[Dx4win] DX4WIN.CTY #50 release notes (QSL managers and addresses)

[Jim Reisert AD1C]

Hi Folks,

I've had some setbacks but hope to release version #50 of the DX4WIN.CTY country file later this week.

I got a new QSL manager address database from K4UTE (data from QRZ.COM).  While integrating this database into DX4WIN wasn't a problem, I decided to correct a number of formatting errors (by writing a series of scripts, not by hand!).  This took me off on a couple tangents.  That address database contained over 12,000 listings.  For DX4WIN, I decided to limit it to only managers who were listed 2 or more times in the DX4WIN QSL manager database, i.e. common calls like W3HNK and G3SXW as well as less common calls like AA3B and F5WA (only used twice).  This reduced the number of addresses to about 4300, which seems like a much more managable and useful number.  Furthermore, the K4UTE database did NOT contain all such manager addresses (used 2 or more times).  When I created this list of missing manager addresses, I found a number of changed managers in DX4WIN, as well as managers with new callsigns.  This has resulted in a more extensive modification of
 the QSL manager listings than I had had planned.

In summary, the manager address database is very clean and a number of QSL managers have been updated (changed).  Future country file releases will be easier, as well as the "automatic" addition of manager addresses when a manager makes the threshold.

I also decided to reduce the size of the release notes on the web.  Only the most current release, as well as the current working release notes will be available on the front page, but there will still be a link to the old release notes.  The release notes page has just grown too large.  I am also removing the count of IOTA, and replacing it with a count of QSL manager addresses.

That's about it for now.  I'm working on updating the web release notes today.  If you have any changes you'd like me to make to the country file, get them into me ASAP!

73 - Jim AD1C
 
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Jim Reisert AD1C/Ø, <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.us