[CQ-Contest] Changes to Super Check Partial

[Stuart Phillips]

Watchful users of Super Check Partial will see a significant increase in the number of callsigns in MASTER and its derived files.  This month’s release (just posted live) has 40,940 calls in MASTER – up from 35,416 last month.

This step function in active calls is a result of a new API which allows logging programs to directly submit a log to Super Check Partial.  This removes the need for the contester to take the extra step of emailing the log to logs at supercheckpartial.com<mailto:logs at supercheckpartial.com>.  Logs are submitted securely to Super Check Partial over HTTPS and are “signed” by the logging program before submission to authenticate the origin of the log.

SCP API support has already been added to N1MM+, DXLog.net, SkookumLogger, N3FJP’s loggers and Writelog.  This support is in published releases for N1MM+ and DXLog.net, selected contests for N3FJP loggers  and in beta versions for SkookumLogger and Writelog.

N3FJP’s release process will add this support to all their loggers through the course of this year.

I am very grateful for the support from the software teams supporting these loggers for their willingness to add the API support.  It has made an enormous improvement in the number of logs submitted to Super Check Partial.

As an example, for the CQ-WPX-SSB contest just held, the API generated 1,632 logs compared to 121 logs submitted by email in 2021.  Not only has the introduction of the API led to more submitted logs but it has greatly increased the submission of logs from contesters outside the US, as well as logs from non-US sponsored contests.

The supporting logging programs ask the contester for their consent to upload the log to Super Check Partial – by design this is an opt-in process.  Logs are NOT submitted without the contester’s consent.

Super Check Partial uses a thresholding process to minimize busted calls in the MASTER file – this threshold has been set at 6 for many years and does a good job in limiting busts.  It doesn’t address systemic issues like H on CW being logged as an S – some stations suffer from this more than others and when detected, the busted call is blocked as part of the monthly generation process.

I will be watching closely over the next few months to see whether the threshold needs to be changed.  As in the past, please report busted calls or requests for add/deletions/changes to logs at supercheckpartial.com<mailto:logs at supercheckpartial.com>.

Email submission is still supported – so if you have a logger which doesn’t support the API, please continue to use the email process.  Please consider asking the author of your logging program to add support for the API.

If you are the author of a logging program and would like to add the API support to your program, please contact me directly for documentation etc.

73 Stu K6TU