[Dxspider-support] CTY-2006 Country Files - 04 October 2010

[Jim Reisert AD1C]

You must also download a new WPXLOC.RAW file from here:

    http://www.country-files.com/wpxloc/release.htm

Or you can wait for Dirk to update the CVS/git repositories with the new files.

73 - Jim AD1C

On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 2:21 PM, Jim Reisert AD1C <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu> wrote:

> The Country (CTY) Files were updated on 04 October 2010.
>
>    http://www.country-files.com/cty/
>
> To install the file(s), follow the link to your software at the top of
> the page.
>
> THIS IS A MAJOR RELEASE!  Before using the files, check with your
> software's reflector to see if there are additional instructions.
> There may be additional downloads required, or you might not choose or
> be able to use them right away.
>
>
> Here are the release notes:
>
>
> 4 October 2010 (CTY-2006)
> VER20101004, Version entity is Guadeloupe, FG
>
>    * Removed entities PJ2, Netherlands Antilles and PJ7, Sint Maarten
>
>    * Added four new entities resulting from the breakup of the
>      Netherlands Antilles starting 10 October 2010. This is tentative
>      and simply a "best guess" based on the available information. When
>      the ARRL announces the actual entities, the country files will be
>      updated ASAP.
>
>          o PJ2 - Curacao
>          o PJ4 - Bonaire
>          o PJ5 - Saba and St. Eustatius
>          o PJ7 - Sint Maarten
>
>    * Revised the list of USA callsign exceptions, based on the Super
>      Check Partial (SCP) release of 1 August 2010 and the latest FCC
>      database. USA callsigns that require only an ITU zone override are
>      now included, but only for states that lie entirely within the
>      same ITU zone, i.e. Indiana but not Illinois. This process is
>      entirely automated now, so the list of calls will be updated when
>      there is a country file released after a SCP release.
>
> This release of the country files is based on a complete tool rewrite
> and new flow, as well as a new set of input data. I finally decided to
> merge my two databases into one. I tried to maintain the original
> content in each country file as much as possible, however, there are
> bound to be some differences, mistakes or oversights. I have not tested
> all these files on all the different platforms. If something is wrong or
> missing, let me know and I will fix it ASAP.
>
> Some of the highlights:
>
>    * Many ITU zone overrides were added or corrected.
>
>    * Many old callsigns have been "retired". Thus you'll notice shorter
>      lists for Martinique, FM; UK callsigns beginning with GB and
>      various LU callsign overrides.  Calls are "retired" about a year
>      after they last appear on the bands. If an entity hasn't been
>      active for more than a year, then the last callsign used from that
>      entity will be in the country file.  Thus, these files are not
>      useful as a historical database (and they never have been).
>
>    * N3FJP is now a supported format.
>
>    * Win-Test files are generated "natively" rather than doing a text
>      substitution to the original CTY.DAT file. This results in a
>      cleaner design, as well as fixing a handful of bugs in the
>      previous Win-Test files.
>
>    * Win-Test (cty_wt_mod.dat) now has geographic coordinates for some
>      additional countries in Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and South
>      America.
>
>    * There are now additional files that WriteLog can use to enhance
>      beam headings for Africa, Asia, Europe, Oceania and South America.
>
>    * CT8, N3FJP, Win-Test and WriteLog have separate .ZIP files that
>      contain only the files needed for those programs. Of course,
>      CTY-####.zip still contains all the files.

-- 
Jim Reisert AD1C, <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.us