Using Stored Messages in Contests

Now the real fun begins. You have interfaced your radio to the program, so MM knows what band and mode you're using. You can send "canned" voice messages to your radio, as well as CW, and you can control its PTT.

So now it's time to put all these bells and whistles to work. There are several ways to do this, depending on how much you want to automate the process. The details are the same for either phone or CW messages, so let's look at the possibilities.

First, let's reopen the voice message table, by right-clicking on the message buttons while in USB or LSB.

If you don't already have all of these messages, use the Ctrl+Shift+Fx process to record them, and then OK out.

Now open the CW message table.

You need to load CW messages corresponding to the phone list above For Function keys 1-8. Here's what it should look like when you finish.

There are 4 main ways you can use the stored messages, listed here in ascending order of speed and convenience.

1. One key at a time - press a function key when you want to send the associated message. Use the Space bar to move your cursor. When you have everything filled in, press Enter, and the QSO will be logged. Done this way, a typical Run (CQ) QSO would look like this:

1. F1 (CQ)
2. Station answers - copy call in callsign box
3. Say his callsign (phone) or press F5 to send it (CW)
4. Press F2 to send the exchange (either a stored voice message or CW)
5. Press <Space> to move the cursor to the exchange field
6. Type in the received exchange
7. Press F3 to send your acknowledgment
8. Press <Enter> to log the QSO

2. Semi-CT Style - Enter the callsign of the station calling you. Press the Ins key to send his call and your exchange (CW), or speak his call and then press Ins. Once you have copied his exchange, press F3 (TU) and <Enter> to Log. If you are calling other stations (Search and Pounce, or S&P), you would first press F4 to send your call, and when the station responds follow the sequence as above.

3. Early N1MM style - Enter the callsign of the station calling you. Press the ; key to send his call and your exchange. Copy his exchange and press the ' key (right next to it on US keyboards). The program sends the F3 (TU) message and logs the QSO. In S&P, you would hit F4 first, then " ; ", and then " ' ".

This saves some keystrokes, but there's an easier way. A decade ago, N6TR developed the idea of making TR Log "modal." By that, he meant that the program would behave differently depending on whether you were in Run or S&P mode. Making this distinction let him massively simplify and shorten the sequence of keystrokes required to complete a QSO.

4. Enter Sends Messages - N1MM Logger has now evolved N6TR's invention into what is called Enter Sends Messages, or ESM for short.

More on ESM (Enter Sends Messages)

The first step is to turn it on. Open the Config menu in the Entry Window, and select ESM

Now close the menu and enter any call in the entry window. We're assuming that you are doing S&P.

What's different? Take a look at the F4 button. The highlight means that if you press Enter at this point, the F4 message will be sent (which is what you want - your call). Press <Enter>, your call is sent, but the cursor remains in the callsign field, and F4 is still highlighted. If he doesn't answer the first time, just press <Enter> again. If he answers you, hit <Space>, and look!

The cursor has moved to the Exchange box, and now F2 is highlighted. That means that the next time you hit <Enter>, the program sends F2 and logs the QSO.

So instead of an 8 step process to work an S&P QSO, you have either 3 or 4:

1. Enter the callsign
2. Press <Enter>
3. (optional) If he doesn't answer, press <Enter> when it's time to call him again; if he does, press <Space> and copy his exchange
4. Press <Enter> again to send your exchange to him and log the QSO.

But suppose you're Running (Calling CQ)? The first thing to do is tell the program. You do that by checking the box next to the word "Running", either with your mouse or by hitting <Alt>+U. Now your Entry Window looks a bit different:

Note the highlight is now on F1, because the first thing in most Run QSOs is a CQ. Press <Enter> and the program will send F1.

Now someone answers. Type in his callsign and the window changes.

You're starting to get the hang of this - the highlights mean that when you hit <Enter> the program will send F5 followed by F2 (on CW - on phone you would speak the callsign and then press <Enter> to send your exchange).

Once you have done that, the window changes again.

Now the highlights tell you that you have copied a legitimate exchange (in this case the program has supplied it from the callsign, and that the next <Enter> will send your F3 message and log the QSO.

So, type a callsign, hit <Enter> 3 times, and you've logged a QSO. Pretty slick!

Now suppose you're like me and you fat-finger copying the exchange, so that you have nonsense in the Exchange box, like this. In that case, the program reminds you:

If you hit <Enter> with an incorrect exchange, the program will send the F8 message and request a repeat. Alternatively, if you see your mistake and correct it, the screen changes again to show the "F3 and Log It" highlights. Just press <Enter>, the program sends the F3 message, logs the QSO, and you're done.

Once you've used ESM, I predict you'll never go back to the old way again.

Two further refinements, and then this chapter is done. Open the Config menu again, and then open the "Configure Ports, Telnet Address, Other" sub-menu. Click on the Function Keys tab:

In the left-hand column, note that I have checked "Send Corrected Call." This neat feature, in Run mode, keeps track of whether you have changed the callsign in the callsign box. For example, say you only copied "DL6A" at first, and filled in the rest later. Eventually, you copy DL6ABC, and when you press <Enter> to send the F3 (TU message), on CW the program sends "DL6ABC TU ..." On phone, you'll need to supply the correction.

In the right-hand column, the third checkbox is cumbersomely titled "ESM only sends your call once in S&P, then ready to copy received exchange." In shorthand, we call this the "Big Gun switch." If you nearly always get stations you call the first time, you can save a keystroke by having the cursor advance automatically to the exchange box after the first time you call. If you often need to call again, don't check it. If you have checked it, and need to call a station more than once, you just press F4, regardless of where the cursor is.

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