[SD-User] SD setup for ARRL Sweepstakes?

[Paul O'Kane]

On 27/10/2012 15:12, Bert Hyman wrote:

> I'm somewhat confused about
> how to properly set up SD for the upcoming Sweepstakes.

> Going through the initial dialog, I'm asked for my exchange, but that
> doesn't seem to get propagated anywhere.


It is stored in one of the header records in the
.ALL file, and picked up by SDCHECK when creating
the Cabrillo log.

Do not include your callsign in this field.  It's
not needed in Cabrillo. If Cabrillo QSOs have the
same exchange in Cabrillo as you used on-air, your
QSOs will be rejected.  There's a lesson there
somewhere  :-)


> Doing a few simulated S+P contacts, while my call is sent correctly, my
> exchange is sent as 5NN <serial #>.

Use Shift-F2 (and Shift-F6) to define the exchange.
Of course, this should include your (redundant)
callsign.  The F2 message is the exchange while
running, and starts with the callsign of the
station calling.  The F6 message is the exchange
while in S&P, and does not include any other
callsign but your own.  The F4 exchange message,
for dupes, should be the same as your F2 exchange
assuming you work dupes.


> Manually editing the strings in SD.INI for MSG1-MSG8 sets things right,
> but should that be necessary?

There's no need to edit SD.INI directly.  Please use
Shift-F1 etc.

When logging received exchanges, there's no need to
leave spaces between exchange elements - it's faster
this way.   Do not repeat the other station's callsign
in the exchange field - it's already in the callsign
field.

73,
Paul EI5DI