[UK-CONTEST] Paper Logs or Not

[John Dunnington]

Don Field wrote:
"Paper entrants lose out in one respect, of course -
the volunteers who type them in are only human (it's a bugger, isn't it!)
and make the occasional error. This is inevitable."

Having just completed the manual typing of 29-assorted logs as one of Don's
many helpers several minor points which would assist the manual logging
argument are as follows:

(1) ALL paper logs should be sequential for IOTA or any multi-band/multimode
contest.
      Lots of time is wasted chasing though logs which have separate sheets
for each band
      and each mode change. Some even manage to lose a serial number or two
in the
      process.
(2) Errors are most likely to happen when the entrant overwrites his initial
logging of a
      QSO detail.
(3) Many logs are a joy to read having been very carefully rewritten with
QSY changes
     noted in the log.  A serious or even part time entrant who understands
what logging is
     all about does the job properly..after all he knows someone else has to
read his log..
(4) The worst logs (and these are perhaps the bone idle ones referred to by
Nigel) are
      those who photocopy either the station log or the rough working
contest logs and
      after a quick page calculation pull together the summary sheet. These
are not in any
      form an entry and should not be considered as such. They are however
worth looking
      at as additional cross checking in the case of having worked rare IOTA
Refs.
      Perhaps these are also the "don't want to be bothered clan" as mention
by Peter.
(5) I am in favour of manual logs being accepted providing they meet a
standard format
      and are re-written entries not rough logs. Interesting to note the
entrants with no
      computer facilities usually use a "National Society Contest Sheet" if
they provide a
      serious entry. The don't care (sloppy) scribble on any old bit of
paper or photocopy
      their log book.
(6) Manual entries do have a major disadvantage in that many 15-pt QSO's and
the odd
      IOTA Ref are missed out as the Island Ref was missing but a logging
programme
      would in many instance fill it in for them at the point of QSO.

All the above from one old enough to have rewritten twice (log book/entry)
and QSL's
to boot for contest entries with up to 2500 Q's plus a dupe sheet listing
etc. Everyone should be encouraged to use computer logging but do not
discount those who cannot for whatever reason.  I also feel happier when my
expensive rig gets connected to the correct antenna automatically via the
computer control system as well as doing the logging.