Well In Hand: Wilderness Contest Logging with a Palm-Sized Computer
The ARS Sojourner
That said, I will admit that outdoor radio contests have created perplexing logging problems for me. I have gladly packed radio gear many miles into the wilds for outdoor radio events like "Flight of the Bumblebees," but I have not been willing to add an expensive and bulky computer to the stack of fragile equipment in my backpack. Until recently, a notebook and pencil remained my outdoor logging tools.
About a year ago I started using a palm-sized computer in my medical practice. A Handspring Visor, which cost a little over $100 and weighs only a few ounces, is now always in my pocket. My Visor is loaded with thousands of pages of reference material that I use dozens of times daily. I also downloaded a few novels to read and put some games on the computer in case I have down time. The Visor uses two AAA batteries that need changing once a week only if the little computer gets very heavy use.
It was only a matter of time before I decided that my "QRP computer" needed to be put to work logging outdoor radio events. I didn't want complicated keying interfaces and a thousand functions, just a device that fit in my pocket and made logging QSOs less of a chore. With that in mind, I began looking for a ham logging program using the Palm operating system. I wanted a program that met the following requirements:
1. The program must be better (easier, faster, more accurate) than a paper log.
2. The program must automatically record the time of the QSO and allow very rapid entry of calls and contest exchange.
3. The program should provide "dupe" checking, enabling me to quickly see if a station I hear has already been worked.
4. The program should be small and simple, so it can reside on my current machine with other applications.
5. It should be inexpensive.
6. It should allow download of my log to a desktop computer for storage, printing, and transmission of my log via Internet.
7. I don't yet own a portable keyboard, but I would like the option of keyboard data entry as well as a writing stylus.
A search of the Internet was undertaken for a suitable program. At first I was very disappointed. Each of the palm-sized computer logging programs I examined had fatal flaws that rendered it completely useless for my purpose.
At last I found a usable program: "HamPilot," written by Chris Williams. It works. Some anticipated changes in the programming will likely upgrade it from merely usable to excellent very soon.
Chris charges only $10 for his feature-packed program. You can download a demo version for free that will let you try it out by entering 15 QSOs. Find it by going to http://www.PalmGear.com and typing "HamPilot" in the search box.
This little program has plenty of great features. It is compact, taking only 26K of storage, and it runs quickly from either internal memory or memory module. It works in "real time", meaning that it records the time and date of each QSO automatically (and in GMT if you like). Most importantly, it allows rapid data entry and offers the option of "preserving" basic info from QSO to QSO so that station power, band and RST don't need to be reentered each time you make a contact.
"Almost complete" keyboard entry is available (I haven't tried it yet) and it comes with a program that allows exportation of log information to a desktop for storage, contest submission, and data evaluation.
As is, the program is by far the best of any I was able to find. Even so, there are some annoying shortcomings and one "bug" that I think will be corrected when version 2.2 becomes available soon.
The most disappointing thing about the current program is an exciting "duplicate contact warning" function that ends up being minimally helpful. The feature tells you that a contact is a "dupe", but not until all the QSO data has been entered. The dupe warning also suffers from being case selective. That is a problem for me because the program starts recording call entries in capital letters, but shifts to small letters if you backspace to make corrections. My entries often end up as a jumble of capital and small letters, and the "dupe check" does not recognize N7XJ, N7Xj and N7xj as being the same call.
There is a promising "fast entry" option to save keystrokes that fails to "erase" all the data from the previous entry upon completion (this is the bug I mentioned). Also, the fast entry mode requires you to back entirely out of the program if you want to see the total number of QSOs you have made.
Several creature comforts would greatly enhance my enjoyment of this program. One would be a permanent "shift lock" feature to prevent the jumble of small and capital letters in my fumbled entries. Another would be a choice of fonts allowing the calls I enter to appear bigger and bolder to prevent me from squinting.
Despite these criticisms, I again want to emphasize that the current version of "HamPilot" is by far the best logger I was able to find for a palm-sized computer.
I would rate it as "good" for logging casual QSOs and "acceptable" for use as a simple contest logger in a non-demanding operating event. I'm sure the program is going to get better. I recently sent a flurry of E-mail to Chris with suggestions and comments. He patiently assured me that version 2.2 of his program would be available within a month or so. I'll let you know what I think of it when it comes out.
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Dr. Bob Armstrong, N7XJ, a skilled QRP operator and outdoorsman, is a contributing editor to The ARS Sojourner. He practices medicine in Manti, UT.