[SD-User] ARRL DX

[Lee Volante]

Hi all,

Did anyone have a go at the ARRL DX contest last weekend ?   If so, would
anyone like to share how they tracked multipliers to determine whether to
move any between bands ?

I'm now a convert to the auto CW feature which is fantastic.  It also means
that you can run CW and keep caps lock off so you can check mults etc.
without having to use the shift key.

However, it was still quite tricky to keep track of mults....

e.g.  I have been calling CQ, and W1ABC is in QSO with me, and gives his
exchange as 5NN DC.

He's expecting a TU QRZ? or similar from me in under a second.  However, if
I think I need DC on another band I have to either,

a) press space, log the QSO, let autocw start sending TU etc., press escape,
press F6, check the result, and then then try to grab W1ABC's attention to
move him to 15m etc.

or without starting the autocw TU exchange...

b) press tab to go back to the callsign field, which will then accept F3 to
look up the state/province list (as F6 doesn't seem to work mid-QSO), and
then press space (twice) to get rid of it again, and then try to attract
W1ABCs attention, also not letting autocw carry on when you do finally log
the original QSO !

If I'm not using autocw, it's much easier....  Log the QSO, press F6 (or
shift F6 as I'll be needing caps lock on for the CW exchanges now), and then
send my TU message if I don't require a mult move. This is better but it
seems still not ideal !

Would it be possible to have a list of bands that could be highlighted in
white to show the bands the last (or preferably current) logged QSO's state
is needed, like in CQWW for DXCC entities, without having to press a key to
check each time ?   This would cut down on quite a few keypresses, and also
by being specifically for the last QSO, would prevent the need to physically
scan up and down the list of 63 states and provinces if you end up using the
F3 option.

In my opinion it would be easiest for the operator if SD could highlight
this before the QSO is logged i.e. as the state is typed in, but before any
TU message is sent.   For CQWW callsigns are checked for dupes and mults as
they are typed in - could the same process be applied to the mult field ?

For contests with country mults etc. you know if a QSO is a required mult on
any band as soon as the
callsign is given - how SD handles CQWW is great for mult tracking.   For
ARRL type contests the multiplier info comes right at the end with the
exchange which doesn't give much time for processing the information.

For SSB there are not so many constraints of course as you can type whilst
speaking on air.  :-)

Lee G0MTN