Greetings:

There are, of course, many issues in this plan.  These two seemed to strike a familiar sounding chord with me.  I believe that we have a fine IT Department, and I note that it is being increased by one additional employee.  Item E (highlights provided), has the proviso that a new application would be provided by a vendor with practically no information available on-line ($79,000 in annual revenue and two employees), and involve minimal involvement by the IT Department.  Item G (highlights provided), provides for databases to be upgraded by an unnamed programmer, again with minimal involvement by the IT Department.  Both of these issues give me bad feelings of deja vu.  Does anyone share those feelings with me?

Bob Vallio, W6RGG


"E. Repeater Database

The current ARRL Repeater Database is more than 10 years old. It is used to store repeater 

records contributed by affiliated coordinators throughout the United States and Canada. Each 

year this data is “harvested” to create the ARRL Repeater Directory, TravelPlus and the Repeater 

Directory app for iPhones and Android.

While the repeater coordination community has continued to evolve, including new processes for 

managing the more than 23,000 repeater records that exist, our database has fallen well behind 

the times. As a result, maintaining the database requires significant Headquarters resources. 

Repeater coordinators have frequently asked for the means to automatically upload information 

to the database, but that is not possible with the current system. They also have asked for the 

means to readily edit the Repeater Directory database information online, functionality not 

currently available. This issue is becoming particularly serious because new technology such as 

DMR and D-STAR require more user information than our database structure can presently 

accommodate.

At the same time, our software customers have come to expect automatic updating of repeater 

data in a manner similar to other applications they purchase. At the present time, a TravelPlus

customer purchases a CD that will be essentially obsolete within a month after the purchase due 

to the ever-changing nature of repeater information. To his frustration, he soon discovers that he 

lacks the ability to update his TravelPlus software over the Internet, which is a common feature 

with other software products. This is a particularly embarrassing shortcoming of the Repeater 

Directory Smartphone app in an age where Smartphone apps are expected to update 

automatically.

Our expectation is the repeater database along with the web application would be created, 

maintained, and technically supported by DHF Systems. The specification document for this 

project would be the responsibility of the Production Department and involve minimal 

involvement by the IT department."



"G. Contest Logging and Scoring Access Database 

The current Contest databases are written as MS Access databases and reports are generated 

through queries from these databases. The routines which manipulate the data are in need of 

serious repair in many cases and need to be updated to reflect changes over the years in various 

contest rules, etc. We’ve reached a point where significant manual effort is required to produce 

the results for each contest result.

By upgrading the databases, including the version of MS Access utilized, and routines we will 

improve both the efficiency of the work as well as the overall contest administration. The 

upgraded databases will benefit all the contests and aid in streamlining the mailing process of all 

certificates. These databases are expected to be upgraded by an outside programmer with 

minimal involvement by the IT department."