[aprssig] APRS-SCS Version 1.25 is ready

[kb2scs at optonline.net]

HI All
            For those that will be using upgrade.zip please read the 
upgrade.txt file that is inside upgrade.zip
 
APRS-SCS 1.25 is now ready for your down loading pleasure.
Please please please if you already have aprs-scs installed on your 
PC then use the upgrade.zip file. No using aprsscsfull.zip and 
installing to another directory. Windows will not like this.

Upgrade.txt contains very important information on how to upgrade 
aprs-scs.
To upgrade to version 1.25 there is more involved then just copying 
files.
So please please please read upgrade.txt and do exactly what 
upgrade.txt states.

Note aprs-scs does not work on Win2k. So if you are using win2k 
please do not try to install aprs-scs.
Aprs-scs works just fine with Win98 and WinXP.

For those that were wondering what had happened to aprs-scs and why 
no upgrades
Well I have been busy adding features to aprs-scs that would only be 
of interest to those who use aprs-scs on HF. Well you say there is a 
lot of people on this sig that use aprs on HF so why not tell us of 
your new features. 

Yes that is true but how many use APRS on HF using Psk63srv?
So what the heck is PSK63srv you ask?
Psk63srv is a server program as the name implies that was written by 
Roger Barker.
PSK63srv runs on the same PC as the APRS client program. 
The APRS Client Program sends its out going packets to PSK63srv and 
then PSK63srv formats the packets as PSK63 packets. 
Yes PSK31 double speed.
These packets are then sent to the HF transmitter via the PC sound 
card. 
The revers happens when PSK63srv receives PSK63 packets from the HF 
transmitter.

If this sounds like something you would like to do then please go to 
the following URL and find out more about PSK63srv. You will have to 
join the group to be able to get the PSK63srv software.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/aprpack/

After you have checked out PSK63srv then go to the following URL and 
read my WhatsNew starting with version 1.18

http://www.tapr.org/~kb2scs/

What follows is version 1.25  WhatsNew.

WhatsNew:
Version 1.25 the error when a user clicked on the ClrMsgTxt menu item 
and the message form is not displayed. 


Added the ability to the Save Map as Bitmap menu item to save the map 
with or with out call signs.
 

Now the Biggie.
Added the ability to use user supplied BitMaps as Map displays. Any 
BitMap will work as long as you assign a Lat and long for the upper 
Left and Bottom Right of the BitMap. These values are stored in the 
user provided text file. Note this text file is an ascii text file. 
No tabs or other funny characters. Just numbers and spaces. For 
example if you had a bitmap named MyNeighborhood.bmp then the text 
file would be called MyNeighborhood.txt aprs-scs comes with one bmp 
and one txt file. USA.bmp and USA.txt. You will find these files in 
the new Bitmap sub directory. Any Bitmaps that you put in the Bitmap 
directory will be able to be displayed by aprs-scs. As long as they 
have a text file also. 

The first line of the text file is the map range. 
The next line of the text file is the Lat of the Top edge. 
The next line of the text file is the Long of the Left hand edge.
The next line of the text file is the Lat of the Bottom edge.
The Last line of the text file is the Long of the Right hand edge. 

This new Bitmap feature basically works like all other aprs programs 
that can use user supplied bitmaps. 
You change what type of map format you are using in aprs-scs by 
clicking on the Map menu item. You will see the three types of 
supported format. Usgs Maps, Dos Maps and the New BitMaps. 
Gone is the tool bar Icon to change between Dos and Usgs Maps. 


Happy New Year

Let us hope we never witness the "Silence Of The Hams"
73 DE John  KB2SCS
       E-Mail:            kb2scs at arrl.net
       APRS-SCS     http://www.tapr.org/~kb2scs
       Web Page:     http://www.qsl.net/kb2scs