NEWNOTES.TXT     * * * *  NEW STUFF ADDED IN EACH NEW VERSION  * * * *

NOTE: PACCOMM now sells the APRS serial port splitter built into a DB-9 hood
for about $30 that lets both your GPS and TNC share the same COMM port for
single port laptops. Their phone number is 1-800-486-7388.

Version 6.5: Major internal changes to make more room. Look for minor bugs.
* MAJOR NEW TELEMETRY FUNCTION!  Added MILEPOST function.  See TELEMTRY.TXT.
* New high-res (smaller) text on maps and other screens
* Instant video page switching so that MAP does not have to be re-drawn!
* Nag box for HF'ers that use ECHO
* More SETUP menus
* Fades CALLS as well as the symbols for old posits.

Version 6.4b:  Changes QUERY Latitude to (-) in W Hemesphere effective 1 Apr.
Changes small triangle from (c) to (n).

Version 6.4a: OOPS, found out that 63c and 64 will NOT let you change WX
alarms nor configure a second COM port for GPS/WX/DF.  FIxed here.

Version 6.4:Same as 6.3c but with some wrinkles smoothed out.  Changed PROMPTS
to YELLOW vice BLUE and made other changes to BOX colors for consistency.
IE, posits are now boxed in blue..., Prompts in Yellow, WARNINGS in RED.
* Wrote SUMMARIZ.bas which will scan all BK and HST files and produce a SINGLE
  ALLPOS.hst file.  You can replay this file at ANY TIME to FIND the posit of
  any station that you have ever heard!  Now instead of deleting old .HST files,
  just use SUMMARIZE first, to extract any new stations, and THEN delete them!

Version 6.3c: Decided to reduce QRM by removing auto-query on start-up for
registered users.  NEW-USERS without a CONFIG file will still auto-query so
they will get something on their maps quickly.
* Much improved VIEW screen
* Still better OPS-FIND displays
* 50% SMALLER SYMBOLS!  Added 2nd aircraft  (smaller CALLS soon....)
* User defined SSID defaults for special nets.  See SYMBOLS.txt

Version 6.3b: New APRS TELEMETRY system pre-announcement!  See TELEMTRY.txt
* Fixes 63a bug that dropped AutoQuery on start-up.

Version 6.3a: More improvements:
* FIxes 6.3 bug that prevented reloading TRAFFIC from BACKUP file
* Better display of DIGIS on hooked display
* Accepts commas in manual WX reports
* Implements QUERY at a RANGE from your cursor
* Adds WX ALARM RANGE so that only WX stations within RANGE trip alarms

Version 6.3: Same as 62d but THANKS TO WD8QWR & W1TTY this is my first attempt
at COM3,4 operation!  I POKE BIOS to think that COM3=1 and COM4=2. Tell me if
it works!  I dont have any com3 or 4 ports to test it.  I assume that
INTERRUPTS MUST BE THE SAME...
* OPS-FIND automatically hooks on P and L lists.

Version 6.2d:  Very Minor changes (and expect few more 'till Dayton!)
* Ver 6.2c is same, but has one bug.
* Fixed DIGI-path display when hooked
* Completed all 15 default SSID symbols list for stand-alone-trackers
* Fixed ACK message problem on short msgs
* Displays all RAW stand-alone-trackers in light gray
* Disable auto-logging for NEW users to prevent filling up LOG directory
* Will now save WIDE alias in your config file
* OPS-FIND now asks first before re-drawing map if station is off screen
* Added CARIEB-E.map for E.Caribean islands by KA3OCS

Version 6.2b:  1) Rumor is that latest Magelan Meridians have dropped the NMEA
RMC sentence.  This means that you will not get course and speed in a stand-
alone tracker.  Call Magelan at 609 394-5000 and tell them what a stupid
decision that was!  That leaves them out of the mobile GPS market without
requiring an added microprocesssor interface!  2)  Consider the MFJ digital
radio for $119 which is 5 watts and is 9600 capable.  It comes with 145.01
and costs $24 more for 145.79.  Call them at 1-800-647-8324 and convince
them that only 10% of users need 145.01 but probably 50% will buy the 145.79!
Warning, it has no squelch, so needs a TNC with true DCD.  Other new changes:
* MAPFIX.bas renamed to MAPFIXER and now uses high-res text mode on EGA/VGA
* Rain Alarm now in 10ths.  * All alarms defaulted to MAX values
* Can enter WIND in KPH and Temp in Celcius (tho still xmitted as MPH & F)
* Page up revolves back to page 1
* DIGI list now shows direct
* New SCREEN.txt gives description of APRS screen
V 6.2a had interim fix to rain alarms that culdnt be turned off in 6.2!
* New maps of World, Milwaukee, Kansas
* BEEPS command now turns off the un-registered-user-page-full beeps.

VERSION 6.2: Fixed the WX alarms in 6.1 that were too sensitive to incorrectly
formated manual WX reports, resulting in too many BEEPS!  Also added better
parse checking of POSITS for correct characters.  New ideas in HF.txt, and
AIRCRAFT.txt.

VERSION 6.1: ALL MAP COORDINATORS NOTE!  Great job!  Excellent detail in
Ohio, California, Missouri, Arizona and NewMexico.  PLEASE read XTRAMAPS.txt
* Read FRQCOORD.txt on how to use APRS as a FREQ-COORDINATION tool
* Read 70Chanls.2M for details on finding SEVENTY 9600 baud channels on 2M !!
* Added WX alarms to sound off when WX thresholds are exceeded
* I'm working on remote DIAL-IN operations.  COnnect a modem, and anyone can
  dial in to see your area map
* N2IPH has written APRSMICE.txt to tell you how to interface a MOUSE to APRS!
  But I lost the file!  Will post, when avail

VERSION 6.03  ALL MAP COORDINATORS NOTE!  If you are good with MAPFIX, I will
be happy to copy the raw CD ROM data for your state, and you can use MAPFIX
to delete all the redundant points or cut and past various smaller maps.
Call me...  But remember that this only has the major US and state highways.
The same thing you see in all of my 64 mile maps...  as of now, all large
metro areas have been done, so only a few of you have any need for this.
So far I have sent this data to Iowa, Minnesota, and Missouri.  Other mods:
* Upped number of map points to 3600 (then later reduced to 2999) and number
  of active maps to 170
* As mobile posits are moved, old posit fades to dark blue
* Fixed DATE-TIME stamp on OBJects that was defaulting to 000000
* TRIM and IMPORT commands in MAPFIX now leave no extra pts outside of borders
* New 100toGRF.bas converts regional USGS 100,000:1 CD ROM maps to GRF format
  so that MAPFIX can operate on them to city street level.  See CDROM.txt

VERSION 6.02  Added an AMTOR/PACTOR compatible mode. See PROTOCOL.txt.  TNC
init now also sets NEWmode OFF so that if someone connects to you, your TNC
will NOT get stuck in COMMAND mode.  Added SSID defaults for ARNAV.  New maps
of Minnisota, SE Arizona and NE Indiana.

VERSION 6.01  Lessons learned from Marine Corps Marathon 94.
* INPUT-MY fixed to use current time, vice old time as the default
* Added ARNAV interface for Aeronautical GPS/LORAN nav systems.  This is
  mostly a commercial option available for $65.  See README\ARNAV.txt
* Send msg to LOG puts a log entry in the LOG file, without transmitting
* Increased number of active maps to 160 and # of points in a map to 2000
* Began removing small maps from distro.  See README\XTRAMAPS.txt
* New Tennessee Central map
* REJect messages now continue transmitting until receiver has room

VERSION 6.0Plus+ (No changes to 6.0 EXE)
* New maps of N. Calif, LA, and San Diego, Central Nebraska, and Dakotas
* New ALL-ROM DIGIPEATER ideas in IDEAS.TXT
* UHF-FREQ.txt suggests its time to consider a NATIONWIDE UHF 9600 channel
* New maps: Full distro of CA maps, plus Jax MS, LRock AK, Mobile AL, W.KY
* NEW MAPFIX which can IMPORT roads from other maps automatically
* Also Wyoming, NW Kansas, Montana

VERSION 6.0:
* All README files renamed, and available on line using F1(HELP)-FILES.
* New alt-IGNORE command sets your UNPROTO path to SPCL... and causes you to
  ignore other packets except those TO: SPCL.  This keeps screens in
  a SPECIAL event uncluttered by others.
* Changed the DF periodicity to send DF reports at the POSRATE period, only
  when there is DF data; and decays the period as usual when there is no new
  data to reduce QRM.
* Same thing for WX.  Changing values reset the Period to POSRATE.  For wind,
  you set a max-Wind speed threshold.  This automatically gives
  more data during changing conditions!
* Worked with N7LUE to modify his DF interface to also accept a TNC PTT signal
  so that the DF function is disabled whenever the local TNC is transmitting,
  This eliminated the false bearings everytime a DF report was transmitted!
* Added NJnorth.map and NYcityLI.map and improved map selection near NYcity
* Updated README.MAP (MAPS.txt) and GPS.txt files
* Plist notes RAW NMEA from stand-alone-trackers
* Wrote MOTOROLA.BAS for sending NMEA commands to M. OEM GPS card with ck-sum
* Solved DXspots w/o Gridsquares sometimes showing up as GridSquares
* Improved OPS-FIND command to HIGHLIGHT calls found.
* Added definable Circle/Box/etc AREAS as objects.  Areas can be 60' to 100mi
  To define area, move cursor, press HOME, move cursor, INPUT-ADD-OBJ-AREAS

VERSION 5.9c:
* Added CONTROLS-FADE to toggle off the fade-to-gray for old objects
* Fixed MAPS-PLOTS-DF so that ALL null-reports were plotted.  Try DF-OMNI.BK
* Space bar re-draws map during REPLAYS
* Significant re-write of MAPS.txt.

VERSION 5.9:  Sorry for all the problems with 5.8.
* 5.8e Alternate MAPLIST.xxx can be reloaded from config file
* 5.9  Fixed INPUT-ADDS for uplinks
* 5.9  FInally fixed the KILL function
* 5.9  Added MAP-HIERARCHY!
* 5.8L a one-time mod for surplus LORAN mentioned in Aug 73 Mag for $25

VERSION 5.8d:  Added FADE-CIRCLE DF technique.  See README\DF.txt
* DF bearings permitted in Magnetic if the MagVar is set in SETUP
* Added ERASE BULLETINS
* Added FILES-ChgMapLst
* Send command preloads callsign of HOOKED station
* Added MAP-OVERLAY.  See MAPS.txt
* Better crash protection from on-air garbage
* View command now buffers last 20 packets.
* Added DIGIpath to hooked display
* Added aeronautical VORTAC symbol.  See Alaska below 128 mi.


VERSION 5.8c:  5.8c fixed 5.8b bug with U-II.  5.8b fixed 5.8 bug that
prevented Track histories from being saved, and also caused excessive LOGS
5.8a improved REMOTE-U-II processing.  See WX.txt
Version 5.8: General cleanup of code.  New .BK format for APPEND command
Use NEW-BK.EXE to convert old files!
* Better CONTROLS/SETUP display including VIA and MYalias display
* Easier DF inputs for objects and your own station
* Better BULLETIN processing at sending station
* Added channel capacity estimator.
* Increased # of A, D and L pages to 5
* Better DXCC calls list by W8RIK (up to 450 permitted)
* CW speed and Test modes added.  Full DXcalls are sent, and optionally freq.
* Added HEARD log to hooked display
* OBJects no longer included on L-List
* LAT/LONG prompts are pre-loaded with the cursor posit
* Airplane symbol shows heading
* APRS warning if your own packets are NOT being digipeated
* AUTOWX program by N5KOA for using PCxt for APRS stand alone WX station
* Added commercial interface to STREETS-ON-DISK. See COMMERCL.txt

VERSION 5.7c:
* Save up to 13 different DIGIpaths
* Fixed the OPS-COMM-GPS(HSP)
* Added AUTOTRACK mode to replays
* Added OPS-FIND
* Permits overlaying CAP grids on replays
* Fixed DF bug with 0 heights!
* Fixed intermittant error 5 crash on DX clusters using shared frequencies

VERSION DF01 and 02:  Beta tests of OMNI-SIGNALSTRENGTH DF routines added
to 5.7A.  See DF.txt file.

VERSION  5.7:
* Finally fixes problems with LOCAL/ZULU for dead reckoning.
* Adds MAP-LOCK feature
* Added MyPOS to INPUT command
* MAP-PWR plots!
* Modified COMM-GPS, so you can see GPS output while in HSP mode.
* Save BText in CFIG file
* Fixed SHELL bug on CGA laptops
* Added NoGPS mode to SETUP to turn off SPM or HSP
* Further squelches BEEPS on receipt of BULLETINS.
* The ZULU fixes required a new Z character effective 1 Nov 1994.

5.06:  Added APRS BULLETINs. Improved scrolling on ALL in DX cluster mode.
* SHOW command on P-list now zooms map to appropriate size
* During entry of a DF bearing, you are now prompted for the jammer frequency
* BText is now saved in your config file

5.05:  APRS now monitors and PLOTS DX Clusters! (as suggested by Paul G4BKI
at PACCOMM.  See README\DX.txt.
* Capture DX MAIL lists to the D-List
* Capture DX ANNOUNCEMENTS to the ALL-LIST
* Capture TALKS in the READ-MAIL list
* Improved Grid swuare plotting and increased callsign PREFIX table to 350
* Sound out DX spot prefixes in CW
* 505c fixed L-list bug ignoring normal BEACON texts
* 505d Initializes AEA TNC's to MON 2
* 505e Added plotting of SHOW/STATION and WWV/WX spots
* Added New Orleans for CAP convention
* 40 OHIO maps on Columbus BBS 614 443-4249.

5.04:  Fixed a bad bug that caused all new object additions after the first
to be deleted! Added HELO symbol and VE2JOR's Montreal BALLOON3.hst

5.03a:  Fixed the DSI Doppler DF interface. Added symbols capability to map
files.  See SYMBOLS.txt or MAPS.  Doubled ACK's after receipt of duplicate
message lines.  Added symbols for BUS,RV, HOSPITAL,SCHOOL,FIREDEPT,JEEP,
AMBULANCE,TRUCK,VAN,etc.  Added THOMAS MAP grids to SanMateo area.

COMMERCIAL VERSION Added INTERFACEs TO OTHER SOFTWARE PACKAGES to take
advantage of their hi res maps:   See COMMERCL.txt.

5.03:  Added 10 lettered symbols. Added USACNTRL.MAP
* Fixed double-transmit when T key was pressed. Added LATEST to JUST command.

5.02:  Consumation of 501a,b,c new MENU wrinkles
* 10 new numbered Balls. F9 centering Key. More symbols & SSID defaults
* GOTO command. * TAB shows CONTROLS and SETUP
* Suppressed 25th line during HSP/GPS. Fixed prob ignoring RMC data with no
  course and speed! TRAFFIC and READ-MAIL are saved in BACKUP.
* RAIN reports /Rxx per hour and /Pxx per day
* Fixed delayed-MYCall for better startup with different calls (CAP, etc)
* Display raw GGA data on 25th line

5.00 ALL NEW Menu commands. Realtime Overwrite of P-LIST. Latch on View page.
     GPS-time sync. Map hot keys. Parse raw U-II data. New Balloon/Bikes. New
     DSI DF interface. SE ID, NW FL, NE FL maps. Fixed null field GPS parsing
405b Fixed KPH/MPH bug.  DAYTON 94 version.
405a Fixed major KILL bug. Forever OBJECTS!  Lots of re-writes for more room!
4.05 CAP grids.  Improved MIR mode makes BCNS/POSITS grid repts identical
     Fixes map overlap problems in MD for MARATHON replay. ENGLAND map.
     Made U-II and Manual RAIN consistent at .01 inch.


