View Full Version : DRMcalc
I just uploaded the new version 4.0 of DRMcalc. The new features are:
- extended SNR scale to 44dB
- a more detailed time scale
- hardcopy direct to your windows printer
- TX location update is always enabled ( let me know, if you miss a location)
- improved color scheme
Free download as usual at:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
Originally posted by carknue
- TX location update is always enabled
I'm sorry to say that I don't like any software to connect to somewhere without it having a built-in feature to disable that.
Roland
Originally posted by dk8cb
I'm sorry to say that I don't like any software to connect to somewhere without it having a built-in feature to disable that.
Roland
Here is the code of the TX location update function for those who don't trust it. First URL is just a trigger for a downloadcounter. Here is nothing downladed because this function cannot execute the download script. The second downloads the drmtx.txt file and that is a simple text file.
if chkupdate.Checked then
begin
Memo1.Lines.Text:=GetURLByIndy('http://www.downloadcounter.com/cgi-bin/download.pl?username=carknue&account=66');
Memo1.Lines.Text:=GetURLByIndy('http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drmtx.txt');
if Memo1.Lines.Text<>'' then
begin
StringList1:=TStringList.Create;
StringList2:=TStringList.Create;
Memo1.Lines.SaveToFile(ExePfad+'drmtx.new');
StringList1.LoadFromFile(ExePfad+'drmtx.new');
try
StringList2.LoadFromFile(ExePfad+'drmtx.txt');
except
end;
StatusBar1.Panels[2].Text:='TX location update: ok';
if StringList1.count = StringList2.count then
begin
for t:=0 to StringList1.Count-1 do
begin
if StringList1[t]<>StringList2[t] then
begin
Memo1.Lines.SaveToFile(ExePfad+'drmtx.txt');
StatusBar1.Panels[2].Text:='TX location update: updated';
end;
end;
end
else
begin
Memo1.Lines.SaveToFile(ExePfad+'drmtx.txt');
StatusBar1.Panels[2].Text:='TX location update: updated';
end;
end
else
begin
StatusBar1.Panels[2].Text:='TX location update: failed!';
//showmessage('Update failed');
end;
end;
Hi Carsten
What will happen when I use DRMcalc on my laptop with no internet connection? Will I have to wait for it to "time out" before I can graph logs?
Cheers, Chris
FritzWue
17-10-2005, 09:01
Hi Carsten,
thank you for your work with DRMcalc,
but I agree with Roland:
"I'm sorry to say that I don't like any software to connect to somewhere without it having a built-in feature to disable that."
Here both radio pcs are not connected to the internet, so this feature is useless for me anyway. I get the updates by starting the software on a different pc from time to time and the data transfer with usb stick or old fashioned with a:\.
Unfortunately even inserting the line "Auto Update=0" in the DRMcalc.ini does not work any more.
Sorry to say: The new look in black is terrible. Where can I change that to a more eye friendly and better readable design?
@Chris: The delay is about two seconds on a 3GHz P4 system, will probably take a little longer on a slower system.
I went back to DRMcalc3.1 and will not install the 4.0 version on my notebook.
Originally posted by FritzWue
Sorry to say: The new look in black is terrible.
Hi Carsten,
Unfortunately, I have to say the same thing. Why not put a parameter in so you could have a choice of either black or gray (like in the Dream Setup)?
Back to 3.1
Terje
mitajohn
17-10-2005, 12:39
Hi Carsten,
Very good work done, but unfortunately, I agree with the comments made.
Back to 3.1 !
John
It is not necessary to have an open internet connection in order to work with DRMcalc 4.0. The delay should only be 1-2 seconds. DRMcalc is fully functional without an internet connection.
My intension behind is, to avoid screenshots in this forum that contains either no TX-RX distance calculations or wrong distances. The distance and direction from TX is quite important, especially for broadcasters.
I changed the background color, because there were some complaints about the legibility of the yellow graph on some XP desktops schemes. Now there is a maximum legibility on all desktop schemes and this is also important.
Everybody has a different taste and that is the reason why I will not make colors user changeable. Then everybody would have his own colors and it would be quite difficult to compare the results.
Originally posted by carknue
It is not necessary to have an open internet connection in order to work with DRMcalc 4.0. The delay should only be 1-2 seconds. DRMcalc is fully functional without an internet connection.
Hi Carsten,
if one has an open internet connection but has denied DRMcalc the right to access this connection through an appropriately configured firewall or if one has to do this manually (because the programme does not contain such a feature itself), then it will take longer!
If DRMCalc does not have the switch built-in anymore, what then is the function of the checkbox, marked in the attachment?
Everybody has a different taste and that is the reason why I will not make colors user changeable. Then everybody would have his own colors ...
It is very strange to read this in a statement from someone who, in the past, was among the first ones to modify Dream for a different color scheme in accordance with his personal taste.
Roland
FritzWue
18-10-2005, 04:45
Hello Carsten,
some thoughts:
-
"My intension behind is, to avoid screenshots in this forum that contains either no TX-RX distance calculations or wrong distances. The distance and direction from TX is quite important, especially for broadcasters."
-
I think there is only a very low percentage of beginner's reports with missing distances, and you still depend on the user to use the right coordinates. So a correct distance is still not sure.
-
"I changed the background color, because there were some complaints about the legibility of the yellow graph on some XP desktops schemes. Now there is a maximum legibility on all desktop schemes and this is also important."
-
Maybe for programmes and machines, I cannot read the scaling lines anymore.
-
"Everybody has a different taste and that is the reason why I will not make colors user changeable. Then everybody would have his own colors and it would be quite difficult to compare the results."
-
For me this all is not a matter of taste but - as you want- a matter of legibility. Why not use a white background and something different than yellow then. I don't care if it's white or grey background, but black is the worst solution for my eyes.
By the way, I just tested the printing option with my Epson printer.
Do you have a contract with the ink industry? :D
My printer really prints the black background, the paper is all wet! :mad:
Again I think white background would be the best solution.
Regards
Friedrich Wuelfing
DK6QI
mitajohn
18-10-2005, 13:03
Hello Carsten,
In addition to the above, it is obvious that you cannot add a black text, as comment, on the black graph background...
John.
I just uploaded DRMcalc 4.0a with two fixes:
- TX location update can be disabled again by user
- changed graphic window background from black to white in hardcopy
If someone cannot see the scalelines, I would strongly recommend to adjust brightness and constrast levels of the monitor with a full greyscale testpattern.
Free Download as usual:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
Hi Carsten,
I have just downloaded and tried out v4.0a - it's great - I can read the scale lines and it's prints very nicely !
Congratulations again on a nice piece of software.
regards
Bob
mitajohn
19-10-2005, 06:25
Hi Carsten,
Congratulations again on this nice piece of software, but please listen to this:
If someone adds i.e a color text comment on the black background will not be printed the same and if it is white collored text then will not be printed on the white background.
My proposal is to add a parameter to have a user defined background, white, black or windows grey.
John.
FritzWue
19-10-2005, 07:17
Originally posted by mitajohn
My proposal is to add a parameter to have a user defined background, white, black or windows grey.
John.
Like this? ;)
Fritz
mitajohn
19-10-2005, 11:11
Yes ! like that, very nice.
John.
FritzWue
20-10-2005, 15:20
Another try:
A bright/white background makes the human iris to contract.
Therefore dark lines on bright background always appear clearer
than bright lines on dark/black background.
simple but true
...perhaps some members better don't want a clear view of their results. :D
Hi,
When capturing the same QRG twice on the same day, the previous file is overwritten. Of course there is a workaround but couldn't it be possible to ask for a different filename before overwriting?
Terje
Hi Terje,
I added the starttime in filename between Date and username.
But DRMcalc has now a much more difficult problem. How to cchoose the correct site for 5875 khz from Rampsiham and Norway, both labeled with BBCWorldService? :confused:
Hi Carsten,
today as a workaround I just edited the drmtx file and use 5875 for KVI and 05875 for RMP until there is a better solution to the problem
Simone
Hi Carsten,
As an amateur VB programmer I understand your feeling. The more the merrier.... (?) Arrrgh. ERR 99999
Nah, I'd save the first file for now, and then move into a different folder and then save the new one, re-label it until you find a solution... ;)
73
Terje
PS: Still a bit unhappy with the pitch black background ... sri...
I just uploaded the brandnew version 4.1 of DRMcalc. Changes and new features are:
- fixed bug in distance calculations for users with south and/or west coordinates
- fixed graphic errors in screen resolutions greater than 96 dpi
- removed colors from labels
- changed application background to white for printing
- added selection box for TX sites on same QRG with same label
- show TX location name in statusbar if possible
- added start time in filename for screenshots and text exports
- added colorized graph legend
- introduced history file
- improved About dialog
- changed some typings
- added site names in drmtx.txt
Free download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
Hi Carsten,
Great new version thanks. I have found a bug which is so obscure I feel embarrassed to report it ;) .
If Dream logging is enabled/disabled for less than a minute there is no detail record written - only a header/footer. In DRMCalc the window and some stats eg TX distance are then not refreshed, but previous values are still displayed.
regards
Bob
I just uploaded the brand new version 5.0 of DRMcalc. It is the power edition for power loggers;)
Changes and new features are:
- 10 user profiles for quick change of topic line with e.g. different RX and antenna configurations
- up to 100 remarks could be inserted into the graph with a left mouse click while pressing the ctrl key
- fixed bug displaying wrong TX site if choosen by label
- show message if log file contains no data
- removed "Compare different days" checkbox, job is done now by DRMcalc itself
- increased accuracy of displayed CDA value
- limited displayed CDA value to 100.00%
- small GUI adjustments
Free download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
Hi Carsten,
Bravo!
But why do the comments remain when you change logs? And how can you read the comments at the very left and right borders of the chart?
73
Terje
Hi Terje,
text out of borders will be no problem anymore in the next version, please see attached screenshot.
If you add a remark, DRMcalc gives you 3 Options. One of them is "Delete all". Or just uncheck the "Show remark" checkbox.
Hi Carsten,
I'm a nit-picker, I know.
But I know, once you start programming there will be NO end.
Thanks for the good work.
Terje
Hope that this is the last update for this year.
DRMcalc 5.1:
- fixed out of border remarks
Free download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
The old comparision engine of DRMcalc had quite a few bugs. So I had to redesign the whole engine. I hope that it will work now correctly in all possible cases. If you still find some mistakes, please send me the two log files.
Important for Dream users: Please make sure that your receivers coordinates are saved in the dream.ini file! I removed the storage of coordinates for Dream in this version. It was more confusing and is not really needed anymore, because Dream is able so save the coordinates since a long time now.
These are all the changes in 5.2:
DRMcalc 5.2:
- total redesign of the comarision engine, because the old one had serveral bugs
- added time of remark in the remark text
- tx site identification improved
- removed the option of displaying the distance in miles instead of km
- detection of log files from Winradio
- removed storage of coordinates for Dream (coordinates are saved in the dream.ini, please put your coordinates there if not done already)
- message for invalid coordinates
- enlarged tx site statusbar window
- enlarged tx site selection window
Free download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
radiomann
25-01-2006, 21:57
Hi Carsten,
as my computer is quite slow could you make it 600 by 800?
Paul
Hi Carsten,
I get an error message that I have to include the WGS coordinates in Dream.ini like you say above.
This is the original dream.ini:
latitude=47.41435 N
longitude=8.07515 E
Then the modified dream.ini:
Latitude=47°25'N
Longitude=8°05'E
Both cause the "Invalid Coordinates" error message in DRMCalc.
My DRMCalc Folder is a folder in the folder DRM, where Dream is. Somehow I cannot locate the problem. Could you help me out?
Best regards,
Terje
Originally posted by Digger
...
Both cause the "Invalid Coordinates" error message in DRMCalc.
My DRMCalc Folder is a folder in the folder DRM, where Dream is. Somehow I cannot locate the problem. Could you help me out?
As far as I understand it, DRMcalc now takes the information from Dream's log file. If the Dream.ini contains the coordinates, the logfile will also contain them and DRMcalc can then make use of them. This is the way initially intended for logs from the DRMSW.
A long time ago, Dream could not yet write this data into its logfile, so Carsten solved this problem in such a way that the coordinates could be put into DRMcalc's configuration data. Since Dream can also store the coordinates in the logfile for a long time now, there is no real reason anymore to use that method.
Roland
Hi Terje,
Roland is right. DRMcalc only reads the coordinates from the log file.
I have no problems with coordinates from Dream. I attached the logfile section from my dream.ini to see what format has to be used.
Maybe your Dream version is too old. Please send me a dream log file, so I can check this.
Hi Carsten,
Hm, I thought about that also. But the lat and long is in the .ini file. I'm happy with Dream 1.2.4 but I also have 1.3 and 1.5.
The latter spooked on me and shut down during the night ruining my logging on 3.x MHz so I switched back to 1.2.4.
I'll look into it - which version do you use?
Tks and bst regards,
Terje
Hi Terje,
this is the wrong format. Please edit your dream.ini again and make sure, that dream is NOT running while you edit it. Otherwise it will be overwritten with the old values if you close Dream after.
Dream does not convert these coordinates. It writes it one to one from dream.ini into the log file.
@Paul
Sorry, but minimum resolution will stay at 1024x768. I see no chance to make it scalable.
Because I got more questions about the correct coordinates format in the dream.ini and maybe there could a problem with different ascii codes in different countries, I attached a screenshot with an example how the format of the WGS84 coordinates in degree and minute should look like. Please use W or S if you live in the southern or western hemisphere.
Close Dream before you edit dream.ini!!!
Perhaps it is just me, but I have tried just about everything, and I still get the error. Not sure what to do next!
mitajohn
28-01-2006, 13:14
A suggestion (if you haven't already done that): delete dream.ini, run dream, close dream, edit dream.ini, save it, run dream again and close it again, check dream.ini for your entries...
Hope this help.
John.
Here it comes, the new version 6.0 Professional of DRMcalc! The new fieldstrength feature is only usable with DRMLogger 3.0 or DRMDisco 3.0 and DRM Software Radio and only a few recivers at the moment.
Changes and new features are:
- read and display fieldstrength from log file
- calculating average fieldstrength
- merging fieldstrength from DRMLogger.log or DRMDisco.log with DRM Software Radio log file
- displaying 2nd service label from 2nd log file
- quick access button to DRM RX forum
- calculating average fieldstrength
- resized main form
- reduced font size for profile text line
- changed some typings
- detection of log files from Winradio improved
- removed download counter for dmtx.txt file
- newest logs are now on top in both record selection listboxes
- cleared 2nd log data, when another 1st record is selected
Free download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
Hi,
Some nice changes, very good. But unfortunately, the remarks I enter can only be deleted all at once. When you for instance enter a third comment and find an error after you pressed "OK", you must delete all entries and write them all over again. Or am I wrong?
Best regards,
Terje
A new version of DRMcalc Professional is ready to download. Changes and new features are:
double merging protection
merging Dream logs with fieldstrength logs
improved max. SNR reading
increased merging tolerance to +/- 1 secFree download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
A new version of DRMcalc Professional is ready to download. Changes and new features are:
fixed merging problems with log files larger than 65k lines
fixed rounding errors in merging engine that caused merging failures in some cases
added option to delete last remark
cross mouse cursor in graphic window
windows hourglass while merging
windows hourglass while printing
windows hourglass while exporting
windows hourglass while opening
windows hourglass while comparing
windows hourglass while capturing
delete site location name before selecting a new log record
renamed hot link button to DRM Software Radio forumFree download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
Can anyone tell me the meaning of
CDA
CDT
please (also the full wording)
Read the abbreviations section in the readme.txt.
o. k. - user error then :-(
A new version of DRMcalc Professional is ready to download. Changes and new features are:
improved merging process
Free download as usual here:
http://home.arcor.de/carsten.knuetter/drm.htm
mitajohn
09-12-2006, 13:29
Hi,
A small mistake in the "about.." of the new version.
Many thanks, John! I already updated the about box.
ppfreitas
14-02-2007, 16:41
I downloaded the DRMcal software, but after installation, when typing connect, a get the message WRG3API.DLL not dound, though the WR application is installed runs properly. What is happening?
Paulo
Hi Paulo,
I guess the problem is with DRMdisco not DRMcalc, anyway did you copy the winradio dll file in the same folder where DRMdisco.exe is located?
Simone
Hi Paulo,
could you please search for a wrg303api.dll on your pc? Winradio seams to like to change the names of their dll every year. If so, I have a beta version of DRM Disco, that may run again with g303.
Hi Carsten,
Paulo is using the new dll.
Simone
Hi
I've just started using a Dell Mini Inspiron notebook for DRM decoding when on holiday. This only has a 1024x600 display.
DRMCalc seems to have problems with that size. I can't get to see the
whole dDRMcalc display, and the "capture" option seems to include the
Windows task bar in the captured image.
Is there any update that fixes these problems?
Cheers, Chris
mitajohn
08-04-2009, 13:06
Hi,
What version do you use ?
6.3 Professional Edition
Cheers, Chris
mitajohn
09-04-2009, 05:27
A screen resolution of 1024x768 or higher is recommended.
Yes, I know, but I'd recommend that a future version of DRMcalc should take into account the new netbooks that only have 1024x600 displays. It will be a bit of a drag if I have to carry my 24" external monitor with me everywhere just to display a S/N graph :rolleyes:
I'm sure I wont be the only person using this type of laptop for DRM decoding.
Cheers, Chris
mitajohn
09-04-2009, 12:25
Drop a question to the Author of the SW.
vBulletin v3.5.3, Copyright ©2000-2010, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.