[ct-user] CT 9.40 & IOTA Contest, observations, wishes

[Timo Pohjola]

Hello!

We used CT 9.40 at OH0MDR/1 in the IOTA contest. We had 2 networked desktop PCs (both 486's)with K1TTT ethernet drivers. A packet TNC was connected to COM1 at stn 1 and CW keying was connected to LPT1 at both stations. We didn't try to connect our FT1000MP:s to PCs.

Thanks to all who worked us!

Observations:

-the serial number sending didn't work. CT sended some numbers, but they had nothing to do with the actual QSO number. We tried to put "5nn#EU96" to the memory. Finally we had to send the serial numbers manually!

-it was almost impossible to check forehand if a qso is a multiplier or not! Alt-M was OK until there were too many worked multipliers. F10 didn't check multiplier, it checked something else. When alt-M screen became full, checking was impossible. Also the order of IOTAs is strange in alt-M screen.

-networking was not OK (see my previous mail to the reflector). The column at remote station wasn't the only problem. Sometimes there were "received bad mode" problems. Also sometimes when making corrections to a previous QSO later they never come to the other PC.

-the callsign field is too short. For example how can I log OZ/DL3HBG/P ? There should be 2 characters more.

-CT didn't accept AN - IOTAs (well, fortunately we didn't work any! :(  ). 

-CT gave 15 points also though the QSO was to our own IOTA.

-After the contest I decided to change all EU005s and EU05s  to EU5s, after editing some QSOs CT crashed.

My wishes:

-I think CT should take the IOTA number from a previous QSO with a same station. Sometimes it took it, but it came to wrong column. With some countries (eg. G, JA etc.) the program maybe could take a suggestion from a database.

-It would be nice if F9 shows also the IOTA number. It is boring to wait when a station is CQing with no takers. If that station is worked before on an other band it would ne nice to check the IOTA by pressing F9.

-there should be a "check IOTA" (vs. check country) button. It would be good to see if a received IOTA number is possible or not for that country.

73  de Timo OH1MDR/OH0MDR


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