[DogParkList] Re: MacLoggerDX Contest Log Fields

[Don Agro]

Hi John,

On Sunday, June 1, 2003, at 08:34  AM, John E Bastin, K8AJS wrote:

> I'm a contest participant, not a hard-core contester, but I'm really 
> happy to see MacLoggerDX moving in the direction of contesting > support.

I am relying on you and others who know far more than I do about 
contesting.

> At 11:17 +0100 06_01_2003, Jonathan G0DVJ wrote:
>> 2 - people who make a serious or semi-serious attempt to improve 
>> their scores over last time and send in an individual entry to some 
>> degree of competitiveness
>
> This describes my operation in contests most of the time. There are a 
> few contests, IARU HF World Championship, ARRL DX Contest, ARRL 10 
> Meter contest where I go all out with a serious effort, but in many 
> other contests I get in for a few hours, make a few hundred contacts 
> and get out.
>
>> Clear easy to use interface:
>> Much of the MacLogger interface needed for general logging etc. is 
>> superfluous for the contest logger in realtime who really needs fast 
>> easy visability of minimal key information.
>
> No argument here. MacLoggerDX as a general logging program is very 
> good and includes a lot of information that is necessary for keeping 
> overall records. In a contest though, speed is imperative and extra 
> info only wastes time.
>
>>   I wonder therefore if either a derivative such as MacLoggerContest 
>> is a better idea which would interface seamlessly with the existing 
>> software to provide the phase 2 capabilities I outlined earlier >> above.
>
> This is up to the developer. Trying to develop a complete second 
> program, even if it only amounts to a subset of the capabilities of 
> the main program, may create more bugs to chase and support 
> requirements than any one man should be required to handle...:-)

This would double my support load, and I'm pretty stretched at the 
moment.

>>  If not, then certainly I think a contest operation Tab is essential 
>> to abstract away the information that is not needed for contesting 
>> and customise the input screen and fields required for contest 
>> operation.
>
> Maybe not a Tab, since as Don as mentioned there isn't a lot of tab 
> room left in the UI. Perhaps a button that closes all the tab windows 
> of the general logging program and leaves the user with one window 
> where the log information of the particular contest can be recorded. A 
> tab for setup of the specific contest and the logging window - clean 
> and simple.

I think this may be the way to go, but before we go there, I think 
there is more that can be done to optimize data entry. For example, the 
main data entry area had fields for QSL Sent and QSL Received which I 
just removed to make room for SRX and SRX since QSL Sent and received 
are not entered at the time of the QSO in a contest or in working 
general DX.

I guess what I am trying to say is that there are some optimizations 
for contesting that would also be beneficial to general operation.

I don't think we will shoe horn MacLoggerDX overnight into the greatest 
contest package ever written, but if I continue to optimize it for 
contesting and Scott continues his work on Cabrillo - we could end up 
with a very useable contest package.

>> 	- Instant duplicate QSO checking and flagging within a particular 
>> contest (not based on just callsign but also band/mode worked too)
>
> Absolute requirement.

This is an area that needs to be addressed in MacLoggerDX

> I'm very interested in this direction of the MacLoggerDX development, 
> and I'll be following this thread with great interest. If I can help 
> in any way on the testing end, I'll be available.

Thanks John - I'm counting on it :)

I don't think I will be able to cover all areas of contesting in 
MacLoggerDX, but my short term goal is to improve contest usability and 
interface with the ARRL Log Book of the World.


Best Regards,
Don Agro

D o g   P a r k   S o f t w a r e   L t d .

email: dagro@dogparksoftware.com
   www: http://www.dogparksoftware.com