Hi All,

I hope that you all are hunkering down, staying safe and doing well. I have a couple quick announcements to share.

Operator Field in N3FJP Setup With TQSL 2.5.2

ARRL has just released TQSL version 2.5.2, which performs additional consistency checks on upload to LoTW. With TQSL 2.5.2, the Operator field for the QSO records you are uploading must either be empty, or match your TQSL certificate call sign.

Please click Settings > Setup and make sure that the value in the Operator field is either empty or contains your call sign. If the field contains a value other than your call sign and you have entered QSO records, TQSL 2.5.2 will not upload those records, so you will either need to edit those records, or make sure your LoTW uploads are up to date before upgrading to TQSL 2.5.2.

Until now, AC Log and all my contest software have warned about using a value other than a call sign in the Operator field, but allowed users to override the recommendation. Future versions of my software will only allow a blank value or call sign in the Operator field on the Setup form.

More details on TQSL 2.5.2 are here.

Field Day 2020 - Encouraging the Echo Class!

ARRL recently wrote:

“Due to the unique situation presented this year, this can be an opportunity for you, your club, and/or group to try something new,” ARRL Contest Manager Paul Bourque, N1SFE, said. “Field Day isn’t about doing things the same way year after year. Use this year to develop and employ a new approach that is in line with the current circumstances.”

"Social distancing and state and local requirements very likely will impact just how — and even whether — you are able to participate in Field Day this year."

Following that release, I've been contacted by a number of folks, wondering if they could still set up a multi transmitter station for their club, with each transmitter at a different club member's house and logging in real time, networked over the Internet. While using cloud storage or the TCP option will work, not only are these methods untested on a large scale with the Field Day software, they would not be applicable for Field Day 2020, given this Field Day rule (4.1 specifically) here.

All equipment (including antennas) must lie within a circle whose diameter does not exceed 300 meters (1000 feet).

If social distancing is still in effect, your group is definitely going to have to operate individually this year. Our group has already begun discussing and encouraging our members to set up / enhance our home emergency power backup systems (generators, batteries, solar, etc.) and plan to operate 1E (home station, emergency power) this year for 2020 Field Day. Setting up a home station with emergency power takes some thought, research and planning, so it's a great topic for your club to discuss, a great opportunity to get started now and a great diversion, too!

UPDATE 4/15/2020: Setting up a Virtual Private Network (VPN) looks like an excellent solution for remote updating of a common log file. More information is here!

Everyone, please stay well and enjoy the safe connections we continue to be blessed with through Amateur Radio.

And in response to the questions we always receive when we neglect to include the following in our e-mail announcements...

Package Upgrade Information...

If you have registered one or more individual programs and would like to upgrade to N3FJP's Software Package or N3FJP's Software Package and CD for full use of all our Amateur Radio software, we would be glad to apply the amount that you have registered so far as a credit towards that purchase. Please send us an e-mail directly and we'll let you know your balance.

N3FJP's Software Package includes more than one hundred programs for contesting, net management, general logging and other Amateur Radio related applications. In addition to full use of all these programs, registered package customers are also entitled to receive free passwords for any new software that is added to the package and free upgrades to existing programs. You'll find all the details on the Register Now page at www.n3fjp.com.

Donations are Gratefully Accepted!

And in response to the often asked question for which Kimberly and I are very grateful...

"I know your upgrades are free, but I also realize how much time and effort coding these enhancements and new programs take and that your pricing policy doesn't fully reflect that. Can I send you something to show my appreciation for your continued efforts?"

Yes, thanks so much, your continued support in any amount is very welcome and deeply appreciated! You can use this page:

http://www.n3fjp.com/donations.html

or send your contribution by mail, payable to Affirmatech Inc., to:

G. Scott Davis
118 Glenwood Road
Bel Air, MD 21014-5533

Thank you so much for your continued support!

Thanks!

As always, thanks for your kind words, support, linking to our web site and spreading the word about our software. Kimberly and I really appreciate it!

73, Scott
N3FJP
http://www.n3fjp.com

Serving the Amateur Radio community with contesting and general logging software since 1997.