I experienced several logging problems with CT 9.81 during the ARRL SS
Phone Contest.
BUG #1 - CT can log QSOs with no band information.
This happens if the radio is turned on before CT is started. CT knows
the radio exists, but does not initialize it. The BandMap shows a
frequency of 0.0 and the
frequency is logged as 0000. CT does not respond with a 'radio not
echoing' error and doesn't seem to be bothered by a band/frequency of 0.
If the radio frequency knob is turned, CT wakes up. CTL-F1/F2 also wakes
up CT. CT needs to initialize the radio control variables at startup.
This happened twice during ARRL SS Phone. Usually, I leave the computer
running all weekend. This time I shut it off during off times. While
waiting for the computer to boot, I checked the bands looking for a good
run frequency. Unfortunately, I couldn't remember what band the QSOs
were made on.
BUG #2 - CT can delete QSOs from the log when VFO A is on a WARC band!
During ARRL SS Phone, CT deleted QSO #428 from my log. This was the
first QSO of the second run. It was deleted at the start of the third
run period. The
problem is very similar to the no band information logging I reported
earlier.
In this case VFO A was on 10 MHz. (I chased some DX after shutting down
from run period 2.) I set VFO B to 40m. CT was then booted for run
period 3. The
logging line showed the last Q was on 80m. The BandMap showed a
frequency of 0.0. I then worked a station on 40m. When I pressed enter
to log the Q, the
IC-735 jumped between VFO B and A, and made lots of switching sounds,
indicating that it was switching bands. After a few seconds, everything
seemed normal,
but I notice that the Summary Window QSO total had not increased. I
worked a more QSOs and everything seemed fine at this point. Reviewing
the Cabrillo file
showed that QSO #428 did not exist. It had been there earlier. (For the
record, it was not a dupe.)
Why should a frequency/radio control problem, delete log entries?
Steve K6UM
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