[SD-User] IOTA Contest

[Paul O'Kane]

A reminder that the IOTA Contest takes place from 12:00 UTC
Saturday 27th to 11:59 UTC Sunday 28th July, with CW, SSB
and mixed-mode (also HP, LP and QRP) categories on the five
contest bands from 80m to 10m.

Rules athttp://www.rsgbcc.org/hf/rules/2013/riota.shtml

SD V17.09 has been updated specifically for this contest.
It is free to everyone - fromwww.ei5di.com, or directly
fromwww.ei5di.com/sd/sdsetup.exe

  Select the "IOTA Contest" template.

Work everyone.  Exchange Serials.  Island stations add
their IOTA reference.  If you are operating from an
island, they are worth 3 times as many points as non-
island stations, otherwise they're 7.5 times as many
points - 15 rather than 2.  It pays to work islands!

Mults are IOTA references, by band and by mode.

V17.09 includes IOTA.LST, integrated with SD to prefill
island references (for announced 2013 operations) on a
callsign match.

IOTA operating tips: -

If you want to win, you need to work islands!

In the IOTA Reference field, SD pre-fills the continent
prefix.  To log EU005, all you need to do is type 5 -
the reference is expanded when logged, and compressed
when editing.  If no reference is given, press Enter
to log the QSO - there's no need to clear the continent.

As you type prefixes, SD identifies the country, and
call area when appropriate, to display any corresponding
IOTA references - showing their worked/wanted status.

As you type callsigns, SD compares them, character by
character, with callsigns already logged.  On a match,
two thing happen.  The corresponding QSO total appears
to the right of the callsign - so you can thank the
other station for 5 QSOs, or whatever.  Secondly, a
band/mode analysis appears beneath the callsign.  If
it's an island station (with a known reference from
a previous QSO), band or mode multiplier slots needed
are highlighted in blue.  Otherwise, they appear in
white (can't be mults).  Band or mode slots already
worked, including the current one, are black - you see
instantly if it's worth trying to move the station to
another band or mode.

To see your multiplier status for any island, type
the reference in the callsign field - you don't need
leading zeros.  EU1 displays your band/mult slots for
EU001, add a 2 to see the slots for EU12 etc.  Those
needed are highlighted in blue - use Esc to clear the
field.

If you're operating CW, don't forget to update your
keyer memories (Shift-F2 etc) with your IOTA reference
before starting.

Use SDCHECK to create your Cabrillo .LOG file, and send
it toiota.logs at rsgbhfcc.org.  You will get an email
within 24 hours directing you to a website to validate
your entry.

Please mention SD in your soapbox comments, as this
encourages others to try it.  Here are some examples -
www.ei5di.com/soap2011.html

And here are the stats for contest loggers used in IOTA
in recent years -www.ei5di.com/iotastat.html

Reminder - when a single call is displayed in the Check
Partial window, use Up Arrow to copy it, in full, to the
logging line.  This is often faster than typing the call
in full - especially if it's as long as
SV8/SV1CDY.

73,
Paul EI5DI