[UK-CONTEST] Club Calls

[geoff plucknett]

This contest has its own particular challenges but also opportunities. Lack
of proprietary logger support has encouraged some groups to have a go
themselves and see what they can do. The length of the exchange increases
the duration of each QSO and thus reduces the rate. Perhaps the biggest
challenge is the fundamental problem of generating any reasonable ERP on the
band from the modern domestic garden. 264 feet into 20-40 feet just doesn't
go and results in a wide range of configurations and feed arrangements as
folks try to squeeze out some RF. This results in a high number of repeats
which again reduces the rate. The event does also encourage the "average
club member" who may not be set up for contesting to take part so there is
also a relatively high level of manual logging.

The way ahead for logging is therefore many fold; encourage each clubs
software gurus to knock something up; increase pressure on logger producers
(or those who produce contest specific modules) to produce something for the
event; add suitable capability to the robot. However getting commercial
developers to produce something that around 120 entrants do once a year is a
bit of a challenge!

Geoff G4FKA

On 14 November 2010 12:47, Peter Hobbs <peter at tilgate.co.uk> wrote:

> In contrast  to virtually all other events, I see that only a handful of
> logs have so far been posted to the robot, indicating that very few used
> an automated logger.  SD doesn't support it and neither does the robot's
> input engine.  So it looks like another "try another format and then
> post edit it" type of job.  Just as well it's not a high scoring event.
>
> Does anyone have a better solution?
>
> 73, Peter G3LET
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