[SD-User] WAE Contest.

[brian coyne]

As I mentioned last week for my first time entry in WAE I went ahead with SD. v14.26.
 
Overall I managed ok but there were one or two issues, some probably user generated but here are my observations from the 'dx' side of the prog.
 
It was frustrating not to have any reference for QTC stations worked, so i had to rely on guys asking me. There were plenty enough on hf but in the later stages when i still had a shedload to send, nobody asked. Because I was 'blind ' the stations that I asked invariably responded 'qtc b4' which leaves one feeling a little foolish!  Strange though that nobody asked in the later stages. i figure that was because i was on the low bands with 100w and wet noodles for antennas so my sig was not reliable enough to complete the set for them without considerable difficulty, so other than first bounce LZ, YO and UY's i hardly made any qtc's down there. Paul has already said that he will look at this aspect - it is sorely needed.
 
 
 
Next most irritating thing was inability to alter sending speed once in the QTC window.
My logger was set at 30wpm. I tried, before entering 'QTC' to wind down speed to 24wpm using 'page down'  On entering 'QTC' the message in the first window, ie QTC 12/10 was sent at 24wpm, however on entering the next window with the list to be sent the speed defaulted back to 30wpm. This was a pain as I had to send many by hand to guys who requested 'QRS'
 
An option to include 4 digit time recording for all qtc's to be sent rather than just the first one, then reverting to just last two digits, would be useful. I was surprised at the number of guys who wanted all four digits for every qtc on the list. again i had to do this by hand keying.
 
One or two issues appeared when sending less than 10, but that could have been me, anyway I stuck to sending 10 only from the midway point.
 
One station needed just one more qtc to make up the ten but I got a full ten listed in the window! I sent just one but whether the other nine, or none at all were logged when I abandoned i don't know, I should have kept a note, i can'r see any single qtc's listed on the cabrillo.
 
I am confused by QTC rule (b) - does this mean the qtc receiving station should not receive his own call in the list being sent? This happened a few times and I got a couple of ??
 
One block of 10 QTC's have no c/s of the stn I sent them to - prob my error but I have no way of retrieving that situation.
 
I really could not figure what the block 'highligting' (page up/down) function in the QTC window was supposed to do, the ability to understand this would no doubt have reduced many of my cockups!  A 'read me' page for this contest would be very useful if any of you guys out there have used SD and sussed  this contest out.
 
One way or another I shall lose quite a few qtc points, but it was a learning curve, i just hope in none of the cases i have cost the guy at the other end any points but suspect that i may have.
 
Final comment,. I have noted one or two logging errors, fortunately very few, but the question is if I amend them will the changes carry over into the QTC list in the cabrillo file?, if so then the guy taking down those qtc's could get busted which would not be right. I'll hold off submitting the log in the hopel there are some observations from the group.
 
73  Brian C4Z   (5B4AIZ).