[UK-CONTEST] RSGB VHF Contests - change of entry procedure

[Roger Dixon]

Hi All,
Regular entrants will recognise me as the "human response" who has
individually checked and accepted your entries to VHF contests for the last
three years and prior to that dealt with the paper and disc entries since
December 2002.  Over this time the nature of entries has changed with most
now being received electronically.   This, together with initiatives such as
the Web Entry system, has allowed the committee to speed up the process and
allow results to be produced much more quickly.
 
This posting details the next stage in optimising the adjudication.  The
good news is that my job is becoming redundant and that I am being replaced
by a robot.  The robot will produce an immediate feedback to the entrant
that their entry has been received and highlight any missing information
from the cover sheet or any problems with the log such as missing locators
or invalid times/dates.  Entrants will be able to submit replacement entries
up until the closing date.
 
This new procedure will commence on Tuesday January 6th 2009 with the
January 144MHz Club Championship event.
1.    For entrants currently using the Web Entry system
http://www.vhfcc.org/entry.html, the entry procedure will remain the same.
However, instead of the robot email response followed by the human response,
you will now see your entry being checked on line and you will receive an
email detailing any problems with your entry.
2.    For entrants using a variety of logging programmes there will be a
change to the entry process.  Instead of attaching the files to an email for
the entry, you will go to http://www.vhfcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfenter.pl and
upload your files.  You will see your entry being checked on line and you
will receive an email detailing any problems with your entry.  {NB if you
use the older DOS version of G0GJV's programme, you will need to export the
entry into RSGB file format - .gjv files will no longer be accepted}
 
In both cases, you will be able to go to the entries received web page
http://www.vhfcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfposted.pl and check that your entry has been
received.
 
The committee has been running the new system through November and December
and I have put over 300 of your entries through it.  The system has proved
to be extremely robust as various contest committee members have tried to
break it!  With any new system there will inevitably be some small teething
problems and I will be available by email at: vhf.query at vhfcc.org throughout
the transition period.  A list of frequently asked questions are available
at  http://www.vhfcc.org/faq.htm.

Have a good Christmas.

73
Roger - G4BVY
RSGB Contests Committee