"KALLCOST" by Pete Sipple
            Written for the Psion Series 3 & Series 3a (May 1994)
            =====================================================



This procedure allows call costs to be calculated either during a phone call,
or prior to making a call.

Includes costs for Mercury Calls, BT Direct Dialled Chargecard Calls, Mercury
Chargecard Calls and BT payphones, as well as standard BT charges.

KallCost has been designed as a no-frills procedure, so's not to waste valuable
RAM. If you feel that KallCost is missing a vital feature, please let me know.





Series 3 and Series 3a versions
===============================
From Version 6.1+, KALL will be able to run on either the Series 3, or on the
Series 3a.

The author wishes to extend his thanks to Sean Wright for his help with the
Series 3a screen layout.

You should run KALL3.OPO for the Series 3, or KALL3A.OPO for the Series 3a.
These programs call KALL.PRG, which contains the main program.

If required, KALL3.OPO / KALL3A.OPO can be renamed to KALL.OPO



Files included with this release
================================

KALL3.OPO	For Series 3 (can be renamed to KALL.OPO if required)
KALL3A.OPO	For Series 3a (can be renamed to KALL.OPO if required)
KALL.PRG	The main program file (MUST be in \OPO\ directory)
KALL.DAT	Data file containing call rates (must be in \OPO\ directory)
KALLCOST.TXT	This text file

A file called KALLDEF.ODB will be created in the \OPD\ directory (see below)



Changes with Version 6.1
========================
Version 6.0+ has drastic improvements to layout and data storage.

Version 6.0+ now includes the option for users to change charge information
without having to wait for a new release from me. The Set Rates option
will allow you to change rates, as well as editing three International
rates.

Version 6.0+ fixes several bugs, including smoother transition of timebands at
midnight, correct identification of Cheap/Weekend rates for local calls, and
should run slightly faster.

Version 6.0+ supports three international calls, which can be altered by user.
USA, South Africa & Europe included as examples.

Version 6.03+ allows users to specify a percentage discount, if their carrier
offers a discount - such as one of the BT 'options'. A variable unit rate and
character-per-second rate can now be specified.

Version 6.05 now accuratly reports BT chargecard prices, and includes rates
for Mercury Chargecard - also fixes some minor bugs.

Version 6.1 fixes a few minor bugs and has been re-written to enable translation
for the Series 3a






Defaults File - KALLDEF.ODB
===========================

The procedure creates a small "defaults" file called KALLDEF.ODB in the
\OPD\ directory. 

* Note * The structure of KALLDEF.ODB has changed slightly since Version 5.6, 
and again since Version 6.03. - Existing default files will be overwritten, and
you will be prompted for new defaults when you first run Ver 6.03 or above.




Rates
=====
This release now include details of the new charges which came into effect
on 9th March 1994, following the introduction of BT & Mercury's daytime tariff.

I am waiting for clarification of how the new tariffs will affect payphones and
chargecards. Until I hear otherwise, I am assuming that the Dec 93 rates still
apply.



International Calls
===================
Basic provision has now been made for international calls. At the present time,
the user will be required to enter the rates themselves. This is to save RAM.
Once a rate has been entered once, it will be remembered for future calls.
This will allow users to set up three frequently called country. Please Email
me if you need a current rate. A major problem with International calls, is
timebands. Most, but not all, international destinations from the UK have a
Standard Rate (8am-8pm weekdays), with Cheap Rate (8pm-8am & weekends).
This is not always the case, and should be considered before relying on the 
figures supplied by KallCost. Charges for Payphones/Chargecards have not
been implemented at this stage.




Modem Transfers
===============
KALLCOST also includes a calculator for file transfers by MODEM. By selecting
'Modem' from the Calculate|Calculate dialog, a duration and cost will be
displayed once a file size has been specified. A 'cps' (characters-per-second)
rate must be specified in Setup|Values. A Zmodem transfer at 2400Baud gives
a cps of 240.



Contacting me
============
Please let me know your comments or suggestions regarding this procedure.
I can be reached by Email at the following addresses:


psipple@cix.compulink.co.uk (checked daily)
Compuserve:100333,3266


Disclaimer
========
New releases are issued shortly after price changes from BT or Mercury. Please
contact me if your release is out-of-date. Please note that I can accept no 
responsibility for any inaccuracies in charging information. Rates are constantly
subject to change, and the method for calculating calls is becoming increasingly
complex. For this reason I cannot always guarantee that the information is
correct. Please let me know if you discover any problems, so that I can keep
up-to-date.

Although this procedure should be stable, I cannot accept any liability for
loss or damage incurred, as a result of using this procedure.



KALL.OPO is released into Public Domain, and I am not looking for any
payment for this procedure. I am, however, interested to know whether you
have found this procedure useful, and whether you have any suggesions for
improvements. Please feel free to email me with comments!






Written by: Pete Sipple
            18 May 1994