Part of the Notes From The Shack…
series.
Scott Davis, N3FJP and his fine team at Affirmatech have created a constellation of software logging packages. His AC Call Log is one of the more popular software loggers, and there are dozens of computer assisted logging programs. Not only does his software do the usual logging, easy uploads to e-QSL and Logbook of the World, address labels, but under the VIEW tab I found some interesting statistics.
A screen snapshot taken from my log:
Total Contacts by Band and Mode:
Band CW Phone Dig Total %
—- — —– — —– —
160 0 9 25 34 1
80 0 1,192 178 1,370 41
40 0 208 210 418 13
30 0 0 70 70 2
20 0 55 81 136 4
17 0 8 2 10 0
15 0 4 20 24 1
12 0 1 0 1 0
10 0 96 2 98 3
6 0 1 0 1 0
2 0 1,137 5 1,142 35
— —– — —– —
Total 0 2,711 593 3,304 100
A few months ago, 80m made up 43% of my total contacts, and 2m made up 33%. This Summer and Fall I made a deliberate effort to make contacts on “anything but 80m”. That has not gone so well, as the shift from 80m to 2m shows, but I made more contacts on 30m (a fun band!) as well as 20m and 40m. I am always amazed at how, while my perception is that most of my radio time is spent on digital modes, phone is the mode on which the bulk of my contacts have been made.
The N3FJP statistics also show the ARRL sections (usually obtained from contest loggers and imported into AC Call Log afterwards), states, countries, etc. The item I wish it tracked was mode by type: RTTY; PSK31, FT8 etc.
Total Contacts by State \ Prov:
State Total %
—– —– —
PA 1,283 39
VA 1,016 31
NC 189 6
(blank) 98 3
MD 63 2
FL 47 1
This screen snapshot shows my top five states (plus the ever popular “blank”).
I am not sure which surprised me more: that 70% of all my contacts were made with two states, or that NC ranks third, or that MD ranks fifth.
Follow the trail below to the Know-How Resources Tab to read more about computers and amateur radio, https://www.radioclub-carc.com/resources/
See ‘ya down the log.
Frank KB3PQT