Hi All,

Chris, Kimberly and I are very excited to let you know that Amateur Contact Log 7.0.4 is now available, ARRL International Digital contest log is in the works and that, Lord willing, all new contest software versions are coming very soon!

We have added some neat new features that are now available in Amateur Contact Log including:

- A world map (View > World Map)
- Additional Parks on the Air (POTA) template and support (Settings > Edit Fields Displayed > Load as Saved Configuration: Select POTAConfig.efl)
- A gray line map (View > Gray Line Map)
- An awards map (Awards > States, Counties, Countries)
- Rapid display of your entire log
- Easy access to hundreds of common help questions via our Juliet chat bot (Help > Ask Juliet)
- Notes (Ctrl H) added to Band Map (with rig interface enabled)
- Ability to enter a transverter offset value (Settings > Rig Interface)
- Option to immediately upload after an All Since download on the LoTW form (eLogs > LoTW)
- Additional listing options (List...)

All the details follow...

World Map

When you tab from the Call field, the world map will fly to and display the location of the station you are working with a red pin. When you enter the QSO, the red pin will turn blue. Pins will fade over the next 15 minutes. You can also optionally display DX Spots as purple pins. Click Settings > DX Spotting to enable DX Spots

The world map displays QSOs you have logged and DX Spots received since opening the map.

Your station location display is based on the coordinates you enter in Settings > Setup. Remember, western longitude values are negative.

In AC Log, the location of the station you are working is based on either the coordinates returned from any of the callbook lookup options (such as Hamdb's free lookup service or QRZ's premium service), or Jim's AD1C country list prefix coordinates. In AC Log, Click Callbook from the menu options to select your callbook data source.

If you don't have a callbook lookup service enabled, or you are displaying the world map from the contest software, the call sign prefix coordinates provided by the AD1C country list are used. In the contest software, after you press enter to log the QSO, if a USA or Canadian state, province or section is part of the exchange, the pin will move to the location provided in the exchange.

Keep in mind that most DX countries each have one set of coordinates in the AD1C country list, so the location plots will be less precise when using the country list as the data source, but it still gives you a neat idea of where in the world you are working! The contest programs don't have a callbook lookup feature because contest sponsors require the full QSO exchange to be completed over the air.

You can optionally display DX spots as purple pins. In addition, needed DX Spots (unworked or unconfirmed in AC Log and needed multipliers in the contest software) will have a red center. With rig interface enabled, you can click on the pin to tune your rig to the spot frequency. Right click any of the pins to remove them.

To see all the locations that you have worked historically, in AC Log, click Awards > States, Counties, Countries. Then click Calculate and click the View Map buttons that appear. More details are in the Awards Map section below.

The world map use case philosophy for the contest software and AC Log may be different. For general logging, it is fun to see the stations we have worked, but for contesting, with lots of DX spots rolling in, you may wish to use the "Hide Logged QSO" button at the top of the map.

The control buttons and band filters at the top of the map should be self explanatory. Just be aware you have three options for the DX Spots button: Off, On and Needed Only. When DX Spots Needed is selected, that will only display DX Spots that are new or unconfirmed in AC Log and needed multipliers in the contest software.

Additional Parks on the Air (POTA) Template and Support

We've made it even easier for POTA enthusiasts to quickly configure AC Log for POTA activations and chases, by including a POTA template. You no longer have to configure all the fields yourself or download the POTA template file from our web site. Instead, just click Settings > Edit Fields Displayed > Load a Saved Configuration and select POTAConfig.efl. Then complete the other simple steps detailed here.

At the request of POTA log checkers, we have also added the ability for you to easily list duplicate contacts with the same station, that you may have worked during your activation. Based on selectable criteria, you can easily review any duplicates before deciding whether you wish to delete any of them or not. Just click List > Duplicates.

A Gray Line Map

While our World Map also displays the gray line, you may be zoomed in to an area of the world, making it harder to keep track, so we have also added a separate gray line map which you can optionally display.

An Awards Map

After you click Awards > States, Counties, Counties and then click Calculate, the View Worked Map and View Remaining Map buttons will appear. All countries worked (blue) and needed (red) can be displayed on the awards map.

Rapid Display of Your Entire log

While the time required for the underlying processes has not changed, AC Log will now display your entire log file rapidly! So rapidly in fact, the List > Last 50 function is no longer needed!

Easy access to hundreds of common help questions via our Juliet chat bot

Need help with a quick question? Juliet, our help chat bot, is happy, ready and willing to help! Over the last 9 months, Juliet has learned thousands of question phrasings for hundreds of commonly asked questions. Juliet is still learning, so if her answer doesn't seem quite right the first time, please try rephrasing your question. Very brief phrasings of just a couple words, such as "how to set up DX Spotting" work best. Of course, if Juliet is unable to answer your question, you can always e-mail us for help, but we will be very grateful if you would please start with Juliet first. Just click Help > Ask Juliet.

Notes (Ctrl H) added to Band Map (with rig interface enabled)

With a call in the call field and rig interface enabled, when you click Ctrl + H to add the call to the notes list, a DX Spot for the call and frequency will also be added to the band map. That makes it even easier to keep track of calls you wish to circle back to.

Ability to Enter a Transverter Offset Value

To enter a transverter offset value, click Settings > Rig Interface and enter the offset for your transverter.

Option to immediately upload after an All Since download on the LoTW form.

On the LoTW form, under the Download heading, you will find a check option to Upload after Download. When checked, AC Log will immediately upload any QSOs not previously verified as uploaded, after you click the All Since download button.

Additional listing options

You can now perform additional queries from the List menu item including:

List > QSOs by Confirmation Status > (multiple options)
List > Duplicates
List > QSOs by Contest ID

Affirmatech Extensions Setup

The world map, gray line map and connection to our help chat bot Juliet use our new Affirmatech Extensions (AE) component, that allows us to integrate web tools right into our software. When you click on a function requiring AE, AC Log will offer to install it for you. Simply click yes to proceed, and AC Log will do the rest.

For our future plans, we need the ability to incorporate web technologies into AC Log / N3FJP Software to take advantage of these additional feature sets. This opens up a world of possibilities for our software that we are really excited about!

ARRL International Digital Contest Log Under Construction!

We have received numerous inquiries from folks hoping that we will support the newly announced ARRL International Digital Contest. Yes, we have already begun building the ARRL International Digital Contest Log and Lord willing, we fully expect to have it ready well before the June event. Stay tuned!

Upgrades of Maps to Contest Software Coming Very Soon!

We are working diligently and hope to complete the integration of the world and gray line maps in all the contest software by the end of this week, so you can enjoy the new map features this weekend in ARRL DX SSB.

In beta testing, I found the world map particularly useful for keeping my QSO rate up during ARRL DX CW, by clicking on spots on the map in geographic regions where it was clear we had good propagation at that time. While we can accomplish the same thing using the band map (as long as you are familiar with country prefixes and geography), it is simply easier to see on the world map display. Just listening to signals as you click on spots in different regions of the world gives you a clearer picture of what propagation is doing at any point in time. It is very cool! Hopefully we will have the announcement that the contest software is ready for you in just a couple of days!

Amateur Contact Log Upgrade Steps

As always, upgrades are free to registered users. If you are currently running a version of our software released after January 2021, AC Log should detect the new upgrade and offer to retrieve it for you on start. If you have any problem with the automatic upgrade, or you are running an older version, you can follow these AC Log upgrade steps here.

Enjoy!

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, Chris 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:

https://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, Chris and I really appreciate it!

73, Scott, Kimberly and Chris

N3FJP, KA3SEQ and KB3KCN
http://www.n3fjp.com

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

1 Peter 3 vs 15: Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect...