There needs to be some way to export all images to a zip file or something. I don't mind clicking on each one, but since they were already archived, it's not easy to visually remember where I am, especially as the number of images grows.

I know there was one written for windows a while back, but I can't get it to function. The author stated that eQSL may have changed something to make that break.

Surely, I am not the only one desiring this feature, and would donate more for this feature to be implemented.

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KK4YEL Kevin Zari

You may want to do a search of this forum, I believe there have been a few links listed from HRD (Ham Radio Deluxe) that allow you to do just that.

73

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N1ORK Orest 'Andy' Zajac

The author of those programs told me that perhaps something changed on eQSL because the stand alone one doesn't work any longer, and the other requires $100 HRD, which I do not have .



On Jun 4, 2014, at 18:38, Stephen Genusa wrote:

Hi Kevin,

I am sorry it isn't working for you. I don't know why the error is occurring. Don't have any outstanding reports of this but eQSL may have
changed the way the download architecture works. I would troubleshoot it now
but I am being pulled in 15 directions already, all more urgent in regards
to my business and personal life. I'll file this in my todo folder and if
and when I can, I'll fix it and let you know. I apologize again that it
doesn't work for you.

Wishing you the best 73,

Stephen

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KK4YEL Kevin Zari
Edited by KK4YEL Kevin Zari on Jun 17, 2014 at 01:09 AM

It is not up to eQSL to provide support for third party programs, impossible to do that because we don't have access to their code.

What eQSL does is provide a set of programming interfaces that the authors of logging programs can use to access various data on the site. I just checked the API that allows them to download card graphics, it was written in 2009 and was last modified in 2012 to relax the QSO time match and add support for JT65 and JT9.

Now, it could be he is not using the API but instead is using a process called "web scraping", in which the program attempts to simulate the steps a normal user would do to access data on a website. This method is always prone to error because one change to a webpage will cause the program to break, and websites change the look and feel of webpages all the time. I have no idea if that is the case with this program or not, but if that is what he is doing, that would explain it.

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73, Dave - VA3KAB
Edited by VA3KAB David Bell on Jun 17, 2014 at 02:35 PM

UPDATE: Ok, I just downloaded that standalone program from WD5EAE, this one : http://www.wd5eae.org/Software.html#eQSLDownload

And tried running it here. The program works great, no problem to download my graphics. There is a note on his software page that he does not support the use of nicknames, required when a user has more than one account with the same callsign, but that is not the case for me and I see it is not for you either.

So! It should work for you. Do you see an error message when you try and run it?

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73, Dave - VA3KAB

Hi David,

I just tried this last stand alone version.
It does not work and I'm not surprised .
It says "WinInet error error attempting to retrieve /qslcard/downloadinbox.cfm
result was 12002" timeout ????

There's no change for me since last version......
20 000 records in my outbox and 8 400 records in my archive

Guy F6DKQ

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F6DKQ Guy FALCOZ

That's odd, it worked fine for me, I just downloaded the program today. It doesn't have a version number but according to properties the program was created on May 27, 2012.

It sounds like the timeout error you are seeing may be due to the number of records you have, I have far less than you in my archive, only around 2000 or so. He probably needs to increase the timeout he is using.

One thing I don't like after playing with that program for a while is that it's seems that every time you run it, it goes and downloads your entire inbox/archive, then goes and downloads every card. Very inefficient, after the first download it should only download new ones received since the last download happened.

Good news is he is indeed using the APIs we provide, so it shouldn't be much trouble for him to make a few tweaks to it, but sounds like he is not interested in doing that.

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73, Dave - VA3KAB

Could you both post you O/S version? I tried under windows 7, and it fails with: "a referral was returned from the server."

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KK4YEL Kevin Zari
Edited by KK4YEL Kevin Zari on Jun 17, 2014 at 08:57 PM

Hi Kevin,

I'm under the old Windows XP SP3, I just checked this WinInet 12002 error and it's really an "internet timeout error"
So I think it's due to the size of my archive, 8400 records.
To be sure , I should check the internet dialog with Whireshark, but since the HRD utilities version works...and with this last version, I restrict the dowload with a begin and end date....

73 de Guy

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F6DKQ Guy FALCOZ

I'm running XP here also. Works like a charm with 2000 records.

I also checked that error message yesterday, WinInet is part of the software development package he used to develop his program. I checked on the WinInet site for the error 12002 timeout, and one of the suggestions there was to increase the timeout value in the program if you see that error.

He is using our API to download the records (downloadinbox.cfm) and when using that API there is no limitation to how many records you can download, but of course the more records you download, the longer it takes, and downloading a large inbox must be exceeding the timeout value he has set before he calls the API.

Kevin, I see you have less than 100 records in your inbox, so in your case the problem is not due to record size. Maybe his program doesn't work properly with Win 7??

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73, Dave - VA3KAB

I truly appreciate your helping give more background on your successes and possible solutions. I absolutely love eQSL, don't get me wrong. I am very appreciative to have such a service, and gladly support with donations.

But, for me, I can't rely on a third part app that only works on an operating system like XP, that has had its support stopped by Microsoft due to end of life.

The web iOS moving toward device agnostic delivery of data. That means not O/S or platform specific. That's the beauty of pure HTML, ADiF, and PDF, for example. Bulk download of images of confirmed QSO is a feature that should reside on eQSL for true end user ease, but I understand the potential load issues with the server. Reading through the English support forums, there have been several requests and suggested architecture changes on this topic throughout the years. Now that hardware / processing power has increased, and storage is cheaper, could we think about readdressing this feature request, perhaps as a pay per use feature?

I think having such a download feature built into eSQL would provide end users more benefits than it did pain for the developer(s). I know about limited resources, but what if it got more folks using the service, and generated more revenue to sustain the site?

The electronic eQSL cards are one of the main attractors to the site, and the bulk download "on demand" could occur only once per user (make it a fee based service for the first big one). If written properly, and policy set correctly, the subsequent ones could be limited to 100 at a time, or some other value.

You could even have it an option that, like a news group, it gives a weekly digest mailed to you each week. That could limit the load on the server since eQSL could run the batches when they see the server(s) load is low.

Either way, my particular issue with the third party app does seem to be related to windows 7 and his app. To further complicate things, I run a Mac, so the windows 7 was a virtual machine, but I've tested it on a friend's win7 box, and same issue. I did manage to get the download working from a friend's XP box.

As more and more people find XP not being supported by MS, and as more vulnerabilities that are no longer patched get attacked, I assume the author of the original tool will re-write it.

One final question, where are the specs to your API's written/ published? I'd like to find more info on them to see if I could help him port his tool over to something other than Winbatch, which is a crazy expensive solution.

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KK4YEL Kevin Zari

I'll pass along your request to the webmaster, but don't get your hopes up. The reason he developed the APIs in the first place is so that third party developers could access the data on the site, including the card graphics.

As far as WD5EAE goes, could be he doesn't want to spend more time developing a program that he gives away for free, but only he can answer that. He already must have access to our API spec, seeing as his program uses it. The spec to download the inbox is here: http://www.eqsl.cc/QSLCard/DownloadInBox.txt and the spec to download a graphic is here: http://www.eqsl.cc/QSLCard/GeteQSL.txt

I've thought about writing a program myself to download graphics, among other things. I'm a programmer by trade, might be a good winter project. But, it would be under LINUX, development tools are free instead of paying through your nose to buy development tools for Windows, so it probably wouldn't help you much.


EDIT: I did a bit more research on programs that can download eQSL images. Check out this thread, maybe of use to you: http://www.eham.net/ehamforum/smf/index.php/topic,97381.0.html

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73, Dave - VA3KAB
Edited by VA3KAB David Bell on Jun 18, 2014 at 03:13 PM
Edited by VA3KAB David Bell on Jun 18, 2014 at 03:14 PM

David,
thanks for the URLs. I'm a Mac guy myself, and agree with the open source / free tools for developing s/w. If you need someone to help test your code, Let me know. I've got a FreeBSD box as well as the Mac , and VM capabilities.

As an aside, I looked at http://www.eqsl.cc/qslcard/GeteQSL.cfm and it is pretty straight forward. Am I correct is stating that the username / passwords would be sent in plain text when making the calls as documented in the cfm? If true, it is not such a good thing, especially because if intercepted, the integrity of the accounts could be compromised, and the data stored in someone's account, modified.

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KK4YEL Kevin Zari
Edited by KK4YEL Kevin Zari on Jun 18, 2014 at 04:57 PM
Edited by KK4YEL Kevin Zari on Jun 18, 2014 at 04:57 PM

Kevin, if you try one of the two solutions given by that link and they work ok for you, can you reply back with your findings? Might be helpful for other users.

Good show on the FreeBSD box, I'm a BSD guy from way back and like FreeBSD much more than I do LINUX, but it seems that LINUX has pretty much taken over.

I asked Dave, N5UP, about that plain text username/password combination ages ago but don't remember his response. I've asked him again and will report back once I hear.

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73, Dave - VA3KAB
Edited by VA3KAB David Bell on Jun 18, 2014 at 05:21 PM

The tinyurl one downloads something that doesn't seem to be a n executable. I'll play with the other if I've got some time, and will report back.

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KK4YEL Kevin Zari