[WT-support] Win-Test Options Checklist for CQ WW CW

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

Here's my personal recommended checklist of Win-Test options and settings,
some pretty obscure, that you may want to check prior to starting CQ WW CW
this upcoming weekend.  Many are *not* the Win-Test defaults.

   1. Hide the (distracting, not useful) Win-Test toolbar to get more
   screen area (Options | Toolbar - uncheck)
   2. Hide the distracting yellow bars in the Check Multipliers (F10)
   Window:  Right Click, Display Options -> Sun Charts (uncheck)
   3. Turn on hover help for menu items to see equivalent text command
   shortcuts (Help | Display text command tips for menu items - check)
   (Text command shortcuts are entered in the logging window like a
   callsign, then press [Enter])
   4. Make the log re-load automatically if you restart Win-Test (Options |
   Load Contest at Startup | Enabled - check).  Shortcut:  AUTORELOAD
   5. Use only CTY_WT_MOD.DAT as your country file, and download the latest
   version via Options | Data files | Countryfiles.  Shortcut:  CTYFILES
   6. Download http://supercheckpartial.com/MASTER.SCP and save it to the
   proper directory (File | Explore | /databases directory)
   7. Right click on the Super-Check Partial Window
      - Used Files List ...
      Make sure it says MASTER.SCP
         - If not, do File | Explore | /databases directory, Right click on
         MASTER.SCP and rename it to DEFAULT.SCP, then type REOPENNOW
in the logging
         window to close and re-open the log.  Check Used Files List again.
      - Start search after two characters | Apply to both log and database
      search - check
      - In log only -- NOT checked!
   8. Allow CQ zones to be filled in automatically (Tools | Data Entry |
   Exchange Guessing | Automatically - check)
   9. Turn off the distracting red messages about invalid callsigns (Tools
   | Data Entry | Callsign check | Disabled - check)
   10. Turn off PC speaker (Options | CW | No sound).  Shortcut:  NOSOUND
   11. Enable 6-baud spaces between words:
      - Options | CW
   - Shorted spaces (CT Spaces) - check.  Shortcut:  CTSPACE
         - Correction - Smart Correction - check (works with $CORRECT
         variable in PLUS message).  Shortcut:   SMART
         - Remap keys in keyboard mode - check.  (Allows remapped keys to
         work consistently even when using the Alt-K keyboard CW window)
      - Options | WinKey Configuration
   - Short spaces (CT Spaces) - check
         - PTT Lead/Tail - set both to 0 ms if radio to amp PTT timing
         works fine without Win-Test
         - CW message and paddle speeds - Synchronized - Only by the
         Win-Test commands (Alt-V/F9/F10) (prevents unexpected WinKey
speed jumps)
      12. Set automatic repeating CQ delay to 2.3 seconds (Tools |
   Automatic CQ Repeat).  Shortcut:  RPTDELAY.
   13. Options | Log | Hide QSO numbers (check) - a needless distraction
   14. Options | Log | Stay in field when moving up and down in the log -
   makes up / down keys work more naturally, as in a spreadsheet, instead of
   always jumping back to the beginning of the callsign field when you're in
   the zone column and press UP arrow)
   15. Enable Run/S&P switching (RUNSP [Enter]) - allows VFO movement to
   clear logging window when doing S&P, plus second set of CW messages.
   16. Windows | Clock (check) - to view RUN/S&P status (right hand side of
   clock window).  Press Ctrl-Tab to toggle state between RUN / S&P.
   17. Alt-R (Rate) window.  Right Click.
      - Display -> Instant Rate moving graph
      - Display -> QSO/Mult ratios
      - Display -> (Uncheck everything else)
      - (For Multi-Single and Multi/2, Display -> Band changes elapsed
      times)
   18. Right click on Radio 1 - Band Map.  Select Properties:
      - Set spots lifetime to 20 minutes
      - Randomize TX Frequency in CW (-100/0/+100 Hz) - check!  This keeps
      everyone from calling on exactly the same frequency when a spot
is posted.
      - Search & Pounce options:  When leaving the operating frequency,
      Wipe the QSO (check, but note that it can be risky), Populate the bandmap
      (check)
      - Set spots bandwidth to 100 Hz
   19. Right click on DX-Cluster Window (Alt-O)
   - Timeout Alarm -> 3 minutes (warning message you if you lose
      connectivity to your cluster)
      - Stream logging - uncheck (especially when connecting to Reverse
      Beacon Networks - RBN)
   20. Right Click on DX Announcements Window (Alt-A)
      - Incoming spots logging - uncheck (especially when connecting to
      Reverse Beacon Networks - RBN)
      - Multipliers only (check).  Uncheck it when things get too slow.
      - Displayed Bands - Current (for Multi-Op), All (for Single-Op
      Assisted)
      - Display Options:  Time / Sender (leave the others display options
      unchecked)
   21. MSGS [Enter] -- Program CW messages.
      - Use $RST to send "5NN", $ZONE to send your zone.  Omit leading zero
      (REOPEN [Enter] to change it).
      - If you want to be decoded faster by CW Skimmers and prevent
      unexpected WinKey speed jumps, get rid of all the "++" / "--"
characters in
      all messages
      - Perhaps reprogram F3 as "$CORRECT TU $CR" as quick QSL alternative
      to PLUS:  "$CORRECT TU $MYCALL $CR"
      - If using Elecraft K3, FT-1000, FT-2000/FT-DX5000MP, download
      Win-Test scripts from http://bit.ly/wtscripts and add a #CLEARRIT
      call at end of F1 (CQ) msg and PLUS (TU) messages.
   22. Make the PageUp and PageDown keys work the same as in N1MM software
   (CW Speed Up / Down):
      1. DEFINEKEYS [Enter]
      2. Click [Add]
      3. Press PageUp
      4. Press Alt-F10
      5. Click [Add]
      6. Press PageDown
      7. Press Alt-F9
      8. Click [OK]
   23. See this Wiki
page<http://docs.win-test.com/wiki/Menu:Tools#Redefine_keyboard_keys>for
other field-tested suggestions of useful keyboard re-mappings,
   especially if you don't like pressing PLUS and INSERT.  Note that when you
   remap a key, the old key still works, you just now have two ways of doing
   the same function.
   24. Use the new COPYLOGCLEAR command just before the start of the
   contest to save any pre-contest QSOs in a separate time-stamped .WT4 file,
   and clear the log,(not valid with networked computers, instead see this
   link<http://docs.win-test.com/wiki/Multi-op/Clearing_all_logs_before_the_start>
   .)

GL to all in the CQ WW CW!

73,
Bob, N6TV
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