[Dx4win] setting QSL manager to "blank"

[Jim Reisert AD1C]

Hi Gang,

I've been working on a new QSL manager database "in my spare time". It now
contains about about 45K entries, but the error rate is still probably about 5%
(even after automatic statistical analysis for busted callsigns). I still have
a lot of manual cleanup to do.  With WPX RTTY and ARRL DX CW the past two
weekends, I have not had much time to work on it.

Having said all that, there are two inherent problems with the way that QSL
managers are implemented in DX4WIN (that my new database still can not help):

1.  The data is NOT stored in the log, it is stored in the country file,
    much like the prefix data.  Therefore, there is no way to permanently
    associate a QSL manager with a particular QSO. This means you can not
    assign a QSL manager on a QSO-by-QSO basis.

2.  Once a station has a manager, all subsequent QSOs with that same
    station will also inherit the most recent manager.  There is no
    expiration date for managers, like there is for DX prefixes.
    Thus, there is no way to set a manager to "NONE" except to delete
    the manager record completely, which invalidates all QSOs, even
    those that *do* use the manager.

Fixing these problems would require the QSL manager to become a permanent part
of the QSO record, in other words, the .DXL format will have to change.  If
this is done, then it might make sense for the "QSL Manager" field to be a
drop-down box like band and mode, so you could select among a set of possible
managers, i.e. one for CW and another for SSB (and/or RTTY), with one choice
being -NONE- (like the award flags).  Another common variation is one manager
for USA/VE and a different manager for everyone else in the world. Currently my
new database has some "duplicate" entries that you'll never see because they
have the same DX callsign and starting date, but the program will only show you
one (3XA8DX is but one example).

In summary, the way the QSL manager field works is a limitation of DX4WIN. 
Paul will have to change this to support the features people want.

73 - Jim AD1C


=====
Jim Reisert AD1C, 7 Charlemont Court, North Chelmsford, MA 01863
USA +978-251-9933, <jjreisert@alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.com
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