The following contains a lengthy, dry description of a computer outwitting a
human. There is little of value to the real world; feel free to skip it all.
In my previous post on manipulating the .DOM files I said:
> I have one computer that for some reason doesn't subdue the colors
> properly; your mileage...
It turns out that computers do just what we tell them, and one has to read the
manual (RTFM) AND remember stuff in it. I had developed my original map during
Sweepstakes, and among the modifications I had made was to capitalize all the
section abbreviations to "look better" on the screen. It worked great.
Later (last fall) I discovered that not for nothing is there an explanation in
the manual for why domestic multipliers are partially in lower case. It's to
avoid confusion (in the program) with DX multipliers. It turns out, if you look
in the FCONTEST.PAS that Tree cleverly and graciously provides with TRLog that
Sweepstakes is utterly and entirely a domestic contest, while Field Day accepts
DX mults. Guess which 'test I was working on, and which .DOM file I was using
when I determined that there was "computer video" not playing in the sandbox
well?
So, doing my best Archimedes imitation at 1 in the morning, in bed with my
notebook (my bride was thrilled; I hear other geeks nodding in recognition of
the situation), I exclaimed, "ah, ha!" and reworked the ARRLSECT.DOM back to
partial lower case, as Tree and apparently God had intended.
Therefore, my method of geographic .DOM files and the disappearing mults (not
my idea, but happily adapted by me) works and is still offered to anyone
interested.
My conscience is now clear.
73, Rod N4SI
| It's pronounced
The DXer formerly known as N9AKE | "jig-a-byte"
(c) 5 November, 1996 | Look it up.
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