Welcome to the CATCC Press Release (tm). This software is distributed without any warranty or support of any kind. All software is the Copyrighted material of N2CKH. The five executable programs contained herein are HFYAESU and TINYVFO for Yaesu H.F. radios and KENWOOD and TINYKNWD for Kenwood H.F. radios. Also included is Accu-Rotor(tm) for Hy-Gain DCU-1 Rotor control. These programs demonstrate some capabilities developed for CATCC. These applications are NOT full featured programs, just demos. The exception is Accu-Rotor(tm) which has been included with certain features disabled. The information contained herein exists to advertise the release of CAT Control Center software and its current development status. The Shareware/Trial version of CATCC is about to make its debut. On September 30, 1995 the CATCCjr software will be on the ByteWise BBS for downloading, four files are required, the names will be CATCCjr1.ZIP thru CATCCjr4.ZIP respectfully. Each file must be either placed on its own disk or all can be unzipped into a single subdirectory, installation is via the CATCC Setup program. It will also be uploaded to the ARRL BBS and other popular Amateur Radio BBS systems and FTP sites. After the files have successfully been transfered to all sites, a message listing all sites will be sent via e-mail. The CATCCjr version is basically a stripped down beta version of the full commercial version. It is being made available to allow potential users of CATCC a method to sample some of the latest features and comment on the software prior to purchase. CATCCjr is NOT a supported product, it is not a complete product, it is only a trial version. Should it meet the users needs, it may be used forever without any registration. However, CATCCjr will remain the copyrighted property of N2CKH. ============================================== Pricing for CATCC has been set at $49.95 U.S. (plus $10 U.S. for the bound user's manual) plus 6% N.J. state sales tax (and $7 U.S. shipping and handling within the U.S. and $15 all other locations). All shipping within the U.S. will be by U.S. Priority Mail. A tenative shipping date has been set for the first week of November, 1995. Orders will be shipped in the order received. Payments must be in U.S. funds by U.S. bank check or U.S. Post Office money orders. Cash will be accepted, however, cash orders are NOT recommended, especially from overseas. ============================================== CATCC is the application Amateur Radio has been waiting for. It provides FULL control as provided by the equipment manufacturer of your C.A.T. radio via the computer. With a headset/boom microphone and foot switch an operator can literally keep their hands on the keyboard/pointing device and rapidly work'em/log'em faster than ever. With the DX-Graph, DX-Filters, Band-Watch, Accu-Rotor, AutoMode, AutoGrab, DX-Calendar and DX-Sleuth your always on top of the action and you'll have the latest in logging, analysis and reporting. MS-Windows based, written in Visual Basic, C and Visual dbase, the CAT Control Center is fully event driven. It supports eight serial ports for HF and VHF rigs, Packet TNC (DX-Cluster monitoring), 2nd TNC for RTTY, Pactor etc., MM-3 electronic keyer, Rotor control and other peripherals. Also supported are parallel printer ports (3) for voice keyers, antenna switch boxes and others. Basic operation of CATCC/CATCCjr involves an H.F. C.A.T. transceiver and VHF Packet TNC monitor DX spots. As spots are recieved, they are displayed in the spot window (1,00 deep) and made available for selection by the user. Audible spot announcements (user option) and various DX-Alerting sound effects are also available, when the user via pointing device or keyboard selects a spot, the C.A.T. transceiver is place on the spots frequency (and optionally mode), the spots call is placed in the log window and depending on mode and option selected a 59 or 599 is placed in RST s/r log windows as well. When worked, the user clicks on log, and all information, including the actual information from the H.F. rig (VHF also depending on make and model of radio) is logged. This description sounds simple, and it is. It sounds like the basic computer/tnc/radio scenario, and it is. But, CATCC has so much more going for it that to try and write any more here does not do the software justice. It must be seen and used to fully appreciate the CATCC user interface and all the software features not found in any other program. The CATCC_PR.ZIP file which is available for downloading from the Bytewise BBS and the ARRL BBS has additional information and .BMP files of captured actual screen displays that provide more of a feel for the actual software in operation. Currently supported are Yaesu radios, with Kenwood support being integrated. Sample Kenwood control programs have been written as of this date, but not fully integrated into CATCC. Planned is support of ICOM, Ten-Tec, JRC and SGC radios as well. The Shareware/Trial version of CATCC, the CATCCjr version, will have many of the features of the full commercial version, it is basically a stripped down beta version of the latest commercial version. The missing features will include full logging and award tracking, only a CT compatiable .RES files will be created. Also missing will be the full DX-Graph component, and DX-Sleuth and other features that will only be available in the registered version. The registered version, CATCC, brings with it full logging and award tracking capability supporting DXCC, WAS, WAZ, IOTA, VUCC with excellent analysis, reporting and label printing capabilities, as well as the full DX-Graph and DX-Sleuth real-time analysis tools. Registration obviously entitles the user to product support via the Bytewise BBS and Internet e-mail. Also one FREE upgrade (postage and handling required), resonably priced upgrades in the future, the CATCC user Newsletter and access to the Bytewise BBS. It is planned to add new features, such as new hardware support regularly, and to improve and refine CATCC, with upgrades about every six months or so. For additional information on CATCC call the Bytewise BBS at 1-908-363-2760 and download CATCC_PR.ZIP or send your e-mail to info@bytewise.org /s/ Steve Hajducek, N2CKH Accu-Rotor, AutoGrab, AutoMode, Band-Watch, ByteWise, CATCC, CATCCjr, DX-Calendar, DX-Graph, DX-Alert Filters, DX-Sleuth are trademarks of N2CKH. DATED: 9/11/95 /s/ Steve N2CKH