Hi All,
Just a few comments that come to mind, particularly from a EU VHF
perspective.
Bands :
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Missing are 4m, 13cm and all bands higher than 9cm. It is nice to see
the high bands getting supported, but, assuming the software design
doesn't impose any constraints on the number of bands, if you are going
to have 9cm you may as well add 6cm, 3cm and 1.2cm since at least in
Europe, there is probably more activity on 3cm and 1.2cm than on 9.
Mults :
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I presume you will be able to run any of the SEC.DAT, CTY.DAT, GRID,
ZONE etc. mult options together for contests whose multipliers total
is e.g. countries+counties+grids worked.
There are also contests where some of the multipliers count only once for
mult credit (G/GI/GW/GJ/GU/GD counties), and some you can work 3 times
for mult credit (GM regions (like counties only bigger))
Some of the HF contests in the UK and maybe elsewhere have a bonus
scheme rather than a mult system - normal QSOs count 3 points, those
with new counties or countries count 10 points.
Points :
-------
The vast majority of European VHF contests are scored on a 1 point/km
basis - calculated from the grids of the two stations. Also, the
exchange of grids in EU is almost always the full 6 character grid -
it would be marvelous to be able to log this in CT.
In the UK - to be even more convoluted (actually to make it easier for
people without computers), most of our contests are scored on a radial
ring scheme -
0 - 50 km 1 point
51-100 km 3 points
101-150 km 5 points
etc....
The idea of a custom contest mode is excellent - I would love to be
able to use CT in VHF contests to have the packet window and
inter-station comms - but just can't log the locators at the moment -
pretty much anything else you can sort through post processing if you
have to!
This is all that comes to mind off the top of my head - will post
anything else that seems important if it comes to me.
Had hoped to see you all in WPX as GB6BT again but work has just got
in the way this year.
73,
Andy Cook, G4PIQ.
cook_a_r_j_andrew@bt-web.bt.co.uk
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