Databases & Logs
N1MM Logger Classic – Databases and Logs
N1MM Logger Databases Overview
N1MM Logger uses databases to store things like contest logs. You can have multiple logs in a single database and you can have multiple databases. If you are going to use N1MM Logger as an everyday RTTY program or for DXing, then you can use the default database that opens when you first start the program and not worry about databases. If you are going to use N1MM Logger for its main purpose of contesting, then you need to have an understanding of how the databases work. What is shown here is basic information on how to access and create databases and logs. Detailed information on N1MM Logger databases can be found in N1MMLogger.pdf.
When you first open N1MM Logger, it opens to the default database called ham.mdb. You can see this when you go to the File pull-down menu in the main Entry window. To look to see what’s in the ham.mdb database, click on Open Log in Database: C:\N1MM Logger\ham.mdb in the File menu.
A window opens showing the contents of the ham.mdb database. The default existing logs in the ham.mdb database are DX and DELETEDQS. (Every new database created in N1MM Logger includes both the DX and DELETEDQS logs by default). DX is the default log which opens the first time you run the program. If you were to log a contact, it would go into the DX log in the ham.mdb database. The DELETEDQS log is a special log. If you delete a contact from any log within that particular database, the contact is automatically placed into the DELETEDQS log in that database. If you ever mistakenly delete a contact from a log, the contact information can be retrieved from the DELETEDQS log. You should never delete theDELETEDQS log in a database. The other information contained on this screen pertain to Category data used when created a Cabrillo file after a contest.
Before trying to create a new databases and/or new log for contests, click on the Associated Files tab.
The Associated Files tab screen shows which files are associated with the log DX in the ham.mdb database. As you can see, the default message files for CW, SSB and Digital are already associated with the database as well as the Master.DTA file. Let’s say you created a DX.mc message file for working DX. You can associate that message file to the DX log by clicking on the Change button next to the Digital Function Key Filename. (If you created a DX.mc message file following the steps in the Set up RTTY Messages – Page 1 page, then it may already be associated with this database).
When you click the Change button next to the Digital Function Key Filename, the Open Files window opens where you select which message file you wish to associate with that particular log DX.
Working with Contest Logs & Databases
You can create as many databases as you want and you can create as many logs in a single database as you want. You can create a database for each contest, or you can create a database for a series of contests, or all contests within one year, or whatever you want. If you are using N1MM Logger for contesting, think about how you want to approach databases and logs. The simplest form would be to create a new database for each contest and create one contest log in that database. The choice is up to you. In our example, we will create a one database for the 2013 BARTG contest. In that database, we will create one log for the BARTG HF RTTY Contest.
To create a new database, go to the File menu on the Entry window and select New Database.
The Create New Database screen will open where you name your new database. In this example, the new database will be calledBARTG2013.MDB. After naming the database, click Save.
Next we have to create a new log in our new database. Go to the File menu and select New Log in Database: C:\N1MM Logger\BARTG2013.MDB.
When the database screen opens, use the Log Type pull-down menu to select the contest BARTGSRTTY (if you are unsure of the abbreviations for the contests shown, refer to N1MMLogger.pdf.) It can be confusing. As you can see there are three BARTG contests to choose from. BAR75RTTYS is for the BARTG 75 RTTY Sprint, BARTGRTTYS is for the BARTG RTTY Sprint and BARTGSRTTY is for the BARTG HF RTTY Contest (this contest used to be called the BARTG Spring RTTY contest but was changed to BARTG HF RTTY Contest) which we are setting up for. Next we will complete theContest tab information concerning the categories pertinent to the contest. When finished, click OK.
Now if you open the database, you will see the BARTGSRTTY log in the database.
It’s a good idea to create a message file for each contest you plan to operate. For the 2013 BARTG Contest, a message file called BARTG.mc would be created. The following year, when you create a log for the 2014 BARTG Contest, you would associate the already-created message file BARTG.mc to that log. And if you needed to make changes to that message file, the changes you make will be available for the 2015 contest, etc.
N1MM Classic Quickstart Guide Index Page
1. Download and install N1MM Classic.
2. Set up N1MM Classic Configuration.
3. Set up Digital Interface window for MMTTY.
4. Set up 2Tone in a receive-only window.
5. Set up RTTY messages Page 1 – Basics, Function keys F1-F12
6. Set up RTTY messages Page 2 – Buttons on the Digital Interface.