[TRLog] DOM file 'feature' ...

[Ron D. Rossi]

Folks,

Pete reported the following problems operating the FQP this past weekend. 
Please read my comments in line...

>>>Pete Raymond said:
> This past weekend I operated the Florida Qso Party
> (FQP) using TR6.64 and want to surface some problems I had.  I have been 
> using TR for over six
> years and these are the first problems I have encountered.  
> After about an hour into the contest TR stoped sending any kind of a 
> report, function keys worked
> but no reports in either the cq mode or S & P.
> Then started working again after I reconstructed my
> Logcfg values.

This is probably because MESSAGE ENABLE was set to FALSE accidentally while in 
the CTRL-J menu. It sure fits with the description.

> Logged Qso's with AL as nf would not accept AL.
> Would not accept Mar for Maritime province in Canada.
> Would not give me any multiplier credit for any DX
> that I worked.
> Hopefully the powers to be can look at this before
> next years party and find the problems.  I have heard
> that others had some similiar problems as I did.

Actually it was "LA" which was being decoded as "Nf". There is a 'feature' 
(sic) in the DOM file parser where if a multiplier is defined as being any 
input starting with a single character the parser will still search the rest 
of the file for possible multi-character matches.

The following example from FQP_FLA.DOM will decode "LA" as "Nf", but "L" as 
"La". This is not the expected result.

.
.
.
LAF>Fl = LAF
LAK>Fl = LAK
.
.
.
LA = L
.
.
.
NF = VO1, NF, LA, VO2
.
.
.
. 

A workaround for this is to change the NF definition to include "LAB" rather 
than "LA". This is done in all the other DOM files already.

Now if this note was not confusing enough (the DOM files CAN be confusing!), 
If the file was changed as below "LAB" would (correctly!!) decode to "La"!

LA = LA
NF = VO1, NF, LAB, VO2


> The FQP was still a very enjoyable qso party with
> plenty of activity.  73  Pete N4KW

It sure is a fun contest. I wish I was able to particpate. BTW don't forget 
the New England QSO Party coming up this weekend.

-- 
73 es God Bless de KK1L...ron rossi(kk1l@arrl.net) <><
QTH: Jericho, Vermont
My page: http://www.qsl.net/kk1l