Re: [Trlog] Using Post to update TR Master

[VR2BrettGraham <vr2bg@harts.org.hk>]

N6WG asked:

> I'm trying to understand how to use Post to update my TR Master.
> During practice, I'm seeing a lot of calls without Sprint-type info
> with them.  I'd like to use my previous Sprint logs to update
> TR Master, but, as someone else said, the manual is rather
> cryptic.
> Has anyone written anything to amplify on the manual writeup?
> I have a lot of questions that just don't seem to be addressed by
> the manual.

It's very simple.

POST UEFF is fairly intuitive.  Quite some time ago Tree changed
this routine so that it can read several bits of data from the log in one
pass, which greatly improved things.

It will show you the first line of the log you are reading data from
(so use a text editor to remove the contest title before starting
POST).  Tell it you want to take, say the QTH at whatever position
on the line it is at.  It then ask what field that data is to be stored in
TRMASTER, so in this case tell it QTH.  Then it asks you if you
want to read further data from the file, so say yes.  It shows you
that first line of the log again & let's say the next bit of data you want
is the name, so tell it the position on the line where the name is.  It
again asks you what field this should be put into the TRMASTER file,
so tell it name.  After than, if you say no to "do you want to input other
data", it will ask you if you want to look at the settings for whether
or not the data it reads from the file will replace data already in the
TRMASTER file for that call - usually, you will set each one for the
fields you are reading to yes.  Then let 'er rip.

It's far more difficult to describe than just sitting down & having a
go with it.  If you are still unsure, make a temporary subdirectory on
your hard disk & copy all your TR stuff there (except your
TRMASTER file).  Do UEFF from a few files to make a new
TRMASTER file & then fire up TR to try it out.  Any contest will
do - just be sure to turn on the USER DATA or whatever setting it
is that makes the TRMASTER data appear but not be inserted
into the exchange window.  Type in a few calls you know were in
the files you used for this dry run & hit alt-Z after each one.  You then
know you have managed to make it work.  Delete that subdirectory &
then do it for real with your actual files.

I find it useful to keep a text file with all my contest log files, where
I list the name of each contest log file to make sure I don't miss
adding one to my master logbook.  It also helps me make sure I
don't miss UEFFing a log into my TRMASTER file or accidently
put one in twice (therefore screwing up the hit count).  I also do
not keep the .DTA file, but rather save the .ASC file as I can work
with it without POST & is easier to get out of the old shack
computer when it comes time to back things up.

Oh, one more thing - always, always save your previous TRMASTER
file.  I copy my current TRMASTER file before adding any more
logs to it & change the extension of the filename to .B4 so I can
avoid having to start all over again should I make a nasty mistake
somehow.

Sometimes POST UEFF will crash & I find that if I am UEFFing
a bunch of logs in one sitting, every two logs or so I will exit POST
& make a copy of the interim TRMASTER file.  This problem may
be the result of having a TRMASTER file with 80k calls, 12k names,
40k dates & I have no idea how many prefectures, DOK numbers &
so on from about ten years of my own logs.

Hope something in that helps.

GL OM.

73, VR2BrettGraham

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