How I Got Into Log Checking

1
How I Got Into Log Checking

• Larry Tree Tyree N6TR

2
Early Ham Years

• First licensed in 1967
• Received FCC notice for 2nd harmonic on 14351
  kHz.
• Worked 313 stations before getting my General.
• 1968 First Contest Field Day _at_ W6MN
• 1971 Annoyed my physics teacher enough that he
  sent me off to a Fortran class at the local
  Junior College during my last year of high
  school.
• Wrote a program to compute prime numbers up to
  1000 (on punch cards).
• Stopped running it at 500 after 35 minutes.

3
Basic, Pascal and the N6TR Duping Service

• In the late 1970s, I learned how to program using
  Basic on a CP/M machine at work.
• Wrote a simple duping program
• Jim Rafferty, N6RJ, worked over 3000 guys on 10
  meters from ZF2 and asked me if I would dupe his
  log.
• The N6TR Duping Service is born (1.5 cents/QSO)
• W5WMU, N6AA, N6TJ and AI6V were regular customers
• In 1981, I start using Pascal at my job and learn
  that my duping program was much faster when
  compiled.

4
The Z80 Op

• In 1984, I experiment with a Z80 computer running
  pure assembly language and teach it to copy morse
  code off the air
• AEA CP-1 demodulator
• It also was taught how to send and receive RTTY
• 1985 I interface my TS-430S to the Z80 using
  the up/down microphone input signals. I now can
  control the frequency of the radio with the Z80.
• 1986 The Z80 Op makes 15 unattended QSOs in
  Field Day.
• 1987 Used as a crude skimmer during the ARRL SS
  CW _at_ W7NI.
• 1989 Used as a starting point for TR Log.

5
A Unique Invention

• In 1977, N6AA obtains the 40 meter logs of big
  gun stations from the USA West Coast and we type
  the logs into the computer (using the duping
  program).
• Pascal software is written to make an array of
  the callsigns worked and a check mark for each
  of the stations we were looking at to see how
  many worked the station.
• Callsigns that only ended up with one check mark
  were unique and considered likely to be busted
  calls.
• The program Calltest is born

6
Log Checking in the 1990s

• Calltest moves from Pascal on a CP/M machine to
  Turbo Pascal on an IBM PC.
• N6AA is the main user for CQ WW
• Calltest evolves as faster PCs become available
• Calltest ends up being used to check logs for
  several major contests during the 1990s.
• Cabrillo by N5KO standardizes log formats
• K8CC and K1EA become players in the log checking
  software field.

7
Current Log Checking Duties

• CQ 160 (both modes)
• IARU HF Championship
• NCJ CW Sprints
• IARU HF Championship
• ARRL Sweepstakes
• Stew Perry TBDC
• Coming soon
• NAQP
• WRTC-2014
• SSB Sprint

8
A Specific Example WRTC-2006
9
WRTC-2006

• Held in Brazil.
• Varig airlines suspend operations the week before
  WRTC.
• I become stranded in Oregon.
• This becomes my first remote operation.
• However, my family was gone and I used the time
  to improve the log checking software for the
  event. The goal was to improve the process
  enough to give preliminary results to the judges
  within 12 hours of the end of the contest.

10
The Judges (G3SXW and K1ZZ)
11
My Eyes and Ears N6ZZ
Phil Goetz N6ZZ (sk)
12
Preliminary Results

• As the preliminary results start coming together,
  an interesting trend is seen with some of the
  logs.
• The list of uniques in some logs seems to track
  very closely to the country the operators were
  from.
• This suggested some cheerleading was going on.
• One log also showed a significantly higher
  percentage of uniques than the rest of the logs.
  It smelled poor.

13
The Decision

• Initial data presented to the Judges about 12
  hours after the end of the event.
• Several iterations of the data was generated to
  look at different possible actions.
• After some discussions the decision is made to
  remove ALL uniques from ALL logs.
• A unique was defined as a call that didnt show
  up in at least one other log.
• No penalty was applied.
• This ended up having only a small effect on most
  of the scores except where cheerleading or
  other inappropriate behavior was taking place.

14
WRTC 2006 Top TenResults

• 1 PT5M VE3EJ/VE7ZO 2439380
• 2 PW5C N6MJ/N2NL 2317456
• 3 PT5Y K1DG/N2NT 2098060
• 4 PW5X UT4UZ/UT5UGR 2024496
• 5 PT5D IK2QEI/IK2JUB 1987080
• 6 PT5P DL6FBL/DL2CC 1978320
• 7 PT5N 9A8A/9A5K 1962177
• 8 PW5Q N0AX/KL9A 1958928
• 9 PT5R RW3QC/RW3GU 1945174
• 10 PT5Q W2SC/K5ZD 1944320

15
Evolution of Log Checking

• There are really two different efforts these
  days Log Checking and Cheating Detection.
• The data created by Log Checking is often useful
  for deciding who might be cheating and therefore
  worth doing a more focused effort to detect
  Cheating.
• Log Checking focuses on accuracy
• Callsign and exchange accuracy
• Cross checking to verify your contact appears on
  the other log.
• Cheating detection uses many methods including
  SDR recordings and packet spot analysis.
• Often done by different people (which is a good
  thing)
• You can count those who are cheating on one hand
  but they can ruin the competition.
• A new area is using RBN data to find people who
  might have forgotten to turn off their amplifier
  when entering a low power category.

16
Improvements

• More consistent output
• Currently most of the log checkers do it their
  way.
• Contest sponsors do have some influence however
  which has had a positive impact.
• Better integration of outside data sources
• Packet callbooks RBN data skimmer SDR
• Get some new blood in the game (in USA)
• Maybe someone under the age of 50?

17
Summary

• While it as big of a thrill as operating the SS
  from Alaska log checking has turned into a
  major part of my contest hobby.
• It is interesting and does allow me to see the
  contest from a unique perspective.
• It is part of what I give back to the sport.

18

• Thank You