[ILQSO] FW: Logging in The ILQP

Tue Nov 15 08:07:30 EST 2011

First, to Joe, WB9BSD... many thanks for participating in the ILQP, I was
raised, and first licensed in Wheaton, and although I have been in Indiana
since 1967, I know the feeling of that connection to days gone by.

Second, to N9LF, thanks for a outstanding explanation.  I could not have
done better WITH a whiteboard.

Joe, if you have not explored various logging software for contests, you
may be amazed at how well some of it works, and at how different they can
be.  As the CW operator on many of the N9FN QSO party efforts, I greatly
appreciate that not all logging software is the same.  Some handle multiple
counties VERY well, and some do not.  Dave and I use WRITELOG, which allows
us to identify all of our counties in the setup before we begin, and then
when we enter a contact, it knows to score it as 4 contacts.  It also has a
column to enter each county the other station may send to us.  In the case
of the INQP, which allows 2 county lines, but not more than that, the
software has two columns in which we can enter that info.  The module for
the ILQP has four columns, since that is the max for that event.  Thus, if
we have 100 lines entries in our log, the software knows that since we were
on a 4 county line it scores that as 4 QSO's per line, plus 4 QSO's for
each entry in one of the other county columns. Gee... I guess a whiteboard
would help.

Finally... Hank, we don't send CHAM/DOUG/EDGR/VERM in each QSO in order to
confirm that we have NOT moved to a different location, we do so because
the rules of the ILQP require that we provide that information.  The vast
majority of the people we work during ILQP probably don't remember which
where we were last year.  Unlike you, I have never scored a contest log, so
I can't speak for those who do either, but I am really impressed with what
a great job they do processing logs in many different formats.

And, as Joe said in his original post... I also had a blast.

Very 73,

Dave
K9FN

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ilqso-bounces at mailman.qth.net [mailto:ilqso-bounces at mailman.qth.net]
> On Behalf Of Hank Greeb
> Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 9:46 PM
> To: ilqso at mailman.qth.net
> Subject: Re: [ILQSO] Logging in The ILQP
>
> Actually, when I log a station like my friend N9FN, I don't need for him
> to send the CHAM/DOUG/EDGR/VERM.eggzept to confirm that he hasn't gone off
> the deep end and occupied another four county corner, because he's been
> there since the sp*rk gap daze during ILQP.
>
> BUT, I do log four separate lines in my logging programme, one each for
> CHAM, DOUG, EDGR, VERM because it makes it infinitely easier on the scoring
> team when they get such a log.  It slows me down just a bit, but I never am
> in the top, even 50% of entries, so it doesn't matter to me.
>
> I've been on the scoring end of some contests, and really, truly
> appreciate a "clean" log.
>
> That's my story, and I'm sticking with it.  Tnx 2 the fellers and gals who
> put on the great ILQP!
>
> 72/73 de n8xx Hg.
>
> On 11/14/2011 9:30 PM, Tim Gardner wrote:
> > Joe,
> >
> > The answer to your question about dupes, is that there are no dupes. The
> reason is that an IL station counts each communication with another station
> as one  QSO for each county he sends. Thus, if he is on a 4-county corner,
> your one QSO with him is logged as four QSOs, one per county.
> >
> >
> > An real example should make this clear:
> >
> > N9LF (me, in Indiana) works N9FN in IL - on the CHAM/DOUG/EDGR/VERM
> corner.
> >
> > N9FN sends me four counties and I send him IN.
> >
> > I log one QSO, noting that I sent IN and received four counties, namely
> CHAM/DOUG/EDGR/VERM.
> >
> >
> > N9FN, logs one QSO, noting my IN, but also that he SENT four.
> >
> >
> > Now between us humans, this seems like one QSO (non-contesters might
> claim it wasn't even that, but let's not go down that path...).  To the log
> checking process, that really was four distinct QSOs...
> > N9FN in CHAM to N9LF in IN.
> > N9FN in DOUG to N9LF in IN.
> > N9FN in EDGR to N9LF in IN.
> > N9FN in VERM to N9LF in IN.
> >
> > So just as an IL mobile can work you again when he changes counties, so
> can a fixed/portable/mobile on a county line/corner (without all the bother
> of actually moving).
> >
> >
> > Hopefully, that makes it a bit clearer (it isn't easy describing this in
> email - I need a whiteboard).
> >
> > Now, consider the scoring when N9FN (on that same corner) works an IL
> station on another county corner, say NN9K at WHTE/OGLE/LEE.  How many QSOs
> is that?   This is one example where writing log checking software gets a
> bit tricky.
> >
> > Please understand that I do not speak for or on behalf of N9JF or any of
> the ILQP organizers.
> >
> > Tim - N9LF
> > (log checker for INQP)
> >
> >
> >
> >
> > ________________________________
> > From: Joe<nss at mwt.net>
> > To: ilqso at mailman.qth.net
> > Sent: Monday, November 14, 2011 9:48 AM
> > Subject: [ILQSO] Logging in The ILQP
> >
> > I had a blast in the ILQP a few weeks ago.  Being an ex pat (I grew up
> > and first became licensed in Schaumburg) IL always will be a somewhat
> > home to me.
> >
> > This contest is very similar in format to the WIQP.  But with the
> > Multiple counties thing being the only difference. Really.
> >
> > In the rules it says,
> >
> > "Contacts with/by stations at the border of 2 counties count as 2
> > counties and 2 QSOs; the border of 3 (or 4) counties count as 3 (or 4)
> > counties and 3 (or 4) QSOs."
> >
> > Being out of the state it was easy to do the logging when some IL
> > station was on a county line, Ya just logged them twice or more times
> > with the different county entered, so the logging program would accept
> > it just fine. And I in Wisconsin get a quick multiple QSO's and
> > possible new mults.
> >
> > But it to me is not clear as to how does a qso like this work for the
> > IL station?
> >
> > Example.
> >
> > Say the IL station is on two counties.  I work him from here in Sauk
> > County WI.  I get two Qso's And whatever mults that are new.
> >
> > But how is this worked for the IL station?
> >
> > I assume it counts as two QSO's Or does it?  And then How does the IL
> > station log it so it doesn't end up looking like a dupe? Because it
> > may be worth two different easily logged QSO's for me.  but on His end
> > it is two sontacts with me in WI with the same county and it for every
> > practical reason looks like a dupe.  How does that work? And how does
> > one make any logging program accept it and not call it a dupe?
> >
> > Joe WB9SBD
> >
> >
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