ARRL Acknowledges CW DX Test Scoring Errors
from
Dan Henderson, N1ND
Website:
http://www.arrl.org
on
August 31, 2000
View comments about this article!
Good afternoon all.
We have discovered there is a problem with the counting of multipliers in
the software used to check logs for the ARRL International DX CW contest.
For Foreign Logs:
After checking into the software, we have discovered that the multiplier
algorithm was inaccurate. For the Canadian multipliers, all provinces
included in the ARRL Section multiplier Maritime (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia
and Prince Edward Island) were counted as a single multiplier. Newfoundland
and Labrador were counted as one instead of two. The territories in the
Northwest Territories multiplier (NWT, Yukon and Nunavut) were counted as a
single multiplier instead of three. The District of Columbia was included
as the MDC section instead of separately.
Since this is the first time this software was utilized, the problem was not
apparent until brought to our attention by N6NT (ZF2NT) on the contest
reflector. The author of the software has corrected the algorithm. This
problem will not affect the results of the Phone portion of the ARRL
International DX Contest.
For Domestic Logs:
The scoring algorithm has not counted the final multiplier on each different
band, resulting in every checked log being docked one multiplier per band.
The software is being changed to correct this problem, which caused all
stations to be docked one multiplier per band reported.
Once the recalculated results are available, the results article from QST
will be re-posted in Adobe pdf format on the ARRL Web. The recalculated
scores will be used to determine all awards and any new records established
by any participants. Any change in overall category winners will also be
listed in QST.
On behalf of the volunteers in the log checking process and the ARRL Contest
Branch, I apologize for this error. If you have any questions regarding
your results once the recalculated results are posted, please contact me at
[email protected] or by phone at (860) 594-0232. Thanks for your participation
and understanding.
73,
Dan Henderson, N1ND
ARRL Contest Branch Manager
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Again???
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by K5ZD on September 1, 2000
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Does anyone wonder why this kind of stupid error keeps happening in ARRL log checking? Geez. It would seem that someone would at least look at a few of the top logs after computer checking and make sure they are correctly scored.
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ARRL DX CW Score Errors
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by W2CS on September 4, 2000
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Somewhere in ARRL HQ there is a screw loose. What appears to have happened here, judging from the ARRL announcement, is that there either was no HQ process for testing the program, or an incompetent process for testing was established.
That little or no testing was done is obvious by the nature of the software defects allowed to be published. A simply boundary condition such as the last multiplier per band being ignored does not take much in the way of testing to discover. As I read it, every single domestic score published will be incorrect, and I suspect most of the DX scores as well.
ARRL needs to figure out a way to do better. Most businesses test their key software to death before bringing it online. They create test suites that are used for each release, over and over again. A formal acceptance test process is created.
What happened here smacks of a bunch of computer novices "giving it the old college try." Pity our hard contesting work is treated by HQ so poorly.
Gary W2CS, ARRL LM
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RE: ARRL DX CW Score Errors
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Anonymous post on September 23, 2000
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The league needs to create a series of test logs that run the boundary conditions - logs with known "correct" answers. Yes, an investment in time would be necessary, but it would be well spent. These logs could be used over and over (maybe adding new mults as they come along). It sure would save them a lot of egg cleaning.
As an Orwellian example of re-writing history - it seems they've pulled the 2000 ARRL DX CW results' pdf file from the web site.
Sigh.
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ARRL Scoring Error
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by KN7Y on October 16, 2000
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Thanks to the ARRL for addressing this problem without delay. We appreciate your professional approach. One has to understand that computer logging is reaching new heights with every new version of logging software, the software to compile scores has to keep up, and the (free) compilation of contest log submissions is not an easy task.
Jack, KN7Y
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ARRL Acknowledges CW DX Test Scoring Errors
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by ne0p on November 17, 2000
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Why doesn't Al Gore to to court, whine, and demand a hand recount of all logs from the South Florida section only?
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