Marshall,
Thanks for the in depth response to Ken and it solved one of my interests in
trying it out. I tried it years ago and found it to be more than what I
wanted to deal with and gave up yet many use it on HF/VHF. I ended up with
the W3KM very simple logger being an SOP. I can not imagine chasing
databases over a network unless you have network experience. Right now I
think I will stay with VHF logger by W3KM which focuses on VHF contesting. I
do have a purchased copy of N3FJP and will see if it now has more of the VHF
contests. Hope Tom, N1MM a local, doesn't subscribe to this reflector..hihi
Hope to catch you again on the 6m sprint, big signal in CT when band opens.
73's
Steve
Hf-3ghz
Hello All....we used the N1MM logging program for our DXpedition to DL88.
Worked fine as we were a single user on a single computer. The window for
the packet cluster was very nice. HOWEVER, I have seen someone spend
hours trying to get the Multi-User thing working right. If you can get
the setup right and the thing actually works, DON'T EVER CHANGE ANYTHING.
In my opinion, it is a very poor Multi-User program. In an IP network,
all the computers(nodes) must have a unique IP address. It would seem
that fact should be enough, but it is not. It does not seem to know much
of anything in a network. You have to assign it names for all the
computers. Heaven help you if you later change them or give the same name
to another computer. The names that you assign to each computer do not
seem to be related at all to the name that you must assign each computer
when you load Windows. I may be wrong here, but I think that you can have
a computer with the name BIGBOX1 in N1MM and a completely different
computer assigned the name BIGBOX1 as its Windows
name.....AAAAAAaaaaaaRGH. I am not sure what other information you have
to provide.
I also have issues with how N1MM handles its databases. Note I said
databases, since it seems to keep one on each computer. Somehow, it
supposedly synchronizes all of this mess together. I have seen the
results when one computer in a network goes down for a while. Sometimes,
it can be re-synchronized....sometimes not.
When there is something wrong, N1MM will spend (almost) all its time
putting error messages on the remaining computers. You can have a good
run going and you start getting these incessant error messages. Of
course, when one of the error message comes up, it "breaks right in" and
what you were typing is suspended. So you get WA7 typed into the data
entry area and then you have to deal with a stupid error message. Well,
by the time that you deal with the error and get back to doing data entry
in the window, you have lost a lot of time. Just about the time that you
get the contact typed in properly and are ready to hit ENTER, the silly
error message comes back again!!!
I used to be a Database Programmer in another life and another galaxy far,
far away. I wrote multi-user database management programs consisting of
literally hundreds of menus, programs, and modules that all worked
perfectly in a Novell network. The unbreakable rule of database
management was that you should have ONE copy of every database and
everyone should read and write to that one copy. This prevented having
several copies of a database, scattered all around, and all different with
no way to get them straight. Immediately, some database guru is going to
jump up and say that the above is "old hat" and that no one does it that
way anymore. OK, Fine!
On the other side of the coin, N1MM is used in the Multi-Multi network
version in a lot of places. It must be a basically workable system, after
you get the setup right. So it can be made to work.
I use the N3FJP Network version for all my VHF contest logging. You only
have to tell that program where the database is located(using the
Microsoft notation) and everything immediately works. I would bet that
you could Map a drive letter(say V:) to the location of the data base and
then tell all the other computers that the database was located at
V:{database name} and the program would work. I have not tried this, but
I do believe it would work. Since I don't do HF contesting, I have no
experience with the HF programs available in the N3FJP suite.
Contest logging programs seem to be like cars. Some love the Prius, some
hate it. Some like Corvettes others can't get into the cockpit. You pays
your money and you takes your chances(and yes, I know N1MM is free). Your
mileage may vary.....whatever.....
73 Marshall K5QE
On 10/15/2012 11:09 AM, Chet S wrote:
Ken,
Yes, I've used it here for years for all contests including multiops, HF
and
VHF. No problems, really like it. Don't let the huge amount of features
scare you off, you don't have to use them all and there are some nice
quick
start guides available for it. Just give yourself some time well before
the
contest to get familiar with setup and use. Subscribe to the Yahoo group
and
you will usually get a quick answer to questions.
73
Chet, N8RA
-----Original Message-----
From: VHFcontesting [mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com] On
Behalf
Of KA2LIM Ken Kent
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2012 11:47 AM
To: Packrats@mailman. qth. net; VHF Contesting
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Contest logging program
Are any of you using N1MM logging in a Multi environment for VHF
Contesting?
If so, do you like it, why or why not, ie: ease of setup, use,
networking,
and would you recommend it?
The current program we are using has a glitch and the developer just
keeps
putting me off on a correction until sometime next year.
Please answer to me direct. Thank you,
Ken
KA2LIM
Patriotism: Supporting your Country ALL THE TIME; and, your government
when
it deserves it.
An armed citizen is a free person,
an unarmed citizen is a slave
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