qrz xml service lookup not working has anyone found this to be a problem ? hamqth lookup works fine
Sat, 2025-01-25 18:28
#1
n3meq
qrz lookup xml service
CQRLOG
The world's best linux logging program!
since 2012-05-10
Hi!
For me the non payed side of QRZ.com seems to work ok.
--
Saku
OH1KH
Mine appears to time out. I haven't been able to figure out the reason why. I typically leave my station set up with the log open all the time, and about once a day or so I have to restart CQRLog to get the QRZ lookup to work again. Even hitting F11 doesn't cause it to fetch until I restart the application.
I thought it was caused when there was a QSL Manager or DXCC list update pending, but that isn't always the case. It just stops working randomly.
Dave,
N1KX
At least it is know problem that splash "SQL has gone away" may appear after long uptime of Cqrlog. That is also more or less random. Many fixes are tried during years but without any breakthrough.
I am now struggling at the moment with strange SQL problem where I make a query giving a name the result of it. On return I check that given name exist in transaction before reading it, and when I am reading it I get error that the given name does not exist.
And to make it perfect it is randomly happening.
And RBNmonitor that does not loose it's connection to telnet.receresebeacon.net and gets spots, but looses it's internal connection to update them to RBNwindow's grid. And also this is random.
Somehow, sometimes I have feeling that FPC/Lazarus does not always work correctly. But that is hard to proof.
Quick fix: Save energy and shut of your computer while not being in shack... :-) That is all I can suggest for now!
If you ever get bullet proof way to reproduce any (non random) fault you find, please do not hesitate to report it.
I would be glad to fix it, if I can.
--
Saku
OH1KH
Thanks, Saku.
No worries - it isn't a big problem and it hasn't caused me any real distress. I had hoped to capture the specific trigger that caused it so I could report it, but have never found a consistent cause. If I do, you'll be the first to know. ;)
Cheers and Good DX!
Dave,
N1KX
Saku,
OK, I have done some more investigation of this problem. I wasn't able to track down a specific event or activity that reliably causes failure, but I have found the means of failure. I used a script running tcpdump to watch communications with xml.qrz.com to look for issues.
The script I used is:
#!/bin/bash
# Captures QRZ traffic, adds timestamps, and highlights Errors
echo "Monitoring QRZ traffic... Logging to file if redirected."
sudo tcpdump -i any -s 0 -l -A 'host xml.qrz.com' 2>/dev/null | \
grep -iE --line-buffered "HTTP/1.1 [0-9]|.*|GET /xml" | \
while read -r line; do
# This adds the [YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS] prefix to every line
printf "[%(%Y-%m-%d %H:%M:%S)T] %s\n" -1 "$line"
done | \
sed --unbuffered 's/HTTP\/1.1 500.*/\x1b[31m[!] SERVER ERROR 500\x1b[0m/' | \
sed --unbuffered 's/\(.*\)<\/Error>/\x1b[33m[!] QRZ API ERROR: \1\x1b[0m/'
The output from this script is attached.
I found that the normal case of API Session Timeout is handled easily, with CQRLog automatically logging in again, and QRZ providing data again. However, if the response from QRZ is something else (specifically: Invalid session key) then nothing happens. I suspect there is a line of code somewhere that handles the timeout that doesn't have a case to handle the invalid API key. I think this might be due to an expired key that is stuck and reused? Not sure, but at least I have some more specifics to report.
Thanks!
73,
Dave, N1KX
File:
Hi Dave!
Thanks for debug!
I think I could try an fix, but I can not test it by myself as I do not have had any problem with qrz. Mainly because of short qrv times.
If you are willing to test please drop me a line via email. (Ok in callbooks.)
--
Saku
OH1KH
hi Saku,
just a comment from my side. With Ver. 2.6.0(103) everything is fine about the Callbook info.
Now I made a update to Ver. (119). With the same preferences the
Callbook (qrz.com) info didn't come in any more.
Any changes there?
73
Andy DK9HE
Hi Andy!
Good question you have.
Currently living with CqrlogAlpha(140) with (141) in devel test phase it is hard to remember what there was with (119).
But what we have found out is that qrz api has changed it's error reporting. The api description seems to be still in old version as the response is not explained there.
It is about session key. Cqrlog can detect error "session timed out" but now api reports about invalid key that seems to mean same as session timeout in past.
CqrlogAlpha devel (141) has fix for this and Dave has tested this fix to work.
Without fix Cqrlog has to be restarted to get new session key for qrz.
I'm planning to release (141) soon.
--
Saku
OH1KH
I can confirm this. I have Saku's (141) devel release installed and have seriously abused CQRLog by leaving it running since 26 Feb to test this. Not only does it handle the case where the QRZ session key expires, it also handles the case where QRZ reports "Invalid session key" in response to a query.
Cheers!
Dave, N1KX
I installed version alpha.141 and couldnt get any of the call sign lookups to work. I went to my browser AI and had a chat. It suggested trying f keys instead of just tab after input of a call. Going through them I found F11 fills the fields. I am using QRZ xml paid service so get everything. I also changed the path in the program to what the AI earlier suggested. https://xmldata.qrz.com/xml/current/ Not sure if this helps solve the issue but it is a work around for now. Tab of course much more convenient.
73
Jon N8EM
Jon
Hi Jon!
Interesting.
I checked the source and pressing F11 or moving away from NewQSO/Callsign column uses exactly same routine. The only difference is that using F11 does clear the callbook information column (above Save and Quit buttons) before entering new callbook information.
If using just move away from callsign column the callbook information column is not cleaned as it is expected that NewQSO is cleaned with Shift+ESC, 3xESC, Ctrl+F2 or saving previous qso before entering a new call and getting information for it.
So routine is the same but activating auto search by just moving away from callsign column needs checking "Preferences/NewQSO/Enable auto search on
HamQTH.com/QRZ.COM/QRZCQ.com"
I do not have paid QRZ subscription and for me both ways work with https://xml.qrz.com address in "Preferences/Callbook support/QRZ"
--
Saku
OH1KH
Saku,
I will test it further. I just did a couple machines with fresh Arch installs and put your .141 version on as I wanted to see what the additional features were. On my install hitting tab after putting in a call would move to the next field and in the past always made the lookup at that point. For some reason on my install it is not behaving that way. Thus the F11. I was testing using a blank new QSO window each time.
One question I had with the QRZ lookups without the paid subscription. Is it returning all the data or just very basic and you are entering the rest? A few years ago I thought he blocked the free lookups so it only gave very minimal information. At that point I went with the HAMQTH option but after using that for a while I realized the data there is outdated and not accurate anymore. That was when I caved in and did the paid QRZ for lookups. IF there was another option I would love to hear about it.
73
Jon
Jon
I just wanted to chime in that I have the 141 Alpha version installed and have tested/used it extensively since 26 Feb and have not seen the behavior described here. I just tried to replicate the issue and can't do it. I enter a new callsign in the New QSO callsign field and hit tab, and the entire form fills out with QRZ information. If I hit F11, it reloads the detail and re-populates.
As I say, I have been running this version for testing almost continuously on my Fedora 43 Linux machine and have not had a failure to fetch data from QRZ at all. The API issues I was having trouble with before 141 are gone, CQRLog now successfully renegotiates the connection and retrieves the data reliably for me.
I hope you can figure out what is happening. Even with that inconvenience, CQRLog is still the bottom-line best logging program for Linux!
Cheers and 73,
Dave, N1KX
Hi Jon!
Be sure that you have Preferences/NewQSO settings done to get search activated when moving out from callsign column:
QRZ gives just basic information wihout paid subscription. This is what you get without paying:
--
Saku
OH1KH
Wow now I feel dumb! I have to say I was rushing through this a bit over the weekend. Problem solved! Didn't have the box checked.
Thanks for the responses, I knew I had something off just wasn't figuring out what it was. I have been using Ham Radio Deluxe on a new W11 computer but just hate windows. So back trying to get something comparable to the features in HRD.
73
Jon
Jon