[ct-user] "Busted logs" from old DOS CT

[Bob Wilson, N6TV]

Hi Dave,

Please try CT2ADIF against the original .BIN files:
http://software.ad1c.us/CT_to_ADIF/

"CT2ADIF is designed to work with files from CT version 5 through version
10. The utility automatically determines the CT version of the log in order
to extract the necessary QSO data. "

73,
Bob, N6TV

On Wed, Dec 14, 2011 at 7:59 AM, Dave Haupt <w8nf at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Back when I started contesting from California Santa Rosa, I logged using
> CT on a Win95 laptop borrowed work, using DOS mode.   I saved the files (in
> all formats) to floppies and figured on someday transferring them to a
> "master" logging package when I could afford the space and budget for more
> than one home computer.
>
> A used XP machine finally became part of the shack about five years ago,
> and last weekend I found the stash of floppies.  Of the several dozen logs,
> all but three seem to be "in good shape" and the ADIF versions transferred
> as expected into DXKeeper.
>
> However....
>
> Three of the logs seem to have a timestamp error.  In the ADIF file,
> starting at some point in the contest log and continuing until the end, the
> timestamp for all QSOs became 1970-01-01-0000.  In the *.ALL file, the
> date/time fields are simply blank.  The files, as transferred into
> DXKeeper, take on an unusually exhilarating property.  DXK cannot stand the
> thought of simultaneous QSOs, so it incremented the timestamp on each QSO
> by a few seconds.  The first "unstamped" QSO got a timestamp of a few
> seconds more recent than the last QSO with a real timestamp.  So, I have
> the glory of showing a nice 400 per hour rate for the last half of several
> contests, while using only a dipole at 12 feet and hand-sending CW.
> Whoo-whee!
>
> I still have the *.bin files for these contests and wonder:
>
> - What might have caused the original error?  Is this a sign that the
> internal clock in the laptop experienced a hardware error (can you tell I'm
> not computer-fluent?)?
> - Is there a chance that the *.bin files have correct timestamps?
> - Will CT for Windows run under XP, and will it successfully open CT for
> DOS files?
> - Will anything else out there open a CT for DOS binary file?
>
> TNX ES 73,
>
> Dave W8NF
> >
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