[Dx4win] changes of zone without asking me!

[Jim Reisert AD1C]

On Sun, Dec 18, 2011 at 5:09 PM, Steve K7AWB wrote:

> Many of the correctly received zones from other hams got changed when the file went over to DX4WIN as an adif file.  Without my approval!
>
> For instance, W4GKM who gave me zone 4 was changed to 5.  TN is a  Zone 4 state, not 5.  The program erroneously and immaturely saw the 4 in the W4 and thought it belongs in the zone where most W4's are normally  are.   NOT!  With the advent of any call for any area, many hams do not represent the geographical state that their call would normally stand for.  Another example: W2VKT from Arizona in Zone 3 got changed to, guess what, Zone 5 because of the W2 in his call.
>
> How can I prevent this from happening next time?

At least two ways:

1.  File | Preferences then click on the Import tab.  In the "Prefix
and zone differences" drop box, choose "Accept imported values".

2.  Use this utility:

    http://dx4win.ad1c.us/adif2dxq/index.html

For this contest, just import it as if it were a "CQWW" log.

Depending on what contest logging program you used, the CQ zone may
not have been exported to the CQZ ADIF field that DX4WIN would
recognize as the CQ zone when you imported the log (many programs use
application-specific fields to convey this information, and these
fields are outside the definition of ADIF).

DX4WIN uses the STATE to determine the CQ Zone for USA stations.  If
the state is not filled in, then it uses the default for the call
area, i.e. W4 is CQ Zone 5 (default), despite that AL, TN and KY are
in Zone 4.

The problem with either method is that by Accepting Imported Values,
DX4WIN will create country file callsign/zone exceptions on import,
that will put these calls in the correct CQ zone per your contest log.
However, when you download a new country file, you won't have those
custom exceptions anymore.

By using method #2 above, the CQ zone you received will also be
written (saved) to the Recvd field in your logbook.  You can then go
though the contest QSOs, looking for cases where the DX4WIN-assigned
CQ zone does not match what's in that Recvd field.  For these QSOs,
enter the STATE which which should change the QSO to the correct CQ
zone.  This has the benefit that the change is immune to country file
changes, as the CQ zone will be determined by the STATE and nothing
else.

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