10-04-2022, 07:50 AM
Sincere thanks to the three other stations who participated in this event yesterday afternoon. It was a pity that more didn't join in to make it even better, with QSOs on 40M and 6M logged. On-line chat afterwards revealed that there were shortcomings with the various software configurations used - all were different - operating, and generating suitable contest logs entries etc. There was Windows versus Ubuntu (Linux), Rumtrol versus VKCL versus Dig-Log. Considerable variation from one station to the next.
The evidence was there that QSOs under EU VHF Contest mode could exchange the data to validate a contest exchange compatible with normal WIA-based contests. There was even one QSO on 6M where distance points would have been attributed, and where the gridsquare detail becomes important to calcuate distance. At HF, it adds a detail of another personalised - and unique - exchange to validate the QSO.
This is the type of exchange conducted, as per some screen data grabs :
Rx Frequency window :
064030 Tx 700 ~ CQ TEST VK4ADC QG62
064100 Tx 700 ~ VK4CLG VK4ADC QG62
064115 9 0.1 699 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK4CLG> 580004 QG63NG
064130 Tx 700 ~ <VK4CLG> <VK4ADC> R 570007 QG62LG
064145 14 0.1 699 ~ VK4ADC VK4CLG RR73
064203 Tx 700 ~ CQ TEST VK4ADC QG62
064230 Tx 700 ~ CQ TEST VK4ADC QG62
Band Activity window :
061000 12 0.2 1195 ~ CQ TEST VK2XTC QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
061015 20 0.1 1601 ~ VK2XTC VK2XAX QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
061030 12 0.2 1196 ~ <VK2XAX> <VK2XTC> 580003 QF56OE
------------------------------------ 40m
061045 20 0.1 1601 ~ <VK2XTC> <VK2XAX> R 580002 QF56IF
------------------------------------ 40m
061100 11 0.2 1196 ~ VK2XAX VK2XTC RR73
------------------------------------ 40m
061145 19 0.1 1601 ~ CQ TEST VK2XAX QF56
......
061945 18 0.1 1601 ~ CQ TEST VK2XAX QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
062015 19 0.1 1601 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK2XAX> R 570004 QF56IF
------------------------------------ 40m
062115 12 0.2 1196 ~ VK4ADC VK2XTC QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
062145 13 0.1 1195 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK2XTC> R 560004 QF56OE
------------------------------------ 40m
062245 11 0.1 699 ~ VK4ADC VK4CLG QG63
------------------------------------ 40m
062315 16 0.1 700 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK4CLG> R 580001 QG63NG
------------------------------------ 40m
062915 21 0.1 1601 ~ CQ TEST VK2XAX QF56
The 4 logs (three having been emailed to me afterwards) will be processed in the next day or so, and a 'winner' announced here.
General comments indicated that we should hold more of these activities, maybe several throughout the year, to get people into a digital 'frame of mind' and test their "systems" in a contesting mode without immediate involvement in an actual WIA-supported contest. Contests like VHF-UHF Field days, RD Contest etc where a bad setup can mean lost QSO opportunities. Any future events should also be a 'sprint' or 'scramble' format so that the maximum QSO count is achieved, re-working permitted, with a date/time a week or two prior to the main contest date and thus giving an opportunity to 'fix' issues beforehand.
On a slightly more personal note, it gave me the opportunity to operate with my new 'Dig_Link' software coupled with the companion 'Dig_Log' code and it performed flawlessly with WSJT-X on Win10. Note that the 'Dig_Link' can be used directly with VKCL so gives the user the option to participate in a contest in a true 'Mixed' entry mode, manually entering voice-based QSOs interspersed with digital-mode QSOs, all in one active log. I will probably add more enhancements to Dig_Log to allow manual QSO entry, again for 'Mixed' contest entries, plus automatic extraction of data directly from WSJT-X's support files thus allowing a 'pseudo-log' to be generated and submitted if things go badly with any contest logging software during a contest event - as was evidenced yesterday.
Again, thanks to all showing an interest in the addition of digital modes into VK-based contests.
73 Doug VK4ADC
The evidence was there that QSOs under EU VHF Contest mode could exchange the data to validate a contest exchange compatible with normal WIA-based contests. There was even one QSO on 6M where distance points would have been attributed, and where the gridsquare detail becomes important to calcuate distance. At HF, it adds a detail of another personalised - and unique - exchange to validate the QSO.
This is the type of exchange conducted, as per some screen data grabs :
Rx Frequency window :
064030 Tx 700 ~ CQ TEST VK4ADC QG62
064100 Tx 700 ~ VK4CLG VK4ADC QG62
064115 9 0.1 699 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK4CLG> 580004 QG63NG
064130 Tx 700 ~ <VK4CLG> <VK4ADC> R 570007 QG62LG
064145 14 0.1 699 ~ VK4ADC VK4CLG RR73
064203 Tx 700 ~ CQ TEST VK4ADC QG62
064230 Tx 700 ~ CQ TEST VK4ADC QG62
Band Activity window :
061000 12 0.2 1195 ~ CQ TEST VK2XTC QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
061015 20 0.1 1601 ~ VK2XTC VK2XAX QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
061030 12 0.2 1196 ~ <VK2XAX> <VK2XTC> 580003 QF56OE
------------------------------------ 40m
061045 20 0.1 1601 ~ <VK2XTC> <VK2XAX> R 580002 QF56IF
------------------------------------ 40m
061100 11 0.2 1196 ~ VK2XAX VK2XTC RR73
------------------------------------ 40m
061145 19 0.1 1601 ~ CQ TEST VK2XAX QF56
......
061945 18 0.1 1601 ~ CQ TEST VK2XAX QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
062015 19 0.1 1601 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK2XAX> R 570004 QF56IF
------------------------------------ 40m
062115 12 0.2 1196 ~ VK4ADC VK2XTC QF56
------------------------------------ 40m
062145 13 0.1 1195 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK2XTC> R 560004 QF56OE
------------------------------------ 40m
062245 11 0.1 699 ~ VK4ADC VK4CLG QG63
------------------------------------ 40m
062315 16 0.1 700 ~ <VK4ADC> <VK4CLG> R 580001 QG63NG
------------------------------------ 40m
062915 21 0.1 1601 ~ CQ TEST VK2XAX QF56
The 4 logs (three having been emailed to me afterwards) will be processed in the next day or so, and a 'winner' announced here.
General comments indicated that we should hold more of these activities, maybe several throughout the year, to get people into a digital 'frame of mind' and test their "systems" in a contesting mode without immediate involvement in an actual WIA-supported contest. Contests like VHF-UHF Field days, RD Contest etc where a bad setup can mean lost QSO opportunities. Any future events should also be a 'sprint' or 'scramble' format so that the maximum QSO count is achieved, re-working permitted, with a date/time a week or two prior to the main contest date and thus giving an opportunity to 'fix' issues beforehand.
On a slightly more personal note, it gave me the opportunity to operate with my new 'Dig_Link' software coupled with the companion 'Dig_Log' code and it performed flawlessly with WSJT-X on Win10. Note that the 'Dig_Link' can be used directly with VKCL so gives the user the option to participate in a contest in a true 'Mixed' entry mode, manually entering voice-based QSOs interspersed with digital-mode QSOs, all in one active log. I will probably add more enhancements to Dig_Log to allow manual QSO entry, again for 'Mixed' contest entries, plus automatic extraction of data directly from WSJT-X's support files thus allowing a 'pseudo-log' to be generated and submitted if things go badly with any contest logging software during a contest event - as was evidenced yesterday.
Again, thanks to all showing an interest in the addition of digital modes into VK-based contests.
73 Doug VK4ADC
Doug VK4ADC @ QG62LG51
http://www.vk4adc.com
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http://www.vk4adc.com
This Forum is only going to be as interesting as the posts it contains.
If you have a comment or question, post it as it may trigger or answer the query in someone else's mind.