>I started this thread so I'll chime in a bit more. It seems to me that >all the responders so far (including Rapidan thru some private emails) >have agreed that processing pre 1975 CW confirmations is a problem with >DX4WIN. Some suggestions have been offered to circumvent the problem >but all suggestions have required some manual manipulation either with >the data itself or the DXCC reports or both. Since this is a known >deficiency might it be better to develop some ways to change the DX4WIN >internals such that no manipulation is necessary?
I've used DX4WIN for several years as my sole general logging program and still think it's the best of the lot. But... it's maddening that doing a DXCC CW report is guaranteed to give erroneous results if your log has any CW QSOs prior to 1975. (My log has hundreds of them dating back to 1964.) It's never been clear to me why a program that can instantly retrieve IOTA designations from an external file can't use a similar technique to filter for DXCC award purposes. Shortly after I began using Version 4, I recall Steve replying to my query about why it couldn't pick up DXCC-eligible CW contacts to the effect "we can't possibly know the cutoff date for all awards." I would submit that DXCC CW is popular enough that an exception should be made for at least this one case. I handle picking up DXCC CW stats by putting all my post-1975 CW contacts in a group I call "CW Eligible" and filter for this group prior to generating CW stats. It's a clumsy workaround, but it does get the job done. This functionality really should be built into the code. I hope we can get enough users to clamor for this long-overdue feature that it will be built into succeeding versions. 73... Randy, W8FN
