Fun!

Kimberly, Chris and I are planning to run 1E (home station emergency power) from here at the house this time. We hope to work you!

Above all, be safe, have fun and enjoy the Field Day experience!

And in response to the questions we always receive when we neglect to include the following in our e-mail announcements...

Package Upgrade Information...

If you have registered one or more individual programs and would like to upgrade to N3FJP's Software Package or N3FJP's Software Package and CD for full use of all our Amateur Radio software, we would be glad to apply the amount that you have registered so far as a credit towards that purchase. Please send us an e-mail directly and we'll let you know your balance.

N3FJP's Software Package includes more than one hundred programs for contesting, net management, general logging and other Amateur Radio related applications. In addition to full use of all these programs, registered package customers are also entitled to receive free passwords for any new software that is added to the package and free upgrades to existing programs. You'll find all the details on the Register Now page at www.n3fjp.com.

Donations are Gratefully Accepted!

And in response to the often asked question for which Kimberly and I are very grateful...

"I know your upgrades are free, but I also realize how much time and effort coding these enhancements and new programs take and that your pricing policy doesn't fully reflect that. Can I send you something to show my appreciation for your continued efforts?"

Yes, thanks so much, your continued support in any amount is very welcome and deeply appreciated! You can use this page:

http://www.n3fjp.com/donations.html

or send your contribution by mail, payable to Affirmatech Inc., to:

G. Scott Davis
118 Glenwood Road
Bel Air, MD 21014-5533

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Thanks!

As always, thanks for your kind words, support, linking to our web site and spreading the word about our software. Kimberly and I really appreciate it!

73, Scott
N3FJP
http://www.n3fjp.com

Serving the Amateur Radio community with contesting and general logging software since 1997.