[na-user] "Error 07" and scoring discrepancy

[David A. Pruett]

Ron, WD4AHZ wrote:

"NA1036 shows 1,924,020 points
NA1039 shows 1,922,940 points"

The only scoring change that I know of involved correctly identifying KG4
stations as USA versus their DX equivalent (similar to KC4 and KC6
stations).  If you worked any KG4s (particularly the USA ones) that would
explain the discrepancy.  The difference is only 1080 points - with the
typical multiplier that's about one QSO.  I'd do a Check Partial for KG4 or
something similar in your log and I'll bet you'll find it.

I'm surprised that Error 07 is raising its ugly head.  We've had zero
occurances here, and we made 4200 CW WPX QSOs this past weekend.  The log
loads and prints fine, even on my Dell laptop dumping out to Win95
pseudo-DOS.  The logging computers at K8CC/NZ8O (at least those that still
work after the post-Dayton Monday "static event" are dedicated logging
computers, without CD drives, fancy DOS shells, etc.  Like it or not, NA is
a DOS program which means that memory is always going to be precious.  I
don't want to seem elitist, but with used 486DX4-100 computers going for
$100 at fleamarkets, why not get one and devote it to logging so that you
can run Win95 with all the geegaws and not have to worry about its effects
on running NA or other DOS programs?

I want to take some time to review WC1M's recent posting to assess what he
has been seeing.  I noticed some quirks myself this weekend - the 20M
computer would suddenly turn on its paddle-only sidetone, then turn it off
again.  I also noticed that there was a noticable delay when pressing the
Ins key to send an exchange.  This seemed to be related to the speed of
Auto Check Partial, and it was on the slowest shack computer - a 486DLC-40
that survived the "static event".  If this is all related to memory usage,
then we need to understand exactly what is going on.  We had no reports of
problems during WPX SSB when we made 6000+ QSOs.

One thing you might want to look at.  With the WPX log file loaded, type
the command MEMORY.  You will see two numbers below the callsign window.  
DS refers to the default data segment, where stuff like multipler names,
the callsigns from the .CTY files, etc. reside.  This memory usage grows
and declines normally as the program operates, and the number shown is the
worst case (i.e., how little memory of the 64K in the segment was never
used).  Normal values in DX contests like CQWW or ARRL DX are around 20K+,
with even higher numbers in domestic-only contests like SS.  HEAP refers to
everything else, and in NA all the heap is allocated for the dupesheet,
multiplier tables, etc.  With XMS, actual QSO data resides in extended
memory, but some info which must be accessed rapidly stays in heap.  The
number reported is usually just under 10K and does not change once the file
is loaded.

73,

Dave Pruett, K8CC
DATOM Engineering
datom@contesting.com
http://www.contesting.com/datom


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