Time Tracker

The Time Tracker tool displays, umm, time information for your log.

All contests have a beginning and end. Time Tracker shows the beginning as the Start Date , and determines the end by adding the Contest duration to the Start Date. SkookumLogger presets these fields for new logs, but may guess wrong, so you should always check them for a new log before you begin making QSOs. The Suspect QSO (SQ) flag is set for QSOs logged outside the contest period.

Some contests, typically USA QSO parties, have a break in the middle. SkookumLogger handles these using a list of mandatory break periods. The Suspect QSO flag is set for QSOs logged within a mandatory break period.

The Do not test for Suspect times option in Logging preferences disables these two tests.

Some contests limit the amount of operating time to less than the duration. In this case, the Maximum on time field shows the limit, the limit may depend on your entry category.

“On time” is the accumulated time during which you are making QSOs during the contest period. “Off time” is the accumulated time during which you were not making QSOs. SkookumLogger detects the beginning of an off time by comparing the difference between the current time and the time of the most recent QSO against the Minimum off period field, shown when you expose the Off times panel in Time Tracker. Some contests specify this value, otherwise SkookumLogger sets it to 10 minutes. The value affects rate tables presented in your statistics report. Shorter off periods generally “improve” your rates. The Begin time of an off time is the most recent QSO time. When you log the next QSO, the off period ends and the End time of the off time is set to that QSO’s time and SkookumLogger resumes accumulating on time. The table of all off times is reported in the Cabrillo header.

A start date at January 1 of the current year indicates that SkookumLogger know it cannot guess the value. You can create a new log for a contest any time before the end of the contest .You can edit the Start Date, Contest Duration and Maximum On Time items. Use the Apply Changes button to save the changes and update the current log.

Changing the Time Category item in your Cabrillo settings sheet affects the Maximum On Time value appropriately. The Not Applicable choice returns the value to the default for Single Operator entrants.