Steve Scanlon's Free Change Ringing Software for Windows

Site Owner

S t e v e   S c a n l o n

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I was introduced to Change Ringing at the age of 40 but although I find it an enjoyable pastime the learning process has been difficult. Since my teenage years I have enjoyed computer programming and applied this to bellringing to create some software to help me. I was persuaded by friends to make this available on the web so I hope you find it helpful too.

Unrelated to Bell Ringing I have also written other miscellaneous software for Free Download and usage.

 

Overview of Software

For more than 15 years, I have provided free software for bell ringers to download to their computers. I was only ever able to support the Windows range of operating systems leaving the increasing number users with other operating systems in the cold. As the security of Windows improved over the years, they started to create false warnings of dire consequences of installing software like mine.

The Windows only software titles have been replaced with a new online facility. The 'Change Ringing Toolkit' an Internet tool based on the HTML Version 5, replicates the functions contained in the four withdrawn software titles and adds more functionality too. It is independent of the operating system, so users of Android, Linux, Macintosh and Windows can use it.

 

Tower Visit Logger News

The only remaining Windows Only software the Tower Visit Logger is being withdrawn in April 2022 for new users and currently no equivalent is available elsewhere. Existing users of Tower Visit Logger may wish to contact me by email if they want to continue using the program on a new computer. I shall try to provide support to existing users for as long as possible. The CCCBR Dove team are replacing the data source used by the logger, so it may not be possible to provide the annual Dove updates as in previous years. When the time comes that support cannot be maintained, I hope to be able to offer a way of transferring your data to another program such as a a Spreadsheet or Word Document or Phone App.

Click to see: Reasoning Behind Withdrawal

I am only discontinuing allowing new users to avoid them starting to use software whose life expectancy is unknown. For current users, I hope to provide some means to transition people from my Tower Visit Recorder to the Dove thingy. If not, then to a format suitable for use with a spreadsheet or word processor.

Since the demise of my Windows 98 computer, I only have an old 2010 Laptop capable of running the compiler software needed to create new versions of the Tower Visit Logger and the debugging tools no longer work with its MS Vista. Microsoft's security precautions now make it very difficult or almost impossible to download 'unsigned' software. This is understandable as there are so much malicious software out there. To obtain the security certificate to allow me to sign software would cost around £100 per year. In the past I have spent £250 on proffesional compiler software which rapidly gets outdated. This expense is something I can't afford when I'm giving the Tower Visit Recorder away for free. I have regrettably had to take the decision to pull the links for new users, to prevent them starting using software whose life cannot be guaranteed.

Until the Dove App. becomes available, it may be advisable for new ringers to record their grabs using a spreadsheet, as it is usually possible to export the data in various formats and hopefully one that is accepted by Dove App.

I am sorry for the disappointment, but its these outside influences that caused me to make the difficult decision to withdraw Tower Visit Logger when it works perfectly well.

 
 

Change Ringing Software for Windows Computers

All my other bell ringing programs [RINGBELL - CALL CHANGE RINGER - METHOD TUTOR - METHOD WORKSHOP] that were previously available from 1997 have been incorporated in the 'Change Ringing Toolkit' and therefore support for these Windows only software titles was withdrawn in 2011.

This software had only worked on MS Windows computers and users of other brands such as Apple-Mac were disappointed. As time progressed many other operating systems have replaced the almost monopoly of MS Windows in the U.K. so I decided to migrate the functionality to a web based tool.

Follow this link to the TOOLKIT www.ringbell.co.uk/toolkit/