CONTEST NEWS RELEASE
For Further Information Contact:
Dan Henderson, N1ND
Not To be Released Until: 9/29/99
ARRL Adopts Cabrillo File Format For Electronic Contest Submissions
The Contest Branch is pleased to announce that a new standard
electronic
file format known as Cabrillo has been adopted for all ARRL Contests.
Starting with the 1999 ARRL November Sweepstakes, the Cabrillo V2.0
file
format will be the standard file format at the ARRL for electronic
submissions.
You may still use any file format which has previously been acceptable
for
ARRL contests during the next year's transition period. Starting with
the
November 2000 ARRL Sweepstakes, the Cabrillo format will be the only
acceptable electronic file format for ARRL contests. Stations may
still use
text editors on their home PCs to generate the log files, but these
"home
designed" files must meet the Cabrillo file format beginning with next
year's November Sweepstakes.
The Cabrillo file format is the result of a joint effort by software
developers and contest sponsors in response to the proliferation of
file
formats being submitted to various contest committees. For example, in
the
1998 ARRL 10 Meter Contest, several dozen different file formats were
submitted. While most formats technically fit the requirements under
the
rules, almost all of the files required significant work by contest
staff
and volunteers in order to be processed.
Working with the developers of most major logging software programs and
with
the sponsors of most major contests, Trey Garlough, N5KO developed the
Cabrillo format. The major software developers have agreed to
incorporate
the Cabrillo format into new updates of the programs. Operators should
contact the various software developers and distributors for
information on
updates to their specific programs.
The Cabrillo format standardizes what information for each QSO will
appear
in each column of data. For more detailed information on the format,
please
refer to the "General Rules for all ARRL Contests" which will appear in
the
November 1999 issue of QST. Also, the specifications for the Cabrillo
file
format can be obtained on-line from:
http://www.kkn.net/~trey/cabrillo/
Besides the file specifications, you may also view sample templates for
various ARRL contests, a history of any modifications to the format,
and
some insight into the development of the Cabrillo file format.
For information on the technical specifics of the Cabrillo format,
please
contact Trey Garlough, N5KO at trey@kkn.net For more information on
ARRL
contests, contact ARRL Contest Manager Dan Henderson, N1ND at
n1nd@arrl.org
or (860) 594-0232.
--
Submissions: ct-user@contesting.com
Administrative requests: ct-user-REQUEST@contesting.com
WWW: http://www.k1ea.com/
Questions: owner-ct-user@contesting.com
|