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mParks Converter – Hunter Edition

With the arrival of Ham2k PoLo Logger which creates logs for both POTA and WWFF activations simultaneously, the need for log conversion is waning.

mParks has entered its next stage of providing a sophisticated merge of spots from various sources and allowing simple logging to various destinations.

Spots from the following sources can be merged:

  • ParksnPeaks Spots webpage
  • HamAlerts (which allows for a huge range of personal filtering options)
  • CQGMA
  • POTA Spots

ParksnPeaks has been a pillar for portable operations in Australia, Spots for a range of programs e.g. Parks, Beaches, Silos, HEMA, SOTA etc. Publishing Spots and accepting Spots via API has been used widely by application providers.

HamAlerts provides a versatile filtering system for all manner of interests. Switching this feature on in mParks provides a very personal focus on your hunting activities.

CQGMA (Global Mountain Activity) is based in Germany and supported by Deutsche Amateur Radio (DAR). CQGMA also has API access for both retrieving and posting spots and focuses on many of the European activation programs. It is also a popular place for hunters keen on chasing the WWFF park activators.

The POTA program has a very good spotting page, also with api access for retrieval and posting. Whilst not trying to draw attention away from the POTA spots page, mParks provides a merged output for these and other sources so the Hunter can avoid having all these sources opened separately.

Main Features

mParks is a console which offers quick access to the resources and the following features:

  • Drive your Hunter activities from the Spots page. Log and re-spot your contacts with minimal data re-entry.
  • Send your logged contacts direct to QRZ or to any listening UDP server e.g. HRD or Log4OM etc.
  • Spot direct to POTA, CQGMA, Cluster server of your choice or ParksnPeaks and Log the contact simultaneously.
  • Log your contacts with user friendly comment/qslMessage fields prefilled.
  • One click to open a park’s exact position on google maps or POTA website.
  • Names files creation for use in PoLo logger as an offline resource for callsign/name lookups. This feature includes the ability to capitalise on contributions from other mParks users.
  • See at a glance the parks/summits which are new to you
  • Fast conversion of logs from WWFF to POTA or POTA to WWFF
  • Executes ADIF Master for log review and merging
  • Quick access to popular websites for spot review
  • Auto application updates
  • Comprehensive Help file
  • Park Administration module for all prefixes

The Programs

The WWFF and POTA programs were born from one origin but diverged some years ago. Their differences are based on the opinion that some key features would be more attractive to some people if they were modified from the original. They programs share a lot in common but also offer differences which may have greater appeal differently to different operators. To many, they are both attractive programs. The mParks utility gives operators the ability to be both agnostic towards both programs but, more importantly, to enjoy the involvement in an even bigger community of mobile operators.


Download the setup file from here
, the application will auto update when a new version is published.

The help file will explain the use which is very simple.

Many thanks to ParksnPeaks for access to their database.

Email Distributions in Cost Monitor

Cost Monitor has provides a distribution list function where Purchase Orders, Correspondence and Variation submissions are broadcast not only to the required recipient (e.g contractor) but also to an additional list of recipients or CC’s.

On the Contact Details tab of each Project is a Distribution list. Names and email addresses are entered here as a permanent resources for people who may wish to receive copies of submissions as they are formally broadcast.

Enter your name and email address here if you want to be a part of the distribution list. Make your contact a primary contact if you wish to receive copies all submissions. If a contact is not marked as primary, you may still receive a submission by selection at the time of posting.

Contacts marked as primary are pre-selected int eh distribution list of the purchase order or Correspondence. Other contacts may still be selected (ticked) for particular submissions.

By including yourself in the CC list, a copy of the purchase order is delivered to your in-tray and becomes a permanent (dated) record of the order execution.

Cost Monitor BIlling

Recent observations have revealed a loss of corporate memory in how Cost Monitor billing is carried out.

Please ensure that all billing (revenue/AR) billing is posted in TEMPLA using the Cost Monitor Master Workbill and NOT a workbill generated in the Purchase Order module for purchasing.Previously purchase orders could not be initiated until the project had been posted. From this point forward, purchase orders will be barred until the workbill number is retrieved (see above). Normally, workbill numbers are retrieved during (as the first step in) project posting but workbill numbers can also be manually retrieved via the edit menu ‘Retrieve Master Workbills’.

If, for any reason, the workbill generation process fails, the posting process can be attempted a second time by selecting the ‘Reset Posted – allows re-post’ menu option above. Please ensure no duplicate workbills exist in TEMPLA.

Transaction Records and the story they tell

The expenditure records tell a story. It’s the place where:

  • purchase orders (committed cost) are inserted from the purchase order module (or manually),
  • expenses are records from supplier/contractors, and
  • forecast end costs are maintained.

The forecast costs are what you, as project managers, need to think about and they show your knowledge of the job and your trusted expectation for the final financial result.

When a purchase order is ‘posted’ by admins in the purchase order module, the value is inserted into the transaction register. It’s posted as a ‘reconciled’ transaction (bold date) and as such, is not accidentally deleted by Project Officers. If it is ever deleted, the associated purchase order acquires a black bar meaning ‘no associated transaction’.

When a TEMPLA workbill is retrieved from TEMPLA for the PO, the Order/Inv entry is updated to include the workbill number as well as the PO number e.g. CMP:45621-WB:112435 is both numbers, and the expenditure column acquires a blue bar.

Right click on the order and select ‘Enter Invoice for PO’ to start recording an invoice against the PO. The amount, by default, is the full amount of the purchase order. But this amount can be edited to something less than the full amount. Subsequent invoices can be entered against the same purchase order when they are presented.

Time now to re-assess the forecast cost for this work and add a line either reducing or increasing the forecast. It’s always better to add a line (either negative or positive) rather than edit the original forecast. Each entry adds to the story and provides a way to annotate the adjustment.

 

Using Google Earth for As-Built Drawings

A recent Movie (“Lion”) told the story of a boy, separated from his mother for many years, who used Google Earth to locate her based on logic and vague memories. The story was also documented on Google Earth.

In fact, Google Earth offers many opportunities to utilise regular map updates with overlays and integrated content. One such integration provides a highly accessible and easily maintainable as-built drawings set for work on a golf course re-development.

The as-builts for Bonnie Doon Golf Club are currently up to date with the 3rd stage of works completed in April 2017. The video demonstration above offers a walk through of the drawing features.

The interface provides a very accurate drawing of fixtures all set in relation with the underlying ground features. This makes it very fast to locate items like sprinkler heads and valves when they are often subject to being hidden in over growth.

Power lines and main potable water lines are often ‘lost’ over the years when minor earthworks confuse the memory of where things used to be.

The drawings are also easily maintainable and only require a normal revision status protocol to ensure all stakeholders are kept up to date with the latest drawings.

Progress Claims

Cost Monitor can maintain a project’s billing history. The video below shows where to access the billing register and where the total billing is shown in the project summary list.

https://youtu.be/q4CjYz8M4hI

 

Create a new client

Clients for all 3 applications are created in ERS. This video shows the steps required to create a new client.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oWaxvn7A6nU

The client creation requires insertion of the TEMPLA code which is a unique code generated in TEMPLA.

Delete Multiple (unrequired) Cost Codes

Cost Monitor projects can be created by estimate import or default project creation. In either case, the project may be left with cost codes which have no original value and no prospect of being used for orders.

https://youtu.be/NJjtOk_EH54

In other cases, cost codes previously inserted may no longer be required.

The procedure shown above is a quick an easy way to remove these unrequired cost codes.

Premier League Manager

Premier League ManagerĀ is designed to provide comprehensive management of league table construction from marketing/CRM data, then score maintenance and draw reports.

Match scores are easily entered and automatically published to the league website as well as printed for notice board publication.

Player accounting features and performance statistics are also maintained.

Premier League Manager is written in Delphi and uses MySQL as the datastore.

PP2