SkookumLogger v2.6.1 now available

Bill Myers, K1GQ (a 2020 CQ Contest Hall Of Fame inductee, congratulations Bill!), has released version 2.6.1 of his contest logging software SkookumLogger for macOS.

SkookumLogger is a full-featured contest logging program suitable for the most demanding contester. It runs on MacOS, supporting single-mode and and mixed-mode events on 13 bands between 160m and 23cm.  SkookumLogger requires a K1EL WinKeyer or a YCCC SO2R Box to send CW.

Some SkookumLogger Features

  • Any number of QSOs per log
  • Duplicate checking as callsigns are entered
  • Partial callsign matching against Super Check Partials (SCP) database and log
  • Integrated download of the SCP and cty.dat databases
  • Exchange Archive database (like personal call history files)
  • Separate activity table windows (like band maps) for each contest band
  • Multiplier checksheets for countries, regions, prefixes, zones, locators, other
  • Time Tracker and Rate Tracker panels
  • Score window with band breakdown and scoring for most contests
  • Bidirectional DX Cluster packet spotting interface, with skimmer and QSX support
  • CW keyboard mode
  • Great circle map with terminator overlay
  • SkookumNet networking for multi-operator/multi-transmitter configurations
  • Green Heron, Easy Rotor and SARTEK rotator interfaces
  • Elecraft KPA500 and KPA1500, ACOM 2000A, and Alpha 87A amplifier interfaces
  • Elecraft KAT500 antenna tuner interface
  • YCCC SO2R Box interface including its WinKeyer emulation
  • YCCC MOAS antenna switch interface with antenna pattern overlays on the great circle map
  • Cabrillo export for submitting log entries
  • ADIF and CSV export for moving contest QSOs to a general-purpose logger
  • Automated log submission via Apple Mail and via Web browser
  • Statistics report for post-contest analysis of your contest log
  • CW Practice mode for developing your running skills off the air

2.6.1 2020-06-15 New features

Added DVR playback support for the KX3. Thanks W8JJ.

The Radios Window has new options for the Elecraft K3 & P3 combination, described in the updated Radios Help topic.

Added support for the Yaesu FT-818, identical to FT-817 except for baud rate. Thanks K7YEM.

Added Toggle Transmit Mode, Transmit Mode, and Receive Mode commands to the Radio 1 menu. These support simulating a foot switch by tapping a keyboard shortcut. Similarly added Increase RF Gain and Decrease RF Gain commands to the Radio 1 menu. These are experimental commands for Field Day operation with SkookumLogger running at a host station controlled remotely via desktop sharing. In this release the new commands are supported only for K3 radios.

Changes

The scoring rules for ARRL Field Day have been modified for 2020 to allow non-zero points for class D to class D QSOs.

The list of ARRL Sections has been updated to include Prince Edward Island (PE), VY2. The W2RU Section Checkoff shows this new section as “PEI.”

K3 IO now sets RIT/XIT offset instead of SPLIT mode when the difference between transmit and receive frequencies is less than 10 kHz. This addresses a complaint that SPLIT was being turned on “silently” and “unexpectedly” when toggling transmit focus between run and pounce with an offset in the “to” frequencies. SkookumLogger now turns SPLIT off and on depending on the size of the offset, but does _not_ change the on/off state of RIT and XIT.

When grabbing a spot, SkookumLogger now offsets the transmit frequency down 50 Hz from the spot frequency. That positions your transmit frequency halfway between the 100 Hz quantization steps of spot frequencies, so you won’t be exactly zero-beat with others grabbing the same spot.

Misfeatures fixed

The command for merging WSJT-X ADIF into an existing SkookumLogger log was deleting all the QSOs in the original log. Thanks AF8A.

The YCCC SO2R Box radio mapping buttons for Radio 1 were not functioning. Thanks GØDVJ.

The latest version of SkookumLogger is available free of charge for download here.