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Post by kit on Mar 9, 2016 17:48:09 GMT -5
My Dell laptop (which I prefer to use) has Windows 7 Ultimate. I use an external mouse which I find much easier to use than using the Touch Pad. The problem is when I type, my hands brush over the Touch Pad and all sorts of nasty things happen with the text and I spend more time correcting the mistakes than I do typing.
I also have a Toshiba laptop using Windows 7 Home Premium and somehow a helper appeared on the screen with a checkbox that allowed me to disable the Touch Pad when an external mouse is plugged into a USB port, so I checked it. This is SO much more convenient. But I don't know how to disable the Touch Pad with the Dell. Can anyone tell me where to look to disable it?
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 9, 2016 21:50:31 GMT -5
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Post by dave on Mar 9, 2016 23:40:49 GMT -5
I've got Windows 7 on my HP netbook. I'd have the same trouble, but the Synaptics driver for the PC recognizes when I plug a mouse in and asks if I want to disable the Touch Pad.
If you feel comfortable, you can go into the device manager, where you should find the Touch Pad under "Mouse and other pointing devices." You can temporarily uninstall the touch pad driver by double ciicking the touch pad entry and then picking he Driver tab. There you'll see a button to Uninstall Driver. There should be a check box where you can choose to NOT erase the driver software. If you don't get that choice, I'd back out, unless you want to make it a bit more complicated should ever want to use the touch pad again.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 10, 2016 5:59:37 GMT -5
That makes sense, Dave. The touchpad drivers are written an installed by the notebook manufacturer. So a Dell will be different from my Samsung and an HP will be something else. And the chances for a new driver being available for an older computer with a 2 generation old processor are iffy.
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Post by kit on Mar 10, 2016 18:51:21 GMT -5
Thanks, Dave and CB,
I'll give these ideas a try. If I'm successful, I'll let you know. For now, I've temporarily gone back to my Toshiba laptop (it's a little faster anyway).
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Post by dave on Mar 10, 2016 20:42:05 GMT -5
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Post by kit on Mar 11, 2016 9:27:43 GMT -5
Thanks Dave, but I've found a work-around by using an external keyboard and mouse that I had from an older desktop. I placed the laptop at a convenient screen viewing height and the mouse and keyboard are down low where my hands naturally go, and there's no annoying touch-pad. Win-win-win. It's only a 2nd computer and isn't used all that much. My main laptop and ham radio gear are on another desk and are used much of the time.
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Post by clarencebunsen on Mar 11, 2016 10:38:09 GMT -5
That's the reason I'm often tempted to go back to a set up with separate computer, screen and keyboard. I have never found it possible to set up a laptop with everything at the proper height and angle. Right now my hands are too high and my screen is too low.
My granddaughter has a large (8" or so) touchpad which sits next to her keyboard. She uses it for making drawings and annotating pictures and such. Her Dad buys her all the neat toys.
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Post by dave on Mar 12, 2016 14:58:36 GMT -5
Kit, are you on shortwave or I seem to remember you told me that these days you were 2 and 220 or 440 only.
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Post by kit on Mar 16, 2016 8:22:50 GMT -5
CB... this arrangement is working out nicely. Fortunately I have a USB keyboard and mouse from an old desktop that were just sitting there collecting dust, but not any more. Sadly, it's on a less used computer than this one which I use all the time, but with all the other stuff, there's no way to rig this one like the other one, so I'm stuck with the low screen and high keyboard (for now).
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Post by kit on Mar 16, 2016 9:06:24 GMT -5
Dave,
No, I don't do hf at all any more. My living situation now is in a large apartment building (94 apartments-5 floors) that doesn't allow an outside antenna, and is constructed with steel beams, studs and joists so it's like living inside a Faraday cage. I only do 2m, 220 and 440 and use a mag-mount antenna sitting on the window sill.
However, for long-distance I've been using EchoLink which can be used either with a radio or with a computer and is for hams only. The quality with a computer is usually superior to that of direct rf. If you're not using it, just go to "echolink.com" and download the software and take a look. A couple of us up here in central NY usually chat with 3 'snowbirds' from here who spend the winters in Florida, as well as a fellow in Illinois who wasn't able to get down there this year. I heard a local guy talking with someone in Eastern England and the audio was as plain as day and I was quite impressed. Let me know if you take a look at it.
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Post by dave on Mar 19, 2016 11:39:15 GMT -5
I have echolink installed and used to use it up north some years ago when I was on dial up.
When I went to cable, I had trouble with port forwarding and was never able to solve that problem up north. But I again installed it down here and it may be working. I can't tell. Tell me your call letters and I'll try to give you a shout. I'm n2chi.
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Post by dave on Mar 21, 2016 7:04:36 GMT -5
I tested echolink out the other night and got on South CARS. Joined up. I used to be a member of EAS CARS when I lived up north. So I guess my echolink is working.  |
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Post by dave on Mar 21, 2016 7:29:33 GMT -5
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Post by kit on Mar 21, 2016 10:14:52 GMT -5
Dave,
My call sign is KC2GQR and I usually turn on the EchoLink software every night at 8:00pm (except Mondays when I'm at band rehearsal). There are a few of us from this area and a few semi-annual snowbirds, some of whom get together on "W2OFQ-R" (the Rome repeater at 146.880 Node #743610) and chat for a while. Other than that time, I usually don't have the software on, although I do regularly monitor the repeater on my ICOM 2410.
A couple of us have also had trouble with the port-forwarding when using a modem, but despite the reported error, we can still use EchoLink with the computer, which I prefer. A couple of guys put the software on their iPhone and it also sounds great and they can connect from anywhere. By all means, please stop in and say hi.
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