Question about logging for the ARRL International Digital Contest. I am currently using GridTracker to log my WSJT-X contacts into WRL. Because of this, even though I have the grid square for each contact, it does not populate this information into the CONTEST EXCHANGE box (see screenshot).
My question here is will I have to manually go in and input the grid square for each QSO into the CONTEST EXCHANGE box, or is this not necessary since it is in the QSO information already?
73, and GL to all who are contesting this weekend!
Daniel W2DIY
Yes, unfortunately at the current time the cat control app canāt add data into those contest exchange fields. Is it possible? absolutely we just havenāt had a chance to add that functionality into the cat control app. There is some logistics involved since each contest is different and has different contest exchange fields.
@K4AZE Ok, so for now I will have to go in and manually add it. Is there any method out there that can help speed up this process? Iām nearing the 300 QSO mark in the contest this weekend and I am dreading the idea of going back and editing almost 300 QSOs.
@W2DIY Ouch! I was going to suggest using the QSO Manager and bulk edit them but it doesnāt look like there is a way to edit contest fields there either. Hmmm. When are your logs due (like whats the log submission deadline)? If its a ways away and not in the next couple of days I can get the team to add the ability to bulk edit contest fields or find away to edit/add this easily.
Logs are due 7 days after the contest ends (June 15th by 23:59 UTC)
Another solution I started to find is that I can export the ADIF, and then just copy over the grid squares into a column called CONTEST_EXCHANGE_1, but this would require me to make a new logbook, with the contest field included, so then I can export, make the changes, import to the new logbook, and export as a Cabrillo.
But if the team can get something together for this before the log deadline, that would be GREAT!
As just a āquick fixā idea, is there any way to make the Cabrillo file export the grid square entered by CAT Control instead of the signal report? For this contest, signal report is not needed, so if it was replaced to put the grid square in its place, then that might be a quick fix, but I donāt know how things on the back end work so I just wanted to throw it out there!
Not too sure if its currently possible to submit logs from the ARRL Digital Contest for scoring based on how the setup currently is without some sort of work around or fix (at least on my end)
@W2DIY Thats actually a really REALLY good idea! Yeah we can probably do that. donāt quote me but iāll talk to the devs in the morning and confirm if they can make that work. Iāll reach back out tomorrow afternoon sometime.
Hey!! Soooooo you should be all set now. If you donāt care double check and confirm for me. It should show in the actual QSO log/record as well as when you export the Cabrillo.
I just have one question, which I could be wrong on. So this is my first ever contest since becoming a ham (woo!) and if I understand correctly, the Cabrillo file has to be formatted in a very specific way. In this case, it is formatted in the following order:
ā¢
QSO
ā¢
Frequency
ā¢
Mode (DG)
ā¢
Date (YYYY-MM-DD)
ā¢
Time (UTC)
ā¢
Your call
ā¢
Your exchange (grid)
ā¢
Their call
ā¢
Their exchange (grid)
Once again, I could be wrong about this, but I think they are pretty strict with the formatting for the contests from what Iāve gathered
Yes that is correct (and congrats on your first contest!!!), it does have to be in a specific format with correct spacing etc. However now that iām looking at the before and after i think im seeing another error. Where it shows NY after your RST it should have your grid square instead of NY. Let me get that fixed for you real quick and iāll have you re-export the Cabrillo.
@W2DIY Ok weāre adding a āYour Exchangeā field that will show under the logbook fields that youāll need to enter that grid square (which in turn will add it to the ācontest settingsā inside your logbook settings). Then youāll need to re-export the Cabrillo. Iāll shoot you a reply in just a few once weāve added it and you should be good to go then. One thing to remember for contests is to always go into the logbook settings (gear icon inside the logbook) and make sure to set all of the info in there. In this case it wouldnāt have mattered as WE didnāt give you the option to add the āYour Exchangeā field (your gridsquare) so thats on us.
Iāll shoot you a reply in just a few once weāve pushed this change live then once you set it, you can re-export and should be good to go.
Ok you should be good to go now. Close out of your log and go back into it. If for some reason the field doesnāt show up like the screenshot. Hold shift on your keyboard then click the refresh button in your browser.
The Cabrillo file still seems to have extra entries (Signal Reports, and that extra row of 0 at the very end). Is that going to create issues when submitting since it needs to follow a specific format?
I appreciate the teams speed on getting this fixed for everyone who was contesting this weekend!
I had to export to adi files then import to N3FJP and then do a Cabrillo file. The ARRL log checker didnāt like the cabrillo file from WRL for some reason. I hope this works better in the future.
I very much agree with your point here, and want to throw in my two cents. World Radio League is fairly new compared to other logging software out there (Ex. N3FJP), and itās expected that issues like this will arise.
But I always like to give credit where it is due, and the WRL team truly takes the feedback they get, and improves the platform, and fixes things where they need to be fixed.
I bought a paid subscription because I believe in the future of WRL, but I also got the subscription knowing not everything was going to be perfect either. This is one of those instances. But the QUICK support from the team to work on the fix is something I really do appreciate, on top of the constant communication we get from the team.
Iām going off on a rather long tangent now, but in summary, I trust that the team will make any improvements needed for the future. No doubt about it.
