G'Day Dermot,

There is no FAQ, but there is a lot of material in the LOGic Help. I guess you have looked there, so let me give you some simple tips to get you started. It all seems a bit complicated, but once you understand the background, it all becomes fairly simple.

Understand how it works ...

Contest QSOs are stored in the your log, along with all your DXing QSOs.

The Contest logforms are a little different to a normal logform. Everything about the actually logging the QSO works exactly the same. The main difference is the configuration for, and the process to, calculate your score for the contest.

The scoring is done in real time as you log, but also as can be run as a batch process at any time after the contest.

Depending on the contest, user-defined fields may be necessary to hold the "exchange" you receive in the contest. LOGic automatically creates user-defined fields to hold "facts" it needs for scoring. Is this QSO a dupe, a multiplier? How many points for this QSO, each multiplier for the QSO? After a contest you will see these values stored with the QSO - load the USERFIELDS logform and look through the QSOs.

To print a report of your contest, you must load a contest logform first, and then run the contest report.

Configure the contest

To calculate the score for a contest, LOGic needs to know what fields/values accumulate what points, when. To know what QSOs to count, one needs to tell LOGic how the QSOs are marked, and for what dates.

As for any logform, for your convenience during the contest, there are places where you can "bring forward" values from older QSOs in the contest.

Where do you start?

Start by looking through the existing contest logforms to see if there is one provided. Contesting, Open Contest Log form. Start with a simple contest - a simple zone or serial number based contest like CQ WW or CQ WPX. When you understand the process you can get more ambitious.

Basic setup

Open the configuration material for the logform by using the menu at top left of the form - Log, Setup. Click on the Contest panel heading.
Note the "Contest mode on" check box. Any log form can become a contest logform.

The contest-id field should be set to the usual ADIF code for the contest. See www.adif.org This code and the dates below it determine the QSOs used to score the contest associated with this logform.

There are a series of vertical panels to the right. If you start with a "simple" "common contest" like CQ WW or CQ WPX, then everything you need has already been done in these panels, and I will not describe them further. Ask if you want to know something specific about them.

Logging QSOs in a contest

A contest form is no different to a normal logform. A contest is about "performance", and you want to make the process of logging as simple, quick and predictable as you can make it.

Everyone is different, the form for CQ WW or CQ WPX may not be as you would like, so feel free to ...

Unlock the form and move the fields about a bit. Hide unnecessary fields by dragging them to the "rubbish bin". Change the tab order of the fields by using the middle icon at top right when the form is unlocked. Add user-defined fields by using "the waiter".

TIPS

Start simple with an SSB contest, and no recorded messages. Gradually add more functions of LOGic, recorded messages, function keys, to automate the process and improve your score. Pretend/practice running in your own contests to test out features and functions as you add them.

BIG TIP: Proper prior preparation prevents poor performance in any contest - practice practice practice. To do that ... set the contest-id to a "unique test code" of your choosing, and set the dates to include today and the next few days. Then "pretend" to operate in the contest and use all the tools to see how you went - hihi. When you have finished your testing, use Tools, Advanced, Database commands, use log; delete all for "test code" $ contest_id. Log backup is a good thing to be doing.

Alternatively, learn how to use the DATA=<folder> directive on the LOGic shortcut, so you can add a shortcut for LOGic that will start LOGic with a "test log database". Search Help for networking or multiple databases. Ask if you need help with this.

The fields used in the contest simply need to be in order, within the Tab Order. They don't have to be at the top or the bottom, and no field can be removed. When you add a blank record for the QSO, the cursor starts in the CALL field. So, in the Tab Order, the contest fields need to be grouped after the entry for CALL. When you enter a QSO, use TAB to move through the fields recording the exchange, and finish with ENTER to log the QSO - see LogForm, Log, Setup, General.

One can have as many logforms as your heart desires. There is nothing special about any one logform. If your contest uses the same scoring as CQ WW, simply copy the CQ WW logfrom and rename the logform for your contest. Each year, copy last years logform, and update a logform for this years contest, entering all the dates and codes for this year. Use Manage Log Forms button on the form open dialogue. You now have a log form per contest that you enter, and can reload, look at, report on, and generally analyse your performance at any time in the future.


Conclusion

LOGic is a great QSO logging and reporting program - especially for DXing. Casual contesting works great with LOGic. For serious high performance radio contesting, one is much better off with a logging program that specialises in contesting. I use N1MM+ Logger. In total contrast, N1MM is very poor at DX QSO logging and does not do reporting of any sort, but is fantastic for logging QSOs in a contest as fast as you can tune the radio, listen, speak/key and type. Then the issue becomes EXPORT/IMPORT/ADIF/CABRILLO to get the N1MM logged QSO data into LOGic for analysis and reporting.


I hope I have helped in some way. Please ask if you have any more questions, or need help.

Thank You Peter,

I also found your detailed post very interesting and it answered a few questions that have developed over the years and are now answered.
Chris/KB7EEG