[UK-CONTEST] Contest Robots

[Les Allwood]

Is anybody else finding the responses of some foreign contest log robots extremely frustrating?

Although I never have a winning score, I always try to submit an entry or checklog for any contest in which I've made more than a handful of contacts, to assist with the checking process.

Earlier this month I made about 80 QSOs in the HA-DX contest. Granted, my first submission was rejected because I had incorrectly assumed that the almost-universal Cabrillo format was acceptable. However, each subsequent attempt in differing formats received the same unhelpful response that the file submitted was in the incorrect format. Despite their claim that SD supports the contest, I could not produce any acceptable format. Eventually I gave up, considering the effort excessive for the reward!

Yesterday I spent an enjoyable day in France. Sitting alongside a canal in the sunshine, I made a hundred QSOs in the contest. I thought I'd send a checklog. Wrong!!! The robot does not recognise the category "CHECKLOG". No problem - I'll send an entry then. Select the category SINGLE-OP ALL LOW (it is a valid category in the REF rules) and send. Back comes the immediate robotic response - incorrect category - and it then tells the valid options, of which SINGLE-OP ALL LOW is one!!! I'd like to think that there is a human being who will be keeping an eye on potential problems, but no, the robot will NOT forward incorrect files to the adjudicator.

Am I being really dumb, or don't these contest organisers  check out their robots properly?

Suggestions, on a postcard please .....

73 from an exasperated Les, G3VQO