[CQ-Contest] Deadlines, log checking, and paper logs

[olinger at bellsouth.net]

ARRL will only take cabrillo, and they have a robot which bounces the log email if something is amiss. 

Otherwise they have the same problems you do.

I think that eventually the idea has to go away that there is someone at Log Central who will convert and/or clean it up for you no matter how screwed up.

Go to cabrillo, period, clone ARRL's robot and bounce stuff that isn't in format. No paper logs. 15 days. Run the programs and publish. 30 days.

Personally, I think it is arrogant and careless for people submitting logs to think that there is a crew there just drooling to type in their logs and clean up for them. Write a note back and ask them if their mother still picks up their socks and underwear.

When all logs were paper it was a different deal, but it is a real stretch to think that someone does not have access to a computer somewhere. Maybe exceptions here and there, but 10% of the logs? Just refuse. PC's are ubiquitous. Leave it to the log submitter to figure out how to get it into email.

If one of our local contesters was having problems, the local chapter of PVRC would do something to help out. One of our guys. Our business. Take care of our own and all of that to keep up the club score.

Frankly there is enough stuff around, that in the rare case a DX type just couldn't swing it, some number of us would put something together and SEND THEM a PC, rather than lose the mult in the contest. 

Have you seen the photo of an African native, nose ring, spectacular tribal dress and headgear, spear, and all, setting down with his Mac powerbook, going through his email?

TIME TO MOVE ON.

Things we do repeatedly on short notice and work around them when we're on trips, etc:

Pay the mortgage
Pay the power bill
Pay the phone bill
Pay the water bill
Pay taxes
Renew driver's license
Renew car tags
Carry out the garbage for the collector
etc, etc, etc.

15 days to log, 30 days to final results. Yea. Bring it on.

73, 

Guy, K2AV


> 
> From: "David L. Thompson" <thompson at mindspring.com>
> Date: 2002/07/26 Fri AM 02:51:59 EDT
> To: <cq-contest at contesting.com>
> Subject: [CQ-Contest] Deadlines, log checking, and paper logs
> 
> I can't speak for any contest but the CQ 160 Contests.  Shortening the
> deadline makes sense
> if and only if the following occurs:
>       All logs are submitted electronically and are in PROPER cabrillo
> format.
> 
> For the 2002 CQ 160 Contests I have received 438 SSB logs and 889 CW Logs
> plus check logs
> plus check logs.  Lets look at the facts!   46 Paper logs were received on
> SSB and 77 on CW
> Most were small logs but several on both modes were significant.   There
> were 40 old format electronic logs received on SSB and 89 on CW.  Of these
> all but 5 were e-mailed.   Of the rest supposedly cabrillo I find that 1 out
> of 5 do not check as cabrillo and have to be converted before
> running through the crass check/log check programs.  On top of this I
> noticed that 18 on SSB and 31 on CW were lacking cabrillo elements as I
> logged them in.  We are now up to a significant number of logs in both
> modes.
> 
> Here are some of the problems:
> 
> 1.    The name of the contest in the cabrillo summary are wrong.  There is
> an official name for most contests and for me its either CQ-160-CW or
> CQ-160-SSB.  Anything else and its not cabrillo.
> 2.    The category has fields missing or out of order.
> 3.    The fields in the log portion are out of order or run together.  If
> the mode and date are run together the log checker tells me mode and or date
> is not identified.  I then put the log aside until I can put it in Wordpad
> and edit it to get correct fields.
> 
> I suggest that every contestant should look at the log and if you are not
> sure the cabrillo is correct then run it through one of several cabrillo
> converter programs.  I do find that CT, TR, and Writelog (recent versions)
> do produce good cabrillo.
> 
> I just finished the SSB logs except for three problem logs and it took a
> full two weeks working several hours a day.  With 100% cabrillo I could have
> checked the logs in a day and 70% of that is set up!. I now face a month of
> grinding through the CW logs.  Get the log in proper format and the programs
> will do the rest!
> 
> I am sure the CQ WW, WPX, and ARRL contests must face these problems.
> 
> 73 Dave K4JRB
> 
> 
> 
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