[CQ-Contest] FQP logs, the new robot and Cabrillo

[Tom Macon]

I agree with Mike - don't upset your customers.  The creativity that hams 
express in their log files is truly boundless!  Gotta be able to deal with 
it.

For fixing files, besides a spreadsheet, there's a lot to be said for a good 
text editor.  I use a trusty old Multi-Edit that can move and swap columns. 
Notepad++ (free) can also do this.  If all else fails, I use my paper log 
entry tool, an Excel app that outputs Cabrillo.

73,
Tom Macon, K9BTQ
VP, Newsletter editor, WIQP paper log enterer, etc.
West Allis RAC

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Michael Coslo" <mjc5 at psu.edu>
To: <K1to at aol.com>; "cq contest" <cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Wednesday, April 29, 2009 7:03 AM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] FQP logs, the new robot and Cabrillo


>
> On Apr 28, 2009, at 4:26 PM, K1to at aol.com wrote:
>>
>>
>> What became obvious very quickly is that some logging software
>> produces
>> Cabrillo files that are not compatible with the current Cabrillo
>> standard.
>> I've gotten a primer on Cabrillo formatting and will share the
>> highlights:
>
>
> I hear you brother! But we'll not get out of the Cabrillo mess soon,
> if ever.
>
> The biggest thing that I have learned after looking a a whole lot of
> logs is that any adjustment has to come from my end, (the adjudicator)
> and not the entrant's end. Ain't gonna happen unless I do it.
>
> Why this problem? There are a lot of logging programs, and there are a
> whole lot of versions of those programs. And the entrants have a whole
> lot of reasons for using a particular program and version.
>
> Trust me when I say that the cabrillo file the program puts out isn't
> on the radar screen of reasons to run a particular program.
>
> People will use a particular program because they are used to the
> program, because they like the interface, because it works on their
> old 486 laptop, and on and on. So once they get something working,
> they stick with it.
>
> And I can tell you from experience that many Ops are fiercely loyal to
> their logging programs.
>
> So I think you are going to find out that you are going to have to
> make a choice between DQ'ing people for incorrect Cabrillo, or
> figuring out how to work with the many files that come your way.
>
> It's a tough choice, because a lot of Ops won't operate in a party if
> they can't use their favorite logging program, and you'll also be
> sitting with (almost) perfectly good logs from people who are just
> using a program that doesn't adhere to the standard that you can't use.
>
> There are three options.
>
> 1. DQ a lot of people. This is the worst option in my reasoning.
> Disgruntled Ops don't play again.
>
> 2. I don't know that your log checking program is, but you might need
> to modify it to put a new front end on it. Log checking programs need
> to be flexible in the extreme.
>
> 3. My own solution is some hand work. The non conforming log is
> entered into a spreadsheet. Excel or the Open Office spreadsheet works
> fine. Any completely extraneous junk is discarded at this point.
>
> I then save and import the resulting file into Filemaker Pro. At the
> import stage, I can control the field order of import. Then I save the
> correctly formatted results as text.
>
>  Good luck!
>
> -73 de Mike N3LI -
>
>
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