If your PC is connected to the Internet, you should download a current membership data file from the SKCC Web Server.

Transcription

1 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 1 of 54 SKCCLogger, Straight Key Century Cub Inc. A Rights Reserved Version v , 24-Oct-2018 Created by Ron Bower, AC2C SKCC #2748S SKCCLogger User Guide This guide contains the foowing chapters: Getting Started Logging Editing and Deeting Log Entries Managing Mutipe Radios ADIF Log Fies The Toos Menu Appendices Getting Started The foowing subjects wi get you started: Downoading Membership Data Setting Program Options Connecting to a Radio Starting a Log Fie The Fie Menu Downoading Membership Data If your PC is connected to the Internet, you shoud downoad a current membership data fie from the SKCC Web Server. Whenever the SKCCLogger starts, the program checks to see the age of the oca copy of the SKCCMembership Data fie. If it is oder than a specified age, then you wi be prompted to downoad an up-to-date copy of the membership data. The foowing prompt wi appear upon initia program oad. Another option to downoad a current copy of the SKCC membership Data fie is to seect the "Update Membership Data" from the Main Window "Options" menu.

2 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 2 of 54 When you seect the "Update Membership Data" menu item, the "Downoad Membership Data" window wi open. The appication shoud auto-start the downoad after a short deay of a few miiseconds - if it does not autostart, Press the "Start Downoad" push button and watch the progress as the program connects to the Internet, downoads the information, and creates a oca database from the information. As a fina step in the Membership Data Fie downoad, the program automaticay checks for program updates and wi inform you if an upgrade is avaiabe for downoad. If a program update is avaiabe, you wi see a window simiar to this: Cick the "Go To Downoad Page" to be directed to the SKCCLogger Downoad Page. Foowing the downoad of the instaation fie, you MUST cose the currenty running SKCCLogger program before aunchoing the instaation process. Once the "Done" push button appears, you can press "Done" to cose the window. Pease Note: You can aso access the Downoad Membership Data window from the Program Options Window or simpy by cicking on the Membership Database Status abe in the main window.

3 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 3 of 54 Next Chapter: Setting Program Options Setting Program Options The first thing you shoud do is set some program options and update the membership fie. This program utiizes two primary windows: a main window that carries the fu isting of QSOs, and a Log Entry window, which appears after you cick on the main window's "Start Logging" button. To begin program set-up, from the main SKCCLogger window seect the "Options" menu item and then seect "Set Program Options." When you seect "Set Program Options," the "Program Options" window wi open. Here, you can specify the foowing options:

4 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 4 of 54 Logging Defauts Enter defaut vaues for RST Received, RST Sent, and TX Power. These are optiona settings that you can use to speed the ogging process - you may eave the fieds bank if you prefer. You aso shoud update the Membership Fie with the atest information. Make sure your PC is connected to the Internet, then cick on the "Get Member Fie" to downoad the atest information to update SKCCLogger's "skccdata.txt" fie. If you have a sow Internet connection, you may want to adjust the "wait time" (see beow). Note: Many PC firewas wi prevent an appication from accessing the Internet without your permission. If the membership-data downoad does not start quicky, pease check for any messages from your PC's firewa. My Station Some users have requested that their Casign and SKCC Member number be dispayed in the Tite of the Add Log Entry window. That paces the information immediatey in front of them whie ogging a QSO. You do not have to enter your casign into the "My Casign" text fied. You can eave it competey bank, if you want. Entering your casign here aows the program to dispay your Casign and SKCC Number in the Add Log Entry Window. This vaue wi aso be incuded in a saved og fie as the "STATION_CALLSIGN" tag. Entering your Gridsquare is optiona. If entered, it wi be added into each og entry and wi be added to your ADIF og fie. A non-bank Gridsquare wi be vaidated as foows: It must be either 2, 4, 6, or 8 characters in ength. The first and second charaters must be aphabetic and range between A and R. The third and fourth charaters, if entered, must be numeric and range between 0 and 9. The fifth and sixth charaters, if entered, must be aphabetic and range between A and X. The seventh and eighth charaters, if entered, must be numeric and range between 0 and 9. Operator Casign is used to designate the casign of an operator who is NOT the station casign - usuay used for cub stations. This vaue, if entered, wi be incuded in the saved og fie as the "OPERATOR" tag. Genera Program Options Checking the "Copy SKCC Number to Comment Fied" tes the program to copy the SKCC Number, Name, and SPC for members to the Comment fied. This ensures that you can carry a member's SKCC number to other ogging programs.

5 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 5 of 54 The "Refi Log List After Window Resize" option tes the program how to behave whenever you resize the main window. If you check this option, the QSO ist in the main window wi be refied so that the atest entry is dispayed as the ast ine on the ist. You may want to pay around with this option to see which setting you prefer. By defaut, the SKCCLogger wi remember and reca the ast position and size of many of the windows that the program uses. If you do not want this option, just uncheck the checkbox next to "Remember Window Positions Sizes." Athough this ogger was specificay designed for use in ogging SKCC QSOs, you can use this program to og genera QSOs in modes other than CW. Checking the "Enabe Logging Modes Other than CW" option wi provide a Mode drop-down ist to appear in the Log Entry window. With the "Recent Logs List: Maximum Count" option, you can set the number of recent ogs the program wi maintain on the Fie Menu's "Re-Open Recent Logs" ist. You can specify any number between 2 and 25. Note: If you have more og fies than the number you specify, the ist of recent ogs wi start with your most recenty opened og, then be trimmed to the number of ogs that you enter. The "Membership Fie Age Reminder" option aows you to specify how often you want the program to remind you to refresh the membership ist (minimum of 1 day). On start-up, the program ooks at the age of the atest membership fie in the program directory and wi remind you to refresh the ist if its age exceeds the vaue you specify here. When you request the membership data fie from the SKCC web server, the program wi wait a certain amount of time for the downoad to compete before abandoning the attempt. With the "Maximum Wait for Web Downoad" setting, you can specify a wait time of 30 seconds or more. The defaut vaue is 60 seconds. If you set a vaue greater than 180 seconds, the program wi dispay a warning. The message is informative ony and wi not prevent you from setting any vaue you desire. The defaut font used for a Text Fieds in the SKCCLogger is the "System" Font defined by your PC's Operating System. Some users have found that different fonts make the dispays easier on the eyes. You can experiment with fonts here. Pease note the foowing: Any font you seect is immediatey used to fi the text fieds within the Program Options Window. This gives you a quick preview of what the font ooks ike. If you want to seect a different font, your MUST "Save" your settings before cosing the Program Options Window. When you change the font, the new font wi be appied ony to the Main SKCCLogger Window. Any other open windows wi need to be cosed and re-opened in order to dispay using the newy seected font. Logging Type You must aso seect a "Logging Type", which affects the behavior of the SKCCLogger program as foows: "Sprint Logging" enforces strict ogging requirements for a SKCC Sprint. This setting requires you to enter a Date & Time, Frequency or Band, Casign, Name, RST Sent, and RST Received. "Genera Logging" reaxes ogging requirements to require ony Date & Time, Frequency or Band, and a Casign. Log List Coumns On the right side of the "Program Options" window you wi find a ist of the coumns the main window's QSO ist can dispay. Use the checkboxes to customize the amount of data the og disays - especiay usefu on oder machines with smaer screens. Note: A of the fieds on the checkist are saved in the og fie whether or not you seect them for dispay. Aso note that the Row ID, Date, Time, and Casign are not optiona dispay items. When you are done, cick the "Save" button to save your settings and cose the Program Options window. Next Chapter: Connecting to a Radio

6 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 6 of 54 Connecting to a Radio If you have a supported radio connected to your PC, you wi want to te the program about your radio so that the ogger can read and set the VFO for you. From the main SKCCLogger window, seect the "Options" menu item and then seect "Configure Radio." When you seect the "Configure Radio" option, the "Radio Setup" window wi open. The "Config Name" pu-down menu provides you with a way of naming your radio configuration. Providing a unique name for your radio configuration is most usefu when you have two or more radios that you use with the ogger. However, even with one radio connected, you need to assign a name to the settings. If you have previousy had a radio connected with an eary version of the SKCCLogger, that radio's setup wi be recaed, preset, and wi be given a defaut name of "My Radio Setup" as shown in the image beow. You wi be abe to change the configuration name ater. But for now, just continue. If you have never configured a radio before, you wi start with a "New Config." In this case, you wi be prompted ater (when you try to open the port) to provide a configuration name. The two different initia scenarios are shown in the foowing screenshots: Detais on managing mutipe radio configurations is provided in the Managing Mutipe Radios chapter. The foowing steps wi connect the SKCCLogger program to your radio: Cick the pu-down menu next to "Radio Mode" to see if your specific radio mode is supported. Seecting your radio mode wi preset certain settings and aso dispay a sma set of hepfu information specific to the radio mode seected.

7 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 7 of 54 Cick the pu-down menu next to "COM Port" and seect the specific COM port that your radio is connected to. Ony COM ports that are currenty avaiabe through your operating system wi appear in the menu isting. Note to Linux Users: If you intend to run this program on Linux via Wine, pease see "Note to Linux Users" in the Appendix before proceeding with the rest of this step. Cick the pu-down menu next to "Baud Rate" and seect the baud rate as set in the menu system of your specific radio. Ony Baud Rates that are vaid for your seected radio mode wi appear in the menu isting. Cick the pu-down menu next to "Parity" and seect the parity setting required for your radio. If unknown, eave as set by the program or seect "None." To date, none of the radios supported by the SKCCLogger use any parity bits. Cick the pu-down menu next to "Stop Bits" and seect the vaue required for your radio. If unknown, eave as set by the program or seect "1.0." The Icom interface uses a "CI-V Port" address that is unique to each mode of radio. Uness you have changed the defaut setting for your Icom, the defaut vaue provided by the program shoud work. The "Icom CI-V" text fied wi be disabed (grayed out) and preset to "N/A" uness an Icom radio using the CIV protoco has been seected. Some radio interfaces use either hardware or software "handshake" contros so that the radio can contro when the PC can interact with it. The Radio Setup window provides options to seect any of five different types of handshake interfaces. The checkbox options provide the foowing: CTS-FC enabes CTS/RTS Hardware fow contro; DTR-FC enabes DTR/DSR Hardware fow contro; Xon/Xoff enabes Xon/Xoff Software fow contro; DTR ON causes the DTR contro ine to be asserted; RTS On causes the RTS contro ine to be asserted. Once you have entered a required information, the "Open Port" button shoud be enabed. Cick the button to open the port to the radio. If you are setting up a "New Config," the program wi prompt you to enter a name for the configuration. Enter any descriptive name you ike. Just note that a radio configuration names must be unique and that "New Config" is a reserved name. Press the "Save Name" button when you have entered your configuration name.

8 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 8 of 54 If the COM port opened successfuy, the message "Radio Port Opened" shoud appear under the "Open Port" button and the button shoud now be a "Cose Port" button. If the COM port faied to open, check your settings carefuy and try again. A common reason (in fact the ONLY reason I have seen so far) for faiing to open is that the COM Port is aready in use by another program - maybe another ogging program? You shoud aso be aware the a successfu opening of the COM port ONLY means that the ogger has connected to the port. Proper exchange of information through that port is a different chaenge atogether. If you are certain that a other settings are correct but you sti cannot read or write to your radio's VFO-A frequency, you may want to experiment with various fow-contro settings. Keep in mind, however, that opening a COM port on a PC does itte more than connect the COM port to the program that opened the port. No data is actuay passed at this point. The next steps actuay use the COM port to communicate with the radio. Once you have opened the radio port, the next step is to test setting or reading the primary VFO. Cick the "Read VFO" button to send a command to the radio. You might see some data dispayed in the "Raw Data Received From Radio" text box, but it is probaby not important to you. If the radio responds as expected, the frequency (in MHz) shoud dispay in the text box directy above the "Set VFO" and "Read VFO" buttons. Note: The "Copy to Cipboard" button can be used to copy/paste a of the data dispayed in the "Raw Data Received From Radio" to the Windows cipboard. In the event that you have probems with your radio interface, the software-support team may request that you send a copy of the data being sent from the radio. This button makes it easier to transfer the data to an emai or text fie. If the COM port opened successfuy, but you are unabe to read or set the VFO, then you need to carefuy check the various settings that you seected above: Make certain that you have seected the correct COM port - the one that actuay connects to the radio. Make certain that there is a cabe connecting the COM port to the radio and that a cabe connections are firmy in pace. Check the baud rate to make sure it matches the baud rate set in the radio. Check you user manua for "CAT" contro instructions. Try various stop-bit settings and fow-contro combinations.

9 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 9 of 54 Once you have set the COM port parameters correcty and have successfuy read the VFO frequency, you shoud be abe to enter a frequency into the text box and set your primary VFO. When you are connected to a radio and start ogging with "Auto Freq and Band" enabed, the program wi periodicay read the frequency from the radio. By defaut, the radio is poed for data every 15 seconds. You can specify a poing rate (in seconds) with a minimum of 1 second and a maximum of 999 seconds aowed. The defaut rate is once every 15 seconds. When you have competed setting up your radio, cick on the "Cose Window" button to exit and eave the radio connected. DO NOT cick the "Cose Port" button uness you want to deactivate the program's abiity to read and set your radio's VFO. Don't worry about trying to remember the specific settings you used to connect to the radio - the program remembers the settings in its initiaization fie. When you exit from the Radio Setup Diaog window, the main ogging window shoud reappear. Next chapter: Starting a Log Fie Starting a Log Fie Before you start to og Sprint QSOs, you shoud start a new og for the Sprint. The program can hande arge ADIF og fies, but it is currenty designed to use smaer og fies with ony a few hundred entries. You shoud get into the habit of starting a new og fie for each sprint. You can merge them ater with any master og you may be keeping with SKCCLogger. To start a new og fie: Seect "Start New ADIF Log Fie" from the Fie menu in the main SKCCLogger window. You wi see a "Create New ADIF Log Fie" diaog box that shoud show the current contents of the foder where your current og resides. By defaut, ogs are created in the 'C:\SKCCLogger\Logs' foder. If, for whatever reason, the opened directory is not the foder containing your current og fie, use the navigation toos to navigate to the correct directory. Enter the name of your og fie. For exampe, one common format woud be "yyyy-mm-dd WES Log.adi." But whatever you pick,

10 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 10 of 54 it shoud work fine. If the fie name you enter does not exist, SKCCLogger wi create it. If you enter or seect an existing fie name, SKCCLogger wi warn you that the fie exists. If you seect an existing fie anyway, SKCCLogger wi erase it and the fie wi open empty - be carefu what you request. Once you have created a new og fie, the "Create New ADIF Log Fie" diaog shoud cose and the og fie name shoud appear in the ower eft corner of the main window. Note from the SKCCLogger Author, AC2C Over the past few years I have been asked severa times for advice on how to organize og fies. There are many ways to do this and I offer here advice based on how I hande my ogs - do whatever works we for you. As mentioned previousy in this User Guide, the SKCCLogger was originay deveoped to serve as a sprint ogger - ogging a singe SKCC sprint event. In fact, the sprint statistics dispayed in the ower right corner of the main og dispay window ASSUME that the current og represents a singe sprint event. If your og spans more that a singe sprint event, then those numbers are of itte use to you. There are many ogging programs avaiabe for you - shop around and sette on whatever you ike. Personay, I currenty use Ham Radio Deuxe (HRD) as my master og program - ALL of my radio activity is contained in the HRD og fie. However, I use the SKCCLogger throughout the month to og my SKCC activities. Here is what I do - take it for whatever it's worth to you: At the beginning of each month, I create a og fie for my monthy SKCC activity. This og is named 'SKCC-AC2C-mm-yy' and this og wi, at month's end, contain ALL SKCC activity for the month. For any specia sprints or other activities during the month, I create a separate og for each SKS-E, WES, SKS, or other event. These individua ogs then provide immediate statistics for the event that I can use to submit to the SKCC webpage as my activity for the event. Foowing each specia event and my submission, I then use the Fie menu "Merge Log" function to merge the sprint og into my monthy og. Continuing this process for each sprint/event during the month, by the end of the month I have a few ogs that were used for each sprint/event but I aso have one og that contains ALL of my SKCC activity for the month. I can use that singe og to create my "Monthy Brag Submission" and then merge that og into my HRD master og for upoad to LoTW. As a fina step at the end of each month, I merge my monthy og into an SKCC Master Log that contains ALL of my SKCC activity since I started tracking it. This SKCC Master og fie is used as the basis for appying for various SKCC awards. As they say in the ads, your mieage may vary (YMMV), but that's what I do. Next chapter: The Fie Menu The Fie Menu In addition to the "Start New ADIF Fie" option, you have other options under the Fie Menu as we.

11 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 11 of 54 "Open Existing ADIF Log Fie" aows you to open an existing og. After the og opens, new entries wi be appended to the fie. "Print Log Data" aows you to print out the current og. The text format is fixed as Courier, 8-point font, and you shoud print in Landscape format to maximize the data a page dispays. An eipse (...) at the right-most end of a ine indicates that additiona information has been truncated. "Save Log" saves the current og fie to capture any changes made since the ast save. "Save Log As..." saves the current og "as is," gives it a new name, then continues using the new og fie. "Save Seected As..." wi save highighted rows in the main window to a fresh ADIF og fie. By using the "Merge ADIF Fie Into Current Log" function (see beow), you can add these entries to an existing og. You can seect or de-seect individua rows with a CTRL-cick and seect a range of rows with a SHIFT-Cick. Be carefu: If you attempt to use the "Save Seected As..." function to save directy to an existing og, you wi overwrite the existing fie and it wi dispay ony the entries you are trying to transfer. If you try to save seected entries directy to an existing fie, you wi see a warning asking you if you reay want to overwrite the existing fie. Again, save the seected entries to a new fie and use the merge function described beow to add them to an active og. "Export to Exce-Format CSV Fie" saves the current og fie data to a comma-deimited text fie that can oad into MS Exce or other compatibe spreadsheet programs. "Export to Pipe-Deimited Text Fie" saves the current og fie data into a pipe-deimited text fie. The text fie can easiy be examined and manipuated with a simpe text editor or with a spreadsheet program, such as MS Exce. "Merge ADIF Fie Into Current Log" merges an existing ADIF og fie into the current og fie. This option provides a way to combine mutipe og fies into one master og. Note that dupicate og entries (same Date, Time, Casign, and Band) wi not be added to the current og. "Re-Open Recent Logs" aows you to quicky find and re-oad recenty opened og fies. The number of recent ogs is five by defaut or the number of ogs you specified during program set-up. "Cear Recent Log List" wi deete a except the current og fie from the recent-og ist. You can specify the number of recent ogs to be maintained via the Options menu in the SKCCLogger's main window. "Exit" saves any changes to the currenty active og fie and shuts down the SKCCLogger program. Next section: Logging Logging The SKCCLogger was designed with the "keep it simpe" principe in mind.

12 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 12 of 54 Logging can be: Competey manua, requiring you to enter every detai; Semi-automatic, requiring you to enter some information; or Fuy automatic, requiring minima data entry. The SKCCLogger program can: Get the current date and time from the computer. Get the frequency and band from the radio - if connected and configured. Get a member's SKCC number, name, and SPC from the membership data ist. Use the preset defauts for RSTs and TX power that you specified during set-up. Copy the member's SKCC number, name, and SPC to the Comment fied. Use "Enter" as the defaut action to add a og entry or require that you press a button to add an entry. A of the above actions are options that you can seect to suit your specific ogging stye and needs. The foowing subjects in this section wi get you started on og entries: Logging a QSO Logging Aternate/Past Casigns Sprint Logging Tracking Sprint Statistics and SPC Detais Timing the Length of a QSO Logging a QSO Once you have set program options, configured a radio interface (if you have a radio connected), and opened a og fie, you are ready to start adding QSOs to your og. To open the Log Entry window, cick the "Start Logging" button on the main window. Many options and variabes can affect how you use the Log Entry window and how the Log Entry reacts to your actions. Let's take a moment to ook over the basic window and discuss the options avaiabe: Some users want a ogger to auto-fi as much as possibe, whie others want to fi everything manuay; Some users want to Tab from fied to fied, whie others want to use the Enter key to move from fied to fied; Some users want to og various modes, whie others want to og CW ony; Some users want to have the Enter key be the defaut key used to compete a og entry, whie others want to og ony when they specificay cick a button. It is difficut to create a program that suits everyone's desires, but I have tried my best to be as fexibe as possibe. When the Log Entry window is first opened, it shoud ook much ike the image beow. Some minor differences between what you see

13 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 13 of 54 and what is show beow are: If you have configured and connected a radio: The "Read VFO" checkbox wi be checked; The "Freq" and "Band" fieds wi be disabed and wi dispay the data from your radio; The "QSY" fied wi be enabed. If you have not checked the "Enabe non-cw Logging Modes" option in the Program Options window, then the "Mode" dropdown ist wi not appear. A Quick Overview of the Log Entry Window The first time you open the Log Entry window, you may be confused by a the buttons, abes, and text fieds. Before you start making your first og entry, et's take a quick ook at some of the fieds and contros avaiabe. For rea-time ogging, checking the "Use PC Time" checkbox above the Date and Time fieds wi read the date and time from the PC and enter the information for you. When checked, the text fieds are auto-fied every second and the fieds are not editabe. Anytime you want to enter a manua vaue, just uncheck the "Auto Date & Time" checkbox. SKCCLogger wi "remember" the setting when shutdown and restarted. Once you have entered a character into the Ca text fied, the Date & Time are frozen and not automaticay incremented. The current date and time wi be updated after the casign entry is competed and you exit the Casign text fied. The QSO Date wi then remain frozen unti the og entry is competed or the Casign fied is otherwise ceared. n Note: You may cick the "Now" button at any time to update the date and time entries to the current date and time. Note: The Date format presented and expected in the Date window is defined by the format you specified in your PC's Regiona Settings set-up in your Windows Contro Pane. Depending on your ocation and specific operating system, a variety of date formats are avaiabe. For exampe, the date 4 Juy 2012 coud show in any of the foowing formats: 07/04/2012 in MM/dd/yyyy format 04/07/2012 in dd/mm/yyyy format 12/07/04 in yy/mm/dd format in yyyy-mm-dd format in dd.mm.yyyy format etc, etc, etc If you have configured and connected a supported radio, you may cick the "Auto Freq & Band" check box ocated above the Freq/Band fieds. If checked, the program wi periodicay po your radio and update the frequency and band based on the information read from the radio's VFO-A. You designated the poing rate in the "Radio Setup" window. As you manuay tune the radio, the dispayed frequency and band information wi be automaticay updated. Note: The "Auto Freq & Band" checkbox is not seectabe uness you have configured a radio and have opened the COM

14 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 14 of 54 port. Whenever a radio is connected, "Auto Freq & Band" is the defaut mode when you open the Log Entry window. If you have connected a Radio, you can quicky QSY (i.e. set VFO-A) by entering a frequency into the "QSY" fied and pressing TAB, ENTER, or the "QSY" button. Note: If you turn (scro) your mouse whee whie the QSY text fied is seected (has the current "focus"), the SKCCLogger wi increment or decrement your VFO-A Frequency at a rate of 100 Hz per whee cick. The "Auto Cear" checkbox ocated above the "QSY" fied affects the behavior of the text fied whenever the cursor enters the fied. If checked, the fied wi cear and be ready for a new entry. If unchecked, the fied wi retain its previous vaue and wi be ready for editing. SKCCLogger remembers your preference after the window is cosed. The Mode drop-down seection wi be visibe ony if you have seected the "Enabe Logging Modes Other than CW" option in the program's Options window. The foowing operating modes are supported: CW, AM, FM, FT8, HELL, JT65, JT65A, JT9, OLIVIA, PSK31, RTTY, SSB, SSTV Pease note the "Auto-Fi" checkbox ocated haf way between the Name and the City text fieds. Check this box if you want the program to fi og fieds based on information contained in the SKCC membership fie. Cicking on the "QSO Notes" button wi aow you to associate a set of persona notes to this casign/member. Now note the "Run" button ocated between the "RST Tx" and the "RST Rx" entry fieds. This button aows you to seect your sprint operating mode as either "Run" when running a frequency, or as "S&P" when operating in search-and-pounce mode. Normay, when "running a frequency" you wi sit on a frequency and ca CQ. In this mode, you woud typicay send a RST report before receiving your own, so your RST Tx woud be ogged before your RST Rx. On the other hand, when operating in S&P mode, you woud be ooking for others caing CQ and caing them. In this mode, you woud typicay receive an RST report before sending a RST report, so your RST Rx woud be ogged before your RST Tx. Pressing the "Run" button wi swap the order of the "RST Tx" and "RST Rx" fieds, and the button abe wi change to "S&P". You wi aso notice the "Auto Log" checkbox ocated to the eft of the "Log It" button. When seected, the ENTER key becomes the defaut "Log It" action whenever the minimum required ogging information has been entered. The "Time End:" fied is entirey optiona and you can eave it bank uness you want to save the QSO End Time. Fiing in the End Time of a QSO aows the award processor to identify RagChew QSOs (30 minutes or onger). Note: Check the "Time End When Logged, if Bank" to auto-fi the End time when you cick the "Log It" button. The ogger wi insert the current time ONLY IF it is currenty bank. Finay, pease notice the "Show Partia Matches" checkbox ocated directy above the "Previous QSOs with Station" List Box. When seected, the program wi search the current og for QSOs with the same casign as the caign is entered character-bycharacter. Now, with these options in mind, et's ook at ogging a QSO. For genera ogging, the program requires you to enter a minimum amount of information before it can be ogged. This information incudes: Date and Time Frequency OR Band Casign Next, enter the casign of the station being ogged and press Tab (or ENTER). If you have checked the "Auto-Fi" checkbox, the program wi auto-fi the foowing fieds based on the SKCC membership information for the casign entered: SKCC Number Name City State Country RST Sent RST Rcvd DXCC Code TX Power After entering a casign in the "Ca" fied, you can either tab out of the fied or press the "Check" Pushbutton (At-M) to retrieve and auto-fi information retrieved from the membership ist. At this time, any previousy ogged contacts with this station wi be dispayed in the ist box. QSOs with the same station on the current band wi be isted in bod font and abeed as "DUPE." Note the foowing actions regarding the Previous QSO's with Station List: If the "Show Partia Matches" checkbox is seected, then casigns that are "LIKE" the casign entered wi be dispayed. Once a casign has been finaized, then a previous QSOs with the same Ca wi be isted but previous QSOs with the Same Ca on the Same Band wi be highighed with a reddish background. You can doube cick on a specific Previous QSO to open the QSO in the Log Edit Window.

15 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 15 of 54 You may notice casigns isted that are different that the casign entered. This can occur when the member being ogged has changed their casign and you ogged the member the previous casign in the current og fie. You may Doube Cick on any Previous QSO isted to open the QSO Detais in the Edit Window. You may aso press the "QRZ" Push Button (At-Z) to aunch a sma browser window containing the QRZ.Com webpage information for the casign entered. Aternativey, if you hear a SKCC number but missed the casign, you can enter the SKCC number in the "SKCC" text fied and press the "Check"pushbutton (At-N). There is no need to enter the "C" or "T" suffix with the SKCC number to find a match. Note that the State/Country information is actuay a best guess based on the information contained in the "SPC" fied of the SKCC membership data fie. If the vaue in the SPC fied is one of the standard USPS abbreviations for a US state or US possession, then the SPC vaue is used as the state and United States is used for the country. If the vaue in the SPC fied is one of the standard abbreviations for a Canadian province or territory, then the SPC vaue is used as the state and Canada is used for the country. The "Key" fied is necessary ONLY for the Tripe Key Award - you can eave it bank if you have no interest in that operating award. There are four options avaiabe in the pu-down menu: Bank impies either a non-manua key or no interest in the Tripe Key award. "BUG" for a semi-automatic key that vibrates for mutipe dits. "SK" for any type of standard Straight Key with a singe set of contacts. "SS" for any type of Sideswiper or Cootie key. Partia Casign Lookup It is not uncommon to copy ony a part of a casign - maybe QRM, QSB, distraction, or some other reason. Say, for exampe, that K0FTC is caing CQ but a you got was "K0F". You can enter the "K0F" into the casign fied and cick the "Check" button. IF any current member casigns in the database match the partia entry, a istbox wi pop-up dispaying possibe casigns. You can Doube Cick on any entry to have that casign entered into the Log Entry Window. Pease note the foowing: There must be AT LEAST 3 characters entered in the casign fied. You can use a '%' character as a widcard (match any character. Thus, you coud enter "K%F%C" - Try it!!! A Few Notes About the DXCC Fied The Logger uses the DXCC Code Vaue ONLY when processing a DXC or DXQ Award Appication. The Logger fis in the DXCC Fied based on information contained in a specia membership data fie. This specia data fie is the

16 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 16 of 54 one downoaded and used by the Award Processor. If you have never run the award processor, then the data is based on membership data that was oaded when you instaed the SKCCLogger on your PC. The ony time that you need to enter or change the DXCC Code vaue is when the member is operating away from his or her home QTH. If you Cick on the underined "DXCC Code" abe, the program wi open a Browser window dispaying the current DXCC ist provided by the ARRL. Anytime that an Auto-Fi operation woud enter data into a fied that aready is fied, the program wi ask you how you want to hande those fied fieds. You have three options: Overwrite A wi fi in membership data into a fieds. Fi-In Banks wi fi in ony fieds that currenty are bank. Leave As-Is wi eave a data fieds as they currenty are. Once a required fieds (either Genera Logging or Sprint Logging) have been entered, the "Log It" button shoud be enabed. Cicking the "Log It" button wi enter the QSO information into the Main Window og ist, cear a fieds (except for Date, Time, Freq, and Band), and pace the cursor into the Casign fied. Note: There are severa buttons and text entry fieds on the Log Entry window and there are (At + Key) shortcut combinations for the foowing buttons and text entry fieds: At+C (or Escape) for Cear A

17 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 17 of 54 At+F to enter a Frequency in the QSY Fied At+M for Check Member Ca At+N for Check Member Number At+S for Save Log Entry At+W for Wipe Entry - Same as At-C At+Z for QRZ.com Ca Lookup Next chapter: Logging Aternate/Past Ca Signs Logging Aternate/Past Casigns Over the years, many SKCC members have changed their ca signs. Severa members aso have one or more aternative ca signs. Some members use the same SKCC membership number with more than one ca sign. SKCC membership records aways identify one ca sign as the "Primary" ca and a others as an "Aternate" ca for the member. When you enter a ca sign in the Log Entry window's Ca fied, the program searches for a member with a matching "Primary" ca sign. If a matching record is found, then the membership information for that casign is used. However, if a membership record with a matching "Primary" casign is not found, then the program searches the membership records for a member with a matching "Aternate" ca sign. If a member record is found, the program wi present a diaog box requesting that you seect which ca sign you wish to use for the og entry. Seect which ca sign you wish to use for the og entry by seecting the appropriate button. Next chapter: Sprint Logging Sprint Logging The SKCCLogger is designed to use the "Tab" key to move from one fied to the next. Athough you may aso use the "Enter" key to move to the next fied, be aware that once the "Log It" button is enabed, the button becomes the defaut action for the "Enter" key. So, for speed ogging, one coud do the foowing: Enabe the Auto Date & Time option Enabe the Auto Freq & Band option Enabe the Auto-Fi og fieds option Enabe the Auto Log option

18 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 18 of 54 Enter a casign and cick Enter to og with each new QSO. Next chapter: Tracking Sprint Statistics and SPC Detais Tracking Sprint Statistics and SPC Detais In most, if not a, SKCC sprint events, the basic sprint score is computed as the number of QSOs times the number of unique SPCs worked - the term SPC refers to State, Province, or Country. Each SPC is counted ony once for the entire sprint. Additiona points are earned for contacts with Centurions, Tribunes, and Senators. These points are earned for each band on which the Centurions, Tribunes, and Senators are worked. As you og QSOs during the sprint, SKCCLogger automaticay keeps track of the key sprint statistics and dispays those vaues in the ower right corner of its main window. The product of the SPC Count mutipied by the QSO Count pus the Centurion/Tribune/Senator point provides you with a basic score. Many sprints aso incude a specia theme for which you can earn additiona bonus points. If you need to designate a specific bonus station casign, add "specia" bonus points, or adjust the points per band vaues you can cick on the underined "Sprint Bonus" fied's abe to open this window.

19 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 19 of 54 The "Additiona Bonus Points" fied aows you to track any specia bonus as you operate the sprint. This may be usefu in sprint where there is a specia one-time bonus for achieving some specific goa. The "Bonus Station Casign" fied aows you to identify a specific casign that has been designated as being worth extra bonus points for the sprint. The ower haf of the window aows you to adjust the defaut vaues that are generay associated with a sprint. Changing these vaues wi stay in effect for the current and a future sprints unti they are changed again. Tracking SPC Mutipiers Some serious sprinters ook to increase their sprint scores by accumuating SPC mutipiers. Cicking on the underined "SPC Count" fied's abe wi open a specia window that ists each US state, US possession, Canadian province, and Canadian territory, aong with a checkbox indicating worked or not worked. SKCCLogger automaticay checks off the boxes as you coect SPCs. Non-US/Canadian SPCs appear separatey as a ist at the bottom of the SPC window. Next section: Timing the Length of a QSO Timing the Length of a QSO In some cases it is usefu to be abe to track the the exact ength of a QSO. The RagChew and Marathon awards, for exampe, require QSOs that ast a minimum amount of time. At anytime during a QSO, you can cick on the underined "Time:" abe in the Log Entry Window to aunch a QSO timer. By defaut, the timer uses the QSO Start Time shown in the Log Entry Window as the basis for computing the ength of the QSO as compared to the current time.

20 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 20 of 54 The "Stop", "Pause", and "Reset" Push Buttons operate pretty much the same as you woud expect on a Stop Watch. Pressing "Stop" at the time the QSO ends, wi freeze the tota ength of the QSO for you to record in the comments fied or esewhere. Next section: Editing and Deeting Log Entries Editing and Deeting Log Entries After you add an entry to the og, you may find you need to edit or deete the entry. The foowing subjects provide the detais on how to do this: Editing a Log Entry Deeting a Log Entry Editing a Log Entry If you want to edit a singe og entry dispayed in SKCCLogger's main window, you have your choice of three ways to do it: Doube cick on the row containing the og entry; or, Right cick on the row and use a pop-up contextua menu; or, Cick on a row to highight it, then cick on the "Edit Row(s)" button above the List Box. If you want to edit two or more og entries as a batch, you wi have to use the "Edit Row(s)" button. The foowing sections describes the Edit procedure for each method. Right-Cick, Contextua-Menu Method Right cicking the mouse on a row in the og wi cause a context-sensitive, foating menu to appear with three options: "Edit Row", "Deete Row", and "Save Seected As...". Note: The "Save Seected As..." option is a shortcut to the Fie->Save Seected As..." function and provides a quick shortcut when you want to save just one QSO entry to a og fie.

21 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 21 of 54 Seecting "Edit Row" wi bring up the Log Edit Window with the seected row's data entered in the text fieds. Virtuay a the options avaiabe to you when you first make a og entry are avaiabe when editing an entry. The primary difference is that you no onger have an option for Auto-Date/Time, Auto-Freq/Band, Auto-Fi, or Auto-Log. The Log Edit window aso dispays and aows editing of three fieds that are set in the Program Options window: Station Casign - The Casign of your station - ADIF Tag: STATION_CALLSIGN Operator Casign - The casign of an operator who is NOT the station casign - usuay used for cub stations - ADIF Tag: OPERATOR My GridSquare - The GridSquare of your Station - ADIF Tag: MY_GRIDSQUARE

22 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 22 of 54 You may make any changes you desire, incuding changing the date, time, frequency, band, ca, etc. You can aso check appropriate boxes to indicate whether or not a QSL has been sent and/or received. When you are finished editing the entry, push the "Save Changes" button to save your changes. If you find that you don't need to make any changes, just press the "Cance" button to cose the window and cance any changes made but not saved. "Edit Row(s)" Button Method The "Edit Row(s)" button (at the top of the og window) can be used to edit either a singe og entry or mutipe og entries as a batch. Begin by using mouse cicks to seect a the rows in the main window's og that you want to edit (use mouse cicks in conjunction with CTRL or SHIFT keys). Then press the "Edit Row(s)" button (at the top of the og window). If you have seected ony one record to edit, processing wi be identica to the process described for the right-cick method described above. If you have seected two or more rows, you wi see a prompt summarizing the first row that you seected and providing you with options to either "Edit," "Skip," or "Quit Editing." Seect "Edit" to open the og entry in the Log Edit window. Seect "Skip" to skip editing the dispayed og entry. This option provdes a quick way to seect mutipe records, yet skip a few in the process. Seect "Quit Editing" to skip the current record and stop the entire process. The process described above wi repeat for each og entry that you have seected to edit as a batch. Next Chapter: Deeting a Log Entry Deeting a Log Entry If you want to deete a singe og entry in the main window's ist, you have your choice of two ways to do it: Right cick on the row and use a pop-up contextua menu; or, Cick on the row to highight it, then press the "Deete Row(s)" button above the og. If you want to deete two or more og entries as a batch, you wi have to use the "Deete Row(s)" button. The foowing sections describes the deete procedure for each method. Right-Cick, Contextua-Menu Method Right cicking the mouse on a row in the og wi cause a context-sensitive, foating menu to appear with three options: "Edit Row", "Deete Row", and "Save Seected As...". Note: The "Save Seected As..." option is a shortcut to the Fie->Save Seected As..." function and provides a quick shortcut when you

23 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 23 of 54 want to save just one QSO entry to a og fie. Seecting "Deete Row" from the foating menu wi bring up the "Deete Log Entry" diaog box. The diaog box ists the date, time, ca sign, and frequency of the seected og entry and requires that you confirm your request to deete the entry. You have two options: "Deete" or "Cance". Cick "Deete" to deete the og entry. Cick "Cance" to eave the og entry as is. "Deete Row(s)" Button Method The "Deete Row(s)" button can be used to deete a singe og entry or mutipe og entries as a batch. Begin by using mouse cicks to seect a the rows in the main window's og ist that you want to deete. Then press the "Deete Row(s)" button. If you have seected ony one record for deetion, the processing wi be identica to the right-cick process described above. If you have seected two or more rows, you wi be provided with a prompt to confirm your request to deete mutipe QSO records.

24 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 24 of 54 Seect "Yes" confirm your request and deete a of the seected record. Seect "No" to cance the request and eave the seected records as is. Next section: Managing Mutipe Radios Managing Mutipe Radios If you have more than one radio connected to your PC, you may want to have the SKCCLogger remember the specific settings for each one. Setting up a separate configuration for each radio makes it simpe and quick to switch between pre-configured radios with the SKCCLogger. There are two basic steps invoved in setting up and maintaining mutipe radio configurations. The foowing topics in this section wi hep you create and maintain those configurations. Adding A New Radio Configuration Editing Current Radio Configuration Adding A New Radio Configuration To add a new Radio Configuration to the SKCCLogger, you must first open the "Radio Setup" window by seecting the "Configure Radio" option from the "Options" Menu in the main SKCCLogger window.

25 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 25 of 54 If you have a radio currenty connected with an open COM port, you must first cose the COM port before adding or editing any radio configurations. Cose the COM port by pressing the "Cose Port" button on the Radio Setup window. The foowing steps wi create a new radio configuration: Cick the "Config Name" pu-down seector and Seect "New Config." Set the radio mode, COM port, baud rate, parity, stop bits, CI-V port, and fow contros as necessary for the radio you are configuring. Cick the "Open Port" button to open the COM port. The SKCCLogger wi prompt you to provide a unique name for this specific configuration. You may use any name you wish, but each name must be unique -- and "New Config" is a reserved name. Enter a configuration name and press the "Save Name" button. At this point, the port shoud be open and you shoud see the Radio Setup window, with the configuration name and configuration parameters you seected. You shoud test the configuration and make sure everything works propery - ensure that you can read and set the radio's VFO. If you need to make any changes to the setup, just make those changes within the Radio Setup window. The fina setup that exists is the one that wi be remembered and stored for next time. Next chapter: Editing Current Radio Configurations

26 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 26 of 54 Editing Current Radio Configurations A radio configurations are edited from the "Radio Setup" window. If not aready open, open the "Radio Setup" window by seecting the "Configure Radio" option from the "Options" menu in SKCCLogger's main window. If you have a radio currenty connected with an open COM port, you must first cose the COM port before editing any configuration. Cose the COM port by pressing the "Cose Port" button on the "Radio Setup" window. To open the Radio Configuration Edit window, cick on the "Configuration Editor" menu and seect "Edit Radio Configurations." At this point, the "Edit Radio Configurations" window wi open. The window wi dispay the configuration name, radio mode, and COM port for a radio configurations currenty set up in the SKCCLogger. A operations from this window are performed on the seected (highighted) radio configuration item. If a row is not aready seected, cick on the row that you wish to modify.

27 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 27 of 54 There are three basic operations you can perform on a Radio Configuration item: You can move an item up or down the ist; You can rename a configuration. Reca, however, that each configuration name must be unique, and "New Config" is a reserved name; You can deete a configuration from the ist. The steps to compete each of these options is detaied beow. 1. To reorder the ist, just seect the configuration that you want to move and cick either the up or the down arrow next to the "Reorder Seected" abe. 2. To rename a configuration, just seect (highight) the configuration item and cick the "Rename Seected" button. The "ReName Radio Configuration" window wi open with the current configuration name shown in the text fied. Enter the new name for the configuration and press the "Save Name" button. 3. To deete a radio configuration from the ist, seect the item and push the "Deete Seected" button. A prompt wi appear that asks you to confirm the deetion or cance the request. Next section: ADIF Log Fies

28 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 28 of 54 ADIF Log Fies Even though the program requires that you open an ADIF og fie before you starting ogging QSOs, the actua QSO information is not stored in the ADIF og fie. The SKCCLogger maintains a of your og data in a SQL database on your PC's disk drive in a fie named "LogFieDB.rsd." Whenever you save the og data to the ADIF og fie, the data is copied from the SQL database to the ADIF og fie. Updates to the LogFieDB.rsd database fie are made immediatey as you enter them and the updates are committed to the database fie after each change. Upon a norma shutdown of the program, the database contents are written out to the ADIF og fie and the database fie is deeted. The foowing topics in this section wi hep you understand the reationship between the database fie and the ADIF og fie. Saving Log Data to an ADIF Fie Recovering From an Abnorma Shutdown Saving Log Data to an ADIF Fie Even though a of your og data are stored in an SQL Database fie, an ADIF og fie is created and written to the og subdirectory within SKCCogger's main directory. The og data are saved to the specified ADIF og fie at the foowing times: When you seect "Save Log Data" or "Save Log Data To..." from the "Fie" menu. When you open or re-open a og fie from the "Fie" menu. When you seect to start a new og fie from the "Fie" menu. When you press the "Save Log" button in either the "Log Entry" or "SKCCLogger" windows. When you cose the SKCCLogger. Whenever changes have been made to the og database that have not been saved to the ADIF og fie, a "Save Log" button wi appear in both the "Log Entry" and "SKCCLogger" windows. Next chapter: Recovering from an Abnorma Shutdown Recovering From an Abnorma Shutdown As mentioned previousy, the SKCCLogger maintains your data in an SQL database on your PC's disk drive. Updates to the database fie are made immediatey as you enter them and the updates are committed to the database fie after each change. During a norma shutdown of the program, the database contents are written out to the ADIF og fie and the database fie is deeted.

29 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 29 of 54 When you first open SKCCLogger, the program ooks for the og database fie in the SKCCLogger's home directory. If the database fie exists, then the program knows that the SKCCLogger did not shutdown normay during it's previous run. When an abnorma shutdown has been detected, you wi be presented with a specia message at startup teing you that the abnorma shutdown has been detected and giving you the option of either recovering the Last Log Fie or starting the SKCCLogger with no og fie. In MOST cases, you wi want to recover the Last Log Fie. However, if you suspect that a corrupt og fie caused the previous abnorma shutdown, then you may want to restart with No Log Fie. If you choose to start with No Log Fie, then you can re-open any previous og fie, or use the "Restore From Backup Log" too to attempt to recover the og fie from the og database. When you choose to recover the Last Log Fie, the SKCCLogger wi create a temporary ADIF Log Fie from the current og database. You wi be provided with an informationa message regarding the recovered temporary og fie. Athough your most recent ogging data has been recovered, it is now in a temporary og fie whose name is a SKCCLogger reserved fie name. You must save Recovered-Log.adi into SKCCLogger's "Logs" subdirectory with an appropriate new fie name, using "Save Log As..." in the main window's "Fie" menu. If you continue to use the reserved "Recovered-Log" fie, you wi receive the foowing warning every time you open the og.

30 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 30 of 54 Next section: Advanced Subjects: The Toos Menu The Toos Menu This section is dedicated to providing insight into some of the Toos and more advanced features of the ogger. The foowing subjects are incuded: Adding SKCC Numbers to the Log Fie Creating SKCC Award Appications Find - Text Search (Ctr+F) Monthy Brag Submission Restoring From a Backup Log Resetting Saved Window Positions Setting a GMT Correction Factor Adding SKCC Numbers to a Log Fie The SKCCLogger provides a simpe method for you to add SKCC Membership Numbers to your Log Fie. If you have imported an ADIF Log Fie that was created by another ogging program, then that og fie wi, most ikey, NOT contain SKCC Numbers in a specia fied. In fact, the SKCC Fied "Tag" was not added to the officia ADIF Specification unti ADIF Version To add SKCC Membership Numbers to your current Log Fie, seect the "Add SKCC Numbers to Log" option from the Toos Menu. Pease note the foowing information regarding adding SKCC Membership Numbers to an open og fie: The processing wi affect, and may modify, the SKCC Fied in EVERY QSO in the og fie.

31 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 31 of 54 The SKCC Number for each og entry wi be set to a bank for non members or to the SKCC Number and appropriate C, T, or S suffix for SKCC members. The processing is as foows for each QSO record in the og: If the QSO Mode is not "CW", then the SKCC Fied is set to Bank; Otherwise, Search the Membership Database for a Matching Current, Past, or Aternate Casign. If a membership record is not found, set the SKCC Fied to Bank; Otherwise: n Use the SKCC Number associated with the casign. n Affix a C, T, or S suffix based on the QSO Date. There is no impication that the QSO was a egitimate SKCC member-to-member QSO that can be used for SKCC credit: You MAY not have exchanged required information during the QSO. You MAY not have been using an approved CW keying device. This too is provided for your convenience ONLY. Seecting "Add SKCC Numbers to Log" from the Toos Menu wi resut in a diaog window outining some of the isted caveats and requesting that you confirm your request. Press "Start" to begin the processing or "Cance" to cose the window and do nothing. The processing required to compete this action requires the program's fu attention. You wi be ocked out from performing any other action unti the processing competes and the processing, once started, cannot be interrupted. A progress bar wi be dispayed so that you can watch the progress of the processing. Depending on the size of your og fie and the speed of your processor, the compete processing can take anywhere from a few seconds to severa minutes. When the processing is competed, a message window wi dispay showing the tota number of records that were changed. Next section: Creating SKCC Award Appications Creating SKCC Award Appications The SKCCLogger can assist you in preparing text fies that can be submitted to the SKCC Award Administrators. Working from an ADIF Log Fie, the program wi anayze the og contents and generate award appications for you. Note: The Award processor wi process an ADIF og fie created by any ogging program that conforms to the ADIF standards. EXCEPT for the Tripe Key Award, the og fie processed does not have to be a og fie created by the SKCCLogger. As with a things invoving computers, the od adage of "Garbage In - Garbage Out" appies to this processing. The program wi

32 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 32 of 54 ASSUME that each QSO with an SKCC member in the og was a vaid SKCC QSO competed using approved keying devices and incuded an exchange of membership information. The program wi generate award appication forms for you, but YOU are responsibe for ensuring that the information contained in the appication is a true and accurate representation of your operating activities. In addition, once the appication text fie is created, you are required to submit it to the appropriate award administrator for processing. The processing requires that you identify a singe ADIF Log Fie that contains ALL the QSOs that shoud be considered for the type of Award Appication being generated. Before, starting the award creation process you shoud prepare a og fie using the SKCCLogger or some other ogging program to create a singe ADIF og fie to be processed. Once you have created an ADIF Log Fie to be examined, you aunch the award processing by seecting the "Create Award Appications" option from the "Toos" Menu. The SKCCLogger Instaation process instaed a Membership Data Fie that was current at the time the Program was reeased. You shoud downoad a up-to-date membership data fie. The first time you run the Award Processor, you wi need to identify yoursef, update your current award status, and point the processor to your ADIF og fies. You wi see the foowing page.

33 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 33 of 54 Start by downoading a oca copy of the membership data fie - Just press the "Refresh" Push button to access the website and start the downoad. After the membership data has been downoaded, you wi need to enter your casign. After you have entered your casign amd moved to the next fied, the ogger wi automaticay execute the "Refresh My Info" Push Button action to fi in the remaining text fieds with information about your membership. You can edit your Name, QTH, and SPC to refect what you want to have on the Award Appication. The SKCC Membership data ist maintains ony your first name that you used when you appied for membership. Most award administrators prefer to know the name that you use on the air as we as your ast name as it makes for a better award announcement when posted to the group. Note: Anytime you have earned a new award eve, such as Centurion, Tribune, Tribune x8, or Senator you MUST cick on "Refresh My Info" so the the award Processor can save your updated information. When an award eve, such as Centurion, Tribune, etc. are refected in the downoaded data fie, the date of the award wi be dispayed in the appropriate text fied and you wi not be abe to edit the information. Once your membership data has been entered, press the "Save & Continue" Push Button to proceed to identifying the ADIF Log Fie to be used. You wi need to press the "New Log Fie" to seect your ADIF Log fie for processing. Once you have seected your ADIF Log fie for award processing, the program wi start some very intense number crunching that can be very time copnsuming - especiay for a og with severa thousand og entries. You MAY even get a "Program is not Responding" message from your operating system. But, don't panic - the program is just busy anayzing the og fie. Once the processing has competed, the window shoud ook simiar to this:

34 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 34 of 54 The next time you access the Award Processor Setup Page, the program wi remember your settings. You might want to downoad a fresh copy of the membership data fie and seect a new fie if there have been changes or additions to your og fie. Press the "Create Appications" Push Button to access the award Appication Seection Window.

35 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 35 of 54 As of the current version of the SKCCLogger, the foowing SKCC Awards programs are suppported: Centurion / Tribune / Senator Award DXQ / DXC Awards Prefix Award QRPx1 / QRPx2 Awards RagChew Awards Tripe Key Awards Worked A States - Basic / Worked A States - Centurions Worked A States - Tribunes / Worked A States - Senators Additiona Award processing may be added in future versions if the users find the feature usefu. Pressing the "Centurion/Tribune/Senator" Push Button wi te the program to anayze your og fie for these awards and wi present you with a summary page showing your status of these awards on each band. You can study the numbers presented to see how cose you are to various award eves and seect the specific award appications to be created. Make your seections by cicking the appropriate checkboxes and then cick the "Create Appications" Push Button. The program wi provide processing status in the far right hand "Processing Status" window. Note: The "ALL" Band seection incudes A bands in the QSO Count. This is the norma seection for an initia award. Seecting a specific band, tes the award processor to incude ONLY QSOs competed on the specified band. Specific band appications are used when submitting for band endorsements to the basic award.

36 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 36 of 54 After the processing is competed and the seected award appications have been created, you wi be provided with an information window prompting you to choose your next action. You can either continue to create more appications of the same award type or return to the Award Appication Seection window. Seecting the "Create Some More" option wi simpy cose the information window and eave the current Award Status window for you to seect and create additiona award appications of the same type. Seecting the "I'm A Done" option wi cose both the information window and the current Award Status window and return you to the Award Appication Seection Window.

37 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 37 of 54 From this point you can either seect another award type to anayze or open the Award Appication Foder to access the appications you have created. If you seect the "Open Appication Foder" option, the program wi open a Foder diaog Window for you. Using the Appication Award Foder diaog Window you can compete Virtuay ANY fie processing that you might want. You Can: Doube-Cick an appication to open it with Windows Notepad. Drag and drop an appication to your desktop or anotheer foder. Deete od appications that you no onger need. You wi notice that suffix etters (e.g. C, T, and S) DO NOT appear on the award appication forms - this is by design. Simpy stated, a membership number is a NUMBER and an appended suffix etter is simpy a recommended addition for on-air exchanges to et other members be aware of your current award status. It is YOUR responsibiity to maintain the contents of the AwardAppications foder. Keep a you want or deete them a - it is entirey up to you. Other Supported Award Types The SKCC WAS/WAS-C and DXQ/DXC award processing is simiar to the Centurion, Tribune, and Senator Award processing. Additiona documentation for those awards is not necessary. The SKCC Prefix award processing is essentiay simiar to the Centurion, Tribune, and Senator processing. The numbers presented in the summary window are the tota point vaues earned per band.

38 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 38 of 54 Pease note the foowing regarding QRPx1 and QRPx2 Award Appication Processing: The Award Processor uses the vaues ogged in the TX Power and RX Power fieds to find QSO that are eigibe for QRP Awards. Even though the the processor can create band-specific QRP Awards, the SKCC QRP Award does not currenty provide for bandspecific endorsements. The numbers dispayed in the QRP Award Status Window are the tota points computed for that specific band.

39 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 39 of 54 The RagChew Award The SKCC RagChew award processing is different than those described so far. Basicay due to the unique nature of the award and the fact that the same member can be used mutipe times, but not for successive QSOs, by the time the processing identifies quaifying QSOs, the processing is essentiay compete. When you seect the create RagChew Award option, the processor scans the og for quaifying QSOs and fis a ListBox with those identified. When two or more successive RagChew QSOs with the same member are found, the ongest QSO is seected.

40 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 40 of 54 Press "Create Appication" to create a RagChew Award Appication Text fie. The Tripe Key Award The SKCC Tripe Key award processing is aso different than the others described so far. Basicay due to the unique nature of the award and the fact that no member can be used more than one time, and for ony one key type, by the time the processing identifies quaifying QSOs, the processing is essentiay compete. When you seect the create Tripe Key Award option, the processor scans the og for quaifying QSOs and provides you with a snapshot of your status. The above status window shows a og fie that meets the minimum requirements for the award: At Least 300 Unique members ogged with a recognzed key type. At east 100 Unique members ogged with each Key Type. So what's the difference between the numbers on the eft and the numbers on the right? The numbers on the eft indicate:

41 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 41 of 54 A tota of 304 Unique members have been ogged with at east one recognized key type. A tota of 126 QSOs have been ogged with a Bug Key. A tota of 132 QSOs have been ogged with a Straight Key. A tota of 118 QSOs have been ogged with a Sideswiper Key. The numbers on the right refect how many QSOs wi be incuded for each key type. Press "Create Appication" to create a RagChew Award Appication Text fie. Next section: Find - Text Search (Ctr+F) Find - Text Search (Ctr+F) The too menu item "Find - Text Search" (aso activated with Ctr+F) provides a quick method to search for text within the current og isting. This option wi open the Text Search Window. You enter the text to be searched in the "Search For" text fied, seect the fieds to be searched, and then press either "Find Next" or "Find Previous". Notes:

42 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 42 of 54 The text search is not case sensitive - "ac2c" wi match "AC2C". When the specified text is found, the row containing the text wi be highighted. The coumn does not have to be dispayed for the text to be found. When first activated, the current search row is the top row. When searching downward (Find Next), reaching the end of the ist wi reset the row pointer to the top row. When searching upward (Find Previous), reaching the top of the ist wi reset the row pointer to the bottom row. Changing the Search Text wi reset the row pointer to the top row. Next section: Monthy Brag Report Monthy Brag Report As described on the SKCC Group Web Page, the Monthy Brag activity began in Apri 2010 as a way to encourage contacts among SKCC members independent of sprints, contests, or specia events. The idea is to see how many unique SKCC numbers you can accumuate during any given month. Your count starts fresh each month. You may contact the same members from one month to the next, but you can ony count a member once during a month - no dupes, no mutipe-band contacts with the same member. If you want to participate in it, the SKCCLogger provides a simpe method for you to determine your input for ther "Monthy Brag". To start the Brag Report preocessor seect the "Monthy Brag Report" option from the Toos Menu. The very first time you use the Brag Report Processor it Assumes that you wi be generating a Brag Report for the previous month. The processor wi automaticay compute and fi in the dates for the Monthy Euro Sprint (SKS-E), Weekend Sprint (WES), and Weekday Sprint (SKS). If you did not participate in those events and had Brag QSOs during the events, you can just cear those fieds. If you prefer to change the defaut Brag Month to be the current month, just seect the radio button on the right side. Your preference wi be remembered for the next time you use the Brag Report Processor. The Brag Report Processor aso provides you with the abiity to excudes up to three additiona periods from your Monthy Brag Count.

43 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 43 of 54 The expected date format depends on the Internationa settings defined on your PC ("MM/DD/YYYY" for USA) and the time format is "HH:MM:SSZ". Pease note the foowing: Since sprints are not aowed on WARC Bands, any QSOs on WARC bands wi be counted for monthy Brag - even if they were ogged during a specified sprint period. The processor checks for proper format after each fied is entered. Error checking for an event is performed after the End Time is specified. You may eave the Start and End periods competey bank, but MUST compete a four entries for an event to be excuded. After you have entered the events to be excuded from the count, press the "Get Brag Count" to get the Monthy Brag Count and a summary of how the count was determined. Next section: Restoring From a Backup Fie

44 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 44 of 54 Restoring From a Backup Log The SKCCLogger has many features designed to prevent the accidenta oss of ogbook data. These features incude the detection of an abnorma shutdown and the saving of a og transactions in an SQL database fie on your hard drive. Starting with Version v , the SKCCLogger provides you with the abiity to restore from (or ro back to) a previous version of the og. In order to safey use and get the most benefit from this option, pease take a few minutes to read and understand just how the ogger works and how this capabiity is provided to you. As you use the SKCCLogger to og your SKCC QSOs, the ogger keeps track of your actions as foows: Every time that you add, edit, or deete a og entry, the change is saved into the og's SQL database fie. This database fie ("LogFieDB.rsd") resides in the SKCCLogger's appication directory (C:/SKCCLogger if you foowed the instaation defauts). Additionay, every time you open a new ADIF og fie or save changes to the current ADIF fie, the program aso saves a copy of the og database fie. Every time the program saves an update to "LogFieDB.rsd," the program automaticay saves a copy of the updated fie in a specia Backup subdirectory (e.g. C:\SKCCLogger\Backups). Each backup fie is uniquey named by appending the current Date and Time to the name of the ADIF og fie you are currenty using. For exampe, if your current Log fie is "AC2C-WES-Jan-2013" then a backup fie for that og might be named "AC2C-WES-Jan on at Z". The program currenty keeps up to 50 backup database fies in the Backup subdirectory. When a backup fie is created, the program checks to see how many backup fies exist in the directory and starts deeting the odest fies unti the tota returns to 50. Athough 50 backup fies may seem ike a ot, it reay does not take ong to accumuate 50 backup fies. Whie the primary purpose of this capabiity is to recover a og in the event of a catastrophic event or operator error, this option may aso be used to ro back your og to a previous state. Now, with a the above in mind, et's see how to restore your og from a backup database fie. Note: You shoud save any current changes to your current og fie before continuing. Seect the "Recover From Backup" option from the Toos menu on SKCCLogger's main window. Seecting the "Recover From Backup" option wi resut in a "Fie Open" diaog window that wi dispay the current contents of the Backup subdirectory. Use whatever standard sort/view options you want to ook through the various backup fies. If you are ooking for a specific name, then you may want to sort by fiename. However, if you are ooking for a specific time, then you may want to sort on creation date. Once you have found the backup fie you want to use, seect the fie and cick the "Open" button to oad the data in the backup fie or cick "Cance" to cance the restore process.

45 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 45 of 54 When you seect to restore from a backup, the program uses the data in the backup fie to create a temporary og fie with a specia name of "Recovered-Log" and saves the og fie in the appication's main directory (e.g. C:\SKCCLogger). You wi see the foowing warning dispayed: Press "OK" to continue. You can now review the contents of the recover og and make sure it is the one you want. If not, just start over and open a different backup fie. Once you have recovered the fie that you wanted, you MUST save the og fie in your Logs subirectory with an appropriate fie name. If you continue to use the reserved "Recovered-Log" fie, you wi receive the warning every time you open the og. Next section: Resetting Window Positions Resetting Saved Window Positions The SKCCLogger provides a user-seectabe option to save and reca the position and size of the various windows the program uses. For the most part, those options provide adequate day-to-day contro of where on your screen the various windows appear. There are, however, at east two situations where the basic ogic of the processing might fa apart: A user may have two or more monitors and has windows dispayed on a monitor other the main monitor. If that user removes or reconfigures the additiona monitors, then a window may try to restore itsef to a screen position that no onger exists. A user may adjust the screen resoution of a monitor at any time. If the new resoution setting has fewer pixes that the ast setting, a window may try to restore itsef to a screen position that no onger exists. If you ever get into a situation where you are trying to open a window and the window just wi not dispay, then you may reset the position of a program windows through the Toos Menu. Note: Ony positions of fuy cosed (not minimized) windows can be reset. You may not see a window, but it may sti appear on the Windows desktop's task bar. You can cose appications from the task bar.

46 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 46 of 54 Seecting "Reset Window Positions" wi resut in a diaog window asking you to confirm your request. Press either "OK" to compete the action or "Cance" to cose the window and do nothing. Next chapter: Setting a GMT Correction Factor Setting a GMT Correction Factor On most Windows PCs, the user sets the oca time and aso tes the Windows Operating System (OS) the oca time zone. Those two items together aow the PC to know the time difference between the Loca time and GMT. The SKCCLogger program reies on the time difference information provided by the Windows OS to convert oca time to GMT for ogging purposes. If, for whatever reason, you are unabe to get the SKCCLogger to og correct GMT dates and times, you can specify a specia offset vaue to be used in computing GMT from your PC time setting. Seect "Set GMT Correction Factor" from the Toos Menu.

47 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 47 of 54 This option wi open the Set GMT Correction Factor Window. The window dispays the current correction factor aong with the current oca PC Time and the current GMT Time computed using the correction factor. The window shown indicates an offset of 0.0 that resuts in GMT being five hours ahead of oca time - My PC is in the USA Eastern Time Zone. To change the correction factor and test the GMT time resuting from the new correction factor, enter a number in the "Correction" fied and press the "Test It" button to see the GMT time resuting from your correction factor. When you find a correction factor that gives you the correct GMT time, press the "Save" button to set and remember the correction factor you have specified. Next section: Appendices Appendices The foowing Appendices provide speciaized information of interest to some users. Running Mutipe Copies Simutaneousy Note to Linux Users Revision History To Do List and Known Bugs

48 fie:///c:/users/ron/appdata/loca/temp/~hhe084.htm Page 48 of 54 Running Mutipe Copies Simutaneousy Some users have requested the abiity to run two or more copies of the SKCCLogger simutaneousy. Running mutipe copies of the program aows for some advantages, but aso has some risks. Advantages: Risks: Abiity to have two or more og fies open simutaneousy; Abiity to contro two or more radios simutaneousy; Abiity to check for QSOs in one og whie ogging into another og. You might inadvertenty be making changes to the same og fie. In this case, each copy of the program is keeping it's own database fie and the ast program to save it's copy of the og. wi repace the copy saved by the other copies. With mutipe versions running simutaneousy, there is a risk that you might ose track of which og you are modifying at any one time. With these advantages and risks in mind, the SKCCLogger program has been deveoped to aow the simutaneous operation of mutipe copies of the program. However, there are some restrictions. Run mutipe copies of the SKCCLogger with extreme caution and at your own risk. If you have instaed a singe copy of the SKCCLogger into a singe foder/directory on your PC, an attempt to aunch the program whie a current copy is running wi resut in the foowing warning window. As soon as you cick the "OK" button, the newy aunched program wi immediatey shutdown. As described in the warning, IF you want to operate mutipe copies of the program, then you must insta mutipe copies of the program into separate foders. Additionay, each separate foder MUST be uniquey named. You can create mutipe instaation copies of the SKCCLogger in one of two ways - pick whichever you fee most comfortabe with: Run the SKCCLogger Setup program and override the defauts to specify your own directory/foder; or, Copy the contents of your current SKCCLogger directory/foder to a new foder that you have created and renamed. As ong as you keep your foders and og fies separate theye shoud be no issues or probems with running mutipe copies of the SKCCLogger. If you venture into having the same og fie from the same foder/directory open in two or more instances of the ogger, be extremey carefu about making changes to te og fie. As stated above, if two or more programs have the same og fie in the same foder/directory open and make changes, then the ast program to save the og wi repace the og saved by other programs.