Is there a way to use the "special" buttons and knobs we often have on modern keyboards to control PowerSDR? I am typing this on a HP keyboard that has about 18 extra buttons as well as a volume control knob. Seems like I could be tuning with that volume control and using the others for other special functions. Probably re-direct their function somehow...
Jerry w4UK At 01:11 PM 8/9/2008, Brian Lloyd wrote: >I know, "Real radios don't need knobs," but until you really change >the architecture of the system, they sure are nice to have. In fact, >the knobs are still there but you have to use a mouse to move them. My >Griffin Powermate VFO knob is still back ordered along with my second >RX so in the mean time I have been using the mouse to do all the >twiddling on the radio. > >Personally I find the sliders annoying. I have finally set the AF gain >to a reasonable level and resorted to using the knob on the front of >the speakers. It is *much* more convenient than trying to grab the >volume slider on the screen with the mouse pointer. I can find and >turn that knob Right Now when my wife says something to me. > >And tuning is a bit awkward as well. I find I use the mouse scroll- >wheel the most. I have it set to 100Hz/step so I can move pretty >rapidly across the band but even that is awkward as it is too corse >for final tuning of voice or CW (or anything) and too fine for moving >really rapidly. I am looking forward to that Griffin knob. > >I have tried the point-n-click tuning but find I keep making the same >mistake (call it brain flatulence). I right click to enable then left >click on the signal in the pan display. But when I do that I never get >it quite right and my tendency is to want to grab the pan display >background with the left mouse pointer to drag-tune. Oops -- forgot to >right-click the tune pointer off. Of course, now I am nowhere near >where I was before and I wasn't paying attention to the exact >frequency so getting back is usually by guess and by god. (Oh, and I >keep thinking that I need to click where I want the BFO injection to >be, not in the center of the signal. Too clever for my own good, eh?) > >OK, enough with the complaints. Let's be productive. > >I want some knobs. I want real knobs too. There is something >ergonomically right about a knob in that you can find it in the dark >and feel where you are in its adjustment range when you are moving it >especially if it has some kind of detent or pointer. Yes, I suspect >that once we get to Bob's and Frank's "cognitive radio" we might not >need the knobs but for now, I want something I can grab-n-tweak >instead of drag-n-drop. Has anyone made PowerSDR work with any of the >MIDI control surfaces that are readily available? (I have a control >surface I use for recording.) I am also open to other ideas as well. > >(Yes, I looked on the KB and FAQ but didn't find it. If it is there I >apologize for wasting people's time here. Thanks!) > >BTW, one of the things I do for fun is design aircraft cockpits for >experimental aircraft. The goal there is to make hand placement as >natural as possible while still flying the airplane. I do a fair bit >of formation flying where I am all of 5' away from another airplane >while going 200 mph. Looking into the cockpit to find a switch or knob >or switching hands on the stick in order to find a switch on the other >side of the cockpit is NOT an option. So being able to find and work >all the controls without having to look or remove my right hand from >the stick is rather important to me. :-) I guess this spills over into >working the radios too. > >-- > >73 de Brian, WB6RQN >Brian Lloyd - brian HYPHEN wb6rqn AT lloyd DOT com > > > > >_______________________________________________ >FlexRadio Systems Mailing List >FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz >http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz >Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ >Knowledge Base: http://kb.flex-radio.com/ Homepage: >http://www.flex-radio.com/ _______________________________________________ FlexRadio Systems Mailing List FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archives: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ Knowledge Base: http://kb.flex-radio.com/ Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com/
