SOTA Summit Labels

I have just recoded a piece of software I have been using for a few years for my own use and have now made it more error proof. Don’t need so many error traps for personal use as I know how to avoid the bugs. It is now ready for release. It is more of a program aimed at the Activator but Chasers might find a use for it as well.

The program, software or are they called apps now, is a simple program that lets the user select the summit they are going to activate and places it in a box - User List. Either one or several summits can be added to the User List and the list can be printed out - as I do on the back of my maps or can be copied and pasted into Word, Excel etc.

The program once run will look for the summitslist.csv file in the same folder that the program is stored, if it can’t find it it will open an Open File dialog asking you to point it in the right direction. Don’t worry if you don’t have the summitslist.csv file on your computer just click Cancel and the program will start up in DemoMode.

Selecting File and Download you can use the fast download to get the most up to date version of the summitslist.csv from the SOTA site. This data does not come with the program so that you can always have the most current version.

I have included a set of Instructions under the Help menu which can be printed out in wanted. It is very easy to use and will display the details of the summits in the User List in a similar format as it does on the SOTA site. It does display the locator grid for all the summits along with the other relevant details for each summit.

So now you should have less excuse for giving the wrong summit details over the air to the chasers. :wink:

Here is the link https://www.dropbox.com/s/ir5gkpts0zyie2r/SOTA_labels.exe?dl=1 It is stored in my DropBox but you don’t have to register or anything daft like that, just click the link and download. Once downloaded run the program and say yes if you are asked “Are you sure?” Some of the anti virus programs will probably have a bit of a wobble and spit it back out but just tell it to ignore the program.

Thanks for having a look and any comment are welcome - - - and sorry but it is only a Windows program, if it runs on Linux then good but I haven’t had a chance to test it on Linux as yet.

73 Neil

1 Like

Hi Neil

Windblows 8.1 “smart screen” blocks your program (it’s only an app really if it runs on a phone or tablet) completely!

I’ll find a way around this though …

73 Ed.

Hi Ed,

Must admit I never tried it on anything higher than Windows 7. Thanks for that I might have a look at that if it causes too much problem. Might even try it on my old laptop that has Windows 3.1 - yes 3.1 on it. Hi Hi.

Neil

I tried it with Windows 7 and it came up with two excel type files, neither of which were able to be run here.

Hi Dave,

Sorry but don’t really understand what you mean. It doesn’t look for excel files but only csv.

Did it run at all or was it trying to load something?

I have read the original post, but I didn’t work out what the purpose of the program is !

Perhaps a short 10 - 15 word description would make it clear.

Stewart G0LGS

Stewart,

The purpose of the program is as follows;

Select the summits you wish to activate from the contained list, print out the list.

It is something I wrote a few years ago but only just decided to recode it for everyone - well not everyone, as not everyone will find a use for it. It is aimed mostly at the activators within the SOTA community especially those that plan multiple summits. I just thought it would help maybe reduce a few of the wrong summit references being given over the air. I found it tedious going through the summit history pages and copying and pasting the details into notepad or whatever every time I was planning my adventures.

It took me about 20 hours to code this which I think does a good job of displaying the data correctly - though a few of the Region/Summit names won’t display correctly on my machine, i.e. Ukraine.

It was just a bit of fun for me and after reading a previous thread I decided to recode my version to work for everyone and the person that gave me the idea to recode it was one of the first to try it before general release and he was happy with it.

If only a few like it then I’m happy. I’m sure someone will find a use for it.

Hope that clears it up a bit for you.

Neil

Hi Neil,

When I run the program I get the 1st display and clicking on either option gives the second display.

maybe you should try the software with the following csv-file …

http://www.sotadata.org.uk/summitslist.csv

73 Martin

Hi Dave

Can’t read your text but think I know what you mean.

As you have downloaded the program and it is automatically stored in the Downloads folder it will search there for the summitslist.csv file. If it doesn’t find it it open the Open file dialog so you can find the file required. As you have shown there is already two csv files in that folder but none are the correct one. Just select cancel and it will start in DemoMode from there you can try the program with the pre-installed data or got to File >> Download to down load the correct csv file which will be saved in the Downloads folder.

You have tried to open an incorrectly format csv file hence the reason for the “File appears to be wrong format”. The program checks particular bits of info within the csv file to verify that it the correct format.

Neil

Thanks - Got it working and saved to its own folder now.

Cheers - Dave