Ham Radio Deluxe v6.8 Maintenance Release

The purpose of this update is two-fold. First, we're announcing the initial Ham Radio Deluxe v6.8.0.71 maintenance release. Second, we want to share our revised strategy for frequent maintenance updates.

Please download this latest version of Ham Radio Deluxe from our Downloads page.

First and foremost: YOU WANT THIS RELEASE. A significant amount of work has gone into addressing feedback provided by customers since our return from Dayton.

One of our customers recently shared this feedback:

"The new version is amazing! I love HRD Alert! Since yesterday, I have already picked up a few countries that I had worked but were not confirmed. With HRD Alert, I was able to see the ones I need and that they were on LoTW, so I expect confirmation soon. This is one of my favorite features! I have been using HRD for many years... you folks have taken this software to another dimension."
— Greg

At the time of this writing, there are over 40 fixes in this maintenance release. While HRD Alert had very few defects, we have addressed a broad selection of other items across the suite.

Fixes in this maintenance release include:

• More speed optimizations for QRZ XML lookup
• Elimination of the "all red" condition when using WSI row coloring
• Corrected Worked Bands and Modes columns
• Improved Filter and Alarm accuracy for WSI
• Fixed contest incrementing serial numbers in Logbook and DM-780
• Corrected contest-related tags in DM-780 macros
• General improvements to Alarms & Filters for DX Cluster and HRD Alert
• Standardized Setup: Now installs the correct version of Access and C++ Runtime to reduce conflicts
• Elimination of isolated reported crash scenarios

There is a large list of additional fixes in this release—too many to enumerate here. You can view the complete v6.8.0.71 release notes here.

IMPORTANT: Maintenance Release Plan

With this release, we are moving to a faster development cycle. Our goal is to publish a maintenance release each week, likely on Mondays.

Now that we have developers working full-time on the software, they are focused entirely on the backlog of bug reports. Each week, we will eliminate as many as possible and publish the bundle early the following week. We will maintain this pace until the defect backlog is clear.

Note: We will not send weekly newsletter emails for every maintenance release. Customers are encouraged to visit our website and check the release date periodically.

Currently, there are about 250 defects in the system, down from nearly 1,000 a few years ago. At our current pace, we expect to be through the backlog by October—clearing the way for new features during the holidays.

A Word About Windows 7

We do not have an agenda for eliminating support for older versions of Windows. However, we use Microsoft Visual Studio (Azure DevOps) for development. To remain supported by Microsoft, we must use current versions of their tools. Consequently, when Microsoft ends support for an OS, our ability to support it eventually follows.

Officially, we do not support Windows 7. However, we have made tweaks to the installer to allow this version to run on it. We make no warranty regarding performance on Windows 7, particularly regarding hardware device drivers for radios and soundcards which are no longer updated for that OS.

All previous Ham Radio Deluxe customers should download and install this version to benefit from these improvements. You are entitled to these fixes. Clients with an active Software Maintenance and Support period are also entitled to all new Feature Enhancements.

Please follow our Ham Radio Deluxe Blog for more regular updates. Pass these updates along to your friends!

Thank you and 73 de Mike, WA9PIE
HRD Software, LLC