[OhQP-mail] New Log Submission Process

[K9TM]

We're making some major upgrades in the way you submit and we handle your log for OhQP.

In the past you have blindly submitted your log by email and then waited until we extracted your log from the email and generated a logs received page.  The big boys have a robot to handle stripping your log from the email and saving the log on their server.  Some of them even automatically generate a logs received page.  Most robots have the primary purpose of stripping the log from the email and saving it.  They do not review the information.  This is why you may sometimes be contacted when log checking begins as this is the first time the log is really analyzed.

So why change?

Well, collecting correct information is a challenge for all contest sponsors.  Logging programs are good at logging QSO's and controlling station equipment but for various reasons suffer at collecting and providing information needed to adjudicate the events.  You will likely see similar web submittal methods used by the major contest sponsors in the not too distant future.

Hopefully you will find the web page easy to use.  The two primary purposes of the page are to collect details about your operation and to collect your cabrillo log file.  Once the log file has been uploaded, it is sanity checked and a raw score is generated (no dupes removed, no log checking).  A page is generated that provides you with information about your submission.  If the format of the information looks good, information is given as far as raw number of qso's, mults and a raw score.  If there are problems, information is also provided to allow you to correct the submission and try again (log is not accepted and therefore not stored on our server or reported in the logs received list).  Note that no log checking is taking place at submission time.  We're only verifying that information necessary for us to perform log checking later and classify your log properly is submitted.  We may need to contact you later about your entry, so please make sure you provide a valid email address when prompted.

The collection of "header" type info is mainly done by selecting from a list.  This includes your entry category, where you operated from and club.  The only two items that are not from a list are the call used during the event and your email address.

If you find that you want to make changes to your log after submitting, just submit your updated log the same as you did your original log and everything automatically updates.  Same as you would do for ARRL/CQ contests.

The submitted logs are stored on our server and a logs received page is automatically generated.

We're hoping you will help us out and submit using the web page.  The email submission used in the past is still a possibility but will result in delays in processing your log as someone will have to manually process your log and we won't have the benefit of you entering your category, location and club.  So we'll have to depend on info in your log (which has proven to be problematic in the past) or we'll have someone contact you to verify your information before they submit your log using the web interface for you.

For those who submit paper logs, continue to do so per the usual instructions.  The OhQP volunteers will create a cabrillo log from your paper log and then use the web interface to submit the log on your behalf.  So all logs will use the automated process, one way or another.

A link will be provided on the web site later this week to access the web submittal page.

Thanks for your help and hope you enjoy the OhQP.

73, Tim K9TM