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Bearing Info Software
10 January 2011
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SOFTWARE UPDATED APRIL 2015
Added info as to current program/data folder at bottom LHS of application as the disk drives become bigger and hold more data, it is easy to lose track of where to update the VKLOGGER.TXT data file..
Included a Hide Invalid Data entries tick box that literally hides any data entries that would normally indicate invalidity due to the length of time since they were last updated on the VKLogger Op Info screens..
This version is not compatible with the data files from earlier versions of the software as it now bypasses an extra TAB character found in the data fields when captured from the OpInfo screen.
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The June 2011 version also has a "Grid Search" option as well as fixing a re-format that has occurred to the OP-Info web page.
The bug fix of January 2014 resolves the Invalid Date/Time message box.
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Yeah, yeah, seen that before... Well this one is a little different simply because it uses an extract from the VKLogger.com web site "Op Info" to make it easy to find a callsign and hence bearing and distance information. It is written specifically for VK operators for use in Field Days although it could be considered a general purpose amateur radio utility, mainly for Aussies.
Adam, VK4CP, the operator of VKLogger has recently made a change to the Operator Info listing function that makes it possible to obtain bearing and distance information, particularly for Field Day operations. Visit the topic in the VKLogger Forum : http://www.vklogger.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=31&t=9648
I have taken that a little further in that you don't need to print out many hundred entries on actual paper but since you are probably using a computer for logging, why not make use of it to do the "lookup" for you.
There are no bells and whistles included in this software. It is just a simple - and quick - lookup application. It took a little over an hour to write in Delphi 5 and comes as an executable file ( bearinginfo.exe ) and requires you to make a "vklogger.txt" data file from the VKLogger web page info. There is no installation into Windows required, just place the executable plus the data file into any folder - or even on your Windows desktop if you like - and execute the file. What you get is shown in the image above..... YOU WILL NEED TO DE-ZIP THE DOWNLOADED FILE IF THAT IS WHAT YOU CHOOSE LATER....
The box for the callsign to look for assumes that you are in VK so if you don't enter the VK, that is ok - it assumes it. If you start at a state numeral ( eg 4 = Qld, 5 = SA.....) and enter subsequent suffix letters, it will jump to the closest entry it can match to (with Autosearch tick box on) . If Autosearch is not ticked, it needs you to press the Enter key or press the Search button.
A slightly enhanced version (dated 10 Jan) has been created that has an extra tick-box below the Autosearch one and it is the one that causes the assumption about a VK prefix to be enabled or disabled. By default it is set on (ie VK assumed) but can be turned off so that users in other areas (eg ZL,....) can use the application, and you can get beam headings to these other countries too. The Autosearch or Assume VK settings are retained on program close.
If you put in "VK4A" into the search box and don't get any result selected then you need to turn off the "Assume VK" tick. If you are in ZL or other DX location , then it should always be off. With this function on, only a number and a suffix is required to find any VK callsign......
The date of the vklogger.txt file is shown in blue at the bottom of the application to remind you how old the data file is - and to obtain a new one before the next important event.
The process required to create the vklogger.txt file is :
(a) go to the VKLogger.com web site, log in and then select Op Info from near the bottom RHS of screen. If you already have an active VkLogger cookie on your computer, you may not need to log in but it's safer to do so.
(b) As per the image above, enter "VK" into the centre empty box. I have set the search parameters to the last 60 days on the RHS.
I have also just set it to "%" to get the whole user list for the last 12 months - and that works well on the version dated 10 Jan 2011. This later datafile (about 1700 entries) will be the one that I generally use.
(c) Click onto the resulting data page. Use the Windows control keys to "select all" - Control + A keys together - and the screen will turn blue. Use the Windows "copy" keys - Control + C together - and you won't see anything happen BUT the web page info will be copied into the Windows clipboard
(d) Create (or open) a new file named VKLOGGER.TXT in the same folder as the Bearing Info EXE software. If an existing file, Select All (Ctrl-A) then press the Delete key to remove all existing info.
Paste the clipboard in the VKLOGGER.TXT file, CTRL-V or via the Edit/Paste menu..
Use the File / Save As menu option and select Unicode (in lieu of ANSI) in the Encoding box.
Press the Save button in the Save As dialogue box and ignore any warnings about the fact that it is an ANSI and data may be lost.
(e) Click on the VKLOGGER.TXT file and it should open in Notepad and look something like this....
VK LOGGER: Operator Information (Search)
Help | Donate | Terms
538 records found
Search for Active on Active on VK Logger
Sort results by in
CallsignNameQTHGridLast UpdatedVK4ADC/P Distance/Bearing to them
3D2MPMichaelSuva, Fiji IslandsRH9110-Dec-2010 20:47Approx: 2,838km @ 74°Full Profile...
9W2UNShaifulKuala LumpurOJ03UF27-Feb-2011 10:53Approx: 6,510km @ 294°Full Profile...
AC6DXStevenNuevoDM13LT03-Jan-2011 05:08Approx: 11,671km @ 60°Full Profile...
AE7KIGerryChewelah Washington USADN18DH27-Dec-2010 03:53Approx: 12,222km @ 45°Full Profile...
DL9MSJoeDoberanJO54WC07-Jan-2011 17:25Approx: 15,761km @ 324°Full Profile...
DU1GMGeorgeSariaya, QuezonPK03RW14-Dec-2010 07:13Approx: 5,778km @ 320°Full Profile...
DU7/PA0HIPWillemLapu-Lapu CityPK10XH08-Oct-2010 07:33Approx: 5,294km @ 319°Full Profile...
E51WLWarwickPenrhyn, North CookBI00XX20-Jan-2011 21:18Approx: 5,520km @ 77°Full Profile...
If that is what you have, you are ready to run the bearinginfo.exe software.
Close Notepad..
(g) Execute the Bearinginfo.exe software ( or put a short-cut on your Windows desktop if you put it in another folder with your vklogger.txt file ) and the very first image on this web page should show on screen. If you get an error message about the data file not being found then you haven't put BOTH FILES in the SAME FOLDER.
That's about all...
This is new software but I don't think it has any major bugs....
The good news : it's free.
Two download options :
(1) The ZIP file containing the executable plus my sample vklogger.txt file is here : Right-click and Save As.. (or the Save Link As if you are using Google's Chrome browser. )
The ZIP file size is only 290KB so will only take a few seconds to download.
{ NO LONGER BEING UPDATED :
(2) If you don't want the sample vklogger.txt file because you have already created your own file, just the executable file can be downloaded from here. ( about 400KB), right click and save.... This also the correct place to update your existing version from just before each Field Day event. Whenever you decide to update your vklogger.txt file, do a software update here too & just over-write the original EXE file.
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