SOTA CSV Editor Updating Summits Database

Well the download works.

Thanks Andrew.

However the first line of the CSV appears to have changed and the date format in the first line of the CSV that used to be DD/MM/YYYY in numeric form is now DD/MMM/YYYY where MMM is an abbrievated month in English (Mar = March).

As my code uses that date the processing of the date no longer works correctly.

OK, thatā€™s been fixed and a new summitslist generated.

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Currently it seems that something has happened since Sunday 29th March and SOTA CSV Editor is again unable to download the SummitsList CSV file - if you need to update then the manual download process (as in my first post) will once again be required.

I just tried to update the SummitsList in the CSV Editor using the directions above. Somehow I messed it up and now I am unable to upload my logs. When I hit the UPLOAD button I get a ā€œError on Line 0: No V2 header foundā€. Any Idea what I did wrong or how to fix it? Guess I should have left it alone.
Tim - K5DEZ

Does the file have too many columns?
Is the first row data or headings?

The problem with uploading the CSV not working is a separate issue:

In part caused by me not fully testing (as I thought I had) the uploading of the files after my program update I made on Sunday and in part by the Database system being different in the way it handles two different variants of the so called V2 CSV files.

I will issue an update (V1.5.7.1) shortly that reverts back to saving the file in the older of the ā€˜V2ā€™ formats that has a header like:

Signature,Call (my call),Full Reference (my summit),Date,Time,Band,Mode,Call (his call),Full Reference (his summit),Notes

Instead of the version I issued on Sunday that uses:

Version,YourCallsign,Your Summit,Date,Time,Band,Mode,OtherCallsign,OtherSummit,Comments

which is what you currently get if you download from the Database, but it seems does not correctly accept that format for upload.

This update will NOT address the issue of the SummitsList CSV update (as that is much more complex and I have yet to fathom out how to solve that one).

After installing the new update version you will need to make the program re-save the opened CSV log in order to update the header format - double-click an entry in the current log to pop up the ā€œEdit Log Entryā€ Dialog and then click ā€˜Updateā€™ should do that.

Andy, it is the same log file I have been using and not sure how to figure out what your are asking. I know enough to be dangerous but still have a hard time with computers. Somehow when I tried to download and insert the new summitlist it seems to have corrupted chaser log file. I uninstalled to previous version of the csv editor and now have the V1.5.7.1 and started a new ā€œChaser logā€ and it seems to upload to the database OK now. Kind of a bummer because I had several hundred contacts in the original one but at least the database still has them all with my points too. I should have stuck with what I knowā€¦If it ainā€™t brokeā€¦Donā€™t Fix Itā€¦
Tim - K5DEZ

Tim,

You should be able to open the one you were previously using and just edit any entry by double-clicking one and then click the ā€˜updateā€™ button which should cause the program to re-save the CSV in the form that does work correctly with the database site.

I have reported to the Database Manager the issue with the database site not accepting the same upload format as it provides in the download (I thought Iā€™d tested compatibility before releasing V1.5.7.0 but clearly I missed something).


Stewart G0LGS

OK, Thanks Stewart. I will give that a try.
Tim - K5DEZ

A further update to V1.5.7.2 has just been released that should have resolved (again) the issue of updating the Summits List.

For anyone that understands: It is using ā€˜curlā€™ binary to download the files instead of libcurl. (as I cannot get the newer libcurl to link correctly with mingw 32).


Stewart G0LGS

Stewart,

I just downloaded your V1.5.7.2 update, and I am surprised and delighted !!

The update installed easily. The summits database took a few minutes to download, but it completed and updated perfectly, as far as I can tell.

I logged a new chaser contact, uploaded it to the SOTA Database, there were no problems, and the SOTA logs look perfect online.

I had not actually used your program until yesterday. I saw these threads here on the reflector, and when I saw the endorsements from K9IR and K5DEZ, I paid attention. These are two of the better, busy activators over here!

I downloaded and installed V 7.1, and when I started using it, I realized that it was already configured. I had installed an older version back in 2017! I had never learned to use it, and I had forgotten about it!

With the change to the new V2 database files, I found difficulty entering my logs directly into the database as I had done for years. I ended up re-typing several huge logs because of errors I made.

Most of my activator logs are large, and they are getting larger, because of the many chasers staying in their homes to keep away from the virus. I just cannot do perfect data entry.

I discovered I could no longer download a log for correction and upload it again, as with the old database, because of the format problems. Iā€™m not the only one!

When I saw your announcement of your new updates, I jumped on it! I was able to get started and through the initial learning curve, thanks to your excellent instructions.

I made one tragic SAVE-AS mistake and saved one huge log over another, even with a warning from your program, my fault, losing the first log before I had uploaded in to the database. I had to re-type that one, but it was good practice!

I uploaded both huge log files to the SOTA Database yesterday, and they were accepted without any glitches. The S2S contacts went to the activator, chaser, and S2S logs perfectly, with a single upload of each V2 CSV file!

I read your warnings about where to enter the summit codes, etc., and since I log many S2S contacts, these comments are very relevant.

Hopefully others will take note of what I say here.

The new SOTA Database has pushed many of us to create and edit CSV files for upload, instead of directly typing them into the database. They actually advise us to do this for large logs - they are correct - but there is no path to follow, no clear instructions, alternatives, etc.

It seems to me that there should be a link from the Database to your website, so that others can find your useful program tools!! Your CSV editor is a game-changer for me. This is a good program, it works, and it even runs OK on my Windows XP machine!

Iā€™m embarrassed that it took me three years to learn to use it!

They didnā€™t make it easy for you to continue to import updates from the summits database, but you solved that problem quickly. I didnā€™t expect that so soon!

Iā€™m a lot better at activating than I am at logging and navigating through databases, and your hard work is a great gift in these frightening times we are stuck in. This is good news!

Thank you and 73!

George
KX0R

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I think I added the V2 format in maybe 2013 or 2014 so itā€™s not really new.

MT member Christophe ON6ZQ maintains an excellent index of SOTA software amongst many other useful items on his website at ON6ZQ | SOTA related software

Thereā€™s always a great feeling when you find a tool that does something useful, especially if it also greases a process that was awkward or easy to foul up before.

Thank you Andy!

73

KX0R