[NLRS] NLRS Log Challenge

[John P. Toscano]

Dr. Gerald N. Johnson, electrical engineer wrote:

> I've heard it claimed that they will accept a xerox copy of the paper
> log, but I've not tried that lately. All I see in the rules is CABRILO
> or forget it. So I forget.

I guess you missed the following in the "Rules for All ARRL Contests" 
(maybe you only focused on the Rules for Contests 50 MHz and Up or the 
contest-specific rules.  But these rules apply to all ARRL contests.
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5. Paper Logs:

5.1. Entrants must use official Contest Forms or acceptable facsimile.

5.2. The most current forms should be used, as scoring rules, ARRL 
sections, etc, do change periodically. Paper submissions that have 
incomplete or missing information may be classified as a checklog.

5.3. Handwritten logs files, showing required QSO information, are 
accepted for all ARRL contests.

5.4. Handwritten logs that have been transcribed into a word processor, 
database, or logging program after the contest are considered electronic 
logs. The electronic log file in Cabrillo file format for these logs 
must be submitted.

5.5. Paper entries with 500 or more QSOs must include band by band dupe 
sheets.

5.5.1 A dupe sheet is an alphanumerically sorted list of all contacts 
made during the contest, sorted by band and mode as appropriate. A list 
of duplicate contacts does not meet this requirement.

5.6. Paper entries should be submitted to: ARRL, 225 Main St, Newington, 
CT 06111 with the contest name clearly marked on the envelope. It is 
recommended that the sender obtain a receipt showing the date the entry 
was mailed in case a problem arises.

5.7. Only one contest entry may be included in each envelope mailed to 
ARRL.

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So there you go, paper logs are perfectly acceptable.  What they were 
trying to get across in the other rules was, "if a computer was involved 
in any way, the submission MUST be Cabrillo".  It is so much easier for 
them to deal with electronic Cabrillo submissions that they figure ANY 
computer log is 90+% of the way to the format they use, so they will 
require you to go the other 10% of the way and make it easy for them. 
But if no computer was involved, paper is completely OK.

For those who ARE using a computer, good logging programs will write 
every QSO to disk as soon as you accept it, and "flush the write buffer" 
to disk so that the disk file really is up-to-date.  Then, in most cases 
of a crash (short of wiping out the whole hard drive, of course), you 
will likely be able to re-start right where you left off.  The old 
VHF-DX software works this way.  For those of us who are paranoid enough 
about such things, we are inclined to use a laptop that has a FUNCTIONAL 
BATTERY to do the logging, so that even if the power goes out, you can 
shut down gracefully on battery power, or even keep on operating if you 
have even one radio that still works (maybe you have a backup storage 
battery or a UPS you trust for the radio).  It obviously doesn't solve 
ALL issues of computer logging, but it does give a little more security. 
  Of course, if your laptop's battery is bad (like one of my old laptops 
that I saved from the scrap heap at work), you're no better off at all, 
which I found out the hard way in a recent roving experience where that 
was the only laptop I had available, and the 120VAC inverter I was using 
to power up one radio, the rotator, and the AC->DC adapter for the 
laptop would stop making AC power every time I transmitted on 2 meters! 
  (That inverter has been since replaced, and my current laptop has two 
good batteries and will also run off of 12-14 VDC from the vehicle!)

73 de W0JT