Where are my logs?

No not wooden logs, contest logs.

Field Day 2009 was great. (photos HERE) The club did well, but not as good as I would have imagined we could do. The DVK setup was a miserable failure. I had to resort to manual phone operation. But still, that aspect did not prevent any contacts. We got the contacts we got (524), and didn't 'lose' any, band conditions were miserable on 40M. More about that in another post...

So it's 2:PM or so on Sunday, and I am shutting stuff down and packing it up, I go to save the log to a USB flash drive, and nada. N3FJP Field Day logging software saves it in the Program Files (i86) folder. So I go looking for them. Nada. Nothing. WHERE'S MY LOG FILES?!?!

Apparently, starting in Vista, Microshaft started 'caching' files in an obscure location. Apparently M$ doesn't trust us to do things normally, so they need to do things abnormally for us. Seems like there is an AppData folder somewhere that contains all sort of 'user' files that we aren't trusted or even allowed to access. It is called 'Compatibility Files' in Microgeek talk.

In my opinion, virtualization is another way for Microsux to say "I know something you don't know"...

The official word on this is that starting in Vista, the rules are that if you don't have explicit (by requesting) elevated permissions to write to C:\Program Files, the system lets you think you are writing there but actually redirects (virtualizes) your writes elsewhere. (or so Scott Hanselman sez...)

On the surface, this sucks in a huge way, especially for ANYBODY in the "where are my files" kind of way. As far as programs on my system, there's a number of "mal-behaved" programs that are getting their writer redirected to the "Virtual Store." Of note are MSN Messenger, the new Nero, and FireFox. I think it is the main reason Win 7 was destroyed (went FUBAR) by Directory Opus 9 a week before Field Day. On a 64-bit system the implications are even worse...

Hanselman also sez:

The other really bad UI issue is that there's no way to get to the compatibility-based Virtual Store from the common file open/save dialogs. The same redirection CAN happen with apps that try to write to registry in HKLM, so watch for that also if something "goes missing."

I can see how hard they're working to make Vista more secure while still maintaining extensive backward compatibility. I haven't had any apps (other than one Java app) bork under Vista yet, but things like this Virtual Store will be confusing until new minor releases of apps with a modicum of Vista-awareness come out.

So where are my logs? When you open Windoze Explorer and you access a folder that has 'virtualized' files, a toolbar button appears that is labeled 'Compatibility Files', click on that button, and voila! There are your files. You can treat them as if they actually exist where you see them...

N3FJP Logging Software

In an unprecidented move, FD Chairman Chuck WA1NBU authorized a change in the logging program used by SOVARC at Field Day 2009.

I find it hard to believe that the previous logging software, WR9R lasted as long as it did. Must be everyone upgraded from DOS machines to those new-fangled Winderz computers. Now all we need to do is get Skip to fork out the $6.00 it will take to get a registration code...

This is pretty easy software to use, you can use either the spacebar or the enter key to advance between fields in the exchange, and you can edit easily also. There is a networked version available, but operating 3A with a GOTA station really doesn't lend itself to networking, the need just isn't there. Maybe next year I can get some fiber adapters and connect everyone up, but with this rinky-dink operation (in comparison to some 24A station setups) it is really pretty easy to dump the logs and figure things out on paper.

DVK and CW really work well with this package if you have the time, patience and interface to connect it all up. Skip NC2T and Bob WA2VYZ will do well in the CW tent, they are both pretty saavy operators and will have things totally automated while everyone else is still struggling to get antennas tuned. Even Novice operators will find it easy to use, dupes are displayed almost immediately and in a large font that is easily read. The operators just need to insure that you set the band and mode appropriately, especially on multi-band stations.

The window size seems to fit the screen well, especially on a wide-screen laptop. The color scheme looks good, but there are a couple text color changes you can make if you find differentiating worked callsigns difficult. There is even a graph and map available, but I haven't investigated those options yet, I have been busy with the DVK stuff as well as work and travel as of late. As mentioned in a previous post I should be able to get the voice exchanges recorded over the weekend if I can find some quiet time, and then start to take a few pix of the setup so I can have something to refer to when it comes time to set it all up again.

In the next couple weeks I will be installing Windows 7 on a couple laptops, I just got my RC (Release Candidate) in both 32-bit and 64-bit versions. Wouldn't it be cool to run Win 7 at Field Day! The Win 7 RC won't officially expire until June 1st 2010, but it will start shutting down every two hours starting March 1st 2010. Plenty of time to play!

I wonder if Win 7 will do full-duplex...?