[MacLoggerContest] Any other topics?

[Jack Brindle]

I'll second what Don says here. The formats, protocols and network  
communications for the various PC-based programs are closely-held  
secrets. With few exceptions, the authors have not collaborated to  
share this information, instead choosing to reinvent the formats so  
that users are locked in to their own programs. To be fair, testing  
with everyone else's program would be a bear, especially since those  
programs tend to change very often. Also, in some cases the information  
changes with every release since it is extremely closely related to the  
internal data format of the program (for those cases).

While there may be some cracks in the information wall, don't expect  
these authors to open up their network formats. The cracks? TLF is a  
Linux-based open-source program. There may be a couple of others in  
this vein as well.

I believe there are several common areas where we may lead the way with  
standard, open methods. M/M network data formats and protocols is  
certainly one, as well as a common contest definition format. Any  
others?

On Feb 28, 2005, at 6:47 AM, Don Agro wrote:

> On 28-Feb-05, at 9:29 AM, John Bastin wrote:
>
>> I'll put in a second to that request. For maximum usefulness, we need  
>> to be compatible in data formats and transfer protocols with what's  
>> already out there.
>
> If compatibility with multiple existing undocumented data transfer  
> protocols is a show stopper - well then consider the show stopped - at  
> this end anyway.
>
> This is just so far from reasonable that I am (almost) speechless.
>
> Cabrillo, ADIF fine - but interoperability with PC network loggers  
> when THEY don't even interoperate ?

- Jack Brindle, W6FB
------------------------------------------------------------------------ 
---------------------