Why does HRD have it's own forum?

Bloatware??

I used to use LOGic, but switched to HRD 'cuz HRD does so many different things well - logging, digital modes, rotor control, DX cluster . . . the list goes on.

The nice thing is everything interfaces together well. LOGic supposedly interfaces with MIXw, but I had constant problems with that not working correctly. Now LOGic is a great program! But it lacks a ton of features that are in HRD . . . not to mention the fact that HRD is free.

..............Bob

 

Yes, bloatware.

It tries to be the Swiss Army Knife of Ham Radio apps (no pun intended).
Just like Hams who go out and buy DC-daylight in one box radios, what happens when said radio fails? You're off the air totally.

I think the better way to go is a half dozen or so independent programs that can communicate with one another when running, but don't need to be running if all your doing is casual operating. You only need the log....just open the the log.

I know in v5 Simon separated HRD, DM780, Sat tracking, etc..., into stand alone programs. If all your doing is casual operating and only need to log your contacts why do you need rig or rotor control running?

Be that as it may it's pretty immaterial to the subject.
HRD shouldn't be the only Ham Radio software package with a dedicated forum on QRZ. The program already has a Yahoo group and dedicated forums on the HRD website.

 

Well, in all fairness to you and the OWNER of QRZ, that's HIS choice and not yours. Not everything is a democracy.

As to people liking HRD over something else, you and dave need to realize everyone is entitled to their opinions and choices. You're only responsibility is to accept these facts.

 

If I only need the log in HRD, I only open the log. I understand what you are saying, but HRD does allow one to use only that which they need. The problem I had using several independent programs is they didn't always talk to each other correctly and I was having to restart one or the other all the time. All the different programs that make up HRD are designed to work with each other, so one doesn't have the communication problems.

The nice thing about the HRD logbook is you have a wealth of information right at your fingertips without having to open and close a bunch of windows to get to it.

One click and I'm controlling the radio via CAT inferface. One click and I have QRZ info on the station. One click and I've switched to the frequency of the DX spotted on the Cluster. One click and my rotor changes heading to the DX station. One click and I'm recording audio from the radio. Plus, I always see a bandmap of current cluster spots and not just columns of calls.

I mean, sure, you could do all that with separate programs, but that's a pain when one will do it all for you. And in my experience, trying to get independent programs to talk to each other reliably is not easy.

I've used a bunch of different logging programs, but HRD is hard to beat. The fact it also has rig control and digital mode capabilities built in is just icing on the cake.

YMMV.

............Bob

 

I really don't care if someone likes HRD over something else, as I said above it's immaterial to the subject. I also realize it's Fred's decision to make but as a subscriber I feel I get to gripe about it. or is that not allowed at QRZ any longer? I'm entitled to my opinions and choices too, even if they make you squirm.

Where in my previous three or four posts did I even intimate QRZ was a democracy? Untwist your panties fan boy. You'll enjoy life a whole lot more.

 

PLONK........

 

I remember trying this software and cannot remember why I did not pick it because from the feature list seems like it kicks HRD in the butt.

I ended up with HRD and have loved it for 1500 contacts in 9 months. Even as beta user, I have not seen any bugs in HRD.

 

See http://forums.ham-radio.ch/forumdisplay.php?f=129&order=desc

 

I created the bridge between HRD and DXLab precisely because no one application can satisfy everyone; this bridge permits HRD to be used for transceiver control in place of Commander, interoperating with all other members of the DXLab Suite. Ops can make digital mode QSOs in DM780, MultiPSK, MixW, MMVARI, MMTTY, or Fldigi -- as well as DXLab's WinWarbler component -- and log those QSOs directly to DXKeeper.

Thus I have no objection whatsoever to ops describing their favorite applications and explaining why; on the contrary, such posts often drive further innovation. I object only to posts that cross the line from fact and opinion to fabrication and misrepresentation, such as when you implied that applications other than HRD produced bloated log files and made up linear databases out of thin air as a strawman you could easily knock down.

 

HRD is simply the best...

How many of you have used even most of these programs to make a real comparison.

I have tried DX lab and several others and IT is one of the biggest beasts to set up I have seen. The menuing system and the separate programs that you download as you supposedly need them is one of the biggest messes I have ever seen.

It may do everything that HRD does but you have to configure each and every one of those separate programs. I want to operate, not spend half my life figuring out how to configure.

HRD has everything that DX lab has and is easily configured. Sure it has its problems (trying to find some features is one of them) but I had it up and running in about five minutes. I still am trying to get DX lab working properly.

My opinion and my vote is still for HRD. It deserves its place in the forums.

Even some of the paid programs have some catching up to do.

W3NUS

 

Cost minimal yes. But increased forum numbers can drive people away from a board. Too many choices become confusing and distracting.

 

There are no menus in any DXLab application. To what are you referring?

The DXLab Launcher can install any DXLab application with a couple of mouse clicks, unless you decide to specify a non-default installation folder. Please explain why you consider this to be one of the biggest messes you've ever seen.

The overlap in settings among DXLab applications is minimal. Transceiver control settings are unique to Commander, logging settings are unique to DXKeeper, PSK and RTTY settings are unique to WinWarbler, propagation prediction and monitoring settings are unique to PropView, and DX Spot settings are unique to SpotCollector. The worst case overlap: specifying your callsign in three applications.

Every DXLab application handles settings in the same manner: by providing a Configuration window with one or more well-named tabs, each of which displays and permits adjustment of its settings.

There are step-by-step guides for configuring each DXLab application accessible via http://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/GettingStarted. Compare the rate of "Help, I can't configure this" messages posted on the DXLab and HRD reflectors and judge for yourself.

HRD (V5 build 2636) does not

• provide the ability to display settings for frequency-dependent devices like tuners or amplifiers
• support older transceivers like the Yaesu FT-747, FT-757, or FT-767
• automatically switch transceivers as a function of frequency
• provide translation of more than 50 QSO phrases in more than 60 languages driven your QSO partner's country
• rapidly log completed QSOs (e.g. from a paper logbook) where the time is not now and the frequency and mode can't be read from the transceiver
• generate outgoing QSLs that request confirmation of needed QSLs
• provide one-click access to more than 80 web-accessible sources of QSL information
• directly print QSL cards or labels
• directly address envelopes or labels
• provide the ability to update multiple QSOs with callbook information in a single operation
• directly upload QSOs to LotW
• directly update QSOs accepted by LotW and confirmed by LotW
• track confirmation and verification of QSOs for DXCC and WAZ awards
• report progress towards VUCC, Marathon, USA-CA, Canadaward, Holyland, DOK, WAE, WAB, DDFM, SRR, RDA, WAHUC, WAIP, WAJA, JCC, JCG, or AJA awards
• identify confirmed QSOs for submission to the ARRL DXCC desk
• generate DXCC submission paperwork
• report discrepancies in the DXCC award credit matrix
• allow the use of SQL expressions to filter logged QSOs
• provide a list of active DX stations with one entry per active station
• provide professional-quality voice announcements of DX spots
• extract QSX frequencies from DX spot notes, enabling accurate transceiver setup for split frequency operation with one user action
• allow the use of SQL expressions to filter DX spots
• generate propagation forecasts
• provide propagation monitoring via the NCDXF/IARU beacon network
• interoperate with MultiPSK, MMSSTV, MMVARI, MMTTY, MixW, Fldigi, or DX Atlas

 

I've used both HRD and DXLab. I'm still using DXLab.

DXLab launcher installs one or all of the other programs for you. Easy to use, easy to setup software that does a bunch of stuff, and does it very well.

HRD isn't bad software, I just prefer DXLab. Ain't choices great?

 

By menus I mean the DX lab launcher in which they surmise that you might want to download only bits and pieces of the entire package. I think this is unwieldy.
HRD has most of this stuff included in the package in one seamless piece which is intuitive. I am a strong believer that if it ain't intuitive, it ain't well written. Anyone who takes exception to that concept must really love digging into manuals and help files to do simple things (that should be intuitive). As for the long list of what commander can do, I don't think most people are interested in all that stuff. (ie. such things as operating several transmitters at the same time, etc.)

 

There are no bits and pieces. The DXLab Suite is comprised of seven components:

1. Commander: transceiver control
2. DXKeeper: logging
3. DXView: DX information display
4. WinWarbler: digital modes
5. SpotCollector: DX spots
6. Pathfinder: QSL route discovery
7. PropView: propagation prediction and monitoring

Each component can be installed with a couple of mouse clicks and run individually, in any order. These components automatically detect each other's presence, and interoperate accordingly. Many users start with one or two, gain confidence, and add more.

HRD is also composed of separate components, an architectural change implemented in HRD v5 and described in http://www.hamradiodeluxe.com/HRDv5.aspx

The difference is that all HRD components are downloaded and installed in one package, whereas DXLab allows the user to download and install components incrementally when desired.

Users are the judge of what's intuitive; a recent sample:

• http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=245474
• http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=264512
• http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=263744
• http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=261339
• http://forums.qrz.com/showthread.php?t=263081

Commander lets you rapidly switch among several transceivers automatically based on frequency; this is very handy when you have, say, an HF rig and a 6m rig; double-clicking a DX spot automatically QSYs the appropriate transceiver.

So you initially claimed that there's nothing DXLab does that HRD doesn't do, but when presented with a partial list of such capabilities, you changed your claim to no one is interested in printing QSL cards, or rapidly checking multiple sources for QSL routes, or directly synchronizing with LotW, or quickly generating propagation forecasts. "Whatever your favorite application doesn't do is uninteresting to most people" is pure hand-waving and not credible. Post that list on an HRD forum as a set of candidate enhancements and watch the response.

HRD is a fine suite of applications; Simon HB9DRV and I took pains to ensure that DXLab and HRD could interoperate, enabling users to freely intermix HRD and DXLab components. HRD provides a satellite tracker and support for secondary digital modes like Olivia, MFSK, and Hell; DXLab does not. No one set of applications can satisfy every user.

Making false claims about one application's functionality, ease of use, or ease of installation in order to hype another application does nothing but embarrass the author of the application being hyped and damage the credibility of the person making the claims. Anyone who's actually used HRD and DXLab knows full well what each can and can not do.