Hello All....we used the N1MM logging program for our DXpedition to
DL88. Worked fine as we were a single user on a single computer. The
window for the packet cluster was very nice. HOWEVER, I have seen
someone spend hours trying to get the Multi-User thing working right.
If you can get the setup right and the thing actually works, DON'T EVER
CHANGE ANYTHING.
In my opinion, it is a very poor Multi-User program. In an IP network,
all the computers(nodes) must have a unique IP address. It would seem
that fact should be enough, but it is not. It does not seem to know
much of anything in a network. You have to assign it names for all the
computers. Heaven help you if you later change them or give the same
name to another computer. The names that you assign to each computer do
not seem to be related at all to the name that you must assign each
computer when you load Windows. I may be wrong here, but I think that
you can have a computer with the name BIGBOX1 in N1MM and a completely
different computer assigned the name BIGBOX1 as its Windows
name.....AAAAAAaaaaaaRGH. I am not sure what other information you have
to provide.
I also have issues with how N1MM handles its databases. Note I said
databases, since it seems to keep one on each computer. Somehow, it
supposedly synchronizes all of this mess together. I have seen the
results when one computer in a network goes down for a while. Sometimes,
it can be re-synchronized....sometimes not.
When there is something wrong, N1MM will spend (almost) all its time
putting error messages on the remaining computers. You can have a good
run going and you start getting these incessant error messages. Of
course, when one of the error message comes up, it "breaks right in" and
what you were typing is suspended. So you get WA7 typed into the data
entry area and then you have to deal with a stupid error message. Well,
by the time that you deal with the error and get back to doing data
entry in the window, you have lost a lot of time. Just about the time
that you get the contact typed in properly and are ready to hit ENTER,
the silly error message comes back again!!!
I used to be a Database Programmer in another life and another galaxy
far, far away. I wrote multi-user database management programs
consisting of literally hundreds of menus, programs, and modules that
all worked perfectly in a Novell network. The unbreakable rule of
database management was that you should have ONE copy of every database
and everyone should read and write to that one copy. This prevented
having several copies of a database, scattered all around, and all
different with no way to get them straight. Immediately, some database
guru is going to jump up and say that the above is "old hat" and that no
one does it that way anymore. OK, Fine!
On the other side of the coin, N1MM is used in the Multi-Multi network
version in a lot of places. It must be a basically workable system,
after you get the setup right. So it can be made to work.
I use the N3FJP Network version for all my VHF contest logging. You
only have to tell that program where the database is located(using the
Microsoft notation) and everything immediately works. I would bet that
you could Map a drive letter(say V:) to the location of the data base
and then tell all the other computers that the database was located at
V:{database name} and the program would work. I have not tried this,
but I do believe it would work. Since I don't do HF contesting, I have
no experience with the HF programs available in the N3FJP suite.
Contest logging programs seem to be like cars. Some love the Prius,
some hate it. Some like Corvettes others can't get into the cockpit.
You pays your money and you takes your chances(and yes, I know N1MM is
free). Your mileage may vary.....whatever.....
73 Marshall K5QE
On 10/15/2012 11:09 AM, Chet S wrote:
Ken,
Yes, I've used it here for years for all contests including multiops, HF and
VHF. No problems, really like it. Don't let the huge amount of features
scare you off, you don't have to use them all and there are some nice quick
start guides available for it. Just give yourself some time well before the
contest to get familiar with setup and use. Subscribe to the Yahoo group and
you will usually get a quick answer to questions.
73
Chet, N8RA
-----Original Message-----
From: VHFcontesting [mailto:vhfcontesting-bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf
Of KA2LIM Ken Kent
Sent: Monday, October 15, 2012 11:47 AM
To: Packrats@mailman. qth. net; VHF Contesting
Subject: [VHFcontesting] Contest logging program
Are any of you using N1MM logging in a Multi environment for VHF Contesting?
If so, do you like it, why or why not, ie: ease of setup, use, networking,
and would you recommend it?
The current program we are using has a glitch and the developer just keeps
putting me off on a correction until sometime next year.
Please answer to me direct. Thank you,
Ken
KA2LIM
Patriotism: Supporting your Country ALL THE TIME; and, your government when
it deserves it.
An armed citizen is a free person,
an unarmed citizen is a slave
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