The SOTA team who manage the SOTA database, have recently announced the February 29, 2020 shutdown of SOTAwatch2 and full implementation of SOTAwatch3. Details are available here.
So, what does this mean for VK port-a-log users?
For those using any version published before March 2019, including all Moondarra versions, the worst case is all SOTAwatch spot functions within VK port-a-log will stop operating and only SOTA chaser files will be accepted for upload.
Fortunately a small group have been beta testing a new version that is fully compatible with all the published changes that are coming to SOTAwatch. A number of bugs have been found and corrected and final testing is now underway.
In addition to being fully compatible with SOTAwatch3, the new version also has the following additions;
- Post QSO entry is now available
- Short-cuts to common settings from the opening splash screen
- ParksnPeaks spots are now processed via the new Parksnpeaks API
- GPS coordinates display on the location screen now rounded to 5 decimal places
- “On this day…” notifications only show once per day
- SOTAwatch spots can be set to only show latest spot for each call sign
- ParksnPeaks spots can be set to only show latest spot for each call sign
- Hot keys can be hidden from the logging screen
- On-air call sign can be shown at the top of screen
- Tap SOTAwatch spots title to refresh spots list
- Tap ParksnPeaks spots title to refresh spots list
- Added S2S summit reference to SOTA notes field in combined SOTA csv file
- Increased refresh of Spot sent time
- Improved management of access to SOTAwatch and ParksnPeaks
- Five drop down texts for SOTAwatch spot comments
- Five drop down texts for ParksnPeaks spot comments
- Option to use last selected SOTAwatch spot comment as default comment
- Option to clear existing SOTAwatch spot comment when new comment is selected
- Option to use last selected ParksnPeaks spot comment as default comment
- Option to clear existing ParksnPeaks spot comment when new comment is selected
- Improved layout of logging screen with larger space for callsign entry
- SMS SOTAwatch spots added – including SMS gateways in Australia, Europe, North America, Austria, Hungary and Italy
- SMS ParksnPeaks spots added – SMS gateway in Australia only
- Antenna in use field added to activation settings, ADIF and _all.csv output files
- Recall of contacted station’s SOTA, WWFF and/or VK Shire reference from the previous QSO on the same local day.
- Various non-critical bugs have also been fixed.
All going well the next release of VK port-a-log will be made available, via the vk3zpf logger – IO group file section, on Tuesday 28 January 2020.