Bob, not sure about your hypothesis on the out of sync numbers. We
have found that happened in the past whilst scrolling back on the mult
computer but not experienced it whilst waiting to log a qso on the mult
m/c. Last year we logged just short of 3000 Qs with the same loop
network on three computers and experienced no problems. We
suspect this year's problem was associated with the computers which
were provided for us rather than taking our own laptops.
With reference to logging Qs on the 2nd m/c, we are now quite adept
at giving a serial number two ahead and waiting till the run station logs
the previous number, we then hit the Enter key.
As regards changing the rules, well I guess I can speak with some
experience since I served on the RSGB HF Contests Committee when
the IOTA Contest rules were formulated and was chair during its formative
years. The view we took was that limitations of logging software should not
dictate the rules of the contest. I think if there was a real major problem
there
may be a case for a rule change, as it is, the ops just need to be aware and
style their technique accordingly.
Regards Chris G3SJJ, op at GU8D
----- Original Message -----
From: "Glasgow Bob" <Bob.Glasgow@ICL.COM>
To: "'G3SJJ'" <g3sjj@btinternet.com>; <na-user@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, August 14, 2001 9:18 AM
Subject: RE: [NA-User] A test again
> Hi Robin,
> The paragraph below is interesting as it something we ourselves have
> noticed.
>
> >Another thing I noticed was that our system of three m/cs on a loop
> >kept crashing until we had logged a multiplier. This was during a pre-
> >contest check. We also had 4 crashes in the first hour resulting in our
> >lowest first hour rate of 105 Qs during 6 years of using NA for the
> >IOTA contest. (yes, even before it supported the event!)
>
> Our set up was 3 PC's (1 x Run, 1 x Mult and 1 x Cluster) and we certainly
> had about 3 funnies where the logs got all out of step, we think we know
> why, plus 2 Total crashes of the program itself unfortunately we didn't make
> a note of what they were in the heat of the contest.
> The logs out of step we think arises due to say the multi station grabbing a
> serial number but taking along time to confirm, in between times the RUN
> station has grabbed a few more QSO's and we suspect that the buffer has now
> got full in the MULT PC and when finally the grabbed QSO is confirmed the
> buffer has overrun in the MULT PC and QSO's are lost giving now the serial
> numbers out of step.
>
> Wish there was away that either the serial numbers can be sorted out
> stopping the grabbing scenario or that the RSGB just forgets about them for
> the IOTA contest. Why not get none-IOTA stations to pass RST + NI (not
> IOTA).
>
> Cheers,
>
> Bob Glasgow GM4UYZ
> Sec: C&PSARC
>
> IOTA Contest - GM2T Isle of Tiree EU008
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