Bob, DHF Systems is the LLC under which Alan Ambrose, N8DHF, does business. Alan has been one of the contractors in TravelPlus dating back to before my tenure as editor of the Repeater Directory (2001-2004). He consistently produced good work on a timely basis during my tenure, and although the maintenance of the repeater database is (mercifully) long since outside my responsibility, he would have been the first person I would have suggested for the project described in the plan. Clearly, someone else on staff feel the same. I'll have to leave your question about the contest logging and scoring database to others with more expertise. I'll be QRV in the ARRL 10 meter contest this weekend, CW only, QRP. Looking forward to working you all. 73, Brennan T. Price, N4QX Chief Technology Officer American Radio Relay League 3545 Chain Bridge Rd Ste 209 Fairfax VA 22030-2708 Tel +1 703 934-2077 Fax +1 703 934-2079 ________________________________________ From: arrl-odv [arrl-odv-bounces@reflector.arrl.org] on behalf of Vallio, Bob, W6RGG Sent: Friday, December 12, 2014 18:39 To: arrl-odv Subject: [arrl-odv:23618] Comments on Proposed 2015-2016 Plan -- Board Confidential 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."