Why are the Contest 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?
Will you still accept paper logs sent in the post?
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?
In an multiband contest can I just send in one file to cover all the bands ?
Can I send all the logs for my club in one zip file?
Why are the Contest Committee moving away from email submission of Logfiles?
The committee have 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. So
much so, that we need to have one of the committee members on full time duty
to check and respond to each email personally to give you confidence that
your log file has arrived intact. Then we have 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/vhfenter.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. You will be able to add your score to
the claimed score site with the click of a button or two. If you do have any
problems we will still accept log files via email but we encourage you to
try the new system and give us your feedback – enhancements are still possible!
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 you entry has been received on the “Entries Received” web page (http://www.rsgbcc.org/cgi-bin/vhfposted.pl)
Will you still accept electronic logs sent by email?
Yes. But we would strongly encourage you to use the new file upload site if at all possible. If you can't or you have problems then you should email your entry to vhf.query@rsgbcc.org
Will you still accept paper logs sent in the post
If you have no access to the Internet then we will accept logs on paper via the post although logs for the UK activity contests will NOT be accepted in this way. You should send them to
RSGB VHF CC, c/o 5 The Howsells, Lower Howsell Road, Malvern, WR14 1AD.
Please include an SAE so that we can confirm receipt of your log
Can I still use the Web Page Logger system?
Yes. You can still use the original Web Based Logger (http://www.rsgbcc.org/vhf/entry.html ) . 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 a "export log" or "create entry log" option. You should choose the format option "REG1TEST" or "RSGB VHF" if available. If you only have Cabrillo format as an option, then we can accept Cabrillo files, but as there is no formal template for VHF contests you might encounter problems with this type of log. If all else fails then just email your log to vhf.query@rsgbcc.org. We will enter it into the contest in the usual way and check why the robot didn't recognise it. Note: We don't accept Word or Excel files!
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 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. If you can't figure out what the problem is then email your log to vhf.query@rsgbcc.org
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 one of the acceptable log entry formats, REG1TEST, RSGB format or Cabillo. We don't accept ADIF formatted files. If all else fails then just email your log to vhf.query@rsgbcc.org. We will enter it into the contest in the usual way and check why the robot didn't recognise it.
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 by 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.
In an multiband contest can I just send in one file to cover all the bands?
Generally no. You will need to send in a separate logfile and/or coversheet for each band. If you are entering on behalf of a club, make sure you choose the same club name for each band you enter. We can however accept some types of log containing QSOs on more than one band in the Christmas Cumulatives. These must be in the RSGB log format (these can be produced by SDV). You will have to enter the log several times, once for each band that the log contains. The robot will extract the relevant QSOs for that band in each case. We cannot process multi-band Cabrillo files.
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.
Pete G4CLA 2008