I am having problems trying to use the TLW program from the ARRL
antenna Book. The version is 3.0. An unsuccessful Google search plus
the fact that I have the problem on two machines leads me to believe
it is something I have done or am doing wrong. I believe it was
working OK on both machines earlier. Both machines are running up to
date XPPRO.

On one machine when I select the "Tuner" button the program does not
come up. It does show an instance as a sub task of the TLW on the task
bar at the bottom of my display. Clicking the subtask causes it to
blink but nothing else. In the Windows Task Manager it shows as a
process momentarily and then disappears.

On the other machine the tuner window comes up but the on choice that
will display is the T-Network. I am certain this one worked well a
short while back.

Both machines have had the program reinstalled.

Before my study of the L-Match continues I have four possible things I
must do:
1-make TLW work in my environment.
2-do the calculations manually (rather not, I am both old & lazy)
Chapter 25 latest ARRL Antenna Handbook.
3-G4FGQ programs (good possibility)
4-Find other affordable software for the task.

All suggestions considered!

John Ferrell W8CCW

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:07:53 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I am having problems trying to use the TLW program from the ARRL
antenna Book. The version is 3.0.

Current version is 3.0b:
http://www2.arrl.org/notes/9043/index.html


On one machine when I select the "Tuner" button the program does not
come up. It does show an instance as a sub task of the TLW on the task
bar at the bottom of my display. Clicking the subtask causes it to
blink but nothing else. In the Windows Task Manager it shows as a
process momentarily and then disappears.

That sounds like a broken shortcut or that you're running the MSDOS
version (TLA.exe) from a Windoze shortcut. Try:
Start - Programs - ARRL Antenna Book - TLW
instead of using the shortcut on the desktop.

On the other machine the tuner window comes up but the on choice that
will display is the T-Network. I am certain this one worked well a
short while back.

Sounds like the program is corrupted. Uninstall, reboot, and
reinstall.

1-make TLW work in my environment.

Get someone there who knows computahs. Have them run a virus scan,
spyware scan, scandisk, registry check, Windoze updates, and other
maintenance tasks.

2-do the calculations manually (rather not, I am both old & lazy)
Chapter 25 latest ARRL Antenna Handbook.

What calculations?

3-G4FGQ programs (good possibility)
4-Find other affordable software for the task.

What task? If you want help finding alternatives, it's a good idea to
describe what you're trying to accomplish, and what you have to work
with.

John Ferrell W8CCW
--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558
# http://802.11junk.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:39:26 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:07:53 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I am having problems trying to use the TLW program from the ARRL
antenna Book. The version is 3.0.

Current version is 3.0b:
http://www2.arrl.org/notes/9043/index.html

Argh. When I download it, the TLW3.EXE program says version 2.03 from
Jan 2005. I have no idea which is the latest version.



--
# Jeff Liebermann 150 Felker St #D Santa Cruz CA 95060
# 831-336-2558
# http://802.11junk.com
# http://www.LearnByDestroying.com AE6KS

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:39:26 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:07:53 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I am having problems trying to use the TLW program from the ARRL
antenna Book. The version is 3.0.

Current version is 3.0b:
http://www2.arrl.org/notes/9043/index.html


On one machine when I select the "Tuner" button the program does not
come up. It does show an instance as a sub task of the TLW on the task
bar at the bottom of my display. Clicking the subtask causes it to
blink but nothing else. In the Windows Task Manager it shows as a
process momentarily and then disappears.

That sounds like a broken shortcut or that you're running the MSDOS
version (TLA.exe) from a Windoze shortcut. Try:
Start - Programs - ARRL Antenna Book - TLW
instead of using the shortcut on the desktop.

On the other machine the tuner window comes up but the on choice that
will display is the T-Network. I am certain this one worked well a
short while back.

Sounds like the program is corrupted. Uninstall, reboot, and
reinstall.

1-make TLW work in my environment.

Get someone there who knows computahs. Have them run a virus scan,
spyware scan, scandisk, registry check, Windoze updates, and other
maintenance tasks.

Norton keeps the virii & spy ware in check, the updates are current. I
have not run scandisk in a while so I will get that on the schedule.
As far as the registry is concerned I will save that as a last resort
because of the risks involved.

2-do the calculations manually (rather not, I am both old & lazy)
Chapter 25 latest ARRL Antenna Handbook.

What calculations?
The equations that provide the basis for the calculations in the TLW
program.


3-G4FGQ programs (good possibility)
4-Find other affordable software for the task.

What task? If you want help finding alternatives, it's a good idea to
describe what you're trying to accomplish, and what you have to work
with.
I thought I was doing that. The services performed by the TLW program
are what I seek. I made the assumption that those interested in
helping would already be acquainted with the program.

You have pointed out the likely trouble spots and I will check these
first! I also have more information in that I have discovered that the
TLW program is working properly on my backup system. I suspect that
wherever TLW stores its session to session parameters has been
corrupted with un computable data. I have run many absurd
configurations while testing design limitations.

John Ferrell W8CCW

Thanks for the help!
John Ferrell W8CCW

On Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:02:29 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 13:39:26 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Thu, 17 Dec 2009 11:07:53 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I am having problems trying to use the TLW program from the ARRL
antenna Book. The version is 3.0.

Current version is 3.0b:
http://www2.arrl.org/notes/9043/index.html


On one machine when I select the "Tuner" button the program does not
come up. It does show an instance as a sub task of the TLW on the task
bar at the bottom of my display. Clicking the subtask causes it to
blink but nothing else. In the Windows Task Manager it shows as a
process momentarily and then disappears.

That sounds like a broken shortcut or that you're running the MSDOS
version (TLA.exe) from a Windoze shortcut. Try:
Start - Programs - ARRL Antenna Book - TLW
instead of using the shortcut on the desktop.

On the other machine the tuner window comes up but the on choice that
will display is the T-Network. I am certain this one worked well a
short while back.

Sounds like the program is corrupted. Uninstall, reboot, and
reinstall.

1-make TLW work in my environment.

Get someone there who knows computahs. Have them run a virus scan,
spyware scan, scandisk, registry check, Windoze updates, and other
maintenance tasks.

Norton keeps the virii & spy ware in check, the updates are current. I
have not run scandisk in a while so I will get that on the schedule.
As far as the registry is concerned I will save that as a last resort
because of the risks involved.

2-do the calculations manually (rather not, I am both old & lazy)
Chapter 25 latest ARRL Antenna Handbook.

What calculations?
The equations that provide the basis for the calculations in the TLW
program.


3-G4FGQ programs (good possibility)
4-Find other affordable software for the task.

What task? If you want help finding alternatives, it's a good idea to
describe what you're trying to accomplish, and what you have to work
with.
I thought I was doing that. The services performed by the TLW program
are what I seek. I made the assumption that those interested in
helping would already be acquainted with the program.

You have pointed out the likely trouble spots and I will check these
first! I also have more information in that I have discovered that the
TLW program is working properly on my backup system. I suspect that
wherever TLW stores its session to session parameters has been
corrupted with un computable data. I have run many absurd
configurations while testing design limitations.

John Ferrell W8CCW

Thanks for the help!
John Ferrell W8CCW
You asked the right questions to get me on track.

I prowled around the registry without anything looking interesting.
Upon examining the folder containing the tlw3.exe file I found a file
"TL.DEF" which I replaced from with the one from the working backup
machine and all is well!
I will now return to my matching studies...

Thanks for the help,
John Ferrell W8CCW

On Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:48:15 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I prowled around the registry without anything looking interesting.
Upon examining the folder containing the tlw3.exe file I found a file
"TL.DEF" which I replaced from with the one from the working backup
machine and all is well!
I will now return to my matching studies...

Thanks for the help,
John Ferrell W8CCW

Nicely done. TL.DEF is created when you first run TLW. I assumed
wrongly that the settings were saved in the registry. It would have
been messy to fix if they were because uninstalling most programs
preserves the user settings in the registry. When you reinstall, the
problems just return.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558

On Fri, 18 Dec 2009 13:10:58 -0800, Jeff Liebermann
wrote:

On Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:48:15 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I prowled around the registry without anything looking interesting.
Upon examining the folder containing the tlw3.exe file I found a file
"TL.DEF" which I replaced from with the one from the working backup
machine and all is well!
I will now return to my matching studies...

Thanks for the help,
John Ferrell W8CCW

Nicely done. TL.DEF is created when you first run TLW. I assumed
wrongly that the settings were saved in the registry. It would have
been messy to fix if they were because uninstalling most programs
preserves the user settings in the registry. When you reinstall, the
problems just return.

I suppose the uninstall program was leaving the TL.DEF file and the
folders intact in the same manner. The problem remained after an
uninstall-install sequence. I simply removed the corrupted copy from
my laptop and a new TL.DEF file was created on the next execution.

My personal preference would be to always operate this way. Keeping
the parameters & execution info in the programs subfolder makes it
possible to sanitize as required.
Thanks again!
John Ferrell W8CCW

Jeff Liebermann wrote in
:

On Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:48:15 -0500, John Ferrell
wrote:

I prowled around the registry without anything looking interesting.
Upon examining the folder containing the tlw3.exe file I found a file
"TL.DEF" which I replaced from with the one from the working backup
machine and all is well!
I will now return to my matching studies...

Thanks for the help,
John Ferrell W8CCW

Nicely done. TL.DEF is created when you first run TLW. I assumed
wrongly that the settings were saved in the registry. It would have
been messy to fix if they were because uninstalling most programs
preserves the user settings in the registry. When you reinstall, the
problems just return.



I've found that most programs will set user and program settings directly
under a section names after the company, or the program itself, so a look at
the 'about' dialog usually shows a name or two that can be used to search for
in the registry. A look at whatever the search reveals will usually narrow it
down correctly unless the keys and values are named so cryptically that they
make no sense to anyone but the coder. Few try that hard to obfuscate, and
most tend to verbosity in commenting and readability so it's usually easy to
find a program's settings to remove a branch and renew it. Trial and other
license settings are usually much better hidden, but those won't affect
subleties of program operation unless features are limited by license types.

One thing worth doing is to back up the entire registry to a file before
testing a new program, then doing it again to a new file after first install
(and perhaps reboot if required). Comparing the two will show what if
anything it added. The time taken to do this is always less than that
consumed in solving problems related to not doing it.

John Ferrell wrote in
:

I simply removed the corrupted copy from
my laptop and a new TL.DEF file was created on the next execution.

My personal preference would be to always operate this way. Keeping
the parameters & execution info in the programs subfolder makes it
possible to sanitize as required.


Fortunately a lot of coders now agree. I think the infatuation with the
registry is declining. What's really weird is that in *nix systems, BSD
and Linux etc, that have different filing subsystems, it's not common
practise to put related config files in the base dir for the executable, so
arguably they'd have more use for a common registry than Windows does but
they don't have one. Life is strange... On the other hand, BSD and all do
tend to use human-readable and editable configs more so it's easier to change
things and back them up reliably while the program isn't running.

On Sat, 19 Dec 2009 04:02:25 -0600, Lostgallifreyan
wrote:

One thing worth doing is to back up the entire registry to a file before
testing a new program...

I use ERUNT for both manual and automatic (on boot) registry backups.
http://www.larshederer.homepage.t-online.de/erunt/
http://technologizer.com/2009/05/26/why-i-dumped-windows-system-restore-for-erunt/
It has saved my posterior more times than I care to admit.


--
Jeff Liebermann
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558