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DX Calendar

Posted: 25 Jan 2013, 18:09
by CT1BXX
Dear Log4OM Team,
Best regards.

Some minutes ago I have received 425DX News, and it makes me think!

I would like propose an idea for discussion its utility...
it is devided in 2 steps. The most important is step 1...

Step 1
Create a DX Calendar.
We all receive informations about dxpeditions. In my case I use Google calendar, or even my smartphone (Nexus Android).
It woul be nice to have a calendar within Log4OM. and it could remeber us for the coming events.
To make it even more efficient, all the callsigns or Iotas that we put in Log4OM Calendar, those calls and IOta could also be connected to "alerts. using this procedure we do not need to put them twice ( one for calendar and another for alerts).

Step 2 - more difficult and a lot of code for Daniele
It is not necessary but we can refine a bit more...
SpotSpy, is a software that as several functions, but there is something that I found very interesting, it peeks up info from 425DX, and checks our log in order to show what we need, with this possibility, we have another step refinement: fill the calendar/alerts according the needs picked up from 425 (or other)

The idea is not use SpotSpy, it is just an example, the idea is think about the possibility to create the function within Log4Om.
Logger32 has this function, but it does not keeps the information in a file nor has calendar.
(In "DX Bulletin Reader " from VE3NEA software, we could have some ideas)
Dear Log4OM Team fellows, please do not be angry with me...
To have ideas is very easy, the problem is to put them into code; what a big headache. :oops:
Lets enjoy the weekend wiht Log4OM
73 Manuel Fernando CT1BXX

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 25 Jan 2013, 20:31
by IW3HMH
Hi Manuel, please continue with your suggestions, it's interesting and stimulating for us.

Log4OM is structured in an agile way. It's easy to get informations and check them against your logbook.
We already have many of those informations onboard, with Special Callsign file from Chuck that we can use (and we will soon).
If an external site will provide informations in a "standard" way (standard means they don't change format each month) this can be a fine addition.

The short term roadmap goest through some internal optimizations, a new function, new awards and then a review of the whole cluster system (same logic, more features). In the meantime i will continue development on external integrations. We will have a smooth release plan, that will introduce news attempting to avoid introducing bugs, and solving existing ones.
This can be an idea, and i will ask to Chuck K7PT (our expedition expert) to make a thought on that ;)

73

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 25 Jan 2013, 22:50
by K7PT
Hi Guys,
I've been reading this thread and thinking about it.

First, let's look at the main purpose of the Special Call List (SCL). This was instituted to insure correct country (entity) data was logged by the user for any call sign. There are cases where it is impossible to properly resolve a call without the SCL, i.e. TO5X and TO22C coming up soon, VK9, TX3Y, K4M, K5D, etc. This I watch closely and make the entry when encountered. It is not, nor meant to be, a DX calender.

There are many, many so called DXpeditions from 1 person to multiple 10s of people and range from 1 day to a month or more. Even more that do not show in the publications. IOTAs are even worse to track.

I do add a few calls to the SCL that may be of interest to users that by the definition of the SCL do not belong there as they are not special and are normally resolved correctly.

One has to read, on a daily, even hourly basis the various sources of information to seek out this data. And, it often changes. There is not one publication that, or could, cover all 100% of the time.

The 425DX News Calender is an excellent source, though not 100% coverage, that one might parse out the data and hope the content format does not change.

Manuel's thoughts are indeed worthy of thought.

Just expressing my views. Cheers!

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 26 Jan 2013, 08:02
by G4POP
Why not a simple list that shows what is active this week or perhaps for two weeks we could extract that easily from the SCL?

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 26 Jan 2013, 14:21
by K7PT
The entire current SCL can be seen at www.k7pt.com/SCL.htm

I've asked Daniele to include, in Log4OM>Utilities>SCL List, the file so users can view the SCL directly from the program, hopefully in the next release. :roll:

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 28 Jan 2013, 15:21
by CT1BXX
Dear colleagues,
First, I am sorry for my late post concerning DX Calendar. If you permit I would like to make a last comment about the situation, in order I can show the idea in a better way.
The idea for a Calendar as reminder, perhaps it is a nonsense caused by myself! :oops:

The sugestion to have the SCL list is great, excellent, it helps a lot - Very good idea from Terry and Chuck and thanks to Daniele we will have it.
However there is a point that is missing: the possibility to save our personal needs, It would be nice to have a place where we keep the future events we need and than we can have a reminder. It is different approach, they are similar but different in purpose. SCL List informs what we will have, in case we need it or not, however my proposal is a reminder for activities that we know we need.
While SCL is very well created by Chuck, the personal reminder should be created by operator only to inform possible activities, it is a personal reminder. It is the same thing we make on smartphone or Iphone...

For final I would like to express my happiness because among several messages I have seen here in forum, I can guess that very good news are being prepared in Log4OM, thanks. :D

73 Manuel Fernando CT1BXX

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 28 Jan 2013, 15:44
by G4POP
Hi Manuel,
I understand what you want now but just one question, how do you want to be alerted about these future activities?

73

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 28 Jan 2013, 16:53
by LA9FFA
G4POP wrote:Hi Manuel,
I understand what you want now but just one question, how do you want to be alerted about these future activities?

73
Several log programs alerts either via sound or a popup screen, the date the dxpeditions starts.
Or maybe a reminder 1 week before or 2 days before, users choice "reminde me xx days" before the dxpedition starts.

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 28 Jan 2013, 16:56
by CT1BXX
Hi Terry,
Many thanks for your interest.
An easy way to call the operator attention is to have an icon in "Not Visible" and it changes to "Visible" if it is time to remind. It can be near from "ADD" "CLR" buttons. This new button must appear with some days in advance, and must be mantained till opetaror's desire.
When the icon/button is visible, if we click on it, it opens a window showing the content. It also could show the SCL List.
In this window we must have another button to clean the event we do not need anymore.
This window is where we fill with the things we need, at least:
Call, begining Date, End date and a Comment field.

73 Manuel Fernando - CT1BXX

Re: DX Calendar

Posted: 28 Jan 2013, 17:04
by G4POP
LA9FFA wrote:
G4POP wrote:Hi Manuel,
I understand what you want now but just one question, how do you want to be alerted about these future activities?

73
Several log programs alerts either via sound or a popup screen, the date the dxpeditions starts.
Or maybe a reminder 1 week before or 2 days before, users choice "reminde me xx days" before the dxpedition starts.
I have seen this for DX cluster but never for forthcoming activities, please advise names of program's that include this so that I can research.

73