
                          SSLOGGER.ZIP

                         A LOGGING PROGRAM FOR
              THE ARRL SWEEPSTAKES AMATEUR RADIO CONTESTS

                      By Richard WEbb, nf5b

                        FIdonet 1:116/901

                       Email nf5b@mmsn.org

                          DOcumentation

This program suite will operate in MS DOS or WINDOWS fROM THE COMMAND LINE.

                          Description:

THis is a dos based logger for the arrl sweepstakes contest, which
can be easily adapted to other contests.  THe log files it
generates are designed to conform with the arrl cabrillo format for
contest log submissions. 

THe arrl sweepstakes both phone and cw happen in NOvember of each
year.  THE phone sweepstakes is about the only contest I seriously
operate, and I wanted an easy to use command line driven logging
program.  IT takes virtually no memory, handles most of what you
need automatically and is definitely easy to use.  


THis documentation is rather thin, but the program is rather simple
to use.  HOwever, you'll need a few enhancements to the batch
language to make it work for you.  

                        WHat you'll need:

logecho by Horst Schaeffer
echon by Timo salmi
chg by John Kruper
nset by Horst Schaeffer
tsfunc.zip TImo Salmi's function evaluator, or batch command line calculator.
replace by Gene Garapic
fgrep386 by Chris DUnford

               YOur favorite bulletin board system carrying the bfds file area can assist you in acquiring
               these dependencies.

GOogle batch files and you'll be pointed to TImo's site
at a university in FInland to acquire his batch enhancements.




               WHy a dos based sweepstakes logger

I found most windows logging software to be cumbersome.  I'd
already written my own logging suite for public service work using
the dos batch language with a few enhancements.  AFter acquiring
the cabrillo log format I went to work designing my own.  AFter
some four years of development this one's ready to play with the
big boys.  RUn it on that old IBM xt you've stashed in a closet, or
that old junker laptop.  LEt your family surf the net on the main
machine.  THIs guy's ready to rock 'n roll.  Just acquire the
dependencies and it's ready to go.  

                      Program installation

MOve the files with a .bat extension to a directory on your dos
path.  Acquire the batch dependencies you don't have and move the
.com and .exe files from them to a directory on your path.  Edit
the batch files to suit your application, i.e. where you wish to
place your log file, etc.  

                    FIre up your text editor

ONce you've placed all the .exe .com and .bat files on your dos
path you'll need to fire up your editor to edit the batch files.  
STart with contest.bat editing the path lines to indicate where
you'll store the log file the program creates.  
YOu'l also want to edit the path lines to the files ss-form.hdr and
ss-form.ftr which are supplied.  

YOu'll also want to edit ss-form.hdr and ss-form.ftr to reflect
pertinent information for your operation, as it is supplied with
information regarding my operation just to give you the format.  

WHen you're done with the two form files and contest.bat then open
c.bat and edit the lines indicating path to log files, etc.  
THen do the same with cq.bat and clend.bat and your work is
complete, and the program is ready to go to work.  
 

THen when the contest rolls around, review the usage section of
this document to get started, and within your first half hour or so
you'll be totally comfortable with the program.  My wife who co-
operates this station with me is completely comfortable with it by
now.  AFter the first ten minutes or so she's doing just fine.

                         Getting started

WHen the contest rolls around, type "contest" minus the quote
symbols from the dos prompt.  Enter your callsign.  tHe first
callsign entered will get the @  so enter "contest" with a club
call if you're using one the first time.  

contest will initialize the environment variable you'll need for
contact serial numbers, begin building the batch file which will be
invoked by the batch used when you complete your operating
activity.  

AT this point, if your callsign is other than the callsign being
used, enter "contest" again using your callsign.  I.e. my wife
would enter:

contest kc0hzu

HEr callsign would be appended to the operators' file which will be
entered into the master log.  NOw you're ready to operate.  

IF you're hunting for contacts and pouncing on them enter c
followed by the frequency in kilohertz, the operator's callsign and
report he gives you.  An example is shown you after contest.bat
finishes doing its housekeeping.  

Enter c with no parameters to get a sample as well.

CAlling cq:  IF you feel like calling cq and letting others come to
you just type cq instead of c, enter callsign designator check and
section as normal.  
When you tire of calling cq, before you leave the frequency or
forget what it is type cqfreq followed by the frequency.  

WHen you entered cq and the other parameters the program put a text
string in each log entry which will then be replaced by the actual
frequency.  
 

                          How it works

when you first type "contest" at a prompt contest.bat swingss into
action, looking first to see if contest.log already exists in the
current directory.  IF not then it initializes the program by
creating the environment variable which will become the contact
serial number.  
IT also places the first callsign in the operator file.  

Along with this activity it also starts building the batch file
which will be invoked by the batch you use when you're done with
the contest.  

I must apologize for all the batch enhancement dependencies that
this program uses.  i've been a fan of the batch language for
years, and this program wouldn't exist without them.  
You'll note if you look at the batch it builds that instead of the
usual > redirection symbol you might be familiar with # is used. 
Replace.exe will replace these # characters with > later on, in
fact when the contest is over.  

NOw you're ready to operate.  Sit back and start making contest
contacts.  IF hunting and pouncing, type c followed by the
requisite information.  IF calling cq and parked on a frequency
type cq.  

IN either case, the final command line parameter required is the
section abbreviation, i.e. stx for south texas, eny for eastern new
york, etc.

OF course, first we're going to look at the master contest log to
see if you've worked that station before in this contest.  IF we've
worked it, then we're informed that this is a dupe, no entry made
to the log.  
IF we haven't, then we proceed.

FIrst the batch looks at the mult.txt file to see if that
multiplier which you supplied as the last command line parameter is
already there.  IF not it is appended.  IF it is then we move on.

IN either case, when this is done we log either the text string or
frequency.  HOrst's logecho is used to echo this line to the log,
providing the frequency or the equivalent string first.  Have a
look at c.bat to see how this works.  
Also a temporary file called cdump is appended using logecho which
shows the timestamp of the contact, the operator who worked it and
the other info.  THis may be useful if you entered data wrong, but the contact
was otherwise good.

when this is done the environment variable cnum which was set by your last
contact using HOrst's nset is used along with TImo's batch calculator.
WE add 1, output this to a file which is used to get the new cnum environment variable used
to enter the serial number of the next good contact

FInally, the regular find command in ms dos counts the
number of lines containing the string "qso:" which is then output
to the screen to tell you what the last contact number issued was.
HOrst's nset looks at the file created by the calculator, called cnum.txt and
THIs environment variable will then be stuffed in at the
appropriate place when you make your next contact.  

TO check if a station is okay to work, just type "dupe" followed by the callsign.
THe program will inform you if the station is already in your log.

TO the neophyte in batch language these batches may seem rather
convoluted, but you should need to do very little editing.  Just
edit some paths to reflect where you'll want your log, and where
you store the contest log form information which will be required
before the actual contacts.  
 



                    So what is the ARRL sweepstakes?

Object: For stations in the United States and Canada (including
territories and possessions) to exchange QSO information with as many 
other US and Canadian stations as possible on 160, 80, 40, 20, 15 and 10 
meter bands.

Date and Contest Period:  CW: First full weekend in November.
Phone: Third full weekend in November.
Starts:  2100 utc SAturday, ends 0300 UTC Monday.
A station must Operate no more than 24 of the 30 hours.
Off periods may not be less than 30 minutes in length.
Listening time counts as operating time.
THe ARRL log checking software will calculate off times from your log submissions.
Paper logs must indicate this, but if you're using this software
you're using an electronic log.


Entry categories are as follows.  YOu'll want to edit the forms
supplied to indicate your proper category.

Single Operator:
QRP.
Low Power.
High Power.
Unlimited Packet assisted (no differentiated power levels)
Multioperator
Multi-Single only
School Club
There are three divisions to this category.
College and University
Technical School
Secondary and other School
School clubs compete as their own category.
Only currently enrolled regular students and faculty/staff of the 
institution are eligible to operate a school club entry. Alumni may 
Elmer but may not operate the station during the competition.

There is no distinction between Single and Multi operator 
stations or power levels in this category.
School clubs must operate from established stations located on 
the campus. No portable operation from a near-by contest station is 
allowed. A club may operate from a member's station only if no on-campus
station exists.

ONly one transmitted signal permitted at any time for multiple transmitter stations.

Exchange: The required exchange consists of:
A consecutive serial number;
Precedence;
Q for Single Op QRP (5 Watts output or less);
A for Single Op Low Power (up to 150 W output);
B for Single Op High Power (greater than 150 W output);
U for Single Op Unlimited;
M for Multi-Op;
S for School Club;
Your Callsign;
Check (the last two digits of the year you were first licensed);
ARRL/RAC Section
(Example: NU1AW would respond to W1AWs call by sending: W1AW 123 B 
NU1AW 71 CT, which indicates QSO number 123, B for Single Op High Power, 
NU1AW, first licensed in 1971, and in the Connecticut section.)









                           Conclusion

So, dust off that old antique computer or set this software up and
provide an easy simple logger for all the operators who operate
your station during the ARRL phone or cw sweepstakes contests.  
Be sure to acquire the current rules for the contest from the arrl
web in case rules have changed.  

AT this time 2 points per qso multiplied by individual arrl/rac
sections worked.  

IF you find ways to improve this program please let me know via
email as indicated above.  
YOu can reach me at my fidonet address via email as follows:

richard.webb@116-901.ftn.wpusa.dynip.com

Have fun, and hope to work you on the bands.

73 de nf5b

 

