[Elecraft] Contesting with logging software on a PC (not MAC)

[Lee J. Imber (WW2DX)]

On Jan 6, 2010, at 10:08 PM, Gary Hinson wrote:

>> One 
>> thing I would recommend is to run your log/db on a USB flash 
>> based device, this way if your PC decides to  act up or even 
>> worse the drive dies then your log will be safe. 
> 
> Errr, not if the flash drive dies, unless you meant to use the flash as a backup.  With no moving
> parts, flash drives are probably more reliable than conventional hard drives but they are not
> immortal and are only rated for so many read/write operations.  Also *all* your local drives of
> whatever type may go up in flames if the PC or shack catches fire, or someone may steal the lot ....
Hi Gary,

No actually I meant use the flash for the actual live log. Flash based drives are far more reliable then traditional platters.
Flash has a life expectancy for ~10K read/writes far less then what would be used in a 24hr contest :)
I have had many platter drives fail in my career and as of to date never had a flash device fail (knocking on wood).

> 
> 
>> There are also a few other technologies other then the flash 
>> drive approach, you can get a free 2GB account from 
>> http://www.dropbox.com and point your log to your dropbox 
>> folder and it will backup into the ether in real-time and you 
>> can even have the same dropbox folder on a backup PC ready to 
>> go. 
> 
> That's the better option - an offsite backup - if used as a backup, in other words again not the
> only copy.  The online file systems are fine if you have a sufficiently fast and reliable Internet
> connection, but again I would advise sending backups off-site and retaining one or more local copies
> of your log as well, just in case the organization running the offsite system has a technical fault,
> or deletes the files, or whatever (trust me: it happens).

I am also a huge believer in off-site backups as well, we are seeing newer technologies like dropbox where it acts more like a local drive then a backup device. I use that service to create corporate wide shared folders across large geographical locations and its been very reliable. 

> 
> You can also take occasional offline log backups onto CD-ROM, or yet another flash drive, that you
> physically remove from the machine and place elsewhere in safe storage, far enough away from the
> shack not to be caught in the same fire/burglary/whatever.
> 
> If that's all too much effort, at least consider uploading your log regularly to Logbook of the
> World.  LoTW is a 'last resort' backup since it only stores the minimal amount of info on each QSO,
> but at least it is possible to retrieve the basic QSO data if you have no other choice.  This has a
> useful side effect of increasing usage of LoTW!

I don't want to wander off topic here, but John was specific about contesting scenarios and I think we have him covered :)

Also, does LOTW allow for "restoring" your log? I thought they once frowned upon that at one time.

73

Lee
WW2DX

> 
> 73
> Gary  ZL2iFB
> 
> PS  This applies equally to Macs and PCs.  And PDAs.  Even paper logbooks are both valuable and
> flammable!
> 
> 
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