How I Got Into Log Checking
Larry “Tree” Tyree N6TR
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 @ 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.
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.
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
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– 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 @ W7NI.
1989 – Used as a starting point for TR Log.
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
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.
Current Log Checking Duties
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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
A Specific Example – WRTC-2006
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.
The Judges (G3SXW and K1ZZ)
My “Eyes and Ears” – N6ZZ
Phil Goetz – N6ZZ (sk)
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”.
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 didn’t 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.
WRTC 2006 Top TenResults
1 PT5M
2 PW5C
3 PT5Y
4 PW5X
5 PT5D
6 PT5P
7 PT5N
8 PW5Q
9 PT5R
10 PT5Q
VE3EJ/VE7ZO
N6MJ/N2NL
K1DG/N2NT
UT4UZ/UT5UGR
IK2QEI/IK2JUB
DL6FBL/DL2CC
9A8A/9A5K
N0AX/KL9A
RW3QC/RW3GU
W2SC/K5ZD
2439380
2317456
2098060
2024496
1987080
1978320
1962177
1958928
1945174
1944320
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.
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?
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.
Thank You