N3FJP State QSO Party Log
Before I start I have to admit I am a big fan of the whole N3FJP suite of programs. Created by Scott, N3FJP, these programs share a core base almost ten years old. This is not free software, but at $6, $10 or $40 takes all, these might as well be free. I use the ACLog, FDLog, FDNet and all the contest loggers with amazing success. So now I must remove my bias and see how this program stacks up. First though let’s explore the contest logger for the Virginia QSO Party v.1.2.
I’ll assume you can download and install the software from http://www.n3fjp.com/. You can load up the whole program and test it all you like. You will need to purchase a code to unlock the program to allow more than about 25 logged QSOs. However, there is one trick you might need to remember if your PC prevents running .exe zip files. If you find you cannot run the .exe file, change the name to .zip and run that. That has worked every time I have had problems loading with the .exe.
Start the program…
You will want to be careful with this setting especially since the beginning and end of Daylight Savings Time changed last year. Next you will see…
If you are operating Mobile or Expedition in the Virginia QSO Party you should select Rover.
Note the Virginia QSO Party does not have a rover class, but this software is only concerned if the operator can operate from multiple counties. If you are a fixed operator select No for Rover, but if you are moving from county to county select Yes.
The program works for operators inside or out of Virginia and sets its operating parameters accordingly.
Where is says to enter your call sign you need to think through some things first. If you are operating mobile you will be telling folks your callsign, then a / then a M for mobile. If you are expedition you should put a /P. The convenience will be apparent shortly.
“Your County:” is where you are for fixed and where you start if mobile.
The Longitude and Latitude are used to assist with antenna aiming.
Click OK to get this…
N3FJP is very carefully asking you if you want to start a new log thereby blowing away your old log or continue with your current log. Pay attention to this question before you click anything.
Finally we wind up with the main operating screen…
Near the bottom is placed your call, your current county or city and whatever the particular QSO Party wants in the Exchange. All of N3FJP’s State QSO Party programs look the same, but differ slightly in compliance with the various rules. In the Virginia QSO Party the exchange is CALL, Serial Number and QTH…
KX4O is my callsign. The /P in the callsign means I am portable (Expedition in the Virginia rules). 33 is my next serial number. Fauquier is my current QTH.
There has been some argument concerning whether or not you should set up the N3FJP software callsign variable with the /P or /M. The issue people have comes after the contest when it is time to generate the Cabrillo file for submission to the contest authorities. The software wants to create a KX4O.LOG file in the program’s directory. However the / character cannot be part of a Windows filename. Many folks have assumed the program just does not work if you put the slash in the callsign. Rest assured it does. Instead of creating a KX4O/P.LOG file it just makes the same file to a default name of “ASCIICab.txt” in the program’s directory.
In other words, slashes in the callsign for mobile or expedition work just fine with the N3FJP software. Just rename the generated file to something else. For the example of KX4O/P I simply renamed the ASCIICab.txt file to KX4O_Expedition.log… no big deal.
There is another very important reason to ensure you set up the program with the slash for mobile or expedition. The Cabrillo file QSO: lines have your call and the call of the one you contact listed. Your call really should have the proper slash in it for those QSO lines no matter what the Cabrillo file headers say. The Cabrillo generator uses the callsign you put during set up for the QSO lines. Scoring authorities have automated programs that read this data. If you operate fixed for part of the contest and mobile for another it is very important to ensure your fixed QSO lines say KX4O and the mobile entires say KX4O/M.
Near the lower middle of the screen is the list of counties and cities worked plus the number of DX countries…
The states are tracked to the right of this display which all results in multipliers tracked along with your growing score in the upper right…
You may have noticed this program likes to take up the whole screen. Some folks like this while some don’t. If I am not doing anything else with my computer, I like the logging program to be the main feature of the computer with nice big fonts and simple look and feel. N3FJP looks the best to me.
Additional features include rig control, Winkey CW interface, DTR CW Interface, DX spotting, etc. We will review these features when we review rig interface options.
Now to our standard set of questions:
- Dupe Checking
- Yes for County/City-Band – This works quite well
- Partial Dupe Checking
- Yes if you turn it on. Potential dupes are displayed each time you hit a character. I have seen the incremental feature stop working from time to time, but it always flashes a real dupe.
- Computer generation of CW via serial or parallel port
- Yes under Options-Transmit. Possibilities include Serial RTS or DTR, Parallel port and, best of all, Winkey.
- Computer generation of CW via external Winkey device
- You bet and this is strongly advised. All N3FJP software is written in Visual Basic and cannot be relied upon to generate solid real-time CW in a Windows OS world. Winkey solved this issue completely.
- Writes file for submission to scoring authorities
- Yes, but watch out if you put the slash in your callsign setup… see above.
- Exports QSO Party information to your regular awards logger
- Yes via ADIF – This works very well when moving data to ACLog
- CAT Interface
- Yes many radios are supported.
- Visible scoring and statistics
- Yes.
- Tracking of counties and cities worked
- Yes.
- Software maturity
- Based on a State QSO Party core that has been around for many years.
- Value
- At $6 for just this program or $30 for the whole suite, this software is a steal.
