howto:raccontests
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howto:raccontests [2020/07/05 08:13] – va7fi | howto:raccontests [2020/11/25 21:15] – va7fi | ||
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====== RAC Contests Log ====== | ====== RAC Contests Log ====== | ||
- | This year was my first time participating in the RAC Canada Day contest on my own. It was a lot of fun and also very instructive. | + | <WRAP center round info 85%> |
+ | I just updated the spreadsheet from Cabrillo V3.0 to [[https:// | ||
+ | </ | ||
+ | |||
+ | |||
+ | Last summer | ||
- | First, everything you need to know about the RAC Canada Day or Winter Day contest is located on the [[https:// | + | First, everything you need to know about the RAC Canada Day or Winter Day contest is located on the [[https:// |
===== Logs ===== | ===== Logs ===== | ||
During the contest, the following information must be logged for each station: | During the contest, the following information must be logged for each station: | ||
- | * Frequency in kHz (for example, 14.125 should be entered as 14125) | + | * Frequency in kHz (for example, 14.125 |
* Mode (CW or PH) | * Mode (CW or PH) | ||
* Date and Time in UTC (for example 2020-07-01 and 0135) | * Date and Time in UTC (for example 2020-07-01 and 0135) | ||
Line 16: | Line 21: | ||
* Exchange (Two letter province code for Canadian Stations, or the serial number for other stations). | * Exchange (Two letter province code for Canadian Stations, or the serial number for other stations). | ||
- | At the end of the contest, logs must be submitted to RAC. They will accept paper logs for submissions with less than 100 entries, but they really prefer electronic logs, which must be formatted as Cabrillo. | + | At the end of the contest, logs must be submitted to RAC. They will accept paper logs for submissions with less than 100 entries, but they really prefer electronic logs, which must be submitted in the //Cabrillo// format. |
- | A Cabrillo file is really just plain text file formatted in a very specific way. For example, here's a copy of my Cabrillo file (with only a few entries as example): | + | A Cabrillo file is really just plain text file formatted in a very specific way. For example, here's a copy of my Cabrillo file from last summer |
- | <hidden Click to Show Cabrillo Example> | + | < |
< | < | ||
START-OF-LOG: | START-OF-LOG: | ||
Line 50: | Line 55: | ||
END-OF-LOG: | END-OF-LOG: | ||
</ | </ | ||
+ | The first 21 lines give RAC all the information they need about the operator. | ||
</ | </ | ||
- | + | < | |
- | + | ||
- | The first 21 lines give RAC all the information they need about the operator. | + | |
RAC does NOT want this information emailed to them in the body of the email. | RAC does NOT want this information emailed to them in the body of the email. | ||
Line 60: | Line 63: | ||
But since I'm not a regular contester and I didn't have time to familiarize myself with a logging program that would run under GNU/Linux, I simply used a spreadsheet to log my entries and tweaked it as the day went on to add my points and check for duplicate stations. | But since I'm not a regular contester and I didn't have time to familiarize myself with a logging program that would run under GNU/Linux, I simply used a spreadsheet to log my entries and tweaked it as the day went on to add my points and check for duplicate stations. | ||
+ | {{ : | ||
Here are a few introductory videos I made to explain how to use the spreadsheet, | Here are a few introductory videos I made to explain how to use the spreadsheet, | ||
+ | * The first video shows where to download [[https:// | ||
{{ youtube> | {{ youtube> | ||
- | <WRAP center prewrap 90%> | ||
- | The first video shows where to download [[https:// | ||
- | </ | ||
+ | * The second video shows how to use the spreadsheet during the contest, and how to export the Cabrillo file after. | ||
{{ youtube> | {{ youtube> | ||
- | <WRAP center prewrap 90%> | ||
- | The second video shows how to use the spreadsheet during the contest, and how to export the Cabrillo file after. | ||
- | </ | ||
+ | * The third video shows a bit of the hidden formulas and the script that generates the Cabrillo file. It's like looking under the hood of the car: it's not needed to drive it, and it doesn' | ||
{{ youtube> | {{ youtube> | ||
- | <WRAP center prewrap 90%> | ||
- | The third video shows a bit of the hidden formulas and the script that generates the Cabrillo file. It's like looking under the hood of the car: it's not needed to drive it, and it doesn' | ||
- | </ | ||
- | Here is the link to {{ :howto:rac_contests.ods |download it}}. It is: | + | |
+ | |||
+ | Here is the link to {{ :howto:rac_contests_v20201125.ods |download it}}. It is: | ||
+ | <WRAP indent> | ||
<WRAP round box 80%> | <WRAP round box 80%> | ||
Licensed under Creative Commons [[https:// | Licensed under Creative Commons [[https:// | ||
Line 87: | Line 88: | ||
Provided that you: | Provided that you: | ||
- | * Attribute the work to me by linking to <https://ptruchon.pagekite.me> | + | * Attribute the work to me by linking to [[https://scarcs.ca/ |
* Distribute any derivative work under the same license. | * Distribute any derivative work under the same license. | ||
- | </ | + | </ |
Here's a copy of the code that generates the Cabrillo file: | Here's a copy of the code that generates the Cabrillo file: | ||
- | < | + | |
+ | < | ||
<code VBScript> | <code VBScript> | ||
REM ***** BASIC ***** | REM ***** BASIC ***** | ||
Line 120: | Line 122: | ||
'Read " | 'Read " | ||
- | for i = 0 to 18 ' read first 19 rows as is. | + | for i = 0 to 19 ' read first 20 rows as is. |
print #num, Sheet2.getCellByPosition(0, | print #num, Sheet2.getCellByPosition(0, | ||
next | next | ||
- | ' | + | ' |
- | print #num, Sheet2.getCellByPosition(0, | + | print #num, Sheet2.getCellByPosition(0, |
- | | + | |
if Len(Soapbox) > 70 then | if Len(Soapbox) > 70 then | ||
truncated = " | truncated = " | ||
Line 133: | Line 135: | ||
endif | endif | ||
- | print #num, Sheet2.getCellByPosition(0, | + | print #num, Sheet2.getCellByPosition(0, |
' | ' | ||
Line 153: | Line 155: | ||
| | ||
- | | + | |
'read " | 'read " | ||
Line 216: | Line 218: | ||
sub License | sub License | ||
- | ' This spreadsheet and its script by Patrick Truchon <https:// | + | ' This spreadsheet and its script by Patrick Truchon <va7fi@rbox.me> is licensed under a |
- | ' | + | ' |
- | ' | + | ' |
' | ' | ||
' You are free to: | ' You are free to: | ||
Line 228: | Line 230: | ||
' | ' | ||
' Provided that you: | ' Provided that you: | ||
- | ' | + | ' |
- | ' | + | |
' | ' | ||
Line 235: | Line 236: | ||
</ | </ | ||
</ | </ | ||
+ | < | ||
+ | ===== 7300 Recorded Voice TX ===== | ||
+ | The other thing I learned during the contest is how to record a short message on my IC-7300 and play it back on the air so I could save my voice a bit. The details are on [[https:// | ||
+ | {{pdfjs 100%, | ||
- | + | I ended up recording three messages: | |
- | ===== 7300 Recorded Voice TX ===== | + | |
- | The other thing I learned during the contest is how to record a short message on my IC-7300 and play it back on the air so I could save my voice a bit. The details are on [[https:// | + | |
- "CQ Canada Day Contest, this is VA7FI" (in phonetics) | - "CQ Canada Day Contest, this is VA7FI" (in phonetics) | ||
- " | - " | ||
- "Thank you, you are 59, BC" | - "Thank you, you are 59, BC" | ||
- | To call CQ, I used the first message on a 7 second repeat loop. If someone answered, I could either press the button again to prevent it from transmitting | + | To call CQ, I used the first message on a 7 second repeat loop. If someone answered, I could either press the button again to stop the loop, or use the PTT to jump in and acknowledge the station. |
- | The second message | + | I used the second message to answer CQ calls during pile ups. All I'd have to do is press the button |
- | The third message | + | I used the third message to give my exchange once I received the other station' |
- | I still had to use the mic a bit depending on the situation, but these pre-recorded messages took care of most of a lot of the grunt work. | + | I still had to use the mic a bit depending on the situation, but these pre-recorded messages took care of a lot of the grunt work. |
===== Last Thoughts ===== | ===== Last Thoughts ===== | ||
- | I didn't expect to enjoy contesting as much as I did. In fact, I found it strangely addictive. | + | I didn't expect to enjoy contesting as much as I did. In fact, I found it strangely addictive. |