Why is the Contests Committee moving away from email submission of Logfiles?

Will I still get an email from a member of the Committee to confirm my entry has been received?

Will you still accept electronic logs sent by email?

Can I still use the Web Page Logger system?

The Entry Robot doesn't recognise my Logfile, what do I do now?

I get a warning that all or some of my QSOs are outside the contest, why is that?

I am getting warnings about all the QSOs in my log, help!

The web page says I have missed the entry deadline, will my log still be accepted?

I successfully entered my contest log but I didn’t receive an email conformation?

Can I send all the logs for my club in one zip file?

Why is the Contests Committee moving away from email submission of Logfiles?

The Committee has worked hard to automate the adjudication of contests so that we can publish results as quickly and accurately as possible. The move to electronic logs has meant we can now turn around contest results such as the UK activity contests in a few days after each monthly contest. Compare this to only a few years ago when it would have taken months! To be able to continue this level of service we need to move away from an email system. Emails are notoriously unreliable; they get lost or end up in Spam bins. The adjudicator has to reply to each email personally. Then he has to check that the log files are OK; many of them have missing, incomplete or incorrect information. For example, no recognisable "Section Entered" information, missing address details or missing club information. Also, log files with no times or no serial numbers.

The new log file entry system (http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/hfenter.pl) will help us, and you, to get the log files and all the relevant data to us more efficiently and more reliably. You will get an instant feedback report from the entry robot about any missing cover sheet information, which you can then add without having to send us your log again. If there are problems with the log file QSOs then these will be shown and you can check your log and resubmit if needed. You will be able to check if your entry has been accepted by going to a simple to use web page.

Will I still get an email from a member of the Committee to confirm my entry has been received?

No. The new entry upload system robot will confirm a successful entry automatically. It will analyse your log and give warnings of anything it finds that might be a problem. Carefully check the confirmation page at the end of the submission processes and the email confirmation it sends you. You can also check that your entry has been received on the “Entries Received” web page (http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/hfposted.pl)

Will you still accept electronic logs sent by email?

Only if there is a problem which we cannot fix before the deadline.

Can I still use the Web Page Logger system?

Yes. You can still use the original Web Based Logger (http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/hfcover.pl ) . If you don’t use a logging program during the contest this is still the best way to send us your log. The only difference will be that you will receive a new style Log Entry Robot email after sending in your log.

The Entry Robot doesn't recognise my Logfile, what do I do now?

There may well be some logfiles that won't be recognised. This might be because you haven’t sent the correct file from your logging software. Most logging software requires you to use the "export log" or "create entry log" option. You should choose the “Cabrillo” format as an option.

I get a warning that all or some of my QSOs are outside the contest, why is that?

The robot will check the time of each QSO and make sure it is inside the time of the contest. If you get this warning then check the times in your logfile. The most common mistake is not logging in GMT. The other possibility is that the robot has not recognised your logfile format correctly and is picking up the wrong times. Please correct any errors and resubmit

I am getting warnings about all the QSOs in my log, help!

The most likely problem is that the robot hasn't recognised your logfile format. Check that you have used the Cabrillo log format. If necessary export your Cabrillo file again from your logging package and resubmit.

The web page says I have missed the entry deadline, will my log still be accepted?

Logs received after the deadline may or may not be accepted, at the discretion of the adjudicator. If not accepted as a scoring log it will, nevertheless, be used as a checklog. If you think you are going to miss a deadline, try to contact the committee BEFORE the deadline passes.

I successfully entered my contest log but didn’t receive an email conformation?

There are a few possibilities. Sometimes emails take a while to get through the system, so don’t worry if the confirmation doesn’t arrive straight way. You may have mistyped your email address into the first page of the entry system or the email could have been marked as “Spam” somewhere in your ISP or PC mail system. Note, the system does NOT use any email address information in your Log-file(s).

Don’t worry: as long as your entry appears on the “Entries Received” web page, you can be sure that it will be included in the results.

Can I send all the logs for my club in one zip file?

No. The system will not accept zip files. You must enter each log separately. Remember to choose the same club name for each log you enter.

G4CLA / MM0BQI 2009