Contest Rules

When you create a new log, you choose a contest name, thereby defining the rules that SkookumLogger applies as you log QSOs. The rules determine whether or not a QSO is valid, whether or not a QSO is a multiplier, and the point value for a QSO. The results of applying the rules to a QSO are indicated by checkmarks in columns in the table of QSOs in the Log window:

D indicates a duplicate QSO
SQ indicates a suspect QSO
C indicates a country multiplier
G indicates a grid multiplier
O indicates an other multiplier
P indicates a prefix multiplier
R indicates a region multiplier
Z indicates a zone multiplier

Columns for multipliers that do not apply for the current contest are automatically hidden. The set of available multipliers of each kind is usually determined by tables built into SkookumLogger. Many tables are contest-specific; for example, there is a table listing all of the Dutch provinces for the PACC contest. The Other multiplier type is used in two cases: when the multiplier doesn’t fit into one of the other five type (e.g., unique callsigns), or when an event has two multiplier tables of the same type.

All contests involve exchange of specified information in order to complete a valid QSO. Each QSO involves a sent exchange and a received exchange; they may have different components. Both exchanges always contain a callsign component. In SkookumLogger, the remaining components of an exchange can be any combination of zero or more of these types:

serial is a non-negative number
precedence is a single letter, unique to the ARRL Sweepstakes event
check is a two-digit number representing either year-first-licensed or age
name is what you would expect
grid is a Maidenhead locator, 6 or 4 characters
info is a contest-specific bit of information, typically a region code such as state or district
power is unique to the ARRL DX event
club name is unique to the RSGB Club Calls event
club status is also unique to the RSGB Club Calls event
zone is either CQ or ITU zone number

In addition to these exchange components, each QSO may have sent and received signal report fields.

SkookumLogger has different input text fields for each kind of component, presenting only those fields relevant to the selected contest type. Input fields do some testing of key presses, usually converting alphabetic characters to uppercase and quietly ignoring characters that make no sense for the type of field; for example alphabetic characters typed into a serial number field.

Some contests specify different exchange content depending on the locations of the QSO participants. For example, the LZ DX Contest expects ITU zone or LZ district. SkookumLogger uses the info field type in these cases, usually along with intricate code to deduce the meaning of the entered value in order to track multipliers.

Also see:

Changing a Log‘s Rules