I read one thread where someone said they thought it could be done via computer software with changes. We should not have to do this. It apparently does not work based on other comments.
HAMRS programmers should be able to simplify this task. I have three computers that are in use for my Ham radio operations. A laptop, a desktop in my office, and a desk top in my shack. I use them all when logging various QSOs from various contests, POTA, and field days.
I recently started logging a POTA park activation on my lap top. It is a bit cumbersome and the lack of a side number pad for quick entry of numbers is slow. I had 866 QSOs to enter so after entering about 150 sitting in my recliner, I moved to my desktop in my office [Larger keyboard, monitor, and more options on keyboard]. I signed into HAMRS again and to my surprise, my file was not in my HAMRS application. WTFluff??? Rebooted and tried again… NO JOY. Went to my other desk top…still no joy. Loaded the ADIF file from laptop to a thumb drive and tried to see if it could be loaded that way into my desk tops. Nope. Still no joy.
Only after this did I find out that you can only use ONE COMPUTER AND ONE COMPUTER ONLY to enter and load a complete activation. You cannot back it up to another computer or its hard drives in the HAMRS format. You can save an ADI[F} file, but given that I do not have an ADIF reader, it is then converted to ??? WHat? and it is not visible. A friend has ADIFMASTER and he said his file of 300 QSO’s produced a .adi file of over 100 pages if he printed it.
I routinely back up files from one computer to another and from one computer to external hard drives as a safety protocol after having the internal hard drive of a computer crash with no warning. I cannot do this with the HAMRS files and this will cause me to hunt for a more user friendly program. I know that HAMRS programmers have to know that this is an unsatisfactory arrangement to use and operate this system.
I like the HAMERS format, but I do not like the fact that I cannot start on one computer and either finish, modify, or save my work to/from another computer.
Two questions for the forum:
Is there a way to work from two different computers without having to reenter the data and still be operating on the HAMRS program?
IS HAMRS doing anything to remedy this situation before I change logging programs?
Unfortunately, this is not a feature HAMRS currently supports. It is an often-requested capability and many of us would like to see it.
Personally though I find HAMRS is ideal as a field logging app, and I don’t typically need to edit the same log on multiple devices. I export the ADIF and import it to my desktop logging software for long-term storage.
But of course everyone’s use cases are different.
I don’t understand your comment though about printing an ADIF file. Why would you do this? You can always edit the ADIF with ADIF Master on a Windows PC or via a simple text editor if you need to do so.
I know that @jarrett was working on a cloud sync function but I’m not sure of the projected timeline for this.
As for making backups, export the ADIF and keep it in a safe place. You can always open it with one of the several full-featured logging apps out there if you need to (or with the aforementioned ADIF Master).
I will add to and repeat what KZ3L said, that HAMRS was designed and intended for a field logging app for real-time use in POTA activations. It was never intended for log transcription, multi-day operations, or after-the-fact usage. There are many excellent programs available for that purpose. I know that Jarrett has bent over backwards trying to accommodate those who insist on much more than the original intent of the application, and, while that may be admirable, I think it has overloaded him and sadly introduced a lot of unnecessary bloat to the application. The design of HAMRS yields excellent results when used as it was intended, to log contacts in a field environment as they happen. It is actually pretty lousy for “post-production” work like consolidating logs for a multi-day or multi-operator operation, editing logs after the fact, and other duties it was not intended for. Use it in the field, and look for something else for home use.
My $.0002
Michael WA7SKG
I appreciate the feedback from both of you WA7SKG and KZ3L.
Just call me old fashioned. I have been to four POTA activations where the computers or tablets program crashed and contacts were lost as the operators of the computers were busy trying to regain their contact with their devices. Being we had four operators, we kept rolling. I guess we could have shut down while the 5-10 minutes it took each of them during the day to regain their reboot and application restarts, but since I had all of my hand written notes on the QSOs, they were able to recover what they lost from my notes. I have seen apple devices shut down due to heat issues in the Southeast Texas heat of a few weeks ago… bounding around 100-102. If I did not have my paper logs, we were done for the day. I do not have a reliable laptop for use in the field without 110V power. It is an old laptop [HP from 2009 with windows 7], and I don’t have the several hundred dollars to buy a new one versus my next radio for field use other than my IC7300. It is in my wish list.
I keep my QSOs on paper and I have not lost one yet. HAMRS does make a good logging program for converting written to adif. I have not demanded HAMRS to do anything, just that it would be nice if you could transport the ADIF that you have made, partially made, or made for another operator [They have a full time job and I volunteered to help them out due to their laptop loosing their hot spot and the program going down. Please don’t ask me details as I was talking on the SYP POTA team at the time. I had my paper notes.
I also periodically print my logs to create hard copies of them. I have had computers crash between backups and lose the hard drive and everything on them. It is frustrating. I have been able to go back to my paper logs and confirm or reject QSO requests.
There are reasons to want to be able to move files between computers and to be able to read them without looking at ADIF MASTER or any similar spreadsheet program.
WA7SKG, you mention other programs that are user friendly that will allow you to move files between computers. Would you please identify some of them so that I can check into them. I thank you in advance for doing so.
I am slowly finding or correcting operator issues with the HAMRS program, but that is to be expected with a new program. I do enter my written logs into a digital format in order to load them into both POTA and QRZ.com.
I thank each of you for your insight and thoughts on this. I still think that it would be nice to have the ability for the HAMRS system to be portable between computers.
I’ve been doing POTA for almost 2 years. I usually take both an iPad and a Fire Tablet with me on activations, since I occasionally forget to completely charge the iPad and it runs out of juice. Then I can finish logging on the Fire Tablet. When I get home, I export both parts of the log to myself by email. Then it’s only a matter of copy/pasting one to the other inside the ADIF spreadsheet to combine the two logs into one.
I realize that’s not what you’re asking about. You would like to have all your logs to be mirrored real time, and kept up to date on all your devices, even while they are in progress. That feature is not yet available.
At the risk of repeating what was mentioned above, HAMRS was not designed to be an archive logging program to store all your past logs. It was intended for POTA, and SOTA, (and a few others) in the field. And it does a pretty good job of it. But it was not designed to hold and be able to access all your past logs. For instance, while back, it was noticed that HAMRS became very slow entering QSOs when a large number of past logs had been stored. This became apparent after saving 100-150 logs. And it is not unusual for a ham to have thousands of POTA activations. That issue may have been fixed by now, but I no longer keep very many logs inside HAMRS itself. When I return from an activation, I proof check my log inside ADIF Master and then store it for archive on my laptop instead of in HAMRS on my iPad. After all, I am much more likely to lose or damage my iPad than my PC. If my logs were archived there they would be lost as well. That is until a mirroring feature was added.
I think HAMRS works extremely well within its limitations.
The adi files are just basic text files and you can view or edit them in any text editor. You just have to be careful to understand the format conventions.
I use N3FJP’s ACLog program for my primary logging needs. It exports adi files well and can also import adi files. In the field, I primarily log on paper and transcribe into HAMRS during lulls between contacts. I run HAMRS on a Kindle Fire tablet with external keyboard. I send the HAMRS exported file to myself so it is on my home computer. When I get home, I verify with my paper log for completeness and accuracy. I upload to POTA and import into ACLog. I do not use any other logging services like QRZ or LoTW.
If you are looking for a new computer, consider the Evolve III Maestro 11.6" Laptop Computer. Available at a number of places (MicroCenter, Amazon, etc.) for $60 and up. It is very popular, has fair reviews, and is seeing a lot of use in POTA activations.
Thank you for the information. I am looking for a computer for field use. Will check out the evolve… hopefully it will work with XXL sized hands. Not being familiar with Chromebooks, Are they viable or do they have a problem with storing data once you turn them off?
I have been using my iPhone for logging on POTA actos but recently got one of those Maestro Evolve boxes (Josh/KI6NAZ’s suggestion via YouTube) and have now got HAMRS on that beast too. Yeah, it’s a bit of work fishing my hieroglyphic paper logs into digital but once done, I can submit & relax. The rest of the time, at least with FT8, that software does a log but I also scribble into a real paper log book. Some people are gonna be cavepersons for a long time & at my age, I am not only one of 'em but proud of it. Even if the modern world tends to frighten and terrify me. 73 de W8IJN
Sync between devices when i have HAMRS is a main reason why i am now on HAMRS and why i playing with it. I wait to sync - only this make sense for me. I would like use HAMRS on my phone on WWFF or SOTA activation and than check the logs on my laptop where i can in my home office make the export to eqsl for example. I dont have a more logs software, why? HAMRS is good for me, simple, easy, nice, i have use HAMRS as my only one and main logging software. I dont have time to play with milions of softwares and looking for another one. I like HAMRS and i would like sync between platform. For sure, i undestand, it is hard work and i am ready to pay for this func. Hope the author will add this function (synchro) in short time and i am will the first who will pay them for it (some let say “normal” money for sure). That is for my point of view. 73 from Czech, OK1SIM, Michal