[WriteLog] Using WriteLog for the TARA PSK Rumble (detailed)

[Phil Howlett]

Too tired to do any clowntesting after all of this.

W9XX


----- Original Message -----
From: Don Hill <aa5au@msn.com>
To: WriteLog Reflector <Writelog@contesting.com>
Sent: Tuesday, April 11, 2000 10:22 PM
Subject: [WriteLog] Using WriteLog for the TARA PSK Rumble (detailed)


>
> I wanted to put this out early enough so that others could check it
> out and perhaps enhance what I have done or find something altogether
> better...
>
> This weekend is the 3rd TARA PSK Rumble.  I missed the first two but
> plan on putting in some time in this one.  See the rules at:
>
> http://www.qsl.net/wm2u/rumble.html
>
> Of course, you must be set up hardware-wise for PSK31 with your
> computer's sound board and radio.  I won't go into any of that here.  If
> you haven't tried PSK31, I would suggest you go to Dick, N1RCT's
> website at:  http://www.megalink.net/~n1rct/ and click on PSK31.  There
> are tons of links to gather more information on hardware setup, etc.
>
> I've been working on setting up WriteLog to correctly log and score the
> contest.  It appears that you can log the contest correctly, but you can't
> score it correctly (exactly).  You can come close to scoring it correctly
> and you can correctly track and score multipliers by using the BARTG
> RTTY Contest selection.
>
> The PSK Rumble and BARTG RTTY Contest (not BARTG Sprint) both
> score one point for each QSO and have the same multipliers (DXCC
> entities and K, VE, JA, VK call areas).  This helps tremendously because
> the scoring will basically be the same with the exceptions that in BARTG
> the score is multiplied by the number of continents and in the PSK
> Rumble, the score may be multiplied by either 5 (if running 5 W or less)
> or 2 (running 20 watts or less).  But this is moot because to determine
> your final score you just multiply the total number of valid QSO's by the
> number of country/call area multipliers and then multiplier by either 5
> or 2 if running in either of those power categories.  Since WriteLog will
> track your multipliers, it's easy.  SOMEONE CORRECT ME IF I'M WRONG
> ON ANY OF THIS.
>
> Now, there are some changes you can make in the Exchange Format
> Setup for entering the exchange information into the QSO Entry window.
>
> When you first open WriteLog you will want to "Start a new log..."  When
> the WriteLog Contest Selection window opens select "BARTG RTTY Contest".
> You will see that in the QSO Entry window there are prompts for CALL, RCV,
> NR, TIME, COUNTRY and C.
>
> The following steps are what I did to change the prompted selections in
the
> entry window.  Before I go through the steps let me try to explain what
you
> want when you finish.  You will have to go to the Exchange Format Setup
> under the Contest menu to make these changes.  If you have not done this
> before, it can be a bit tricky.  But I've set up my entry window to have
> only
> three entries.  These are the three that are required in the contest
> exchange.
> They are CALL, NAME and QTH.  When you finish you will have only these
> fields present in the QSO Entry Window.  You can click on the name and
> QTH as they show up in the RTTYrite window and they will go in the correct
> places as long as you click them in order of first NAME, then QTH.  When
> you click on a name in the RTTYrite window, the cursor will jump to the
QTH
> field
> automatically.
>
> Now to make the changes.  Go to the Contest menu on the main WriteLog
> window and choose Exchange Format Setup.  A window will open and you
> will be asked if you want to initialize ALL fields.  Choose No.
>
> Another window will open.  This is the Edit QSO Exchange Fields window.
> It is in this window you will make the changes.
>
> The first thing I did was to get rid of the entries that are showing in
the
> entry
> window that are not needed, which are ALL of them except CALL.  I tried to
> change the attributes of some of the entries but it didn't work the way I
> wanted
> it to.  You don't actually get rid of the entries, you just change the
> attributes of
> the ones you don't want showing in the entry window and final printed log.
>
> Let's start with RCV.  Highlight RCV by clicking on it once with your
mouse.
> RCV will be shown in the Caption box.    Uncheck "Print. Include this
field
> in
> hardcopy" and uncheck "Prompt.  Include in QSO entry prompt".  Now click
> the SAVE button at the bottom of the window.
>
> If after any of these changes a window pops up and asks you if you want to
> commit to the changes you just made, say YES.  This only means that you
> forgot to hit the SAVE button.
>
> Now highlight NR.  As with RCV, uncheck both Print and Prompt boxes and
> also uncheck the "Required.  Field is required for entry in log" box.
This
> step
> may not be necessary but I did it anyway.  Hit SAVE.
>
> Now highlight TIME.  Uncheck the Print, Prompt, and Required and hit SAVE.
>
> Now highlight COUNTRY.  Uncheck Prompt.  I tried to leave COUNTRY in the
> entry window but it screws up clicking on NAME and QTH (which you will add
> in
> later steps) from the RTTY (PSK) screen.  It is not needed.  A new
> multiplier will
> still show as a new multiplier without COUNTRY in the entry window.  Go
> ahead
> and hit SAVE.
>
> Now highlight C and uncheck Prompt and hit the SAVE button.
>
> Now click the OK button at the bottom of the Edit QSO Exchange Fields
window
> and the window will disappear.  You will notice that the only field in the
> exchange
> window is CALL.  If this is correct.  You are ready to add NAME and QTH.
>
> Go back to the Edit QSO Exchange Fields window via the Contest menu pull
> down
> menu.  Click the NEW button at the bottom of the window.  The cursor is
now
> in
> the Caption box.  You are first going to add NAME.  Before you add NAME,
you
> need to think how many characters you want this entry to allow.  If you
type
> only
> NAME is that box and make your other changes and click OK then the NAME
> field
> will only be 4 characters long.  Since it's hard to say how many
characters
> will be
> needed, I chose 17.  Hopefully, there won't be any names longer than 17
> characters.
> So in order to make this field 17 characters long you have to type in
NAME,
> then
> add 13 spaces afterward.  Now go down and check "lower.  Allow lower case
> letters"
> to allow lower case letters.  Also check off Print, Prompt and "No Space
> Character
> is allowed."  All other boxes should be unchecked unless you want the
field
> to be
> required in order to log the contact, then check Required.  Now click
SAVE.
> You
> will notice that NAME is now at the bottom of the Exchange Fields: column
on
> the
> left hand side.
>
> Now click the New button again.  In the Caption box type in QTH then add
> enough
> spaces to make the entry field as many characters as you think you might
> need.
> Since state and VE call abbreviations and DXCC prefixes will be entered
here
> either
> manually or by clicking on them in the RTTYrite screen, perhaps you should
> make
> this 4 or 5 characters long.  I made mine 4 even though I don't think I'll
> be lucky
> enough to work a 3DA0 or any other prefix longer than 4 characters long.
> There
> may be others that don't come to mind right now.  In any case, add the
> appropriate
> number of spaces after QTH to allow for what length you want this field to
> be.
>
> Just like you did with NAME, click the boxes for lower case, Print, Prompt
> and
> No Space character is allowed (and Required if you choose) and hit SAVE.
> Now
> click on OK.
>
> Remember to save your contest with Save As from the File menu on the main
> WriteLog screen.
>
> Now you are all finished.  You should have CALL, NAME and QTH fields in
the
> QSO Entry window.  Set up the rest of the program like you normally would
> for RTTY
> using a sound board but change it to BPSK under Mode.
>
> I have not been able to Network my two contest computers together after
> making
> these changes, but I'm trying to figure out why I'm getting the "WriteLog
> has been
> set up on that computer for a different exchange that (not my typo) here.
> Connection
> not established." message.  It may be that I don't have each and every
> attribute set
> exactly the same on each computer.  I'll check more into it because I was
> hoping to
> run two radios on two different computers.
>
> There may be other attributes that may enhance what I have done, but this
> basic
> setup should work with one computer.
>
> Are you ready to RUMBLE?!!!
>
> 73, Don AA5AU
>
>
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>
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>
>


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