Thank you for your continued interest in HCP. I started writing several months ago for some new features for HCP. These are the potential new features:

1. A major clean-up of the code. Much of it has been put into subroutines. This is done. Users will never see this.

2. Logging the activity to a disk file. No decent software should be without this in an environment where money is on the table. Most of the code for this has already been written but it is not yet working.

3. A generic IP interface that is compatible with other automation systems such as Audiovault. This would allow HCP to function as a mini software version of the Broadcast Electronics RIOT Box. The code for this is finished and working but I have not really been able to test this on a live system as my Audiovault was sent off to another one of our stations. Anyone interested in doing some testing?

4. Support for two serial ports in one instance of HCP. This important feature would allow a single PAL script to interact with up to four outputs and up to eight inputs. While this is easy to add, it would take a great deal of writing code. I have not started work on this.

5. Reducing HCP to the System Tray. Great idea! While possible, this task is not exactly trivial.

Any more ideas? It looks like the next version may be version 2.

At this time, it doesn't seem that I will get back to this stuff until at least the fall. First, my boss has a lot of summer-time transmitter installs for me. Beyond all this, I wonder about the demand for any of these features. More so, I wonder about the future direction of SAM. Will HCP still be needed by this time next year? I don't really want to do a lot of work if no one will see any benefit.

Please chime in and render your opinions.

Max Headroom
Network XXIII

thanks, sorry for taking soo long to write back, the only feature, im really in need of is startup to system tray & active, using actual window minimizer. had to rely on this software during MLB this year they stopped using tones, and started using reciever relay's, doing the steelers right this moment, and dont see anything running still using starguide III

just wanted to update this with saying the relays are not burnt up, i was listening to other shows with the same receiver and the relays went, anyone know how to program a starguide III reciever for steelers? we are affliated but for what ever reason no one seems to know how it's done, or if there just not sending them until regular season?

You can start here: http://www.starguidedigital.com/ie2/int ... upport.htm

You will need to know the frequency, as well as channels you need. You might need to have it authorized by your carrier as well, so you'll have to contact support at the STEELERS network. They can walk you thru the basics of setting it up. If you're definitely an authorized affiliate, they (Steelers support) will be more than happy to walk you thru the process.

FWIW: Most of the Starguides, while still operational, are slowing being phased out of use. 95% of all the networks are moving over to newer XDS or J-DAS receivers. We have about six Starguides sitting in our engineering room at the station collecting dust because the network just aren't using them anymore.

Regarding the relays... you either don't have the relay card programmed properly for the Steelers, or they may not be using the relay card that you have. Starguides can use several different kinds of relay cards. Verify with Steelers support which type of relay card they use. Believe it or not, some of the remaining networks that are still using Starguides aren't even using digital relay cards, but rather still using sub-audible tones (25Hz, 35Hz, & 25/35Hz tones.) If this is the case for STEELERS, you will need to purchase/acquire a sub-audible tone decoder. Again, please contact Steelers support... they will have all this information.

you may be right on th expansion card, i do know they are NOT using tones, i've checked with tonedet and there just isn't enough time for them. i'll eithere talk to our installers or wait till sept 12th and see what happens? glad to see people are still responding about HCP