[RMVHF] [4038416.arrl-vhf-jun] N0YE] Log format

[Jonesy W3DHJ]

On Sun, 6 Jul 2008, Nate Duehr wrote:

> Jonesy W3DHJ wrote:
>
>>> Apparently Roverlog has not incorporated the new Cabrillo format.
>>
>> Yes.  Roverlog needs updating.  Further research shows that the
>
> I've always found the RoverLog author to be very responsive if someone lets him
> know there's a problem.

There's a reasonably active Yahoo Groups for RoverLog:

	http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RoverLog/messages?o=1

However, I did some checking here first.  Just before the ARRL JUN VHF
contest, I downloaded the newest RoverLog: ver 2_5_1.  But, having
spent nearly 40 years as a Software Monger, I wasn't about to hang my
hat on it without testing it first.  So, I did the contest with the
older version and edited the headers according to Sean E. Kutzko's,
KX9X, instructions at:

    http://www.arrl.org/blog/Notes%20From%20The%20Contest%20Branch

(Making just one, teensy, tiny error.............)

This morning I did some poking around in RoverLog ver 2_5_1:

 :
 |[jonesy at nix2 roverlog]$ grep 'START-OF-LOG' *
 |logheaded3.tcl:	puts $fid "START-OF-LOG: 3.0"
 |logheaded.tcl:	puts $fid "START-OF-LOG: 2.0"
 |roverlog.tcl:		$windows(logheadtext) insert end "START-OF-LOG: 2.0\n"
 |[jonesy at nix2 roverlog]$
 :

It seems there are two different log header setup scripts.
Sure enough, running logheaded3.tcl sets up the more elaborate Cabrillo
Ver 3.0 header.
And, buried inside a posting by the author, Tom Mayo ,N1MU, titled "New
Contest Rules" there is a statement: "Be sure to use logheaded3.tcl to
create your log header."

Since I only use RoverLog for the ARRL and CQ VHF contests, I renamed
them versy-vicey:

 :
 |[jonesy at nix2 roverlog]$ mv logheaded.tcl logheaded2.tcl
 |[jonesy at nix2 roverlog]$ mv logheaded3.tcl logheaded.tcl
 |[jonesy at nix2 roverlog]$ grep 'START-OF-LOG' *
 |logheaded2.tcl:	puts $fid "START-OF-LOG: 2.0"
 |logheaded.tcl:	puts $fid "START-OF-LOG: 3.0"
 |roverlog.tcl:		$windows(logheadtext) insert end "START-OF-LOG: 2.0\n"
 |[jonesy at nix2 roverlog]$
 :

I suppose there are contests out there somewhere that do not yet support
Cabrillo Ver 3.0 log submissions.  And, RoverLog claims: "It's not just
for rovers."  So, it may need to play both ways -- for a while.

The PDF manual for RoverLog referenced on the download site is still a
Version 2_4_2 manual dated "1/18/2007".  And, it contains _no_ reference
to Cabrillo version numbers.

There will probably be a number of RoverLog entries in the ARRL JUNE VHF
that are going to be classified wrong.  Folks will do what I did
originally, submit their results until the contest robot returns a reply
with _no_ errors or warnings -- never noticing that they are listed as
"FIXED" and not as "ROVER-..."

I'm glad it's just a hobby..........  :-)
73
Jonesy