Provided by: tlf_1.4.1-327-g7b714df-4_amd64 
NAME
Tlf - amateur radio contest keyer/logging program for Radiosport
SYNOPSIS
tlf [-?dilnrvV] [-f config_file] [-s user:password@host/dir/logfilename] [--debug]
[--config=config_file] [--import] [--list] [--no-cluster] [--no-rig]
[--sync=user:password@host/dir/logfilename] [--verbose] [--version] [--help] [--usage]
DESCRIPTION
Tlf is a console (ncurses) mode general purpose CW keyer, logging and contest program for
amateur radio operators. It supports the CQWW, WPX, ARRL-DX, ARRL-FD, STEWPERRY, PACC,
FOC Marathon and EU SPRINT contests as well as a lot more basic contests, general QSO and
DXpedition mode. It interfaces with a Morse Code generator, a number of radios via the
Hamlib library, and with a DX Cluster via telnet or packet radio. Tlf can project DX
cluster data into the excellent Xplanet program, written by Hari Nair.
Contest operation mimics the popular TR-Log program for DOS, the output file is TR-Log
compatible. The log can be exported in ADIF or Cabrillo 3.0 format.
The program was written for console mode on purpose, which allows it to run on smaller
machines, or remotely via SSH or a modem link.
CW keying via cwdaemon is fully supported, featuring direct mode for the keyboard and
output to parallel and serial ports and speed and weight control from the keyboard, and
band info output on the parallel port. Likewise, CW keying via Hamlib is supported for
rigs that feature the capability. Tlf can set the CW speed, and at the same time read back
the speed if changed using the knob on the rig.
For users of the K1EL series of “Win Keyers”, the winkeydaemon is available from GitHub
⟨https://github.com/N0NB/winkeydaemon⟩. Setup is the same as for cwdaemon(1).
For radio control Tlf works with Hamlib (version >= 1.2.8), you can find it at
www.hamlib.org ⟨https://www.hamlib.org/⟩.
Tlf provides full TCP/IP networking between Tlf nodes, syncing/distributing log, packet
data, frequency data, local talk, serial numbers, time sync etc.
OPTIONS
Options given to Tlf on the command line.
-?, --help
Print a summary of options to the screen and exit.
-f config_file
--config=config_file
Start with a non-default configuration file:
tlf -f PA0R
Defaults to logcfg.dat in the current working directory.
-s user:password@host/dir/logfilename
--sync=user:password@host/dir/logfilename
Synchronize log with other node
tlf -s user:password@host/dir/logfilename
-n, --no-cluster
Start without packet/cluster.
-r, --no-rig
Start without radio control.
-l, --list
List all built-in contests.
-i, --import
Import an existing Cabrillo file and generate Tlf log files.
When Tlf starts, it looks for YOURCALL.cbr file in the current directory, reads the
configuration and rule files, and based on the current setup generates the log(s).
If the contest is WAE and you have QTCs in Cabrillo, then Tlf generates the QTC
logfiles. Tlf will not write over the existing log(s).
The generated import will be IMPORT_CONTEST.log, where the CONTEST is the name of
contest in the config. If QTC exists, then the files IMPORT_QTC_sent.log and
IMPORT_QTC_recv.log will be created.
-v, --verbose
Verbose startup.
-d, --debug
Debug rigctld(1).
-V, --version
Print the version information to the screen and exit.
--usage
Print a short usage message to the screen and exit.
USAGE
Tlf has been written for console mode. If you want to run Tlf from a terminal in X or
Wayland, you will probably get the best results if you set TERM=linux and use a Linux
console terminal. Both KDE and GNOME terminals have a facility to start a Linux console
in an X terminal as does Xfce-terminal.
By default, xterm(1) or urxvt(1) may give unreadable colours. If so, you will have to set
different colours in logcfg.dat or prepare $HOME/.Xresources to the preferred colour
scheme (a sample Xresources file that contains usage instructions is included in the doc
directory). One advantage of xterm or urxvt are that they do not consume the F11 key
which other terminal emulators reserve for full screen mode nor Ctrl-PgUp/Ctrl-PgDn which
may be used for tab switching in other emulators.
Recent efforts have resulted in improved keyboard handling. If you find keys that do not
work, the developers would like to receive your report of which keys and which terminal
have the problem. Please send the report to the mailing list shown in the BUGS section
below.
There are excellent results with the latest KDE, GNOME, and Xfce terminal emulators (vi
colours are preferred by some). As Tlf uses ncurses to format its display you must use a
proper font. (Good choices are the Linux font, Inconsolata, Hack, or any monospace font
that dots or slashes the zero character). If you have problems, try the linux text
console first and work from there.
Normally you start or restart Tlf in fast mode with “tlf”. During debugging of a
logcfg.dat file you can start in verbose mode, to have a look at the startup messages.
The config file can also be specified on command line:
tlf -f config_file
If you have the packet cluster enabled you will first see the packet screen (if you are
using telnet and you have provided your callsign in logcfg.dat you will be automatically
logged in switched to the main logging screen). Log in with your callsign, if needed, and
switch to the main logging screen with the ‘:’ command. You can come back to the packet
screen later with the :PACket command from the call input field of the main logging
screen.
You can exit and close Tlf with the :EXIt or :QUIt commands or with Alt-X.
At restart Tlf recalculates the score, which may take some time depending on the number of
QSOs in the logfile and the speed of your system. Tlf takes the points as they are in the
log, and calculates the multiplier from either callsign or exchange field (depending on
the contest).
COMMANDS
These commands are entered in the callsign field of the main logging screen. Each command
consists of the leading ‘:’ and at minimum the upper case characters of the command name
plus any needed parameters separated by ‘Space’.
:ADIf Writes the log to an Amateur Data Interchange Format (ADIF) file logfile.adif.
:CHAr Input the number of characters for CW auto-start or ‘m’ for manual start. Possible
values are: ‘0’ (off), ‘2’...‘5’ or ‘m’ (manual).
After typing as many characters in the input field or after pressing the ‘Enter’
key in manual mode Tlf starts sending the callsign without further keystrokes. You
can type in the rest of the call (but quickly). As soon as the sending catches
your last typed character Tlf automatically sends the exchange and the cursor jumps
to the exchange field.
‘Escape’ stops sending.
This works only in CW contests in RUN mode.
:CHEck
:NOCheck
Turn the dupe check window On|Off.
:CQDelay
Change Auto_CQ delay (in 1/2 seconds, with PageUp/PageDown keys).
:CLOff No cluster information (non-assisted contest operation).
:CLUster
:MAP Show cluster window or bandmap.
:CONtest
Toggle contest mode On|Off.
:CTY
:ZONe
:MULt Show needed country multipliers, zones, multipliers per continent (depends on the
contest).
:CWmode
:SSBmode
:DIGimode
Switch TRX to CW|SSB|DIGi mode.
:EDIt Edit the log with your favourite editor. Be careful!
:EXIt
:QUIt Exit Tlf (synonym to Alt-X, but without asking for confirmation).
:FILter
Filter cluster info (announce, dx-spots, all).
:FREq Show frequency or band/score information of your other tlf nodes.
:FLDIGI
Toggle Fldigi communication On|Off.
:HELp Show online help (displays help.txt from working directory or from /usr/share/tlf
if no local one exists).
:INFo Show network status.
:MESsage
Edit CW (Morse Code) messages.
:MODe Toggle TRX mode (CW|SSB|DIG).
:PACket
Switch to the packet terminal. Switch back to the main logging screen with ‘:’.
:REConnect
Re-opens the connection to the DX cluster in case it was disconnected.
:REScore
Recalculates the values in the score window (e.g. after deleting or editing QSOs).
:RITclear
Toggle the RIT reset after QSO On|Off.
:SET
:CFG Edit various parameters in logcfg.dat file and reload it.
:SCOre Toggle the score window On|Off.
:SCVolume
Adjust the soundcard volume for the sidetone (Up|Down).
Range: 0–99.
:SIMulator
Toggle simulator mode On|Off. In simulator mode you can work a complete CQWW CW
contest in TR-Log mode. Set CONTEST=cqww.
:SOUnd Opens the sound recorder menu.
The sound recorder is a utility for recording the voice keyer messages and enables
recording a complete contest in chunks of 1 hour to the hard drive.
Using the sound recorder requires the installation of the sox(1) package, which
provides the rec utilities used by the script.
For recording voice messages, the keys F1–F12, s, or c will record the voice keyer
message for that key.
The sound recorder uses the /usr/bin/soundlog script which should already be
installed to a location in the $PATH. The recording is written to the ./soundlogs
directory by default.
The soundlog script now defaults to the rec utility provided with the Sox package.
The command syntax is not compatible with the previous default rec utility.
The previous default rec utility is assumed to be from the Open Sound System (OSS)
package (sound system used on Linux prior to ALSA). Its default soundcard device
is /dev/dsp. To enable the OSS version uncomment the needed line in the soundlog
script and comment the Sox rec line.
The recorded file extension is .au, the Sun μ–law format.
The recorder produces less than 60 MegaBytes per hour in single channel mode.
Recording a complete 48 hour CQWW event requires less than 3 GigaBytes of disk
space. If local disk space must be preserved, the sound file can be moved to
another host using FTP, rsync, scp, or any other network transfer protocol.
Sound recorder menu:
1: Start/Stop contest recording to ddhhmm.au.
2: List contest recordings and play back selected recording ddhhmm.
To create a new file every hour add a crontab(1) job to run the following command
every hour (syntax for SoX rec shown):
/usr/bin/pkill -x rec
Running the crontab job at other intervals will create sound recordings of
the interval period in length.
Once started the recorder will run until the lock file $HOME/.VRlock is removed and
the script gets stopped (performed by menu item 1).
If you leave TLF with the recorder running TLF will ask for confirmation.
Depending on your answer TLF can stop it or keep it running. In the latter case
just restart TLF and use :sound again to stop it.
Cabling and setting up the radio to record both received and transmitted audio is
left as an exercise for the reader simply due to the variety of radios and station
configurations.
To ease the adaption to the local environment record and play back commands for
voice keyer messages and contest audio can be configured by the following keywords:
VK_RECORD_COMMAND, VK_PLAY_COMMAND, SOUNDLOG_RECORD_COMMAND and
SOUNDLOG_PLAY_COMMAND. The directory where soundlogs gets stored can be configured
with SOUNDLOG_DIRECTORY. See “Sound Commands” section below.
:SYNc Synchronize the logfile of this node with the logfile pointed to by the parameter
SYNCFILE=user:password@host/dir/logfile. Tlf will wget(1) the logfile from the
relevant node, make a dated backup of your local logfile, and merge the 2 files.
The score will be recalculated.
:TONe [dd]d
Set PC sidetone frequency in Hertz.
Range: 300–900, 0 = Off.
:TRXcontrol
Toggle rig control On|Off.
Default is Off unless RADIO_CONTROL is given in logcfg.dat (only makes sense with
rig control capability).
:VIEw View the log with less(1).
:WRIte Write Cabrillo file according to specified format (see CABRILLO statement in the
RULES section).
The file is created in the current directory as YOURCALL.cbr (with slashes as part
of YOURCALL converted to underscores, such as WX9XYZ/8.cbr to WX9XYZ_8.cbr).
KEYS
Work has been ongoing to unify the key map between the Linux text console and the various
X terminals. It may be slightly different on certain X terminals depending on which keys
they consume for their own use. Turn off any key recognition by the terminal for its own
purposes (menu access, help display, etc.) if possible. Pay special attention to the
F1-F12 and Alt-<char> keys. Moreover, on some systems you must set the TERM=linux or
TERM=rxvt environment variable, although variables such as xterm, xterm-color, or
xterm-256color should work. This also works under VNC.
Certain key combinations will probably not be usable as the Linux console consumes Alt-F1
through Alt-Fx (often F7, but could be greater) for switching its virtual consoles.
Likewise, the various desktop environments consume key combinations for their own use.
Ctrl-F1 through Ctrl-Fx are used to switch desktop workspaces. Alt-Fx combinations are
used for various desktop features and are unavailable for Tlf use.
Some desktop terminal emulators are capable of being configured to allow the application
running in them to get all of the keys the desktop environment does not consume. In
testing good choices seem to be Gnome Terminal, Rox Terminal, or the classic Xterm
(although its default color presentation differs slightly from the Linux console and other
terminal emulators) or URxvt (with a very distinct default color palette). Xfce Terminal
is known to consume F11 and Ctrl-PageUp and Ctrl-PageDown. The Tlf developers have
implemented Alt-PageUp and Alt-PageDown as a work-around for the Ctrl counterparts.
Reports of success with other terminals are welcome.
Call Input and Exchange Fields
The Call Input and Exchange Fields are the two main entry fields of Tlf where the majority
of the keyboard entry takes place. The call input field is active when Tlf completes its
initialization and presents the main screen.
Most key sequences are the same in both fields. Differences are noted as necessary.
A-Z, 0-9, /
Call input: ASCII letters, numerals, and the / character that make up an
internationally recognized amateur radio callsign plus temporary location
identifiers. Spaces are not allowed.
Exchange: information provided by the other station possibly separated by spaces,
such as ARRL Field Day and ARRL Sweepstakes.
Space Switch from call input to exchange field.
Separates exchange field elements when multiple exchange elements must be entered,
such as ARRL Field Day and ARRL Sweepstakes.
Tab Switch between call input and exchange fields (jump back to call input from
exchange field).
Enter Smart key depending on contest mode.
Tlf follows the TR operating style which has two modes, CQ and S&P (Search and
Pounce).
CQ mode is used for “running”, that is staying on one frequency and having other
stations answer your call.
S&P mode is for tuning up or down the band and answering the calls of other
stations.
In CQ Mode:
• With the call input field empty, Enter sends the F12 message (Auto CQ).
• With characters in the call input field, Enter answers the calling station by
sending the F3 message (RST) and moves the cursor to the exchange field.
• If the exchange field is empty, Enter repeats the F3 message (RST).
• After the exchange information received from the other station is entered, Enter
sends the CQ_TU_MSG message if defined, or “TU” (CW mode) and your call
otherwise. Afterwards it logs the QSO, and returns the cursor to the call input
field to answer the next call.
In S&P Mode:
• When the call input field is empty, Enter sends the S&P_CALL_MSG if defined, or
your call otherwise.
• When the exchange field is empty, Enter sends the S&P_CALL_MSG if defined, or
your call otherwise.
• When the call input field has been filled, Enter sends the S&P_CALL_MSG if
defined, or your call otherwise. Afterwards it moves the cursor to the exchange
field.
• Once the exchange has been received, Enter sends the S&P_TU_MSG if defined,
otherwise it sends your call followed by the F3 message (RST). Afterwards it
logs the QSO and returns the cursor to the call input field to answer the next
call.
Backspace
Erase the character to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor one position to
the left.
Escape Stop CW transmission, clears characters, returns to call input field, keyboard off
(universal undo).
Note: Some changes are being considered to modify the behavior of Escape slightly.
The intent will be to have Escape only stop sending on first press and not clear
any entered information. It is planned that Escape will stop the playback of the
voice keyer as well.
As an example, characters have been entered in both the call input and exchange
fields, the cursor is in the exchange field, and the transmission of a CW message
is in progress.
The first press of Escape will stop the CW transmission and clear the exchange
field and position the cursor to the leftmost position of the exchange field.
The second press of Escape will move the cursor to the right of the last character
in the call input field.
The third press of Escape will clear the call input field.
You can disable the above described UNDO functionality by setting ESC_STOPS_TX_ONLY
(see below).
← (Left-Arrow)
Call input field is empty: change to next band lower in frequency or wrap to
highest band if already on the lowest band.
Characters in the call input field: enter edit mode while moving the cursor to the
left onto the rightmost character. In edit mode successive presses will move the
cursor left until the first character is reached.
→ (Right-Arrow)
Change to next band higher in frequency or wrap to the lowest band if already on
the highest band when call input field is empty.
F1 In CQ mode, send message F1 (CQ).
In S&P mode send message F6 (MY).
Shift-F1
Restore previous CQ frequency from MEM and send message F1 (CQ).
F2-F11 Send CW, RTTY or VOICE messages 2 through 11. If the callsign field is empty the
messages will be sent with the preceding qso data.
F12 Start Auto_CQ (only activated from the call input field). Sends F12 message
repeatedly pausing for Auto_CQ delay time between messages. Auto_CQ is cancelled
with first character entry into the call input field.
+ (Plus)
Toggle between the CQ and S&P modes.
PgUp Increase CW (Morse Code) speed (from call and exchange fields).
If the cursor is in the call input field and it is not empty and CHANGE_RST is set:
increase sent RST.
If the cursor is in the exchange field and it is not empty and CHANGE_RST is set:
increase received RST.
PgDown Decrease CW (Morse Code) speed (from call input and exchange fields).
If the cursor is in the call input field and it is not empty and CHANGE_RST is set:
decrease sent RST.
If the cursor is in the exchange field and it is not empty and CHANGE_RST is set:
decrease received RST.
Ctrl-PgUp
Alt-PgUp
Increase Auto_CQ delay pause length (+1/2 sec).
Set Auto_CQ delay to message length + pause length.
Ctrl-PgDown
Alt-PgDown
Decrease Auto_CQ delay pause length (-1/2 sec).
As some terminals, Xfce Terminal is one such, consume Ctrl-PageUp/Ctrl-PageDown,
the Alt-PageUp/Alt-PageDown combinations allow for setting the Auto_CQ delay pause
length.
Note: If neither key combination works try :CQD instead.
? (Query)
In CW or DIGIMODE sends the partial call followed by “ ?”. In VOICE mode sends
recorded message 5 (F5).
; (Semicolon)
Insert note in log.
, (comma)
Ctrl-K Activate Morse Keyboard.
" (Double quotation)
Send talk message to other Tlf nodes.
- (Minus)
Delete last QSO (Use :REScore to correct scoring afterward).
↑ (Up-Arrow)
In empty call input field: Edit last QSO: Insert, overwrite, and delete; + log
view.
Increment serial number in exchange input field.
↓ (Down-Arrow)
Decrement serial number in exchange input field.
= (Equals)
Confirm last call.
_ (Underscore)
Confirm last exchange.
{ (Open brace)
In RTTY (DIGIMODE), keyboard mode switch TX on.
} (Close brace)
In RTTY (DIGIMODE), keyboard mode switch TX off (RX).
\ (Backslash)
Log QSO without CW output.
In RTTY (DIGIMODE), keyboard mode switch controller to command mode (back to
operating mode with ‘K’Enter).
# (Hash)
Transceiver VFO frequency → MEM, MEM → transceiver VFO frequency.
$ (Dollar)
Pop MEM frequency: MEM → transceiver VFO frequency and clear MEM.
% (Percent)
Swap transceiver VFO frequency and MEM.
! (Exclamation)
Get a new shell. Come back with “exit”.
Alt-,
. (Period)
Change bandmap filter configuration. You can filter to show spots from all or own
band only, from all/own mode only and if you want to see dupes or not (see the help
(Alt-H) display), only new multiplier or all call (only CQWW).
Ctrl-A Add a spot to bandmap and broadcast it on the local network.
Ctrl-B Send a spot to the DX Cluster (a connection to a DX cluster must exist). TLF
prepares a minimal spot line and allows you to edit it. Finish editing and send the
spot with ENTER or abort sending by pressing the ESCAPE key.
Ctrl-E End modem capture for RTTY mode in QTC window (started with Ctrl-S).
See /usr/share/doc/tlf/Manual.md for more information.
Ctrl-F Set frequency. Use Up/Down-Arrow for 100Hz steps and Pg-Up/Pg-Down for 500Hz
steps. Return to logging with Escape.
Ctrl-G Grab next DX spot from bandmap. The indicator on the right of the bandmap shows
the current grabbing direction. It can be toggled with Ctrl-V.
Ctrl-K Keyboard (CW and RTTY).
Ctrl-L Reset the screen.
Ctrl-P Maximum Usable Frequency (MUF) display.
Ctrl-Q Open the QTC window for receiving QTCs if QTC=RECV or QTC=BOTH or sending QTCs if
QTC=SEND is set in logcfg.dat. Same as Ctrl-S if QTC=SEND.
See /usr/share/doc/tlf/Manual.md for more information.
Ctrl-R Toggle /dev/lp0 pin 14 (Mic/Soundcard switch | trx1/trx2 switch).
Ctrl-S Open the QTC window for sending QTCs if QTC=SEND or QTC=BOTH in logcfg.dat. Saves
QTCs while in QTC window.
In RTTY mode starts capture from the modem after the window has been opened with
Ctrl-Q. End capture with Ctrl-E.
See /usr/share/doc/tlf/Manual.md for more information.
Ctrl-T Show talk messages. In the QTC window shows RTTY lines.
Ctrl-U Wipe out whole input line (call input and exchange), clear all information about
current contact. If entered by accident a second Ctrl-U restores the line.
Ctrl-V Toggle grabbing direction in which Ctrl-G looks for a spot.
Ctrl-W Wipe actual field the cursor is in (call input OR exchange). If entered by
accident a second Ctrl-W restores the field.
Ctrl-Z Suspend Tlf returning to shell prompt. To return to Tlf use the ‘fg’ command
(Bourne Shell) or the equivalent command for your shell.
Alt-0...Alt-9
Send alternate CW (Morse code) messages. If the callsign field is empty the
messages will be sent with the preceding qso data.
Alt-A Cycle cluster window: NOCLUSTER → CLUSTER → BANDMAP → ...
Alt-B Band up in TR-Log mode.
Alt-C Toggle display of checkwindow.
Alt-E Enter QSO edit mode.
Alt-G Grab first spot from bandmap which has the characters in the call input field in
its call. Allows the operator to selectively grab a specific call from the
bandmap.
Alt-H Show help file /usr/share/tlf/help.txt.
Alt-I Show talk messages.
Alt-J Show the frequencies of other local station(s).
Alt-K Keyboard (CW and RTTY).
Alt-M Show multipliers.
Alt-N Add Note to log.
Alt-P Toggle PTT (via cwdaemon).
Alt-X Exit Tlf (synonym to :EXIt and :QUIt, but asks for confirmation).
Alt-R Toggle score window.
Alt-S Toggle score window.
Alt-T Tune your transceiver (via cwdaemon). Activates PTT and Key output, by default for
6 seconds. Stop tuning by pressing any key. You can override the default value
using the TUNE_SECONDS configuration statement. In addition to cwdaemon, tune also
works with winkeydaemon (tested with v1.0.10).
Alt-V Band down.
Alt-W Set CW weight.
Alt-Z Show zones worked.
CT Compatible Mode
Tlf has limited support for the logging sequence keys used in the once popular CT logging
program. Unlike the default Enter Sends Message (ESM) mode, the CT Compatible mode uses
the Insert and + keys in the logging sequence and Enter logs a complete QSO. Unlike ESM
mode, CT mode does not have separate CQ or S&P modes.
CT Compatible mode is enabled with the CTCOMPATIBLE keyword in logcfg.dat (see the
PREFERENCES section below).
The following keys differ in behavior in CT Compatible mode.
Enter Log the complete QSO without sending any message macro.
If the callsign field is empty, pressing Enter will activate the Auto-CQ function.
If the exchange field is empty, pressing Enter in either the callsign or exchange
field will result in no action.
Insert Send the RST (F3) macro.
Since the RST macro includes the other station's callsign by default, the HIS macro
is not sent first. This differs from classic CT, but is a compromise to use the
default Tlf macros.
+ (Plus)
Send the TU macro and log the QSO.
The + key checks if the exchange field is empty and if it is nothing is sent or
logged. In rare cases where nothing needs to be entered in the exchange field,
such as when working DX from USA in ARRL 160, simply enter a space to allow the +
key to send the TU message and log the QSO.
Alt-V Change CW speed.
PREFERENCES
Tlf can be fully configured by editing the logcfg.dat file. Normally you keep one
logcfg.dat file, setting up your callsign, the log file name, the ports and addresses for
packet, the radio, the network etc., and a separate rules file per contest.
The logcfg.dat file can be edited from within Tlf by the :CFG or :SET commands (or with
any other plain text editor before starting Tlf). It contains keyword-argument pairs, one
per line. Lines starting with “#” and empty lines are interpreted as comments and are
ignored.
You can set your favourite editor in the logcfg.dat file.
The rules file is associated with the statement RULES=contest_rules_file_name in
logcfg.dat.
Note: Both logcfg.dat and rules file support the same configuration parameters except
RULES which is allowed only in logcfg.dat.
Tlf will first look in the current working directory for a logcfg.dat file, and if it
cannot find one it will look in /usr/share/tlf for a default one. Make sure you edit the
logcfg.dat file for at least your callsign and your preferred system configuration.
Parameters requiring a boolean value (like true/false) can have an optional case-
insensitive argument. Alternatively, both yes and on are treated as true. Similarly
instead of false also no or off can be used. Without the argument the default assigned
value is yes.
logcfg.dat STATEMENTS
Configuration parameters are set in logcfg.dat which is located in the working directory
(where Tlf is started).
Tlf Setup Commands
RULES=contest_rules_filename
Name of the rules file to load.
It helps to name the rules file according to the contest you want to describe. The
rules file is located under the rules directory of the working directory.
SYNCFILE=user:password@host/dir/syncfile
File on remote host you want to synchronize with (use wget(1) syntax).
CTCOMPATIBLE[=<ON|OFF>]
Do not use the TR-Log QSO sequence, but use +, Insert and Enter to log the QSO.
The default mode of operation is the TR-Log sequence which uses + to switch between
CQ and S&P modes, in which Enter is the sole key used to call the other station,
send the exchange, and log the QSO.
TLFCOLORn=FG/BG
Defaults:
TLFCOLOR1=23 (Header and footer)
TLFCOLOR2=67 (Pop up windows)
TLFCOLOR3=70 (Log window)
TLFCOLOR4=57 (Markers/dupe colour)
TLFCOLOR5=43 (Input fields)
TLFCOLOR6=63 (Window frames)
The numbers are given in octal, FG/BG or BG/FG (some experimentation likely
required).
You should only specify these if you wish to modify the standard colours of Tlf.
In some Terminals you can set a special profile for Tlf with your own colours.
Another way is to define the colours via the $HOME/.Xresources file for XTerm and
rxvt.
Note: A sample /usr/share/doc/tlf/Xresources file has been provided that sets the
colour scheme for XTerm and rxvt to the same colour pallet as the Linux console.
Most other terminals have their own way of setting the colour pallet.
RXVT[=<ON|OFF>]
Use rxvt's colours.
EDITOR=nano | vi[m] | <your_favorite_editor>
Editor used to modify the QSO log or logcfg.dat. The command specified receives
the file name as an argument.
When using a GUI editor that runs in the background (such as gvim) make sure to
exit the editor before logging new stations. Use the :RES command to rescore the
log. It is best to force such an editor to stay in the foreground (such as with
‘gvim -f’).
CALL=PA0R
The station callsign used in messages; also used to determine the station's
country, zone and continent.
OPERATING_MODE=CQ|S&P
Set operating mode for start up. Use CQ for "run" and S&P for "search and pounce".
The default mode is CQ.
TIME_OFFSET=0
Used to shift the Tlf time with respect to the computer clock. Normally 0.
Range: 0–23.
TIME_MASTER[=<ON|OFF>]
This node transmits the time over the network (only one master allowed!).
ADDNODE=Node_address[:Port_number]
Adds an IP address (and optionally a port number) to which we broadcast stuff.
(WARNING: Only add addresses of other nodes).
THISNODE=A
Node designator (default “A”). If Tlf hears its own node ID on the network it will
exit and ask you to pick another one!
Range: A–H.
LAN_PORT=Portnumber
Specifies on which port number (default “6788”) Tlf is listening for broadcasts
from other instances.
LANDEBUG
Activates the debug function for recording Tlf network traffic.
Dumps all Tlf net traffic received on this node into a file named debuglog in the
working directory. This log can be used as a backup log for the whole network, as
it is easy to retrieve QSO data, cluster messages, gab messages etc. after the
contest. Some users have this enabled all the time.
SSBMODE
Start Tlf in SSB mode (default is CW).
RTTYMODE
Start Tlf in RTTY mode (default is CW)
GMFSK=$HOME/gMFSK.log
Tell miniterm(1) where to get the data.
DIGIMODEM=$HOME/gmfsk_autofile
Tell Tlf where to send the macros.
MARKERS=file_name
Generate marker file for Xplanet.
Xplanet (a GUI program for the X Window System) will show the last 8 DX cluster
spots on an azimuthal map. See the relevant Xplanet documentation.
Use azimuthal projection and center the map on your QTH (station location).
BAND_NN=bottom,cw_end,ssb_start,top
Define band edges. NN is the band designator (wavelength), allowed values are: 160,
80, 60, 40, 30, 20, 17, 15, 12, 10.
All 4 comma separated parameters are mandatory and shall be specified in integer Hz
units with an optional k suffix.
Example specification for Region 1 40 m band:
BAND_40 = 7000k, 7040k, 7050k, 7200k
Internal default band definitions are based on a superset of all Regions. For
example, 40 m ends by default at 7300 kHz. In addition to configuring the legal
limits BAND_NN can also be used to fine tune actual band configurations for a
specific contest.
Morse Code Keyer Commands
NETKEYER
Activates the CW keyer.
Only the IP networked keyer cwdaemon or any other program that emulates cwdaemon
such as winkeydaemon is supported. You may also need the keyer for PTT control or
band info output.
NETKEYERPORT=port_number
Default port is 6789.
NETKEYERHOST=host_address
Default host is 127.0.0.1 (localhost).
HAMLIB_KEYER
Activate CW keying via Hamlib.
Note: The + and - macros to control speed from within messages are not yet
supported.
MFJ1278_KEYER=serial_port
Activates support for the MFJ-1278B multi-mode controller.
The MFJ-1278 supports CW as well as RTTY contesting. The serial port rate is fixed
at 9600 bps.
CWSPEED=speed_in_WPM
Set the initial CW (Morse Code) speed.
Can be changed with PgUp (increase), or PgDn (decrease) while sending CW messages
or logging.
Range: 4–69.
WEIGHT=weight_ratio
Set the CW (Morse Code) dot to dash ratio.
Only for the NETKEYER.
Range: -45–50.
TXDELAY=PTT_delay_in_mS
Delay activation of the Push To Talk pin.
Range: 0–50.
KEYER_BACKSPACE[=<ON|OFF>]
Support backspace key in keyer window.
Sound Commands
SOUNDCARD[=<ON|OFF>]
Use soundcard for CW sidetone output.
SIDETONE_VOLUME=soundcard_volume
Set soundcard sidetone volume (default is 70).
A value of 0 turns off sidetone output (even for the console speaker).
Range: 0–99.
CQDELAY=Auto_cq
Set automatic CQ pause delay in 1/2 seconds increments between message
transmissions.
Range: 3–60.
CWTONE=sidetone
Set the PC speaker or soundcard frequency.
A value of 0 switches the sidetone off.
Range: 0–999.
(Due to a bug in cwdaemon it also turns off the Alt-T tune function. Use
SIDETONE_VOLUME=0 instead).
VK_PLAY_COMMAND=command
The command to play a voice keyer message file.
It default to “play_vk $1”, where “$1” will be replaced by the file name to play.
VK_RECORD_COMMAND=command
Command to record voice keyer messages.
“rec -r 8000 $1 -q” is used by default. Again “$1” stands for the file to write
during recording.
SOUNDLOG_PLAY_COMMAND=command
Playback command for soundlog recordings (default is “play -q $1 2> /dev/null”):
SOUNDLOG_RECORD_COMMAND=command
Command to record contest audio stream. Runs out of the SOUNDLOG_DIRECTORY.
The script “soundlog” which is part of TLF is used by default. See :Sound for
details.
SOUNDLOG_DIRECTORY=directory
The directory in which recorded contest sound files are stored (default
“./soundlogs”).
Band Switching Commands
BANDOUTPUT
Outputs band information to pins 2, 7, 8, 9 on the parallel port.
Output is 1 (160m), 2 (80m) ... 9 (10m).
This format is compatible with the standard interface for antenna switches, band
filters etc.
BANDOUTPUT=124181818
Output pin 2 for 160, 30, 17 and 12, pin 7 for 80, pin 8 for 40, and pin 9 for 20,
15 and 10.
This comes in handy when you have 3 dipoles and a 3-band beam (...).
NO_BANDSWITCH_ARROWKEYS[=<ON|OFF>]
This will prevent unwanted band switching when you are not using rig control.
Band up = Alt-B, band down = Alt-V (TR-Log mode).
DX Cluster Commands
TELNETHOST=cluster_address
Use Telnet to connect to a DX Cluster node using a DNS name or IP address, such as
claudia.esrac.ele.tue.nl or 131.155.192.179.
TELNETPORT=telnet_port_of_cluster
DX Clusters often use a non-standard port for Telnet, e.g. 8000.
CLUSTERLOGIN=yourcall
Automatic login for the telnet client.
CLUSTER_LOG[=<ON|OFF>]
Write clusterlog to disk.
TNCPORT=serial_port
You can use /dev/ttyS0, /dev/ttyUSB1, etc. anything that looks like a tty.
TNCSPEED=serial_rate
Tlf supports 1200, 2400, 4800 and 9600 bps.
FIFO_INTERFACE
The FIFO (First In First Out) interface is used when you want to receive cluster
info from the network, or from another source. The FIFO interface uses a special
FIFO file in the working directory called clfile. Anything you dump into this FIFO
will be displayed by the packet interface.
Radio Control Commands
RADIO_CONTROL[=<ON|OFF>]
Switches the radio interface on. The rig interface makes use of the Hamlib library
which supports a number of different rigs.
RIGMODEL=rig_number
Look at the Hamlib documentation for the rig_number.
Hint: rigctl -l and its manual page (rigctl(1)).
RIGSPEED=serial_rate
Speed of the serial port for rig control.
RIGPORT=serial_port
You can use /dev/ttyS0, /dev/ttyUSB1, etc. anything that looks like a tty.
For rigctld(8) set RIGPORT=localhost and RIGMODEL=2. In this case RIGSPEED is
ignored.
RIGCONF=rig_configuration_parameters
Send rig configuration parameters to Hamlib.
e.g. RIGCONF=civaddr=0x40,retry=3,rig_pathname=/dev/ttyS0
RIT_CLEAR[=<ON|OFF>]
Clears the RIT after logging the qso.
This only works if the rig, and the Hamlib routine supports it (tested on the OMNI
6+).
RIGPTT Declares that Hamlib CAT PTT capability should be checked at startup and if
available used to activate the radio's PTT for sending voice messages instead of
the cwdaemon PTT.
CWBANDWIDTH=width
Sets the CW bandwidth of your rig when changing bands.
If unset or 0 the default bandwidth (as determined by Hamlib) is used. (a valid
bandwidth for the radio model must be used).
DIGI_RIG_MODE=mode
If set along with RADIO_CONTROL option, specifies the mode to change the radio to
when :DIG mode is selected.
mode may be one of “USB”, “LSB”, “RTTY”, or “RTTYR”. If this parameter is not set,
“USB” is used if the FLDIGI parameter is set else “LSB” is used.
User Interface Commands
CLUSTER
Show DX Cluster window at startup.
BANDMAP
Shows cluster bandmap on startup.
Use . (period) to change bandmap filtering.
BANDMAP=xyz[,number]
Show cluster bandmap on startup and set start values for filtering.
<xyz> string parsed for:
“B” - show DX spots only on operating band
“M” - show DX spots only on operating mode
“D” - do not show dupes
“S” - skip dupes during grab_next (Ctrl-G)
“O” - show only new multipliers
“X” - show also out-of-band spots when in all-band mode
<number> lifetime for new spots in seconds (number >= 30)
SCOREWINDOW[=<ON|OFF>]
Show the score window (same as Alt-R).
CHECKWINDOW[=<ON|OFF>]
Show the country/call check window.
PARTIALS[=<ON|OFF>]
Show a list of possible contest calls.
See CALLMASTER in the RULES section below for partials file specification.
USEPARTIALS[=<ON|OFF>]
Use the auto-complete utility (takes some practice...).
Tlf will complete the call as soon as it is unique in the database.
This can lead to strange effects, but in practice there are far more hits than
misses. Sometimes you must edit the call because it has locked on a unique call.
Try it, and switch it off when you don't like it.
LOGFREQUENCY[=<ON|OFF>]
Put frequency (kHz) into QSO number to enable logging of frequency (only in QSO or
DXPED modes).
IGNOREDUPE[=<ON|OFF>]
Enables logging multiple QSOs in a contest with the same station (considered a good
idea these days as contest bots that parse the submitted Cabrillo file will
determine such dupes (duplicate contacts)).
SUNSPOTS=SSN
Set the sunspots number value which is used to do a rough calculation of the MUF
(Maximum Usable Frequency).
If the cluster interface is used the SSN will be updated by WWV or WCY messages.
SFI=Solar_flux_value
Set SFI used to calculate SSN.
The SSN value is used to do a rough calculation of the MUF. If the packet
interface is used the SSN will be updated by WWV or WCY messages.
CHANGE_RST
If set in logcfg.dat, PgUp and PgDown will change sent/received RST instead of CW
speed if you are in call/exchange field and call field is not empty.
Default is these keys only change CW speed.
CHANGE_RST=33, 43, 47, 499, ...
Provide a comma separated list of RS(T) values which are used for the sent RST.
Received RST will always be 33–39, 43–49, or 53–59.
Providing a value for T is optional but will be ignored.
In CW and DIGI modes T will always be 9.
NOB4[=<ON|OFF>]
Do not send automatic “QSO B4” message.
Default is to send such messages.
NOAUTOCQ[=<ON|OFF>]
No automatic CQ when pressing Enter or F12.
Default is that these keys will start an automatic CQ (see their descriptions in
the KEYS section above).
ESC_STOPS_TX_ONLY[=<ON|OFF>]
Pressing ESC key does only stop sending CW or voice macros. No further action is
taken.
SEND_DE[=<ON|OFF>]
Sends a “DE” word before your callsign, as in “DE W1AW”.
There is a special case; if SEND_DE is present in logcfg.dat, and Tlf if is in
:DIGimode, then the other station's callsign will be sent before “DE”, such as
“DL1A DE W1AW”.
RESEND_CALL=FULL | PARTIAL
Sends the full or partial callsign again at the end of the QSO in RUN mode if the
call of the other station was corrected. In case of FULL the whole callsign will
be sent again. If the value is PARTIAL, then TLF figures out which part of
callsign has to be sent. Eg.: if the received call was AB1CD, but later it is
corrected to AB1CB, then CB is sent.
SHOW_TIME[=<ON|OFF>]
Show last worked time instead of QSO number in the worked window.
RULES
The contest rules can be put into separate files. Tlf will first look for a directory
called rules/ in the working directory, and a file named for the contest, for example,
cqww. If Tlf cannot find such a file, it will look into the directory
/usr/share/tlf/rules. A rules file contains contest specific parameters like multipliers,
scoring rules, CW and voice keyer messages, etc.
Note: The rules file overrides settings from the logcfg.dat file!
WARNING! It is your own responsibility to try these rules well BEFORE the contest. The
authors of Tlf cannot possibly check all rules for all contests :) and during the contest
there is normally no time to fix it. Of course, Murphy's Law always applies! These
commands can generally appear in any order.
RULES Configuration
General configuration options for the RULES file.
CONTEST=xxxxx
Name of the contest (same as the file name contest_rules_filename given to the
RULES parameter referenced above in logcfg.dat). Some contests, like CQWW and WPX,
are pre-programmed. Look for the relevant rules file in /usr/share/tlf/rules.
LOGFILE=log_file_name
Mandatory!
By convention contest_rules_filename.log, but can be anything meaningful.
CABRILLO=format
Specify the name of the Cabrillo QSO and QTC line format. For most cases UNIVERSAL
is a good choice. For further Cabrillo related information see CABRILLO
CONFIGURATION below.
CONTEST_MODE[=<ON|OFF>]
Sets Tlf into contest mode.
Do not use this parameter for normal QSO logging!
SHORT_SERIAL
Uses short form for serial number (9=N, 0=T).
LONG_SERIAL
Uses long form for serial number (default).
LEADING_ZEROS_SERIAL[=<ON|OFF>]
Controls sending leading zeros in serial number. By default serial numbers are sent
with (up to 2) leading zeros.
NO_RST[=<ON|OFF>]
Do not use RST in contest, such as for CW Open, ARRL Sweepstakes, ARRL Field Day,
or various QSO parties and such events.
In such a case when writing a Cabrillo log format template you must provide a
conforming format definition without RST values.
MIXED[=<ON|OFF>]
Stations can be worked in any mode (CW, SSB and DIG) on a given band without being
counted as a DUPE.
SSBMODE
Start Tlf in SSB mode.
If radio control is active, the radio will be placed in SSB mode, if not in SSB
mode already. Normally Tlf starts in CW mode and will set the radio to CW mode if
needed.
Note: At this time Tlf does not follow mode changes on the radio. When switching
modes use the :CW, :SSB, or :DIG commands to set both Tlf and the radio mode.
CQWW_M2
Put the node ID into the logline (just after the QSO number) to support Multi/2
operation where the station logging the QSO must be in the Cabrillo file. This can
also be used for M/1 and M/M, to enable post-contest analysis of the nodes.
FKEY-HEADER="short description of your defined F-keys"
The actual F-key assignments shown on the top of the main logging screen. Maximum
length is 59. The default is:
“1=CQ 2=DE 3=RST 4=73 5=HIS 6=MY 7=B4 8=AGN 9=?”
TUNE_SECONDS=tuning-seconds
Specify how many seconds you allow tune (Alt-T) remain active before automatically
terminating transmit.
Range: 1–100.
The default value is 6, to maintain compatibility with previous TLF versions.
After 100 seconds, tuning will automatically be terminated, to allow your PA (and
perhaps you too ;-) ) to cool down a bit...
CALLMASTER=callmaster
Use a different file name as the callmaster database (default is callmaster in the
working directory).
Often downloaded as MASTER.SCP from the Supercheck Partials Web site. See the
PARTIALS and USEPARTIALS commands in the User Interface Commands section above and
the FILES section below for obtaining Supercheck Partials updates.
BMAUTOGRAB[=<ON|OFF>]
If set along with the RADIO_CONTROL and BANDMAP (mandatory for this parameter)
options, Tlf will grab the callsign from the bandmap, if the TRX (radio) frequency
is equal with the displayed bandmap frequency.
BMAUTOADD[=<ON|OFF>]
If set along with the RADIO_CONTROL and BANDMAP (mandatory for this parameter)
options, Tlf will add the callsign from callsign field, if at least 3 characters
have been entered.
Use “S”kip dupes in BANDMAP settings to control if it should also grab dupes.
SPRINTMODE[=<ON|OFF>]
If set, Tlf will automatically switch its mode between LOG and S&P after every QSO.
FLDIGI If you work RTTY (or any other digital modes), you can communicate with Fldigi
through XMLRPC. This parameter activates the interface.
By default Tlf connects to:
http://localhost:7362/RPC2 ⟨http://localhost:7362/RPC2⟩.
If you run Fldigi's XMLRPC server on an different port use
FLDIGI=http://localhost:port_#/RPC2
MINITEST[=NNN]
Use this option when the contest is a minitest like contest.
In such contests the full contest interval is divided into shorter sections (e.g. 6
* 10 minute sections in an hour). Any station can be worked once in each of the
time sections without counting as a dupe. The default length of the sections is
600 seconds (10 minutes), but you can pass another value (in seconds) after the ‘=’
sign.
There must be an integral number of time sections per hour!
CW, Digimode and Voice Keyer Macros
The following parameters configure the CW, Digimode and voice mode keyer message macros.
Macro characters in the message strings
% = my call, @ = his call, # = serial number, [ = RST, + = increase cw speed, - =
decrease cw speed, * = AR, = = BT, < = SK, ( = KN, ! = SN, & = AS, > = BK, ! =
his serial (e.g. confirm exchange of station in DIGimode), | = carriage return
(only in digi mode messages).
Be aware that unspecified digimode messages gets the value of their CW counterpart
prepended with '|'.
F1="cw message 1"
CQ message, (e.g. CQ de PA0R TEST).
F2="cw message 2"
S&P call message, (e.g. @ de %).
F3="cw message 3"
Exchange message, (e.g. @ ++5NN--#).
F4="cw message 4"
TU message, (e.g. TU 73 %).
F5="cw message 5"
Call of the other station (e.g. @).
F6="cw message 6"
Your call (e.g. %).
F7="cw message 7"
QSO B4 message (e.g. @ sri qso b4 gl).
F8="cw message 8"
Again message (e.g. AGN).
F9="cw message 9"
Query message (e.g. ?).
F10="cw message 10"
QRZ message (e.g. QRZ?).
F11="cw message 11"
Please reply message (e.g. PSE K).
F12="cw message 12"
Auto-CQ message (e.g. +++TEST %---).
CQ_TU_MSG="cw message 13"
Auto Exchange message in CQ mode (TR-Log mode), (e.g. TU %).
S&P_TU_MSG="cw message 14"
Auto Exchange message in S&P mode (TR-Log mode), (e.g. TU 5NN #).
S&P_CALL_MSG="cw message 25"
Custom call message in S&P mode.
Allows replacing the auto-generated S&P call message.
Alt_0=<...> ... Alt_9=<...>
Up to 10 additional messages.
VKM1=voice message file name 1 ... VKM12=voice message file name 12
Use F1 ... F12 keys to send recorded messages for phone.
VKCQM=voice_message_file_name
Auto Exchange voice message in CQ mode (TR-Log mode)
VKSPM=voice_message_file_name
Auto Exchange voice message in S&P mode (TR-Log mode)
DKF1=digi keyer message 1 ... DKF12=digi keyer message 12
Use F1 ... F12 keys to send recorded messages for digital.
DKCQM=message
Auto Exchange TU digi message in CQ mode (TR-Log mode)
DKSPM=message
Auto Exchange TU digi message in S&P mode (TR-Log mode)
DKSPC=message
Auto Exchange call digi message in S&P mode (TR-Log mode)
Scoring
The following parameters configure Tlf's scoring calculations.
ONE_POINT
One point per QSO (regardless of mode).
TWO_POINTS
Two points per QSO (regardless of mode).
THREE_POINTS
Three points per QSO (regardless of mode).
CWPOINTS=d
Points per CW QSO.
SSBPOINTS=d
Points per SSB QSO.
Note: SSBPOINTS and CWPOINTS need to be set for both to work!
MY_COUNTRY_POINTS=d
Points for working your own DXCC entity (often zero (0)).
MY_CONTINENT_POINTS=d
Points for working countries in your own continent.
DX_POINTS=d
Points for working a station in other continents.
2EU3DX_POINTS
Deprecated.
Use MY_CONTINENT_POINTS and DX_POINTS instead.
COUNTRY_LIST_POINTS=d
Points for countries in country list.
USE_COUNTRYLIST_ONLY[=<ON|OFF>]
Score zero points for countries not in the list.
COUNTRYLIST="comma separated list of prefixes"
e.g. SM,LA,OZ,OH.
COUNTRYLIST=file_name
File with a list of prefixes. It can contain multiple records (lines). The one
starting with the current contest name is selected. E.g. Scandinavia:SM,LA,OZ,OH.
Not to be confused with so-called "country" files maintained by AD1C.
PORTABLE_MULT_2[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiply points x2 for portable stations (e.g. R1 field day).
LOWBAND_DOUBLE[=<ON|OFF>]
Double all points for lowband (40, 80, and 160m) QSOs (can be combined with any
other value).
(Will be deprecated in future! Use BANDWEIGHT_POINTS instead.)
POWERMULT=power_multiplier
Use this value to multiply the final points.
If the contest rule allows one to use the power multiplier (such as Stewperry,
ARRL-FD, various QSO parties), set it here.
Note: The value type of POWERMULT is a float, as in POWERMULT=1.5, but the final
score will be rounded by the C library floor(3) function, which gives the largest
integer value that is not greater than multiplied score.
WYSIWYG_MULTIBAND[=<ON|OFF>]
Exchange is the multiplier, per band, whatever you enter.
Tlf builds its own list of multipliers as QSOs are logged.
WYSIWYG_ONCE[=<ON|OFF>]
Exchange is multiplier, whatever you enter.
Counts once per contest, not per band.
WAZMULT[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiplier is the CQ zone (per band).
ITUMULT[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiplier is the ITU zone (per band).
PFX_MULT[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiplier is prefix (PA0, DA2, VE7, etc.).
Counts once per contest, not per band.
PFX_MULT_MULTIBAND[=<ON|OFF>]
Same as WPX, but the WPX only used CQ-WW-WPX, and there a single prefix multiplier
only once, not all band.
With this option, the PFX counts as multiplier on all band. This usable in the All
Asia DX contest (AA-DX).
COUNTRY_MULT[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiplier is the DXCC entity (per band).
Relies on a so-called "country" file by AD1C. An outdated version is supplied in
/usr/share/tlf/cty.dat. See the FILES section below.
MULT_LIST=file_name
Name of multipliers file (often sections, provinces, states, counties).
May contain comment lines starting with “#” in the first column. Each multiplier
resides on a single line by itself.
Starting from Tlf-1.4 aliases may be defined for the multipliers. Define the
aliases as:
multiplier:alias1,alias2,alias3
If you log a QSO with one of the aliases it will be counted as the multiplier. You
can have more than one line for the same multiplier.
This is useful for state QSO parties as an instate participant where instate
operators exchange county abbreviations rather than the state but the state can
only count once (Kansas QSO Party is once such example).
SECTION_MULT[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiplier is section from multipliers file.
Counts per band.
SECTION_MULT_ONCE[=<ON|OFF>]
Multiplier is section from multipliers file.
Counts once per contest, not per band.
CONTINENTLIST="comma separated list of continents"
Valid values are: SA, NA, EU, AF, AS and OC.
CONTINENT_LIST_POINTS=d
Points for stations from continents in CONTINENTLIST
USE_CONTINENTLIST_ONLY
Score zero points for station from continents not in the list.
BANDWEIGHT_POINTS
Define a point weighting factor for different bands.
For example, setting:
BANDWEIGHT_POINTS=160:3,80:2,40:1,20:1,15:1,10:2
for use in the All Asia DX (AADX) contest will multiply all QSO points by 3 on
160m, by 2 on 80m and 10m and on all other bands only by 1.
Bands not in the list are weighted by 1.
BANDWEIGHT_MULTIS
Allow a weighting factor for multipliers on different bands.
For example, setting:
BANDWEIGHT_MULTIS=80:4,40:3,20:2,15:2,10:2
for use in the Worked All Europe DX Contest (WAEDC) will multiply the number of
multipliers on 80 by 4, on 40 by 3 and on 20/15/10 by 2.
The multiplication is executed after any other multiplier calculation.
Bands not in list will be weighted by 1.
PFX_NUM_MULTIS
In WAEDC (and maybe with other contests too) the multipliers are the different
countries, but there are some exceptions where the prefix of certain countries is a
different multiplier.
In WAEDC these countries are: W, VE, VK, ZL, ZS, JA, PY, RA8/RA9 and RAØ. With
this option, you can define the country prefixes:
PFX_NUM_MULTIS=W,VE,VK,ZL,ZS,JA,PY,UA9.
Tlf will read this list, perform a lookup in a countrylist for a country code, and
that code will be used. If you include the UA9 prefix and then make a QSO with a
station from Asiatic Russia, the PFX number will evaluated with a new multiplier,
but European Russia will not.
EXCLUDE_MULTILIST
Some contests have a special multipliers list, which is easier to write by
excluding a predefined set.
For example, the main set could be COUNTRY_MULT, and you need to exclude from that
list just a few countries, (e.g. the SAC contest excludes the Scandinavian
countries as they are not multipliers). In that case you can use this
configuration:
COUNTRY_MULT
COUNTRYLIST=JW,JX,LA,OF1,OF0,OJ1,OJ0,OX,OW,OZ,SM,TF
EXCLUDE_MULTILIST=COUNTRYLIST
Another useful example is the WAEDC RTTY contest where all stations can work each
other, however, for EU stations only the non-EU stations are the multipliers, and
the opposite for non-EU stations where only the EU stations are the multipliers.
In that case the EU stations can use this configuration:
CONTINENTLIST=EU
COUNTRY_MULT
EXCLUDE_MULTILIST=CONTINENTLIST
and all countries are multipliers, except for the EU stations.
Also, in this contest the non-EU stations can use this configuration:
CONTINENTLIST=SA,NA,AF,AS,OC
COUNTRY_MULT
EXCLUDE_MULTILIST=CONTINENTLIST
and all EU countries are multipliers and not those from the SA, NA, AF, OC and AS
continents, so only the EU stations remain as multipliers.
UNIQUE_CALL_MULTI=ALL|BAND
Multiplier is the callsign.
The argument tells Tlf, how to score the callsigns as multipliers:
ALL means the callsign is a multiplier once per the contest, independent of band.
BAND means the callsign counts as a multiplier per band.
GENERIC_MULT=NONE|ALL|BAND
Use generic multiplier determined by the contest plugin.
The argument specifies the multiplier counting rule (see above). Default value is
NONE (disabled).
PLUGIN_CONFIG
Specifies the argument to the contest plugin's init function. See the PYTHON
PLUGIN section below.
Exchange
The following parameters configure Tlf's handling of the exchange.
SERIAL+SECTION[=<ON|OFF>]
Exchange is serial number and section, multiplier is section from multiplier file.
Counts per band.
SERIAL_OR_SECTION[=<ON|OFF>]
Exchange is serial number or section.
This option is similar to SERIAL+SECTION, except the exchange could be a serial OR
the section. This option was introduced for HA-DX, where HA stations give the
shortest form of their county, other stations give serial.
SERIAL+GRID4[=<ON|OFF>]
Exchange is serial number and grid (e.g. 001 JO21QI), multiplier is 4-character
grid (JO21).
Counts per band.
DX_&_SECTIONS
Multiplier is DXCC country or section from multiplier file.
RECALL_MULTS
Exchange can be recycled, will be filled into exchange field when it is known (see
also INITIAL_EXCHANGE).
INITIAL_EXCHANGE=exchanges.txt
The file must contain a comma-separated list of exchanges.
If the exchange is the name of the operator, the file should contain lines like:
PA0R,rein
PG4I,joop
OK1RR,martin
If RECALL_MULTS is set, Tlf will look in this list for the exchange and fill it in
for you. There are various contests which have a standard exchange, such as the
FOC Marathon. The module also recognises embedded calls (e.g. CT3/PA0R/QRP).
CONTINENT_EXCHANGE[=<ON|OFF>]
Exchange is a continent (NA, SA, EU, AS, AF, OC).
SERIAL_EXCHANGE
Exchange is a serial number (formats received exchange and configures Cabrillo
exchange). Set this only if both sent and received exchanges are plain serial
numbers.
MYQRA For the “Stewperry” contest, this option is used to set the QRA (Maidenhead)
locator, (e.g. JN97, or the full form: JN97OM).
In Stewperry, the points are calculated based on the distance between the stations
as calculated between this setting and the locator entered into the exchange field.
QTC
The following parameters configure Tlf for the Worked All Europe DX Contest (WAEDC)
exchange of QTCs.
QTC=direction
Send or receive QTCs in a contest (usually on WAEDC).
direction is one of: RECV, SEND, BOTH
Note: Currently just the RECV direction is implemented. For more information,
please see the /usr/share/doc/tlf/Manual.md file.
QTC_CAP_CALLS=list_of_qtc_capable_callsigns.txt
Indicate that the station is QTC capable and highlight it in the bandmap or worked
window.
Put the callsigns of such stations in a file in the working directory, one callsign
per line, and give its name as an argument to this parameter.
QTC_AUTO_FILLTIME[=<ON|OFF>]
If you use the QTC feature and you are an EU station in CW or SSB modes, then you
can only RECEIVE the QTCs.
Most sending stations send their QTCs as a short form. For example, after the
first line the first two characters of time field are not sent.
If you set this option, then when you fill the first QTC line, Tlf will fill the
other time fields, but only the first two characters. If you change the hour (e.g.
if there is a time of 2059 and the next one is 2100), then all next time fields
will be changed.
QTC_RECV_LAZY[=<ON|OFF>]
If you use the QTC feature, and you are an EU station in CW or SSB modes, then you
can use this feature.
By default, Tlf validates all received QTC lines (i.e. the time field must be four
characters long; callsign and serial fields must not be empty).
If you set this parameter, Tlf will not perform validation.
CABRILLO CONFIGURATION
This section covers the configuration of Cabrillo processing.
The fields of the generated Cabrillo file can be either
• set to a fixed value,
• input interactively,
• or disabled.
Note: A template file defines the values used in the headers of the Cabrillo file. A
format file defines the fields of the QSO lines in the Cabrillo file.
Using a Cabrillo template
A Cabrillo template is used to provide station specific values that will be placed into
the generated Cabrillo file. Tlf will not prompt for values listed in this file when the
:WRI command is issued.
Note: The template keywords are the same as the parameters below with the CABRILLO- prefix
omitted. Cabrillo keyword definitions can be found at the World Wide Operators Foundation
⟨https://wwrof.org/cabrillo/⟩ Cabrillo specification page.
CABRILLO-TEMPLATE=file.cbr
The specified file is parsed and the values from relevant lines are taken the same
way as if they were added via a config file.
The header, footer, comment and QSO lines are ignored.
One can, for example, re-use a file from a previous contest or use a sample file
provided for the contest. Another possibility is to summarize the station-specific
values in a station.cbr file (see as an example /usr/share/doc/tlf/station-
sample.cbr). As multiple CABRILLO-TEMPLATE parameters can be specified, it allows
for separating the contest and station specific parts.
This is an optional configuration as the same effect can be reached by plain
configs (via the logcfg.dat and rules files).
Note: The CABRILLO- prefix is required in the config files.
Internal configuration
Following parameters control the generation of QSO lines.
CABRILLO-EXCHANGE=format
Specifies the sent exchange format.
The hash mark (“#”) stands for QSO serial number. For a contest using a fixed
exchange enter the value here (limited to 39 characters).
CABRILLO=format
CABRILLO-QSO-FORMAT=format
Set the format of QSO and QTC lines including the separator character for the
received exchange.
The format descriptions are contained in cabrillo.fmt either in the current
directory or in /usr/share/tlf. The specified format file is used both to generate
Cabrillo output and also for Cabrillo import. For technical details see
/usr/share/doc/tlf/Manual.md.
A cabrillo.fmt format file is used to generate a Cabrillo file when a predefined
format in /usr/share/tlf/cabrillo.fmt does not exist. For many events the
UNIVERSAL format is adequate, otherwise you'll need to roll your own based on the
log submission rules of the contest organizers.
Configuring header information
Cabrillo header fields can be set using the keywords listed below. The value assigned to
the keyword controls the processing of the field:
• value not in parentheses, e.g. “9ACW” taken verbatim,
• value in parentheses, e.g. “(YES,NO)” will be asked interactively, with the provided
text as hint
• a single dash ”-“ value disables the field (neither asked nor output) keeping its
value,
• no value (i.e. a keyword without equal sign) just enables the field without changing
its value.
Note: The order of the headers in the Cabrillo file is fixed and independent of the order
they are present in a config or template file.
Header Keywords
Note: These keywords and the internal ones can also be used in a Cabrillo template just by
removing the CABRILLO- prefix and using ”:“ as value separator.
CABRILLO-CONTEST
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-ASSISTED
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-BAND
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-MODE
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-OPERATOR
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-POWER
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-STATION
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-TIME
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-TRANSMITTER
CABRILLO-CATEGORY-OVERLAY
CABRILLO-CERTIFICATE
CABRILLO-CLAIMED-SCORE
(Score value is replaced with the calculated score. It can be disabled but not
set.)
CABRILLO-CLUB
CABRILLO-LOCATION
(Locator automatically filled, if enabled and MYQRA is set.)
CABRILLO-GRID-LOCATOR
CABRILLO-NAME
CABRILLO-EMAIL
CABRILLO-ADDRESS
(3 generic address lines available)
CABRILLO-ADDRESS(2)
CABRILLO-ADDRESS(3)
CABRILLO-ADDRESS-CITY
CABRILLO-ADDRESS-STATE-PROVINCE
CABRILLO-ADDRESS-POSTALCODE
CABRILLO-ADDRESS-COUNTRY
CABRILLO-OPERATORS
CABRILLO-OFFTIME
CABRILLO-SOAPBOX
(3 soapbox lines available)
CABRILLO-SOAPBOX(2)
CABRILLO-SOAPBOX(3)
PYTHON PLUGIN
Tlf uses Python plugins to customize or extend functions beyond the built-in features. Two
notable use cases are adding a specific scoring logic and determining multipliers.
The Python plugin file is loaded the same way as the RULES file but the file must have py
extension.
tlf Python module
Tlf core functionality and constants can be accessed via the pre-imported tlf module.
Constants
CWMODE: int
SSBMODE: int
DIGIMODE: int
MY_CALL: str
MY_LAT: float
MY_LONG: float
Functions
def get_qrb_for_locator(locator: str) -> Qrb:
Returns the distance (in km) and bearing (in degrees) to the specified locator from
the current location.
def get_dxcc(call: str) -> Dxcc:
Returns the DXCC information for the given call using the cty.dat file.
Data structures
Qso
call: str callsign
exchange: str received exchange
band: int band in meters
mode: int one of tlf.CWMODE, tlf.SSBMODE or tlf.DIGIMODE
utc: int time in integer seconds since epoch
Qrb
distance: float distance in km
bearing: float bearing in degrees
Dxcc
country_name: str
main_prefix: str
main_cq_zone: int
main_itu_zone: int
main_latitude: float
main_longitude: float
main_continent: str
main_timezone: float
starred: bool
prefix: str
cq_zone: int
itu_zone: int
latitude: float
longitude: float
continent: str
timezone: float
exact: bool
Functions
All plugin functions are optional.
def init(cfg: str) -> str:
Called once on Tlf start up. It shall initialize the internal state of the plugin.
The parameter cfg contains the value provided to PLUGIN_CONFIG. It can be used to
control the internal logic of the plugin. If no PLUGIN_CONFIG is specified then an
empty string is passed.
The return value is a string specifying the minimal required Tlf version (e.g.
'1.5'). In case of no version dependency None shall be returned.
def setup() -> None:
Called whenever the QSO list is initialized (e.g. on inital loading of the log file
or before rescoring it). It shall reset any internal structures related to QSOs.
def score(qso: Qso) -> int:
Called before actually logging a QSO. It shall return a non-negative score value.
def check_exchange(qso: Qso) -> Dict[str, str]:
Called when exchange is received or updated. From the returned dictionary these
(optional) entries are evaluated:
mult1_value: str
normalized_exchange: str
mult1_value is used as a multiplier without further conversion. The handling of
this multiplier is controlled by the GENERIC_MULT parameter.
normalized_exchange replaces the received exchange in the finally logged QSO.
FILES
/usr/share/tlf/logcfg.dat is a recent example of a generic configuration file. Tlf will
copy it into the current working directory if it does not find one there. It is
recommended to copy it into the working directory and edit it to match the contest.
It contains, amongst other settings, the name if the rules file, your call, info about
ports for CW keying, packet or rig control, etc. related to your station. You should test
your settings well before the contest!
/usr/share/tlf/rules/contestname contains the rules of the various contests. You can
easily write one for your favourite contest making use of the various multiplier and
points capabilities. Test it before the contest and send a message to the Tlf development
list ⟨tlf-devel@nongnu.org⟩ if anything is wrong (or right!).
It contains name of the log file, contest rules, points, multipliers, and other parameters
related to the contest,
/usr/share/tlf/cty.dat contains a flat ASCII database of info about countries.
This is the same file as used by CT or TR-Log. Updated versions from Jim, AD1C, are
available from: Country Files ⟨http://www.country-files.com/⟩.
Tlf looks for this file first in the current working directory, so an update is possible
without root rights to replace the package installed version (likely well out of date).
/usr/share/tlf/callmaster contains a flat ASCII database of known contest callsigns.
Updates are available from Super Check Partial ⟨http://www.supercheckpartial.com/⟩. Save
the master.scp file as callmaster in the working directory (or use CALLMASTER=master.scp
to use the default file name). It will take precedence over the system installed
callmaster file which is likely well out of date.
Section files contain a flat ASCII database of multipliers like states, sections,
provinces, districts, names, ages, etc. They are used by including
MULT_LIST=section_file_name in the rules file.
Some of these files are supplied by Tlf while others will need to be written by you.
Please offer your files to the developers for inclusion in the distribution or placed on
the Wiki (see below).
DOCUMENTATION
The documentation page at GitHub ⟨https://tlf.github.io/⟩ contains some more information.
An FAQ and other useful tips are installed /usr/share/doc/tlf.
The project Wiki ⟨https://github.com/Tlf/tlf/wiki⟩ will host various contest specific
information and files.
BUGS
Please send bug reports to the Tlf development list ⟨tlf-devel@nongnu.org⟩.
AUTHORS
Tlf was originally written by Rein Couperus ⟨pa0r at eudxf.org⟩ aka Rein Couperus ⟨rein at
couperus.com⟩ and is maintained from 2009 onward by Thomas Beierlein ⟨tb at forth-ev.de⟩.
A lot of valuable contributions have been received from PG4I (Joop PA4TU), PA3FWM, LZ3NY,
VA3DB, OM4AA, OK1RR, DH5FS, G4KNO and various other contributors. (See the AUTHORS file
for more). Thanks to all for improving Tlf!
Beta testers and feedback are always welcome!