Welcome to my Boring Blog
Posted: Jun 28, 2006 08:40 PDT

Much activity preparing for the WRTC-2006 event is taking place in Boring, Oregon. The log checking team has had a few changes with some people not being able to make it to the event (I2UIY, K6NA) and one of our log checkers turning into a log maker (N6AA who replaced K9PG on KH6ND's team). We added N5KO to the team - who will be very involved from kkn.net headquarters and I2UIY will still be helping out behind the scenes.

Also - due to the Varig situation - there is some chance that I won't be able to physically make it to the event. However, I feel confident that the log checking process can be just as efficient with me working from my home. Phil, N6ZZ, is working closely with me on developing the software tools we will be using - and would be able to do the whole job even without me if necessary.

Phil and I worked together from differnet continents back in 1990 - during the early days of TR Log. I was on assignment in France - and it would take 45 minutes to send him a new copy of the program over the telephone. With today's internet - we can work together just like we are in the room with each other - and send program updates in about a minute.

It would be a major bummer not to make it there however, as the main reason I was going was to hang out with everyone attending.

So - this will be a major sub-plot in my blog: "Will Tree make it to PY?".

The current plan is to show up at the Los Angeles airport on July 4th and see what happens. It currently appears that a company is well positioned to take over Varig (the same company that purchsed their freight division). If this happens today - hopefully, they will resume operations quickly. Obviously, if the situation with Varig makes it clear that my ticket is worthless (or will be refunded), I will have to look at other options.

My main focus is making sure the software tools are fully checked out and ready for the "contest that starts after the contest ends".

That is how I really look at the preparation for the log checking - much like getting ready for a contest.

One of our goals is to quickly give people a receipt for their log that shows the # of QSOs and multipliers in their log (before log checking). They can look at this and make sure all of their QSOs made it to our computer. Then, I want to have a first pass at the results in about 6-8 hours. Then we will have time to look carefully at any close finishes to make sure we have the right results.

The goal of the log checking will be to make sure we have the right order of finish. We want to make sure that all the logs are subjected to the same process equally - and the order of finish is totally justified. However, the absolute score isn't as much of a priority. So, if Team A runs away with the event - and clearly is the winner - we won't spend a lot of time with that log. If Team B and Team C are neck and neck for second place - then we will focus in on those logs.

I'll write more about the software that we will be using in a future blog entry.

Another aspect of the trip is being present in Brazil during the finals for the World Cup. It will be a new experience to see crazy soccer fans up close. All three of my daughters have played in soccer and my middle daughter is pretty serious about it.

If you have any specific questions that you would like to see addressed in this blog - please send them to me at tree@kkn.net.

73 Tree N6TR
28 June 2006
Boring, OR

Comments on this blog entry: