All windows, including Summary windows, Logbook Window and DX Spotting Window, will reflect the addition of a QSO immediately indicating band and modes worked and by changing the colors and sorting the entries in the DX spotting window.
If you want to overwrite the default prefix, or add a state or county or IOTA and you do not know the correct abbreviation, just enter something that is incorrect, like the letter 'X'; you will see a listing of all possible values for that field.
If you overwrite the Prefix field or the Zone, an entry will be made in the call exception database for that call and the date of the QSO. All QSOs with the same call sign following the QSO will have the new prefix and the new zone; QSOs with the same call preceding the QSO will not change.
A callsign has only one note associated with that call. A note can be 255 characters long; notes that are longer than the width of the QSO window will scroll using the left and right arrow keys.
If the DX Spotting Window is open, and the callsign field is empty, the country information for the current DX spot will be shown.
Announce DX Window
Specify parameters to send a DX spot to the Packet Cluster.
Callsign
Callsign for the spot. If a QSO Window is open, this field is set to the callsign visible in the QSO Window.
Frequency
The frequency of the station spotted. If a radio is connected the frequency will be set to the frequency of the main VFO.
QSX freq.
The split frequency used by the station; the frequency were the station listens. If a radio is connected and the transmit and receive frequencies are not the same, this field will be set to the transmit frequency.
Remarks
Optional short text for the spot; like QSL via W4FRU etc.
Calendar
Show events calendar
The events calendar is a small utility to keep track of important events, such as DXpeditions, contests etc. An event has a starting date, an end date and a note. The two pages of the notebook show the current events and the second page lets you edit the events. After looking at the current events or making changes, select the menu File | cancel changes or File | save changes and the calendar will be closed.
Today
When the calendar is shown you will see the events for today's date. You can change the date by using the Up and Down keys. When the date is between the starting date and the end date of an event, that event will be shown.
Edit Events
Select an Event
The Note listbox lets you select the various events; they are sorted by date. You can use the up and down arrow keys to see all the events. The dates will change as you select a different event.
Entering a New Event
You enter a new event by overwriting the dates and note for an existing event. Click the Add event button to store the new event.
Delete an Event
Select the event you want to delete by using the up and down arrow keys in the Note listbox. Click the Delete button to remove the event..
Cleanup Events
Clicking this button will delete all events that have an ending date that is before today's date.
Country Details: One Year SunRise/Set
Show a listing of local and DX Sunrise and Sunset times for the current country.
The listing starts with the current date and continues for a year. Note that all times are in UTC.
Note: there is only one set of coordinates for each country, even for the very large ones, resulting in errors when comparing the times with the actual location of a DX station.
See also: SunRise/Set by Date
PopUp Menu
Select Country
Produces a new Sunrise and Sunset listing for the selected country
Switch to QSOWindow
Country Details: SunRise/Set by Date
Show a listing for countries of Sunrise and Sunset times for a given date.
Only those countries are listed where the difference between local sunrise and DX sunset (or the difference between local sunset and DX sunrise) is equal or less to the maximum window specified. The difference specified acts as a time window when the local station and the DX station both have twilight. For a small value, like a few minutes, the listing will show countries for potential gray-line propagation.
After changing the current date or the time window, you will have to manually start an update of the listing to reflect the changes.
Note: there is only one set of coordinates for each country, even for the very large ones, resulting in errors when comparing the times with the actual location of a DX station.
See also: One Year SunRise/Set
PopUp Menu
Update (F10)
Generate a new listing using the date and time window specified.
Switch to QSOWindow (F9)
Country editor menu: Calls
Add
Add a new exception callsign for the current country. Change to entries in the table to their correct values and follow with an 'Update' command to register the changes.
Update
Register the changes made to the exception callsigns.
Delete
Delete the current exception callsign. If you delete the last callsign, the exception callsign table will disappear.
Country editor menu: Country
Add
Add a new country. The fields will bet set to default values, and the prefix is set to 'ZZZZZ'. The prefix and most other fields should be set to their correct values, followed by an 'Update' command to register the changes.
Update
Register the changes made in the country data.
First
Show the first country.
Next
Show the next country
Previous
Show the previous country
Last
Show the last country
Find
Show a listbox with all countries sorted by the name of the country; the country selected, by double-clicking or by pressing the 'Enter' key is the country shown.
Delete
Delete the current country. All references to this country in callsign exceptions and mappings will also be deleted.
Country editor menu: File
Check for errors
The complete country database is scanned for inconsistent dates and use of mappings. The listbox on the 'Messages' tab will show the error messages.
Cancel changes and exit
All changes made will be ignored, and the country database is reloaded.
Merge other country file
This command is used to read additions and changes for callsign mappings, IOTA information, QSL managers and QSL manager addresses from another country database. Changes to countries and mappings are ignored. The listbox on the 'Messages' tab will show the additions and changes made.
Save changes and exit
All changes are written to the country database.
Country editor menu: Mappings
Add
Add a new mapping for the current country. Change to entries in the table to their correct values and follow with an 'Update' command to register the changes.
Update
Register the changes made to the mappings.
Delete
Delete the current mapping. If you delete the last mapping, the mapping table will disappear.
Country editor: Country data
Prefix
A maximum of five characters (letters, digits and /) indicating the prefix of the country. A prefix should only be used once to avoid confusion.
Country Name
Name of the country
Buro
Indicating if this country can accept cards via their domestic QSL buro.
Fld Chk
Indicating if a QSL for DXCC submission can be checked 'in the field'.
Has States
Indicates if this country has states; normally true for the USA, Alaska and Hawaii.
UTC Offset
Time difference between local time and UTC.
IOTA
The IOTA name for a country if uniquely determined.
ITU
ITU zone (1..90)
Cont
Continent, like NA for North America.
Longitude & Latitude
The coordinates of a central location in the country; used to calculate distance and bearing from your home QTH.
Map Number
A number used to locate the country on a world map (for the future)
Zone
CQ zone (1..40) for the country
Start date
Date that the country became recognized for DXCC purposes; leave blank if there is no specific starting date.
End date
Date that the country no longer counts for DXCC purposes, i.e. became a deleted country. Leave blank if the country is not 'deleted', i.e. is still active.
Country editor: Exception callsigns
A table showing callsigns for which the rules to determine the country of a callsign fail. When you overwrite the prefix or the zone for a QSO, an entry is made in this table. see editing tables for the key strokes that can be used.
If no exception callsigns are defined for this country, the table is not visible, but will become visible as soon as an exception callsign is added.
Callsign
Callsign that maps to the current country.
Zone
CQ zone (1..40) for this callsign.
Start Date
Date that the callsign became effective for this country. Assigning effective dates for a callsign allows us to assign more than one country to a callsign.
Country editor: Mappings
A table showing the mappings for the country; see editing tables for the key strokes that can be used.
The mapping table shows two kinds of mappings:
Lines using a black font are the mappings for the current country. The Prefix column is left blank to indicate the current country.
Lines using a gray font are mappings used by this country but also used by another country. The prefix of the other country is shown in the Prefix column, and should use a different date range to avoid conflicts. The 'gray' mappings cannot be edited, they are included to show all information known about a mapping so conflicts in date ranges can be found in one location.
If no mappings are defined for a country, the mapping table is not shown, but will become visible as soon as a mapping is added.
Mapping
Characters (letters and digits) used to determine the country of a callsign. When the program determines the country for a callsign it searches for the longest mappings first. If a mapping matches the beginning letters of a callsign, and the date range is valid for the date of the QSO, the country is found. If no match is found the program will search for all the mappings that are one character shorter in length and repeat the process.
This feature allows us to keep the mapping database small; for example China has the mapping '3' because all other mappings, such as '3B' and '3V' are longer and would have been found earlier than the shorter '3' mapping.
Zone
The CQ zone (1..40) that overrides the default zone for the country.
Start Date
Date that the mapping for the country became active.
End Date
Date (plus one day) that the mapping no longer applies for this country.
Prefix
The Prefix column is empty for mappings that apply to the current country. If a prefix is visible, it indicates which other country uses the same mapping.
CW Interface to Radio
The following circuit uses the parallel port to key the radio from the CW keyboard.
This circuit is only suitable for positive keyed radios.
CW Keyboard: Parameters
Set parameters for the CW keyboard.
This form lets you set the messages generated by the function keys and set the timing parameters of the generated morse code.
Fields:
F1..F5
The contents of the message buffer associated with a function key. For the special characters that can be used in these messages, see CW Keyboard.
WPM
A read-only field showing the calculated (theoretical) keying speed resulting from the other parameter settings
Measured
A read-only field showing the measured (actual) keying speed. The measured speed will be close to the theoretical speed, unless other programs take too many resources away from DX4WIN
Measure Button
Measure the actual keying speed by sending the word PARIS twice
Marquee
When enabled the characters that have not yet been transmitted will be shown in the CW keyboard Window
Side Tone
When enabled, the speaker in the computer will be used to generate sound
Char WPM
The basic keying speed, in words per minute, using the PARIS method
Spacing WPM
The spacing between letters can be increased by specifying a lower WPM rate in this field
Weight
Specifying a value greater than 100% will increase the length of a dash
Tone Hz
The frequency of the tone generated from the computer speaker
Tune Button
Pressing this button will key the transmit line; pressing the button again (the caption changed to STOP) will unkey the transmitter.
DX Spotting Window
After you have configured the TNC, the DX Spotting Window is available.
The window shows all DX spots received from the TNC. Duplicate entries are not shown, and a later announcement of the same call on the same band and mode will update the time. When the window reaches the maximum number of lines, the oldest spot will be deleted.
The DX spots are color coded to reflect their priority; the color is an indication how 'interesting' a callsign is reflecting the QSOs in the current Selection and taking into account your interest in bands and modes.
If you want to see the spots appear as they arrive, make sure you keep the spots sorted by time and select the last line of the window. Selecting any other entry will keep the display steady allowing you to see the spots.
Note that you can resize or minimize the window; the last location and size will be reused as soon as the window is reopened.
Popup Menu:
Delete (Ctrl+D)
Grab (Enter)
Listen (Ctrl+L)
Monitor (Ctrl+M)
Find (Ctrl+F)
Sort
Clear All Spots
Switch to QSO Window (F9)
DX Spotting: Clear all spots
Clear all DX spots in the DX Spotting Window.
Note: you can delete single spots using the delete command.
Color scheme in DX Spotting Window
The colors used in the DX Spotting Window and their meaning depend if a log file is open or not. The colors described below are the defaults used by DX4WIN. You can change the color in the packet preferences.
No log file open:
Color
Meaning
Black
The band and the mode of the DX spot are enabled
Gray
The band or the mode of the DX spot are not enabled
Log file is open:
The colors depend on all previous contacts in the log file; their meaning is as follows:
Color
Meaning
White on red background
New country any mode any band
Red
Country worked before but not in this mode or on this band
Blue
Country worked before on this band in this mode; contact is not confirmed yet
Black
Country worked before on this band in this mode, contact is confirmed with a different station
Gray
All spots not satisfying any of the above conditions or mode / band is not enabled
Use the preferences to enable/disable the various modes and bands.
The colors always reflect the status of the log file correctly; when updating, adding or deleting QSOs, the DX Spotting Window reflects these changes immediately.
DX Spotting: Delete (Ctrl+D)
Delete the highlighted spot in the DX Spotting window.
When the number of spots exceeds the capacity of the Spotting Window, the oldest spot will be deleted as soon as a new spot is added..
Note: you can delete all spots by using the clear all spots command.
DX Spotting: Find (Ctrl+F)
Find DX Spot closest to the current receive frequency.
All DX spots are scanned to see which spot is closest in frequency to the current receive frequency of the radio. The DX spot found becomes the current spot.
This command is only available if a radio is connected.
DX Spotting: Grab (Enter)
Reads the station information from the current DX spot, and enters it as a new QSO in the log.
The Mode and Band fields are set according to the frequency of the spot.
If the text field contains 'RTTY' or 'FSK', the mode will be set to FSK.
If a radio is enabled, the radio will be set to the frequency and mode of the DX spot, and if the spot indicates a QSX frequency, the radio will be set to split mode.
DX Spotting: Listen (Ctrl+L)
Listen to DX spot.
Use the frequency from the DX spot and set the radio to that frequency. If a QSX frequency is available in the spot, the radio will be set to operate in split mode.
This command is only available if a radio is connected to your computer.
DX Spotting: Monitor (Ctrl+M)
Enter current DX spot in radio scanner.
Reads the station information from the current DX spot and adds it to the list of stations to monitor in the Scanner.
You will get an error message if no free channel is available.
DX Spotting: Sort
Specify a sort sequence for the DX spots
The DX Spotting Window spots can be sorted by Frequency, Priority, Spotter and Time.
You can follow the DX spots as they come in by sorting the spots by Time and selecting the last spot.
Editing Tables
The following list describes the important special keystrokes available when editing a table; other keystrokes such as Up, Down, PgUp etc. are available to navigate in a table.
F2
Toggle edit mode for the active cell; you can also double-click with the mouse.
ESC
Cancel edit for the active cell and restore the original contents.
Ctrl+Ins
Add a new row to the table; the row is filled with temporary values.
Ctrl+Del
Delete the current row of the table.
FAQ: How can I start DX4WIN using my log
When you start DX4WIN, it does not open a log file by default. When DX4WIN is not running, the simplest way is to double-click on the log file you want to use. This will start DX4WIN with the selected file as the current log.
You can also double-click on the DX4WIN Icon, and specify a log file as a parameter for DX4WIN.EXE as follows:
Windows 3.1
The installation program will create a program group called DX4WIN; in the program group you find an icon also called DX4WIN.
Using the Program Manager, select the DX4WIN icon
On the File menu, Select properties
If the orginal Command line looked like:
c:\dx4win\dx4win.exe
assuming the log KK4HD.DXL is in the SAVE subdirectory, the new Command line looks like
c:\dx4win\dx4win.exe c:\dx4win\save\kk4hd
or using a relative path specification:
c:\dx4win\dx4win.exe .\save\kk4hd
Windows95
Using Explorer, select the DX4WIN.EXE file and while holding down the mouse button move the file to the DeskTop
When the link to DX4WIN.EXE is on the DeskTop, click on the link icon with the right-mouse button and select Properties
In Properties, select Shortcut
The Target field will show the EXE file name; after the last character add a space and the full path to your log file (without the .DXL file extension)
for example, the original Target field looks like:
"c:\Program Files\dx4win\DX4WIN.EXE"
assuming the log KK4HD.DXL is in the SAVE subdirectory, the new target looks like
FAQ: How do I get rid of all the other windows when I start DX4WIN
In File | Preferences | QSO enable the 'Minimize other applications' option. When DX4WIN starts, and this option is enabled, all currently running applications will be minimized (not closed)
Some applications under Windows cover the complete screen, and they open a number of windows inside the main window. These applications are called MDI applications. An MDI application brings along all kinds of technical issues, one being that the menu of the current window has to be merged with the menu on the main window. There are indications that Microsoft may drop the support for MDI applications in the future, and therefore we decided to go the other route. The alternative, as implemented in DX4WIN, is to have separate windows on the desktop that can be moved independently and which have there own menus.
FAQ: My radio is not working, what do I do
A simple checklist:
Is the correct radio and model and the COM port selected (File|Preferences|Hardware)
Are the IRQ and Address set correctly? You will have to do this in Windows; see COMports for more information.
Is the serial cable constructed according to specification; some radios require a non-standard cable.
If you changed the standard baud rate for the radio, is the baudrate used by DX4WIN the same? You can check the baudrate used by DX4WIN by looking at: File | Databases | Radios and selecting the radio you are using.
Before you start DX4WIN, make sure that the radio and a possible interface box are switched on
Radios can get 'confused' by receiving commands at the wrong baud rate or commands intended for a different radio. Most radios have a microprocessor reset function, to reset the processor to a known state.
For ICOM and TenTec:
Did you select the correct address for the radio? The radio address is specified as a hexa-decimal number because it is the convention used by ICOM
The transceive function has to be disabled for DX4WIN to operate correctly. Consult your radio manual how to disable the transceive funtion.
If none of the above helps, there is a possibility to look at debugging information for the radio as follows:
1. In user File | Preferences | Hardware select the comport; but select the radio to be NONE
2. In user File | Preferences | Personal set user level to Expert
3. File | Save changes and exit
3. Select Files | Databases | Radios
4. Select your radio
5. Select Test | Read
6. Hopefully some output shows in a little window
7. Select Test | Copy to Clipboard
8. Paste the contents of the ClipBoard in Notepad and send it as an email to us or in printed form
FAQ: Where should I store my DX4WIN log file(s)
With DX4WIN can you store a log file in any directory of your choice. We recommend however that you store your log(s) in the SAVE subdirectory. The SAVE directory contains a number of files that will be changed frequently, such as the country database, and you should maintain backup copies of these files. By storing the log files in the SAVE directory, it will be easy to make backup copies of all the important files because they are in a single location.
Features of DX4WIN
Awards
Support for DXCC, WAS and WAS (mixed, mode and band) 5 band DXCC, 5 band WAZ.
Separate flags to track the mixed, mode and band awards
Support for County, IOTA , TenTen and WPX awards
Contesting
When contest mode is enabled and a starting time is defined, a new QSO will be checked for a duplicate contact in the contest
An incrementing serial number can be displayed during a contest
Rate analysis by mode and by band for every hour in a contest
CW Keyboard
CW generated using variable spacing and weighting
Scrolling marquee to see what you are sending
Five programmable messages which can access fields in the current QSO
Interface via LPT1 or LPT2
External data
Support for the Buckmaster HamCall, QRZ!, Flying Horse and Amsoft Callsign databases on CDROM
Support for the GOLIST to obtain QSL manager information
Import / Export of Logs
A number of import / export filters are available to import QSOs from other logging programs
Users can define their own import / export filters
Utilities are provided to convert some file formats, such as dBase and comma delimited, to fixed field ASCII suitable for the import function
QSOs that generate errors when imported are still included in the log with an error message attached. It is not necessary to edit an error file and retry the import
Labels
To print QSL labels, a number of popular sizes for labels are defined. The user can also define a custom label
Multiple labels can be printed across a page and one label can accommodate more than one contact for the same station
Labels can be printed sorted by callsign or in the sequence as they were marked for printing
The log file can be searched for QSOs that are not confirmed and when confirmed will contribute to one or more awards (like DXCC, WAS WAZ , new modes or new bands)
Multiple Logs
Many users keep separate logs for previously held callsigns, locations or Dxpeditions in order to be able to make submissions for awards. With DX4WIN you can logically split the log file, allowing summaries and award calculations to be limited to certain groups of QSOs
Limiting the summaries to a data range allows the user also to monitor `progress' in a contest
Operating System
Runs under Windows and Windows95
User friendly install program
The log file is a single file and can be in any directory; log files are small (500K for 8000 QSOs) and there are no index files etc.
Log files can backed-up at a user specified time interval
Configuration for the serial ports is done from within the program; no need to setup ports before you start
Packet
Large packet window (up to 16000 lines); selected lines can be written to a file
Large number of DX spots (up to 16000 entries). The spots are color coded to reflect status of new country / new mode / new band. DX spots are saved so they are available again when the program is restarted
Voice announcements of DX spots using the Windows sound system
QSX frequencies in spots are recognized in different ways, like QSX 200, WKD 14205, UP 3, DN 4 etc.
Additions / deletions and updates of QSOs are reflected in the colors of the spots immediately
New DX spots replace older spots for the same station on the same band; no endless repetitions of the same spot if you are not connected to the cluster
Support to announce DX, grab DX spot, move radio to the frequency of a DX spot, enter DX spot in the scanner
Tune your radio over the bands and let the DX spotting window find the spot that is closest in frequency
DX spots can be sorted by time, frequency and priority / callsign; when you sort by priority all new countries are grouped together, followed by new mode / band etc.
Five programmable function keys for the commands you use often
When adding QSOs, country information for current spot will be shown
Limit spots depending on where the spot came from
Uninteresting spots can be hidden from view automatically
Prefixes
The country prefix is not part of a QSO; all prefixes are determined when log file is read; this approach leads to a consistent treatment of prefixes for all log files and QSOs within the same log file
Prefixes are date sensitive and one prefix can cover multiple data ranges for which the prefix is used.
Users can edit the country database to add countries, change prefixes, dates, etc.
The default prefix and the zone for a call can be overwritten when editing a QSO, and is like all prefixes, date sensitive
Previous Contacts
There is one single note (up to 255 characters) for a callsign, giving easy access to name etc. stored in a previous contact. This allows easy access to that information when you work the same station again
When adding a new QSO, state, county, IOTA and TenTen number are obtained from the last QSO with that station
A window is available showing all QSOs with the same station; including QSL status
QSL Managers
When entering a QSL manager for a station, the information is stored in the QSL manager database
An address for a manager or a station can be entered 'on the fly'
An editor is provided to make changes to the QSL manager database and Address database
Import/Export for QSL managers and Addresses
QSO Filters
Searching for QSOs is supported with one or more search value for any field in a QSO. For example, find all phone QSOs on 80m that are not confirmed with countries outside the USA and for which a QSL card was never sent
QSOs, even when the QSO filter is enabled, can be sorted in many ways, can be edited, deleted, printed, exported etc.
Radio
Support for popular radio models (ICOM, Kenwood, Yaesu)
Interface to radio to get mode and frequency for new QSOs
Panorama display; shows S meter readings for a range of frequencies around a center frequency
The Scanner function lets you monitor up to 16 frequencies; and includes support for QSX frequency. Channels can be enabled or disabled individually. The frequencies for the scanner are read directly from the radio or can be entered from the DX spotting window.
Users can add new radio models to the program by specifying the radio command set
Reports
Reports can be designed by the user and can be sorted using the same keys as used for the QSOs
Reports are previewed on the screen before printing, and all reports can use lines and shading to make the report easier to read
A number of reports have a direct link to the QSOs; from a report entry you can reach all QSOs that generated that entry by a mouse click
Reports can be written to a CSV file for import in a spreadsheet or database
Sorting
QSOs are sorted using compound sort keys. For example, sorting by Zone actually sorts by Zone, Band, Prefix, Call, Date, and Time
A large number of sort keys can be used, such as Call, Date, Prefix, Band, County, IOTA, Zone, State, etc.
Speed
Fast! No noticeable delays when updating summary windows etc.
Summary reports and award submission are generated in a few seconds
Summaries
The software keeps track of the various stages of a contact: not worked, worked, QSL card mailed, contact confirmed, submitted for award and approved for award. The summary windows (country, zone, state and IOTA) and the reports display these stages by mode and by band
Summary windows only show the bands and modes you are interested in and are updated automatically
Sunrise & Sunset
Show sunrise and sunset times for current country or current DX spot
Table displaying one year of sunrise and sunset times for a given country
Table displaying common sunrise and sunset times for a given date to look for gray-line propagation
User Interface
Windows can be re-sized and moved to a different location; user setup can be saved for later recall. Some windows can be hidden from view and redisplayed when convenient.
Extensive context sensitive help with hotlinks to related topics
User levels, from beginner to expert, enable the more complicated features of the program
Consistent use of special keys. Special keys are always visible in the menus and the on-line help
Change date / time with up- and down-arrow
No abbreviations are used to indicate mode, QSL method, award status etc.
Pick a prefix from a list of countries that is sorted by the name of the country. A similar function is available for states, IOTAs and counties
Filter: Details for various fields
You can specify a filter to search for QSOs satisfying one or more search criteria. Fields that are blank are not tested in a search. How a field is tested depends on the field; the table below indicates how the test is performed. If a field is not mentioned in this table, an exact match is required for the test to succeed.
Field
Pattern
Test performed
Call
TEXT
Call starts with TEXT
Prefix
Prfx
Prefix equals Prfx
!Prfx
Prefix does not equal Prfx
Date
DATE
QSO date >= DATE; see note
Time
TIME
QSO time within 8 minutes of TIME
Note
TEXT
Note contains TEXT
State
TEXT
State starts with TEXT
County
TEXT
County starts with TEXT
Grid
TEXT
Grid starts with TEXT
QSLDate
DATE
QSLDate >= DATE; see note
The TEXT format may start with an ! or an *, indicating negation and wild characters respectively.
When you specify a DATE as 01/01/01 the searching will be done for dates that are empty; useful when looking for QSOs for which you did not send a QSL card.
Filter examples
Note that in addition to the QSO Filter, a Selection may be active, limiting even further the QSOs.
Filter: Examples
Examples for searching in the Callsign field:
Text
Matches any callsign that ...
AB
Begins with AB (matches AB4CD but not KK4AB)
*AB
Contains AB (matches KK4AB but not KK4HD)
!AB
Does not begin with AB (matches KK4AB but not AB4CD)
!*AB
Does not contain AB (matches KK4HD but not KK4AB)
*
Has any text in it (more useful for notes, states, counties etc.
Note: A leading * is implied for text searches in the note field and searches in the note field are not case sensitive.
You can get a count of how many QSOs match the specified filter
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
This section will answer a number of frequently asked questions about DX4WIN
Where should I store my DX4WIN log file(s)
How can I start DX4WIN using my log
How do I get rid of all the other windows when I start DX4WIN
My radio is not working, what do I do
We welcome suggestions for future entries in this section
Getting Started
Welcome to DX4WIN!
When you start the program for the first time, you automatically will see this message. After reading this section, close this help window by clicking the close button in the the title bar of the window.
After closing this window, you will see the 'Personal' section of the preferences to enter your callsign, your license number and the first line of the name and address fields exactly as they appear on the diskette, including upper and lower case characters and other special characters! Specifying the wrong information will abort the program. The registration information is not necessary for the demonstration version.
We recommend that you complete the other fields in the personal section too, since distances and directions to a country are based on the location of your home QTH. If you do not run your computer clock in UTC, specify the time difference to UTC, so when adding QSOs, the correct time and date will be entered for a new QSO.
You leave the preferences section by selecting the File | Save changes and exit option.
After you become more familiar with the program, using the demonstration log file, experiment with the Station parameters to eliminate the modes and bands that you do not have an interest in, so they will no longer show in summaries and reports.
For some commands to become available, you will have to increase the user level. Setting the user level higher than beginner will also allow you to change the size of various windows and the fonts used.
You can start the program by double-clicking the file DX4WIN.EXE in the file-manager or by double-clicking the name of a log file; log files have the extension 'DXL'. Using the latter method will start the program and read the log.
Note that a number of windows do not have a visible menu, they use popup menus instead. You activate a popup menu by clicking the right button on your mouse.
Remember, help is always nearby by pressing the F1 key; you can find other help topics by clicking the contents tab in the help screen or by using the search feature of the help system.
You need support?
Good DX and 73
You can close this help window by clicking the close button in the title bar of the window.
Import / Export: File Menu
Options under the File Menu:
View ASCII file
Specify the ASCII file to be shown in the File listbox. The listbox can show a number of lines of the ASCII file you are writing the filter for.
Print Filter
Print a report describing the import / export filter. A printed report documents a filter and lets you share your filter with others. It is a useful tool when designing a new filter.
Cancel changes and exit
Close the filter editor; all changes made to the filter will be ignored.
Save changes and exit
Save the changed filter specification and close the filter editor.
Import Filters: Notes
DX4WIN has a flexible method of importing logs from other logging programs. But with all the flexibility provided, it is not always possible to convert a log 100%. This is mostly due to the fact that a number of logging programs make use of fields which DX4WIN does not support. For example, some other software products use fields like, name, QTH, power etc. while DX4WIN uses a single note to store all that information. Of course some of these fields can be imported and stored in the note field as long as they are placed next to each other in the import file. In the case that these fields are separated by other fields this does not work.
When defining the import filters, we have selected those fields that had the potential to produce the best conversion. For example, when you have a CDRom connected to your computer with address information, you may be less interested in the address field because you can find that information on the CDROM. In this case you can change the starting location and length of the note field for the filter you are using.
Most other logging programs only maintain a single flag for the popular awards like DXCC. DX4WIN maintains three flags: the mixed- the band- and the mode-award. All import filters provided will interpret the single flag to be intended for the mixed award. In the case you have been working towards the mode awards only, you can change the filter to reflect this. For this particular situation you will have to change the import filter, and set the location for the DXCC mode flag to the location of the DXCC mixed flag, and set the DXCC mixed flag to zero.
Before you make any changes to a filter, make sure you make a copy of that filter first, and work on the copy made.
Specific filters
CTBIN
The batch file called to convert the CT BIN files to the RES format, relies on the B2R8.EXE and B2R9.EXE utilities supplied with CT. Edit the file CTBIN.BAT to specify the correct path to that utility. The default is C:\CT9\B2R9.EXE.
For example, if you are using version 8, located in a directory called HAM, change the path to C:\HAM\CT8\B2R8.EXE
Hyperlog
Hyperlog can produce a dBase formatted file which is used as the input for the conversion utility. The dBase file should be in the format that CAN NOT be edited, because this is the format that DX4WIN can import correctly.
LogEqf
Use the FILE-EQF.EXE utility supplied with LogEqf to convert your log to a dBase file. Import this dBase file.
LogicW
Two filters are provided called LOGICW and LOGICW2; it seems that the same version of LogicW employs different formats for the log file.
LogMaster
Logmaster does not have an export function, but we have created a report, called LM2DX4W.RPT, which is located in the IMPORT directory. Incorporating this report is a two step process:
1. Start LogMaster, and create a report called LM2DX4W. The content of the report is not important, as long as the report is created and available. Save the report as LM2DX4W and exit LogMaster.
2. Copy the file IMPORT\LM2DX4W.RPT to your LogMaster directory replacing the dummy report we just created.
When you start LogMaster again, use the LM2DX4W report to export your log. It will generate a file called LM2DX4W.OUT which can be imported by DX4WIN.
Import / Export: File | Delete
Delete the current Import/Export filter.
Import / Export: File | Exit
Close the Import/Export window.
Import / Export: File | Export
Export the current log using the selected filter.
If a Selection has been specified, only the QSOs in the Selection will be written to the output file. If a QSO Filter is active, you will be asked if the export should be limited to the QSOs that match the QSO Filter.
See also Import / Export.
Import / Export: File | Import
Use the current selected filter to import a log file
When importing a log file, the QSOs are added to the current log. When a conversion error occurs, an error messages is added to the note field for the call. You can search for QSOs that have an error by using the QSO filter, and specify 'error' (without the quotes) in the note field.
The first few QSOs that are imported are checked for duplicates; when the date, time, call, band and mode are equal you will get a warning messages and you have the choice the cancel the import.
It is always good practice to try the import first with a new log file; you can also set the default Group in the preferences to identify the newly imported QSOs.
See also Import/Export Filter | Edit
Import / Export: Filter | Copy
Make a copy of the current filter and start editing the filter.
Before making changes to a filter you can experiment by making a copy first and make modifications without loosing the original. Do not forget to change the description!
Import / Export: Filter | Edit
Edit the current Import/Export filter.
When importing an ASCII file, each QSO is represented by a single line in the file. The edit screen shows a large number of fields which describe the location of that field in the QSO line.
The location of the field is described by a starting location, and in some cases the length of the field. Some fields, such as a date, can have different formats; you will see a selection box from which you can select the format. The starting locations start counting at one; if you specify a starting location of zero, the field will be ignored.
When importing a binary file, a batch file is called to convert the binary formatted file to an ASCII file first; the generated ASCII file is then imported using the the fields and locations as described in the filter.
Before you modify an existing filter, we recommend that you copy that filter first before making any changes!
All fields correspond to the fields in the QSO Window. See Appendix A for details on individual fields.
See Filter Menu for a description of the menu options.
Page: General
Description
A short description of the use of the filter.
Usage
Describes the capabilities of the filter, possible values are:
Import: The filter can be used to import an ASCII file.
Imp/Exp: The filter can be used to import and to export an ASCII file.
Binary: The filter can be used to import a binary file. For more details see importing binary files
ID
The unique name for the filter. The name is used to identify a file which is used to map prefixes for different logging programs and to identify the name of a batch file used for binary conversions. See Prefix field below.
EXT
The file extension used for the filename to be imported or exported.
RecLen
The total length of a QSO line. Only used when exporting a file, as some other programs require a fixed length line when importing data.
DateChar
Character used to separate the day, month and year when exporting a file; ignored when importing a file.
Page Fields
The Field list shows the name of the field; names correspond to the fields in the QSO Window. The listbox shows only one field at a time. Selecting a different field, using the mouse or the cursor keys, will update the related fields.
Position is the location of the current field in the input line; when the position equals zero, the field will be ignored.
The Type list shows the formatting for this field.
The Length field indicates the length of the current field in the input line. Some fields, such as a date, have a fixed length, and the length cannot be changed.
The Field allocation listbox shows all possible character positions in the input line and which field is 'using' that position. The listing is updated as soon as the definition of a field is changed. If field definitions result in an overlap, all fields using the same position will be shown together on a single line using the word 'also'.
The File listbox can show a number of lines of the ASCII file you are writing the filter for; see see command File | View ASCII file.
Notes on some fields
Confirmed
On import, a true flag can be '1','Y','F','X' (F for fullfilled, not false!). The flag type is used for export only.
Mode
On import, the mode types that are three characters long can recognize more modes than listed; the specified values are relevant for the export function only.
CW: 'CW ' and ' CW' (leading or trailing blank)
PHO: 'PHO' and 'SSB' and 'LSB' and 'USB'
FSK: 'FSK', 'RTT' and 'TTY'
Notes
DX4WIN can place notes for a callsign in a separate file versus placing a note in every QSO record.
Note Filters
Only used when importing a file. Some programs add information to every note field for each QSO which does not make much sense when all notes are combined into a single note for that call:
Frequency: A frequency will be deleted.
Import from: text such as 'IMPORT FROM <filename> will be deleted.
Duplicates: Delete duplicate text that occurs in a previous note for the same call.
Prefix
DX4WIN determines the prefix for a call when importing another log file. If you specify the location of the prefix field and 'Use' the prefix when importing a file, you can find QSOs that have a different prefix than determined by DX4WIN. See also mapping prefixes.
State
The format 'CA, LAX' looks for a regular postal state abbreviation, or an ARRL section abbreviation. The format 'Spokane, WA' looks for the full state name, or a state abbreviation in the variable length field.
QSL Date
Besides the regular date formats, the QSLDate can use a single character flag. When the field contains Y','S','1','R','X' , the QSLDate is set to the date of the QSO.
Zone
DX4WIN determines the zone for a call when importing another log file; if you 'Use' the zone, DX4WIN issues an error message when the zone read and the zone determined by DX4WIN are different.
Import / Export: Filter | New
Define a new Import / Export filter.
When defining a new filter, you will see an empty filter edit form; complete the form and press or click the Ok button to make the definition complete.
Please consider sharing new filters you have developed so they can be included in a future release of the software for the benefit of other users.
Import / Export: Merge DX4WIN Log File
Add an existing DX4WIN log file to the current log file
This command adds the QSOs from another log file the the current log file. Notes will be added if they do not duplicate existing notes.
When you set the QSO default group number to zero, the group numbers of the QSOs read will be kept as they are; if you specify a value other than zero for the default group number, all QSOs read will get that group number.
Selection names and definitions will be ignored.
Importing Binary Files
DX4WIN has a flexible capability to import the binary files of other logging programs. Some logging programs come with a utility to convert their binary formatted log file to an ASCII file. DX4WIN can call such a conversion program as an interim step in the import process. In addition, a few small utility programs are provided to convert some known formats into an ASCII file with a fixed length for each field.
Conversion Process
When converting a binary log file, DX4WIN calls a batch file in the subdirectory 'IMPORT' using the name in the ID field of the import filter and supplies the name of the file to be converted as the first parameter and the full path of the import directory as the second parameter.
The conversion process will produce a file called 'export.txt' also located in the subdirectory 'IMPORT' which is imported using the filter. If the conversion program produces a file with a different name, the batch file will have to rename the file to 'export.txt'. Some utility programs, also located in the 'import' directory, produce an ASCII file called 'import.fld' which contains
additional information about after the conversion as an aid in developing your own filters.
Example
The logging program DXLOG is formatted as a dBase file; we use the utility 'CVDBASE' to create the 'export.txt' file in one step; the file DXLOG.BAT in the 'import' directory looks like:
Rem DXLOG conversion
cvdbase %1
When called the %1 will have the full path and filename of the DXLOG file to be converted.
Another Example; notice %2 to get the destination for the export.txt file
rem converts current log file
rem dxbase supports only a single log
cd c:\ham\dxb40
btrieve /e
dxbconvt
removerm
copy qsolog.sdf %2\export.txt
Legal Information
Copyright c 1995, 96 by Paul van der Eijk, KK4HD
All rights reserved.
License Agreement
You should carefully read the following terms and conditions before using this software.
Demo Version
You are hereby licensed to: use the Demo version of the software for a 30 day evaluation period; make as many copies of the Demo version of this software and documentation as you wish; give exact copies of the original Demo version to anyone; and distribute the Demo version of the software and documentation in its unmodified form via electronic means. There is no charge for any of the above.
You are specifically prohibited from charging, or requesting donations, for any such copies, however made; and from distributing the software and/or documentation with other products (commercial or otherwise) without prior written permission.
Unregistered use of the DX4WIN software after the 30-day evaluation period is in violation of federal copyright laws.
License
One registered copy of the DX4WIN software may either be used by a single person who uses the software personally on one or more computers, or installed on a single workstation used non simultaneously by multiple people, but not both.
You may access the DX4WIN software through a network, provided that you have obtained individual licenses for the software covering all workstations that will access the software through the network.
Governing Law
This agreement shall be governed by the laws of the State of Virginia.
Disclaimer of Warranty
THIS SOFTWARE AND THE ACCOMPANYING FILES ARE SOLD "AS IS" AND WITHOUT WARRANTIES AS TO PERFORMANCE OF MERCHANTABILITY OR ANY OTHER WARRANTIES WHETHER EXPRESSED OR IMPLIED. Because of the various hardware and software environments into which DX4WIN may be put, NO WARRANTY OF FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE IS OFFERED.
Good data processing procedure dictates that any program be thoroughly tested with non-critical data before relying on it. The user must assume the entire risk of using the program. ANY LIABILITY OF THE SELLER WILL BE LIMITED EXCLUSIVELY TO PRODUCT REPLACEMENT OR REFUND OF PURCHASE PRICE.
Trademarks
Windowsr and Windows 95r are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation.
Kenwoodr is a registered trademark of Kenwood USA Corporation.
PacketCluster is a trademark of Pavilion Software.
CT is a trademark of Harvard Radio
ICOM is a trademark of ICOM America
dBase is a trademark of Borland International
HamCall is a trademark of Buckmaster Publishing
Yaesur is a registered trademark of Yaesu Electronic Corporation
DXbase is a trademark of Scientific Solutions, Inc.
QRZ! is a trademark of
DXlog is a trademark of Payl Software
NA is a trademark of Dave Pruett, K8CC
GOLIST is a trademark of DX Enterprises
DX4WIN is a trademark of Paul van der Eijk, KK4HD
Logbook: Confirm / Label (F2)
Perform the actions as specified in the Preferences / F2 Key.
The F2 command in this window works similar as the F2 command in the QSO Window, except that it will ignore the next QSO option. It is used to set the confirm field and indicate that a label for this QSO should be printed.
Note that a similar function is available from the Same Call Window.
Logbook: Goto QSO
Show the high-lighted QSO in the QSO Window.
This command will enable you to reach and edit a QSO that is visible in the Logbook Window. This command is equivalent to double-clicking the QSO line in the window.
LogBook: Print
Print the Logbook.
Print the report as shown; the fields displayed and the Sort Index determine the contents of the report.
The formatting of the report, such as the font used, line spacing and the use of lines and shading, can be specified in the preferences.
LogBook: Report Editor
Manage report definitions.
Starts the Report Editor; changes in the current report format will be reflected as soon as the editing is completed.
Logbook: Select Report
Select a report format or a sort sequence for the Logbook Window.
Fields in this dialog:
Current Report
A listbox showing all available reports. When you select a report in this listbox, the sort index will be set to the default for the report selected.
You can define and change your own reports.
Sort Index
A listbox showing all available ways of sorting the logbook window; see sorting for more details.
LogBook: Write to File
Write the report to an ASCII file
When selecting this command you will be prompted for the name of a file to write the report to. The report is written as a comma separated ASCII file (CSV) suitable for importing into other programs, such as a spreadsheet.
Main Window
The main window, located on the top of the screen, has the following areas:
QSO Status Panel
The QSO status panel, the left most panel, shows status messages when a log file is open:
Filter Specify
Specify a QSO filter; press Enter to enable the filter or Esc to cancel the filter
Filtering
A filter is active; only QSOs matching the filter will be shown; press Esc to cancel the filter
Add Real-time
Adding QSOs in real-time; date and time field cannot be modified; press Esc to stop adding QSO
Add Off-line
Adding QSOs off-line; date and time can be modified; press Esc to stop adding QSO
Sorting
Sorting QSOs to show QSOs in a certain sort order
File Status Panel
The file status panel, to the right of the QSO status panel, shows messages related to the status of the log file:
Modified
the log has been modified but not saved
Backup
the log file has been modified and a backup copy has been made
Writing
the log file or a backup is being written to disk
Sequence Number
The sequence number is only visible when adding QSOs in real-time with contest mode enabled
QSO Scrollbar
The QSO scrollbar is visible when you are not adding QSOs and can be used to Navigate the log
Message Area
This area will show messages depending on the context. It will remind you of the availability of a PopUp menu and other commands
See also
Main Window: Menus and Commands and
QSO Window: Menus and Commands
Main Window: Menus and Commands
The following menus are available:
File
Radio
Help
See also:
QSO Window: Menus and Commands
Main: File
The following sub-menus are available under the File menu:
New
Open
Save
Save as ...
Close
Import / Export
Databases
Calendar
Info
Preferences
Print Setup
Exit
Main: File | Close Log
Close the current log file.
If the log file was modified, you will be prompted to save the file. The DX Spotting Window will be updated and all other windows will be closed.
You have to close the log before you can make make changes to the country database.
Main: File | Databases
Edit various databases:
Country Database
IOTA Database
QSL Managers
Addresses of QSL Managers
Report Definitions
Label Definitions
Radios
Main: File | Databases | Addresses of QSL Managers
Edit the database of addresses of QSL managers.
The database contains the address information for QSL managers. Currently, the maximum number of addresses that can be stored is a little more than 16000.
Fields
The editor has two fields:
Manager
When you select a different call for the manager, by using the Up- and Down-arrows, the address area field will show the address information for that manager. You can also enter a new manager in this field and use the Insert Address command to enter a new address.
Address
The address field is a simple editor which allows for the entry of the address information of the current manager. When printing QSL labels, the address is used to print an address label. It is also possible to include a short note by preceeding a line with an exclamation mark. (!). Lines beginning with an exclamation mark will not be printed.
Commands for the editor:
File | Export Addresses
The complete address database will be written to a text file. An address is written as a single line. Each field is enclosed in double-quotes (") and separated by commas. For example:
"KK4HD","Paul van der Eijk","4900 Bradford Drive","Annandale, VA 22003"
File | Import Addresses
Read a text file containing QSL manager address information. The file is assumed to be formatted the same as produced by the export command. The information read will only add to or update the information contained in the database; no records will be deleted.
File | Save and Exit
Save all changes made and exit the editor.
File | Cancel and Exit
Cancel all changes made and exit the editor.
Edit | Search Manager
The first characters in the manager field are used to locate a manager in the database.
Edit | Insert Address
When you enter a new manager in the manager field, executing this command will clear the address field. The address field is ready to accept an address.
Edit | Delete Address
Executing this command will delete the address for the current manager.
Main: File | Databases | Country Database
Edit the country database.
This command is only available if you do not a have a log file open.
The country database contains information such as prefix, name, location etc. for each country.
For every country there are a number of letter combinations, called mappings, that determine the country of a given callsign. Many of these mappings have a date range for which they are valid, and sometimes the same mapping, using different date ranges, will apply to different countries.
With all the mappings and their date ranges it is not always possible to determine the country of a callsign. As a last resort there is a table that contains callsigns and effective dates indicating the country.
The country editor is organized as a notebook and the description follows the tabs on the notebook:
Country data
Mappings
Exception Callsigns
Menu for the country database editor:
File
Country
Mappings
Calls
Main: File | Databases | IOTA Database
Edit the IOTA database.
This database contains the IOTA information. IOTAs have an abbreviation and their full name. The abbreviation is used in the IOTA field in the QSO Window. Some IOTAs are used in the country database. When you make changes to IOTAs in the country database or the IOTA database, you will have to make sure that the changes are consistent between the two databases.
Fields:
Table
Shows abbreviation and the full name. For the keystrokes and their functions in a table, see Editing Tables.
IOTA search:
By typing a few characters of an IOTA in this field you can position the current row of the table.
Commands for the editor:
File | Save and Exit
Save all changes made and exit the editor
File | Cancel and Exit
Cancel all changes made and exit the editor
Main: File | Databases | Label Definitions
Specify the physical dimensions of the labels used for printing QSLs.
A number of labels are pre-defined. You can specify one custom label, all other label definitions cannot be changed.
Main: File | Databases | QSL Managers
Edit the QSL manager database.
This database contains the QSL information for a number of stations. Entries are added automatically when entering or changing the data in the Manager field in the QSO Window.
A single station can have more than one QSL manager; the active manager is determined by the date of the QSO and the date that the QSL manager became active for the station. No distinctions are made for the mode.
Fields:
Table
Shows callsign of the station, the date the manager became active for this station and the callsign (or some other text) of the manager. For the keystrokes and their functions in a table, see Editing Tables.
Callsign Search:
By typing a few characters of a callsign in this field you can position the current row of the table.
Commands for the editor:
File | Export QSL Manager Data
The database is written to a text file. The three fields (station, date and manager) are separated by commas; for example
4U1WB,,KK4HD
A date is formatted as mm/dd/yyyy
File | Import QSL Manager Data
Read a text file containing QSL manager information. The file is assumed to be formatted the same as produced by the export command. The information read will only add to or update the information contained in the database; no records will be deleted.
File | Save and Exit
Save all changes made and exit the editor.
File | Cancel and Exit
Cancel all changes made and exit the editor.
Main: File | Databases | Report Definitions
Manage the reports that are displayed in the LogBook Window.
The report that is displayed by default in the LogBook Window can be specified in the Preferences.
Reports are defined by selecting a number of fields and the sequence in which they occur.
Current Report
Name of the current report. Select a report from this listbox or change the name by typing in the new name, followed by clicking the update button
Sort Index
Specifies the sort index for the QSOs listed.
Note Width
When the Note Field is included in the report, this field specifies the maximum number of characters to be displayed.
Available Fields
Lists all the fields that are not included in the report. A double-click on a field name will move the field to the Selected fields table.
Selected Fields
Lists all the fields that are included in the report. The fields will be listed in the same order in the report as listed in the table. A double-click on a field name will move the field to the Available fields table.
New Button
Create a new report; change the name of the report to replace the temporary name.
Update Button
Make the changes to a report permanent; needed to record any changes made.
Ok Button
Close the form and if a LogBook Window is visible show the new report.
The arrow buttons:
Left-arrow
Move the current field from Selected- to Available-fields.
Right-arrow
Move the current field from Available- to Selected fields.
Up-arrow
Move the field in the Selected fields table up in position.
Down-arrow
Move the field in the Selected fields table down in position.
Double left-arrow
Move all fields from the Selected fields table back to the Available fields table.
Main: File | Exit
Terminates the program.
If you made changes to the log file, you will be prompted to save the file.
Note that this command is equivalent to clicking the close window button in the title bar of the main window.
Main: File | Import / Export
Use or manage the Import / Export filters.
DX4WIN supports the reading, and in some cases the writing, of the log files of other logging programs. Many logging programs, like DX4WIN, use an undocumented 'binary' format for their log files. As these formats change often, the direct reading of binary formats is not supported but binary conversion routines from other programs can be called directly. Many logging programs have a documented export function which converts a log to an ASCII file with all fields in fixed locations.
When this command executes, you will see a list of standard filters; options are available to add, delete and edit the filters or use a filter to read or write ASCII formatted log files.
Before using, deleting or editing a filter, make sure the filter to be used is selected by clicking the name or moving the selection with the Up- and Down-arrow keys.
See also: Import Filters: Notes
Commands for this window
File
Import
Export
Merge DX4WIN Log File
Exit
Filter
Edit
New
Delete
Copy
Main: File | Info
Display program status.
Displays information about the current log file; indicating the number of QSOs, the number of callsigns that have a note attached, and the amount of free memory.
Radio ID, shows the model number of the radio.
Note: the amount of free memory is reported incorrectly when running under Windows95; the amount of physical memory is reported instead.
Main: File | New
Create a new log file.
If you had a log file open, and that file was modified, you will be prompted to save that file first. The useful thing to do with a new log is to add new QSOs, the default mode, or to import QSOs from another file.
If you specify a new directories in the filename, these directories will be created automatically.
Main: File | Open
Open an existing log file.
Log files may be placed in different directories. If another log file was open, it will be closed first. If the open log file was modified, you will be prompted to save the file.
All prefixes and zones will be determined when the log file is read, reflecting possible changes in the country data base.
It is possible that a prefix cannot be determined for a given callsign and the date of the contact; the assignment of a prefix is date dependent. Searching for QSOs with an unknown prefix is easy: sort the QSOs by prefix and go to the first QSO (Home); the QSOs with an unknown, empty, prefix will be listed first.
Main: File | Preferences
Specify the operating environment for DX4WIN.
Because there are so many different options you can set, the preferences are organized in the form of a notebook. The tabs of the notebook show the topic; click on the tab to switch to the notebook page.
On the File menu you will find two options to either save all changes or cancel all changes made.
These are the tabs on the notebook:
Personal
QSO
Hardware
Packet
Station
DXCC, WAZ and WAS
Reports
Labels
F2 Key
Ext Data
Main: File | Preferences | DXCC
Also File | Preferences | WAZ
File | Preferences | WAS
Specify the various modes and bands that can be used when applying for one of these awards.
Valid Bands
Mark all the bands that can be used when submitting for the award.
Separate Award
Mark all the bands for which there is a separate award. For example, there is a 10m DXCC award but not a 20m DXCC award.
Modes
Mark all the modes that can be used when submitting for the award.
Awards
The types of awards available. Do not mark the types of awards that you do not want to submit for. For example there is a mixed award for DXCC, but if you only work towards the band and modes awards for DXCC do not check the mixed option.
Main: File | Preferences | Ext Data
Specify the files to use to search external databases.
DX4WIN supports CDRom based data such as the HamCall from BuckMaster and QRZ! Ham Radio for address information and the GoList for QSL manager information.
Address Search
External Data Source
Specify the CDRom database you use.
CDRom Drive
The drive letter of the CDRom drive
QSL Manager Search
Data Directory
Specify the directory, including drive letter, where the data can be found. Double-clicking the entry field will show a file selection dialog. After selecting the EXE file, the entry field will contain the directory and the program field will be set to the filename; see next section.
Program and Parameters
Specify the full path name of the program that will do the search in the data. By default the program will be located in the same directory as the data directory, but you can specify a different path for the search program. For the GOLIST the program is GOLIST.EXE.
If the search program you specify is found in the EXTDATA subdirectory, the program will use that file instead. You can double-click the entry field to get a file selection dialog.
Enabled
When the check box is enabled, the external database will be used to show information when you execute the Search Ext data function.
Some more technical details:
DX4WIN uses DLL programs provided by the CDRom vendors to perform the lookup.
For the QSL manager lookup function, DX4WIN uses a Windows PIF file (EXTQSL.PIF). The PIF file in turn calls a batch file (QSL.BAT) which is generated by DX4WIN. This calling sequence makes it possible to call a search program, which is a DOS program, and not show any screen flicker etc. while the search program executes.
The generated batch files have a similar structure: select the drive, change to the data directory, and execute the search program.
The batch file is called with two parameters:
First: callsign
Second: The name of a temporary file
Below the batch file for the GOLIST, assuming the GOLIST is located in a directory called HAMFILES:
C:
CD \HAMFILES\GOLIST
C:\HAMFILES\GOLIST\GOLIST.EXE %1 > %2
The '%1 > %2' is added automatically by DX4WIN if the entry in the command line does not contain a percent sign.
Main: File | Preferences | F2 Key
Set preferences for the F2 key.
The F2 function key can be programmed to perform a number of functions. Depending on the options it can mark a QSO as confirmed, set the label field or assign a sequence number for printing.
Mark QSO as Confirmed
Set the Cnfrm field to Y, marking the QSO as confirmed.
Labels
Do Nothing
The Label field and the SeqPrt field are not changed.
Set Label Field to Y
Set the Label field to Y, indicating a QSL label should be printed for this QSO.
Mark for Sequenced Printing
Set the SeqPrt field to the next sequence number, indicating that a QSL label should be printed
QSL method
If the Label - or SeqPrt field is modified, use this value to set the QSLMethod, indicating how the QSL card should be handled.
QSO
Same QSO
Do not move to a different QSO (unless the QSO no longer matches the current QSO Filter because one or more fields were modified.)
Next QSO
Move to the next QSO matching the QSO Filter in the current sort-order (same as pressing PgDn)
Specify New QSO Filter
Specify a new QSO filter. This allows you to enter a new callsign to search (same as pressing F8).
Alert When Confirming New Band or Mode
When this option is enabled and you confirm a QSO that can be submitted for one or more awards, you will see a listing of all awards (DXCC, WAZ and WAS) for which the QSO qualifies. You will have the option to set all corresponding award flags to 'Submit'. The awards shown take your preferences for bands, modes and awards into account.
Related topics:
Printing Labels
QSO Filter
Selection
Main: File | Preferences | Hardware
This notebook page lets you specify the station equipment attached to your computer. There are other parameters you can specify for packet.
Check the features of DX4WIN when you have a radio connected and the notes for various models.
Radio
When you have a radio connected to your computer specify the following fields:
Type and Address
The type of radio connected to your computer. Some radios, such as ICOM, share an identical set of commands to operate the various models. Instead of creating an identical entry for each model, the different models are distinguished by their address. You can find the address of your radio in the radio manual or see radio address for the currently known models.
COM Port
The serial port to which the radio is connected.
Polling Rate
The number of milliseconds between queries for band and mode; used when adding QSOs in real-time.
FSK Mode
Mode used when switching the radio to FSK mode; used when grabbing a DX spot that contains the word RTTY or FSK in the comment field.
CW Keyer
Interface
Select the printer port used for the CW keying interface. Selecting None will disable the interface; audio keying is still available.
TNC
When you have a TNC connected to your computer specify the following fields:
Type
Select the type of TNC; currently no special models are supported.
COM Port
The serial port to which the TNC is connected.
Baud Rate
The speed used to talk to the TNC. Most TNCs will connect at 9600 baud, but change the rate if needed.
Flow Control
A number of TNCs need flow control in order to avoid the software buffers in the TNC to overflow.
Data Bits / Parity
You can select one of the two common methods to communicate with the TNC, no-parity/8 bits or even-parity/7 bits.
A note about COM ports
Many DOS based logging programs require you to specify IRQ and Base Address for the COM ports, especially when using COM3 or COM4. Windows based software, like DX4WIN, does not support setting of these parameters directly, you specify these parameters in the Windows environment itself.
In Windows, look for the Control panel, port settings, advanced options.
In Windows95, look for the Control panel, Device manager, IO ports, Resources.
Main: File | Preferences | Labels
Specify parameters for printing labels.
Callsign Font
Double-click the name of the callsign font button to specify the font to be used when printing the callsign for a QSL label. The callsign/QSL manager is always printed using a bold font.
Body Font
Double-click on the name of the body font button the specify the font to be used when printing a QSL label.
Current Label
The name of the label that is used by default when printing labels.
Greeting
The text in the Greeting field will be printed as the last line of a QSL label. If you leave this field blank no greeting is printed.
If the text of the greeting contains the @ character it will be replaced with 'Pse QSL' or 'Tnx QSL' depending on the confirmation status of all QSOs printed on the label.
Use Lines
Check this option if you want to use lines to 'box' the fields on a QSL label. Checking this option may slow down printing labels on a dot-matrix printer.
One QSO per Label
Depending on the fonts selected and the dimensions of the labels used, DX4WIN will try to fit as many QSOs as possible on a single label. Check this option if you want to print only one QSO per label. This may be necessary when QSL managers ask for individual cards for every QSO.
Main: File | Preferences | Packet
Specify parameters for the Packet - and DX Spotting Window.
Capacity
Packet
The maximum number of lines in the Packet Window. A larger number keeps more history, but you may want to reduce the value if your computer has limited memory.
DX spots
The maximum number of DX spots that will be shown in the DX Spotting Window. You may want to reduce this number in case your computer has limited memory or updating the status of the DX spots takes too much time.
DX Alerts
Specify for which kind of DX alert you want to be notified. The options 'new country' or 'new band or mode' only apply when a log file is open, and the QSOs checked will be limited to the current Selection.
Callsign Alert
If you specify a callsign in this field the DX spots will be monitored for this callsign regardless of band or mode.
Prefixes for Spotters
If this field is not empty, it will be used to limit spots to those spots coming from certain countries. The field can contain a few prefixes, separated by commas, that will be used to filter out spots from stations that are not of interest to you. For example, if the field contains 'K,VE', only spots made by a station in the USA or Canada will processed as a regular spot. Spots from any other country will be shown in Gray; see also Ignore Gray Spots below.
A spot for a call, equal to the callsign in the callsign alert field (see above), will be processed in the regular way regardless who makes the spot.
Ignore Gray Spots
When this option is selected, all spots that would be marked as not being of interest (colored gray by default) will be ignored and not shown in the spotting window. This also implies, that when you work a station that was spotted previously, that the spot will disappear from the spotting window.
Audio / Voice
If a sound card is present in your system, the program can announce DX spots using the sound card. If no sound card is present, a DX alert results in a system beep.
Colors for DX Spots
When a log file is open, there are five categories of spots that can be identified with a different color. Click on the name of the category and you will get a color dialog to assign a new color. When no log file is open, only the last two categories will be used. For more details, see DX spotting colors.
Patterns
The four strings, patterns, shown are used to recognize a DX spot. The patterns used reflect current usage and should not be changed unless special situations require it.
Main: File | Preferences | Personal
Specify personal information and preferences
Callsign
Your callsign; used in printing reports and to establish the validity of your license number.
License Number
The license number of the software. Note that the license number is keyed to your callsign and your name. If the combination is not valid, the software will not operate.
User Level
To protect users against inadvertent mistakes, a number of commands are disabled depending on the user level. The more advanced levels give access to more features.
Name and Address
Your name and address; the first line, the name, is used to establish the validity of your license number.
Longitude and Latitude
Enter the coordinates of your QTH. The coordinates are used to calculate distance and direction as displayed in the QSO window.
UTC Offset
Enter the time difference between the time maintained by your computer and UTC; used to set the time and date when entering QSOs.
Units
Enter Kilometers or Miles. The unit is used to display the distance in the QSO window.
Band and CW Cutoff Frequency
When reading the frequency of a DX spot or using a frequency from the radio scanner, a mode has to be derived from the frequency. The CW cutoff frequency is used for that purpose. All frequencies below the cutoff will assumed to be CW, all frequencies above the cutoff are PHO. Initially these frequencies are set to the USA band-plan, but you can change the frequencies to reflect your local situation.
Main: File | Preferences | QSO
Specify default values for new QSOs and backup parameter
Defaults for New QSO
The defaults values for certain QSO fields.
The values for band and mode are ignored when entering QSOs real-time and a radio is connected
The group number is also used when importing files that do not define such a field.
Backup Interval
Specify the time in minutes that you want to save a copy of the log file and the country database. A value of zero indicates to ignore the backup feature. When you start the program and a backup file is present, because of an abnormal program termination, you will be asked to save the backup file as a regular log file.
Show Hints
When this field is enabled, little yellow windows will appear for certain fields as soon as the mouse cursor is over the field.
Minimize all Applications
When this option is enabled, all running applications will be minimized as an icon so the screen is not cluttered by other programs.
Callsign Update
When this option is enabled, all fields and windows will be updated as soon as a character is typed in the Callsign field. When this option is disabled, changes will become visible after the cursor leaves the callsign field.
Screen Fonts and Scale
DX4WIN is flexible in assigning the screen fonts used and the size of all forms shown on the display. The default screen settings often make use of True-Type fonts, which allows all fonts to be scaled correctly. Some combinations of font size and scale factor allow for the use of simple fonts that are not scalable. After changing a font or the scale factor, or changing the display attributes in Windows, all active forms will be redrawn to reflect the new settings.
Scale Factor
DX4WIN displays all forms, such as windows in dialogs, the same size regardless of the screen resolution and the size of your monitor. The scale factor, specified in percents, allows forms to be reduced or increased in size. When changing the size of form, you can adjust the fonts used, to make sure that all text is correctly aligned and readable; see below.
Fonts
You can change the font by double-clicking on the name of the font. There are three groups of fonts used in the program:
Headings: All text that does not appear in an input field or a list box.
Input: All text for user input
Listbox: Text appearing in the form of a listing. Changing this font will only show the fixed pitch fonts to make sure that all text shown aligns correctly in columns.
Main: File | Preferences | Reports
Specify the way reports are printed and which report format should be used when opening the LogBook Window.
Font Name
Specify the font to use when printing a report; double-click the name of the font to change.
Lines per Inch
The default value is 6 lines per inch. If you use very small or very large fonts change this value to obtain a better looking print.
Embellishments
Some printers can produce lines and shading to improve the readability of a report. When printing to a dot-matrix printer, the embellishments may take a long time to print.
You can print the header of the report in a bold font when you check the option.
Default Report Format
The default report format for the LogBook Window. Users can create their own report formats
Main: File | Preferences | Station
Specify the bands and modes of interest.
Disabled bands and modes will not be shown in the various summaries and reports, and will not be considered when making submissions for awards or flagging QSOs for which a label should be printed. The DX spotting audio alerts and their priority in the DX Spotting Window also make use of these settings.
When a band or a mode is disabled they can still be entered in a QSO.
Bands
Select the bands of interest.
Modes
Select the modes of interest.
Main: File | Save
Write the current log file and the country database to disk, keeping the log file open.
When you specify a backup interval, the log file and the country file are saved at regular intervals in special backup files. The backup files are placed in the same directory as the executable program. When you start the program and a backup file is present, because of an abnormal program termination, you will be asked to save the backup file as a regular log file.
Saving the log will erase the backup file, and it will be created again as soon more modifications are made and the backup interval expires.
Main: File | Save as ...
Save the current log file under a new name.
When saving a log file under a new name, the old log file is still available. If you specify new directories in the filename, these directories will be created automatically.
See also File | Save
Main: Help
These are the menus under Help:
Contents
How to use Help
About
Main: Help | About
Displays information about the current version of the program.
This information is important when reporting a problem or seeking technical support.
Main: Help | Contents
Activate the help system for DX4WIN and start in the table of contents.
You can get context sensitive help, i.e. get help depending where you are in the program, by pressing the F1 key. You can also select a menu option with the mouse and press the F1 key to get help on that menu. This works also for menus that are not enabled.
Main: Help | How to use Help
Activates the Windows 'WINHELP.HLP' file for help on help.
Main: Print Setup
Activate the Windows printer setup program.
The printer setup function allows you to select a different default printer. You can also set parameters for the selected printer.
Note that all commands that use the printer allow access to the printer setup program before printing. These changes are only valid for the single print job. Changes made using the print setup function remain active as long as DX4WIN is running
Main: Radio
The Radio menu and radio features are only available if you specified a radio in your preferences and the radio is connected to your computer using an appropriate interface.
Radio Menu:
Scanner
Panorama
Start/Close Radio
Main: Radio | Panorama
Show a panorama display.
If DX4WIN can read the S meter value from the radio, you can generate a Panorama display. This display shows the signals around a center frequency.
You can also monitor a number of frequencies in the Scanner Window.
Scan Button
Start the scan and update the display continuously.
Center Freq Button
Read a new center frequency from the radio.
Exit Button
Stops a scan in progress and closes the window.
Below is a picture of a panorama display on the 20m band; the small divisions represent 1Khz, the large divisions are at 10Khz.
Main: Radio | Scanner
Start the radio scanner.
The scanner is used to monitor activity for a number of frequencies. Frequencies are entered directly from the radio or they can be entered from the DX Spotting Window.
You can also monitor a range of frequencies around a center frequency with the Panorama Display.
The columns in the Scanner Window:
Enabled
Field is set to Y or N; indicating if the channel will be monitored when scanning.
Description
A short description entered by the user, or the text from the DX spotting Window, if the entry was created with the monitor command.
AVFO
Main frequency
BVFO
QSX frequency
Fields in the Scanner Window:
Scan delay
The time the radio will stay on an active channel. You can also move to the next channel by clicking the Scan button.
Status
Indicates the scan status
Scan Button
Start scanning or when scanning, monitor the next active channel.
Stop Button
Stop scanning or stop reading a frequency from the radio.
New Freq Button
Clear the currently selected channel and continuously read the frequency from the radio. The frequency is stored in the AVFO field and if the radio is in split mode, the QSX frequency is stored in the BVFO field.
Clear Button
Clear the currently selected channel.
Exit Button
Exit the scanner function. All channel settings are stored in the configuration file for later recall.
Main: Radio | Start/Close Radio
Start or Stop the radio.
This command will allow you to start the radio if you forgot to switch the radio on before starting the program. Stopping the radio will allow you to use the COM port for a different device.
Note: The radio commands are only available when you have specified the type of radio to use; see preferences.
Mapping Prefixes
Due to the lack of standardization, most logging programs use a different set of prefixes. The import and export functions can make use of a special ASCII file that maps the prefixes used by DX4WIN to the prefixes used by another logging program.
The name of the mapping file is derived from the name in the ID field in the import/export filter by adding the extension PMP. The mapping files should be in the same directory as the DX4WIN.EXE file.
Format of the Mapping File:
The mapping file is an ASCII file that has one line for every prefix for which we want to create a different mapping. The first entry is the DX4WIN prefix, followed by a comma followed by the prefix as it is used by the other logging program. For example:
1A0,1A
3D2/C,3D2C
3D2/R,3D2X
4U/IT,4U1I
Note that if you make changes to the prefixes using the country editor, you will have to change the corresponding entries in the PMP files!
Message: Invalid License Number
The combination of your callsign and your name resulted in an invalid license number.
Please restart the program and verify your callsign, name and your license number.
Navigating the Log:
When the QSO window has the focus, it has a bright double border, the following keys help you navigate in the log. If you also have a LOGBOOK window open, the matching QSO will be high-lighted. When a filter is active, only those QSOs that match the filter will be visible.
When a log file is open and you are not adding QSOs, the Main Window shows a little scrollbar which lets you move to different QSO using the mouse. A click on one of the arrows will move by one QSO, a click outside the slider area will move 10 QSOs. You can also move the slider of scrollbar to move to different QSOs.
QSO Window navigation keys:
Key
Action
PgDn
Next QSO
PgUp
Previous QSO
Home
First QSO
End
Last QSO
Ctrl+PgDn
Next QSO with a different Sort Key
Ctrl+PgUp
Previous QSO with a different Sort Key
The behavior of Ctrl+PgUp and Ctrl+PgDn keys depends on the the current sort key. For example, when you sort the QSOs by prefix, pressing Ctrl+PgDn moves to the next QSO that has a different prefix; when sorting by band Ctrl+PgUp moves to the previous QSO which has a different band, etc.
Note that the keys are visible in the QSO | Navigate menu.
Notes for Radios
If your radio does not show up as one of the radios you can select, check the following listing. A number of radios are compatible with other models.
ICOM
All ICOM radios use the same set of commands with the exception of the IC735. You will have to specify the 'address' of your particular model
Kenwood
The Kenwood radios can be divided in two groups with respect to their command set. The second group was created to support the models which have a command to read the S meter value from the radio which applies to the 950 and the 780. Being able to read the S meter will enable the Panorama function.
TenTec
The Omni-6 and the Paragon II use the same commands as the ICOM IC765 plus a number of additional commands. The Omni VI should have EPROM version 2.22 or later. Older models can be operated as an ICOM 735 with some loss of functionality. Specify the value 4 for the address of the radio.
Yaesu
Older models of the FT1000D and the FT990 have an EPROM which does not allow to read operating data from the radio unless it is read in a large quantity. Reading such a large amount of data will lock the program for seconds, and is therefore not supported. Yaesu has made upgrades available for these older models to correct this problem. Make sure you have EPROM version 1.3 or later for the FT-990 , and version 6.0 or later for the FT1000D
Packet Window
The Packet Window shows all text received from the TNC.
As soon as you start typing the first character, the window will scroll to the last line and the TNC will hold all incoming text. As soon as you press the Enter key, or backspace to the beginning of the line, the TNC will release all the text received while you were typing.
The packet window will only show a few lines of the text received from the TNC, depending on the size of the window. As long as the 'thumb' of the vertical scrollbar is in its lowest position, text will be added to the packet window as it comes in. Any other position of the 'thumb' will hold the display steady, so you can see a portion of a text without the text moving because of incoming text.
The Packet Window will also wrap long lines so they remain completely visible in the window. When resizing the window, the wrapping will be adjusted to reflect the new size of the window, and the 'thumb' will be at the end position.
After sending a DIR command to the cluster, you will see a number of messages starting with a message number. You can use the mouse and double-click such entry to send a 'read' command for that message to the cluster.
When the packet window reaches the maximum number of lines, the necessary number of lines will be deleted at the beginning of the scrollback buffer to stay within the specified limit.
Popup menu
Announce DX (F6)
Read Message (double-click)
Switch to QSO Window (F9)
Copy to ClipBoard (Ctrl+Ins)
Clear All Text
Paste from ClipBoard (Shift+Ins)
Stop Sending ClipBoard (Esc)
Message-n (Fn)
Edit Packet Shortcut Keys
Help
Packet Window: Announce DX (F6)
Send a DX announcement to the Packet Cluster.
See also: Announce DX Window
Packet Window: Clear
Clear the packet window.
All text in the packet window will be deleted.
Packet Window: Copy to ClipBoard
Copy the selected lines of the packet window to the Windows Clipboard.
Before using this command, select the line you want to copy, by clicking and dragging using the mouse, or using the Up- and Down-arrow keys in combination with the Shift and Ctrl keys.
When you copying lines from the Packet Window to the ClipBoard, the text can be transferred to other applications, such as the NotePad and Write for further processing. Using one of these standard application, you can edit the text, save it to a file or print the text.
It is possible that the packet window will contain more text than the ClipBoard can hold. In that case only the last 64K bytes are copied.
Packet Window: Edit Packet Shortcut Keys
Edit the strings associated with the function keys in the Packet Window.
The string for the function keys F1 to F5 can be up to 40 characters long.
The % (percent) character functions as a special character to introduce substitutions made in the string. The character following the percent has the following meaning:
Characters
Meaning
%%
% (a single percent)
%n
n = 1 to 5; the string associated with function key n
%D
The current date in format: yymmddhhnn
%C
Ctrl+C character
%R
Ctrl+M character (new line)
Packet Window: Message-n (Fn)
Send Packet messages associated with function key.
In the packet window, the function keys F1 to F5 will send the string defined for the that key to the TNC. The string sent can be changed using the Edit Packet Shortcut Keys command.
The 'contents' of each function key is shown in the PopUp menu in front of the function key.
Packet Window: Paste from ClipBoard (Shift Ins)
Send the contents of the Windows Clipboard to the TNC.
You can copy text from another application, such as NotePad or Write, to the ClipBoard, and send the copied text to the TNC.
As long as the text is transferred to the TNC, you will see a progress indicator. Sending a long text can be aborted by pressing the Esc key.
Packet Window: Read Message
Read cluster message.
After sending a DIR command to the cluster, you will see a number of messages starting with a message number. You can use the mouse and double-click such entry to send a read command for that message to the cluster.
Packet Window: Stop Sending ClipBoard (Esc)
Abort sending the contents of the ClipBoard.
This command is only enabled when you are sending the contents of the ClipBoard to the TNC.
The command will stop sending characters to the TNC immediately, but there still may be characters left in the TNC that will be transmitted.
Popup Menu
A Popup menu is a menu that becomes visible when clicking the right button on the mouse.
Awards
Showing the "contribution" of the QSO to the various awards. Every field in the matrix can have three value:
Status
Meaning
blank
Not used for award
Submit
QSO is submitted for the award
Checked
QSO has been approved for the award
Some awards come in many categories and endorsements, like the Worked All States award. DX4WIN supports only the basic awards, the band awards and the mode awards for DXCC, WAS and WAZ. The IOTA, WPX, County and TenTen awards make no distinction for bands or modes..
Note that Satellite contacts are treated as a contact on the satellite 'band'. This will print 'Sat' on QSL cards as required for award purposes. The Up/Down link frequencies are set in the Satellite field.
Callsign
The callsign of the station worked.
Changing the callsign will clear the State, County, TenTen , Grid and IOTA fields.
A callsign can be up to 12 characters long. The valid characters are: A..Z, 0..9 and /.
The callsign and the Date of a QSO determine the Prefix (country) and the Zone.
Cnfrm
Indicates if the QSO has been confirmed with a QSL card.
You can set this field manually or use the F2 key after setting the F2 key preference.
If you received a card for a QSO but the operation was not approved by the DXCC desk (like the recent 5A0RR operation) mark the QSO as confirmed, but change the ValidDX field; all award calculations will reflect such a situation correctly.
Country name
Name of the country as determined by the Prefix field.
Country names can be added and changed in the Country database.
County
The county of the station worked. A county is valid only for continental US, Alaska and Hawaii.
The State field must contain a valid state before the County field accepts a name. Pressing F1 in the County field will show a box with all valid counties for the state sorted by county name. Type a few characters or use the arrow keys and PgUp / PgDn keys to move to the right spot. Select the entry by pressing the space bar or the ENTER key.
Date & Time
The Date & Time of the contact specified in UTC. For the conversion of the date and time used by your computer to UTC you have to specify the UTC Offset..
When you change the date of a QSO, the Prefix and the Zone are calculated again because they are date sensitive.
Besides the regular editing features for date & time, you can also use the up- and down-arrow keys to change the date and time by one day or one minute respectively.
Dir / Dist
Direction and distance from your QTH to some central location in the country of the DX station worked. If the current QSO has a valid value in the State field, the distance and direction will be shown to that state.
The direction and distance are calculated based on your location and the location of the DX station. The central locations of the countries are stored in the Country database.
Note you can select to display the distance in Miles or in Kilometers in your personal preferences.
Grid
Field for the grid square; for example FM15.
Group
A numeric field in the range 0 to 255 indicating which group of QSOs the QSO belongs to.
When adding new QSOs, the initial value is obtained from the default QSO. All subsequent entries will be copied from the last QSO entered.
When importing a log, the value of Group will also be obtained from the default QSO if the import filter does not specify a group field. This feature can be used to see quickly which QSOs were imported, and make corrections or delete the complete group all together.
Group numbers can be used to divide your log in different logical sections, allowing you to indicate changes in operating conditions such as change of QTH, callsign, a specific contest etc. When you open a log, the program will use the default Selection which simply covers all QSOs in the log. When you specify a Selection, DX4WIN will only show the QSOs matching the Selection; acting in addition to a QSO Filter.
You can assign a text to a Group number. The text is not displayed in the QSO Window, but is used to specify a Selection.
IOTA
The IOTA of the station worked.
Pressing F1 in the IOTA field will show a box with all IOTAs sorted by their name. Type a few characters or use the arrow keys and PgUp / PgDn keys to move to the right spot. Select the entry by pressing the space bar or the ENTER key.
If you have a previous contact in the log file with the same station, the IOTA field will be set to the IOTA of the last contact.
See also IOTA Database if you want to make changes to the data.
Label
Flag to indicate if a QSO label should be printed in batch mode.
When adding new QSOs, the default value is obtained according to your preference.
This field can also be set when confirming a QSO.
QSO Labels can be printed in batches sorted by callsign or in the same sequence as they were flagged for printing
All label fields can be cleared at once or can be set for printing using selection criteria.
Manager
The callsign of the manager handling QSL duties for the station.
If you enter QSL manager information to a QSO, the QSL Manager database will be updated automatically. The QSL manager data is not part of the QSO; the value is determined by the the Callsign and the Date of the QSO.
Special keystroke in the Manager Field:
Ctrl+E
Activate a windows editor to edit the address for the current manager.
Note that the regular Windows Cut and Paste commands are available in the editor.
Mode
The mode (PHOne, CW, FSK) for the QSO.
The Mode field is initially set to the value specified in the default QSO. All QSO entered subsequently will have the same mode setting as the last QSO entered.
If a radio is connected and QSOs are added in real-time, the mode is continuously obtained from the radio until the QSO is entered in the log.
Notes for this call
Field to store notes for a callsign.
All notes for the same callsign are grouped together in a single location. This approach can give you instant access to the name, QTH etc. if you work the same station again.
The QSO window shows a limited number of characters for a note, but you can scroll inside the note field using the left- and right-arrow keys. (See also Ctrl+E command below). A note can hold up to 254 characters.
When you import a log file, the note field is also used to store error messages.
Special keystrokes in the NoteField:
Ctrl+D
Insert the date of the current QSO as text at the current cursor position
Ctrl+E
Activate a windows editor for the current note.
Short notes can easily be edited in the note field, but with longer texts this becomes inconvenient. The editor will split the text in lines using the 'pipe' character (|). Note that the regular Windows Cut and Paste commands are available in the editor.
Ctrl+R
Insert the current frequency as text at the cursor position. This command is available if a radio is enabled.
Number
A running counter to print a line number in reports.
This field is not available in the QSO Window but can be used when specifying the layout of a report.
Prefix
The prefix (country) for the current callsign.
The prefix is determined by the callsign and the date of the QSO. A prefix is not stored in the log file. The prefix is determined every time a log is opened or new QSOs are added. This approach assures a consistent handling of prefixes in the same log or separate logs that you keep.
Pressing F1 in the Prefix field will show a box with all countries sorted by the name of the country. Type a few characters or use the arrow keys and PgUp / PgDn keys to move to the right spot. Select the entry by pressing the space bar or the ENTER key.
If you overwrite the prefix field, an entry will be made in the call exception database. All QSOs with the same callsign following the QSO will have the new prefix. QSOs with the same call preceding the QSO will not change.
QRP
Field that indicates a QRP (low power) contact.
QSL Method
Field indicating how you send a QSL card. The method field can be set when confirming or printing a QSO. When adding or importing new QSOs, the default value is obtained according to your default QSO preference.
The following table indicates the intended use of the QSL Methods. The Rank column indicates the sort sequence used when printing labels in batch mode. Sorting by rank first assures that all labels using the same method will be grouped together, so they can be separated after the labels have been printed.
Method
Rank
Remarks
$$$
1
Direct with a donation
Direct
2
Direct
QSLServ
3
Via a QSL service
Buro
4
Via domestic buro
Other
5
Any other means
Ignore
6
Ignore for automatic selection
If the Method field is set to 'Ignore', the QSO will not be selected for printing a QSL label by any command that sets this field automatically.
QSLDate
Date that you printed a QSL label and presumably mailed the card.
DX4WIN does not keep a separate field to indicate that a QSL label was printed; the QSLDate is used for that purpose.
This field can be set automatically when printing labels.
Note that you can search for QSOs for which you did not send a QSL card by specifying a date of 01/01/01
Recvd
Field intended to store contest report received information, such as a serial number, province etc. Holds four uppercase characters.
RSTs, RSTr
The report sent (RSTs) and the report received (RSTr)
Satellite
Field indicating the up/down frequency for a satellite contact.
SeqPrt
An invisible field in every QSO used to store the sequence number for QSL label printing.
You cannot search for QSOs that have this field set, but using the LogBook window and adding this field to the report format, QSOs can be shown in sorted order.
State
The USA state of the station worked. A state is valid only for the continental USA, Alaska and Hawaii.
Changing the state will clear the County field and 'calculate' the Zone field again. Pressing F1 in the State field will show a box with all valid states sorted by the name of the state. Type a few characters or use the arrow keys and PgUp / PgDn keys to move to the right spot. Select the entry by pressing the space bar or the ENTER key.
A valid state will also change the distance and direction fields in the QSO Window.
If you have a previous contact in the log file with the same station, the state field will be set to the state of the last contact.
State name
Name of the state as determined by the State field.
This field is not available in the QSO Window but can be used when specifying the layout of a report.
TenTen
The TenTen (1010) number of the station worked.
If you have a previous contact in the log file with the same station, the TenTen field will be set to the TenTen number of the last contact.
ValidDX
Field to indicate if the QSO is valid for DXCC purposes.
The ValidDX field is set to 'Valid' by default when entering a new QSO or importing a QSO (if the field is not defined in the import filter). If the callsign contains '/MM' or '/AM' (maritime or aeronautical mobile) the field is set to 'Invalid'.
Change the value to 'Invalid' for contacts with stations that the DXCC desk has not approved for DXCC. My recent examples were 5A0RR and XY0Z.
Note that if the QSO does not count for DXCC, it does not count for any other award.
WPX
WPX prefix given the callsign
This field is not available in the QSO Window but can be used when specifying the layout of a report.
YLop
Field indicating a contact with a YL (female) operator.
If you have a previous contact in the log file with the same station, the YLop field will be set to the YLop field of the last contact.
Zone
The zone, in the range 1 through 40.
The zone is determined by the Callsign ,the Date and the State of the QSO. A zone is not stored in the log file. The zone is calculated every time a log is opened or a new QSOs is added. This approach assures a consistent handling of zones in the same log or separate logs that you keep.
If you overwrite the prefix or the zone, an entry will be made to register the exception. All QSOs with the same callsign following the QSO will get the new prefix and the zone. QSOs with the same call preceding the QSO will not change. The exceptions are stored in the Country database.
When you change the state field of a QSO, the zone will be 'calculated' again, replacing the current value in the zone field.
QSO Window
When a log file is open, the QSO Window shows the current QSO.
The title bar of the windows shows the file-name of the current log and the current sort-key.
See also: Moving around in the QSO Window and Navigating the log file.
Menu for the QSO Window:
QSO
Sort
Filter
Labels
Window
Reports
Related topics:
Moving around in the QSO Window:
Navigating the log file:
Specifying a QSO filter
Main Window: Menus and Commands
For a description of all available fields in the QSO window see Appendix A - QSO Fields
See a picture of the QSO Window.
QSO Window Picture
The picture below shows the QSO Window with a sample QSO.
QSO: Filter
QSO filters are used to search for certain QSOs, such as searching by Callsign, Prefix etc.
Selections act as a QSO filter, they also limit the range of active QSOs, but in contrast to a QSO filter, Selections limit all summaries, reports, award summaries and submissions to the QSOs that match the Selection.
Search
Search Using Old Filter
Count
Cancel Filter
Selection
Edit Group Names
QSO: Filter | Cancel filter
Cancel the current QSO filter.
Note that this command does not change or cancel the current Selection.
QSO: Filter | Count
Count how many QSOs match the current QSO Filter.
Note a Selection can further limit the number of QSOs found.
QSO: Filter | Edit Group Names
Manage the group names.
The group number in a QSO can be associated with a name. Giving a name to a group number provides a way of remembering what the number means. To use a group numbers in a Selection, a group number must have a name.
Fields in this dialog:
Listbox
The listbox show all group numbers that currently have a name assigned. The edit field below the listbox show the currently selected name ready for editing.
Change Button
Change the name of the group to the name in the edit field.
Add Button
Add a name to the end of the list of names.
Insert
Insert a name before the currently selected name.
Delete Button
Delete the currently selected name
Cancel Button
Cancel all changes made and close the dialog.
Ok Button
Accept all changes made and close the dialog.
QSO: Filter | Search (F8)
Specify a new QSO filter.
When you specify a new filter, all the fields in the QSO Window are erased. Enter a text in the field(s) you want to search or select a band or mode etc. When satisfied, press the Enter key to enable the filter, or press the ESC key to cancel the filter.
When a filter is active, see the status field on the main form, the filter can be canceled by pressing the ESC key.
A filter can be also be used for limiting the records that will be exported.
Examples
Details for various fields
QSO: Filter | Search Using Old Filter (Shft F8)
Specify a QSO filter using the last filter setting..
This command is identical to the Search command, except that it will not erase the last filter setting. It can be used to modify a previous filter, or to see the filter settings used by some of the reports after double-clicking on a listing-report.
QSO: Filter | Selection
Specify a new Selection.
Selections are used to divide a log file in different parts. The division can be based on the date of the QSO or on the value in the Group field.
Selections can be used to generate summaries or prepare a submission for an award while limiting the QSOs that are being used. This allows you to keep various logs in one log file without loss of flexibility.
When a log file is opened, the 'All QSOs' selection will be used. Every log file has its own Group names and selection definitions. Before you can use the groups in a selection they must have a name; see Edit group names.
Current Selection
Name of the current selection. Change the temporary name when you add a new selection.
Group Names
A list of all known group names. To assign a name to a group number see Filter | Edit Group names. Select all the groups to be included in the selection by double-clicking the name. An 'x' in front of the name indicates that the group is included.
First Date
Starting date when filtering by date. When the field is left blank, the date is assumed to be the first date in your log file.
Last Date
Ending date when filtering by date. When the field is left blank, the date is assumed to be the last date in your log file.
Group Filter
When this option is checked, the selection by Group is active.
Date Filter
When this option is checked, the selection by Date is active.
Add Button
Add a new selection; you should replace the temporary name for the selection in the Current selection field.
Delete Button
Delete the current selection.
Update Button
Update the values for the current selection.
Ok Button
The selection shown will become the current selection. If a log file is open, the first QSO that satisfies the selection will be shown. All summary windows and the LogBook Window will be updated to reflect the changes.
QSO: Labels
DX4WIN always prints labels in batch mode, i.e. all labels will be printed together in one pass. This facilitates printing on sheets with multiple labels and combining QSOs with the same station on a single label.
Often labels are printed in sorted order (by QSL manager and by Callsign), but DX4WIN also supports the printing of labels in the same sequence as the QSO was marked for printing. Sequenced printing enables a QSL manager to print the labels in the same sequence as the envelopes were opened and put the reply cards back in the same order without having to search for the matching envelope.
Label menu commands:
Clear Print Flags
Clear Sequenced Print
Set Print Flags
Mark for QSL
Print QSL Labels
Print Labels in Sequence
Related topics:
Label format
Physical dimensions
QSO: Labels | Clear Print Flags
Clear print flags.
Set the Label field of all QSOs in the log to N. This command takes the current Selection into account.
QSO: Labels | Clear Sequenced Print
Clear sequenced print fields.
This command clears the SeqPrt field of all QSOs in the log. This command ignores the current Selection.
QSO: Labels | Mark for QSL
Find and mark QSOs for QSLing.
This command lets you identify 'desired' QSOs for which you want to send QSL cards. Desired QSOs are QSOs that if confirmed will contribute to an award that has been enabled in your preferences.
Award
Select the award you want to use.
The selection 'All DX Contacts' will only consider callsigns for which a QSL was never sent (for any QSO) and that has a different prefix than the prefix derived from your personal callsign. If a callsign will be flagged for printing, only one QSL per band will be flagged.
QSLMethod column
Indicates the QSL method to use when selecting a QSO. If you leave the field blank, the award will not be considered.
Weeks column
Indicates the number of weeks to wait before you want to send a card to a station that you have mailed a QSL previously.
Mixed row
Find QSOs that when confirmed would result in a new country for DXCC, or a new zone for WAZ or a new state for WAS.
Band row
Find QSOs that when confirmed would result in a new band country for DXCC, or a new band zone for WAZ or a new band state for WAS.
Mode row
Find QSOs that when confirmed would result in a new mode country for DXCC, or a new mode zone for WAZ or a new mode state for WAS.
Only QSOs After
When you specify a date in this field, only QSOs made after the given date will be considered for a QSL label.
After clicking Ok (or pressing Enter) the QSOs matching the current Selection will be tested if they are 'desired' according to your specifications, and if so, the Label field and the corresponding QSLMethod will be set.
QSO: Labels | Print Labels in Sequence
Print labels for QSOs marked for sequenced printing.
Print QSL labels for QSOs in the current Selection that have a value assigned to the SeqPrt field.
The labels will be printed in the order that they were marked for sequenced printing.
See also: QSL label Print Options
QSO: Labels | Print Options
Set options for printing QSL labels.
Current Label
You can select a different label format for printing the labels without changing the default format.
Missing Labels
Specify the number of labels that should be skipped before the first label is printed. Practical when a number of labels have been used on a sheet.
Print QSL Managers
The printing of a QSL manager of a station is optional; you can disable this when sending cards via a QSL service for example. Changing this option will affect the order in which the QSOs are printed.
Use Custom Paper Size
Some printer drivers can not handle a custom page size, ie sizes other than legal and A4 format. If setting of a custom page size fails, the print job will be canceled and the box will not be checked next time you print. Printing without a custom paper size may lead to skipping a label when the standard page size does not contain an integral number of labels.
Print QSL Method
When this option is enabled, a QSL method label will be printed whenever the method is changing. Intended to separate the printed labels using different QSL methods.
Print Commercial
When checked, an extra line using a small small font will be printed near the bottom edge of the label.
QSOs to Countries Without Buro
Shows the number of QSOs that are marked for printing, and where the QSL method is 'Buro' and the country does not have a buro. For these QSOs, you will have to decide what to do: When you chose the method 'Ignore', the print flag of the QSOs will be set to 'N' and the labels will not be printed. When you chose any other method (including 'buro') the method field in every QSO will me modified to use the new QSL method. The indicator if a country has a buro or not is set in the Country database.
Min. Left Margin and Min Bottom Margin
A number of printer drivers report the unprintable area on the left side and the bottom of the page incorrectly. Specifying a value here increases the size of the unprintable area, allowing you to make corrections without changing the definition of a label format.
Note: If you specify a range of pages to be printed, only the QSL date field for the QSOs that were actually printed will be set to today's date.
QSO: Labels | Print QSL labels
Print labels for QSOs marked for printing.
Print the QSL labels for all QSOs in the current Selection that have the Label field set to Y.
QSOs are printed in sorted order; first by QSLMethod ranking, by manager, by callsign and by date and time. Sorting by QSLMethod keeps all QSL labels going direct, via a QSL service or the buro together.
After printing the labels you will be asked if the QSLDate field should be set. Setting this field to today's date indicates that a label was actually printed. If you specified a page range to be printed, only the QSOs in the printed range will be modified.
See also: Print Label Options
QSO: Labels | Set Print Flags
Use filter to set print flags.
Sets the Label field and the the Method field for all QSOs that match the current QSO filter and the current Selection.
This command provides a quick method to set the label field for a number of QSOs satisfying one or more search criteria.
Note: The print field will not be set for QSOs that have the QSLMethod field set to 'ignore'.
Moving around in the QSO Window:
Besides clicking with the mouse on a field, you can use the Tab key to go to the next field. Use the Shift+Tab to go to the previous field. If the cursor is not in the QSLmgr, the County or the note field, the space bar acts like the Tab key by moving to the next field.
A few fields can be reached quickly by pressing Alt+C for the Call, ALT+T for the time and Alt+N for the note field. Inside a field, the Left- and Right-Arrow keys move around, and the Ins-key switches between inserting / replacing characters.
Some fields offer a limited choice of values, such as mode, band, etc. These fields can be recognized as such by the down-arrow to the right of the field. Inside such a field you can use the up- and down-arrow to select the value or type the first character. When you click the Down-Arrow with the mouse, all possible values will be shown in a drop-down list. Select the value with a mouse click.
The F5 key (Zoom) lets you change the size of the QSO window.
A number of fields in the QSO window can be skipped when pressing the tab key, see disabled fields in the contest window.
Fields like Prefix, State, County and IOTA, check for valid entries. If an entry is not valid, by accident or on purpose, you will see a list with all valid values. Type a few characters or use the arrow keys and PgUp / PgDn keys to move to the right spot. Select the entry by pressing the Enter key. Note that for the county field the counties shown are limited to the counties for the state entered.
When you make changes to a QSO, use the F10 key to record the changes made. After pressing F10, you will see the next record in the current sort sequence, and if the filter is enabled the next record matching that filter. If you made a change to a QSO that you want to cancel, just move to the next or previous QSO without pressing the F10 key.
QSO: QSO
The menu for the QSO option:
Add Real-time (F9)
Add Off-line
Navigate
Delete QSO
Confirm/Label (F2)
Search External Data (F3)
Next Window Size (F5)
Announce DX (F6)
Update QSO (F10)
Contest Mode
QSO: QSO | Add Off-line
Add QSOs to the current log file.
Adding QSOs off-line allows for adding previously made QSOs versus adding real-time. The Date and Time fields can be changed, and the radio will be ignored.
Press ENTER to add the QSO. Press ESC to stop adding.
After pressing Enter, the new QSO shown will have the same Date, Time, Mode, Band, QRP and Satellite fields as the last QSO entered.
Remember that you can change the date and time quickly by using the Up- and Down-arrows.
More details on adding QSOs.
QSO: QSO | Add Real-time
Add QSOs to the current log file in real time.
Adding QSOs in real-time versus off-line, assumes you are adding QSOs while making the contact. The date and time fields in the QSO window cannot be edited, because their values are obtained from the computer clock. If you run your computer clock on time other than UTC, specify an UTC offset in your preferences
If you have a connection to your radio, band and mode are obtained from the radio; if your radio interface is not enabled, band and mode for the first QSO are set according to your default QSO settings. All subsequent QSOs will copy the band and mode from the last QSO entered.
Press ENTER to add the QSO; press ESC to stop adding.
More details on adding QSOs.
QSO: QSO | Announce DX (F6)
Send a DX announcement to the Packet Cluster.
See also: Announce DX Window
QSO: QSO | Confirm/Label (F2)
Perform the actions as specified in the Preferences / F2 Key.
Used to set the confirm field and indicate that a label for this QSO should be printed.
Note that a similar function is available from the Logbook window and the Same Call Window.
QSO: QSO | Contest Mode
Set options for logging in a contest.
DX4WIN is a logging program, not a contesting program. It does not support the scoring calculations of a contest program, but the contesting features make it possible to participate in a contest without making embarrassing duplicate contacts and to issue a serial number when necessary. If you decide to use a 'real' contesting program during a contest, a number of import filters are available to make such a log part of your DX4WIN log after the contest.
While operating in a contest, you have the choice to see your complete log, the default, or you can set a Selection covering the contest only. When using a Selection the Summary windows, Logbook Window and the Same Call Window can be limited to only show contacts made in the contest.
To increase your logging rate, a number of QSO fields can be skipped when pressing the Tab or space bar; see below.
Contest Enabled
Check this field to enable contest mode. All contacts made during the contest will be checked for duplicates on the same band in the same mode. Contest mode is always disabled when a log file is opened.
Start of Contest
Specify the date and time of the start of the contest. Contacts made after the beginning of the contest will be checked for duplicate contacts.
Next Sequence Number
Specify the start of the sequence number. A field will become visible in the main menu area that automatically increments after a QSO has been entered. Set this field to zero if you do not want a sequence number display. Sequence numbers are not stored in the log, it is only displayed as an aid during the contest. The received exchange can be stored in the Recvd field.
Disabled Fields
By default all fields in the QSO window are enabled depending on your setting of the size of the QSO window. A number of fields can be disabled to increase your logging rate during a contest. The disabled fields will be skipped when pressing the Tab key or the space bar. You can still change such a field by placing the mouse cursor inside the field.
Note that when logging in real-time or using the radio to obtain the band and the mode, time date, mode and band cannot be changed.
QSO: QSO | Delete QSO
Delete the current QSO.
After deleting the QSO, all visible windows, such as LogBook, Summaries, DX spots and Same Call will be updated immediately reflecting changes in awards, bands and modes worked etc.
If you delete the last QSO in a log file, the program will switch automatically to adding QSOs off-line.
QSO: QSO | Next Window Size
Resize the QSO Window.
As a single QSO contains a lot of information, this command hides a number of fields in various steps to create less screen clutter. The current size setting and location of the QSO window is saved when a log file is closed, and used again when a log is opened.
QSO: QSO | Search External Data
Search the external database(s) for the current callsign.
When at least one external database has been enabled, see Preferences, the current callsign is used to query the external database. The results of the queries are shown in the Search Addr/QSL mgr window.
If both address and QSL information searches are enabled and a QSL manager is found, the callsign of the QSL manager will be used to find the address information of the manager.
You can make multiple queries by entering a new call in the callsign box and press the Enter key.
QSO: QSO | Update QSO (F10)
Store the changed QSO in the log.
All windows, including Summary Windows, DX Spotting Window and the LogBook Window, will reflect the update immediately.
If you made changes to a QSO that you do not want to become permanent, just move away from the QSO using any of the log navigation keys.
QSO: QSO | Navigate
To move around in the log, a number of keys are available to do this quickly. Remember that whenever a QSO filter is active, the only QSOs you can 'reach' are the QSOs that match the current filter. The QSO filter can be canceled by pressing the ESC key. When moving to different QSOs, the current active sort-order is used to move between the QSOs. Note that the sort-order is always visible after the filename of the log in the top of the QSO Window.
The following keys are listed on the navigate menu:
Next (PgDn)
Move to the next QSO
Previous (PgUp)
Move to the previous QSO
First (Home)
Move to the first QSO
Last (End)
Move to the last QSO
Next sorted (Ctrl+PgDn)
Move forward in the log file, according to the current sort index, until the primary sort key differs from the primary sort key in the current QSO.
Previous Sorted (Ctrl+PgUp)
Move backward in the log file, according to the current sort index, until the primary sort key differs from the primary sort key in the current QSO.
QSO: Reports
The report menu lets you create a large number of different reports. A report is shown in a separate window so you can preview the result and decide to print the report. The report window remains visible until it is closed.
Changes made to the QSOs are not reflected in the report window. Close the window and create the report again if you want to see the changes.
If you never specified a Selection, all QSOs in the log will be used to generate summaries or to make submissions. Specifying a selection allows you to limit the report to certain time frames or groups of QSOs. A QSO filter setting is ignored when generating a report.
Submissions for DXCC, WAS and WAZ will check the settings for bands and modes and the bands with a separate award, allowable modes and type of awards specified for the individual awards.
See also Report Window
The sub-menus under the Report options all look similar to the following:
Listing
Summary
Award Submission
Five Band Submission
Contest
Change Award Flags
For DXCC listings and summaries there is an additional option to include deleted countries in the report. A country is marked as a deleted country if an end-date has been entered in the Country database.
QSO: Reports | Award Submission
Generate a submission for the selected award.
Award submissions are available for DXCC, WAS, WAZ, WPX, IOTA, TenTen and Counties.
When generating an award submission, all QSOs in the current Selection are checked to see if they can be included in the submission. The submissions for DXCC, WAS and WAZ will include all QSOs for all possible award submissions that have been enabled with the award preferences. Regardless of the award, QSOs that have the award field set to 'Subm' will automatically be included in the submission. All QSOs that have been included for an award will have the corresponding award field set the 'Subm', indicating an award submission.
After the organization who manages the award has approved your submission, change the award field to 'Chkd', indicating that the QSO have been submitted and approved. See the command Reports | Change award flags to make such a change quickly.
Note that scanning the log for suitable QSOs for an award submission starts with the most recent QSOs assuming that cards for recent QSOs are easier to find then the cards in the beginning of your log.
Also see Reports.
QSO: Reports | Change Award Flags
Change award flags for selected award.
When you press the Ok button, the log is scanned for QSOs in the current Selection and the awards flags are tested and changed as specified in the form. When the command is finished, you will see the number of QSOs that were changed. You can select another award for which to change the flags, or press Cancel to close the form.
QSO: Reports | Contest
Contest related reports
Rate Analysis
The rate report shows the number of QSOs made by mode and by band for every hour in a contest. The start of the contest is taken from the QSO | Contest mode parameters, starting date and starting time. The modes and bands shown will be limited to those selected in the File | Preferences | Station.
QSO: Reports | Five Band Submission
Make a multi band submission for the selected award.
Multi band award submissions are available for DXCC, WAS and WAZ.
Scan the log file for the current Selection, and mark QSOs for all possible band submissions that have been enabled with the award preferences. QSOs for previously submitted single band awards will not be listed again; instead a single line will appear in the report that indicates that submission. For example, if you previously submitted for 10m DXCC, and now you want to submit for five band DXCC, the 10m QSOs are not included in the five band submission.
Note that scanning the log for suitable QSOs for an award submission starts with the most recent QSOs assuming that cards for recent QSOs are easier to find then the cards in the beginning of your log.
Also see Reports.
QSO: Reports | Listing
Generate a listing for the selected award.
Listing reports are available for DXCC, DXCC including deleted countries, WAS, WAZ, IOTA, WPX, TenTen and County.
When you select all modes to generate the report, the DXCC, WAS and WAZ listings have column headings for the modes and bands depending on your preferences. The entries under the band headings reflect the status covering all modes. If you specify a single mode, only that mode will be shown, and the entries under the band headings only cover QSOs in the mode specified. The IOTA and county reports can also generate a full listing. A full listing shows all entries even if a QSO never occurred.
Listing reports have a feature that allows you to search for all QSOs generating an entry in the report.
For example:
The reports indicates that you worked Monaco on 10m but never received a QSL card back (there is an 'M' on the intersection of the line Monaco and the column 10m, indicating the highest 'level' is card mailed). By double-clicking on the M, the QSO filter will be set to find all QSOs with Monaco on 10m for which you mailed a QSL card!
When you double-click on an entry containing an 'S' or an '*', the filter will be set to 'Submit' or 'Checked' for a specific band or mode award. For example, if the 10m column for Monaco contains an '*' the filter will be set to search for a QSO on 10m that has been checked for the 10m band award. Such a QSO may actually not exist, because you may not have submitted that QSO for the band award. You can still find such QSOs by double-clicking in the MIX column for the Mixed award or in a mode column, like PHO, for a mode award.
Note that report windows are 'static' i.e. the contents does not change when changes are made to the log.
Also see Reports.
QSO: Reports | Summary
Generate numerical summary for the selected award.
Summary reports are available for DXCC, DXCC including deleted countries, WAS, WAZ, WPX, IOTA, TenTen and Counties.
When you select all modes to generate the report, the DXCC, WAS and WAZ listings have row headings for modes and bands depending on your preferences. The totals cover all QSOs regardless of mode. When you specify a single mode for the summary, only that mode will be shown, and the band entries cover QSOs in that mode only.
A summary reports shows a numerical summary for the stages of the award process (not worked, worked, QSL mailed, Confirmed, Submitted and Checked).
The numbers shown do not represent the number of QSOs, they represent the number of countries (states, zones and IOTAs).
Also see Reports.
QSO: Sort
Specify a sort sequence to navigate the log.
When you open a new log, the default sort key is to sort the QSOs by Date & Time. When you change the sort-key, the QSO displayed in the QSO window will not change, but moving to different QSOs will reflect the new sort sequence.
See Sorting QSOs for more information:
QSO: Windows
The window commands enable various windows. When a window is opened for a second time, the original window will be selected in case it is covered by another window. Windows are closed by clicking the close icon in the title bar of the window.
The following windows can be controlled from this menu:
Country
SunRise/Set
IOTA
LogBook
Same Call
State
Zone
CW Keyboard Alt+K
Note that changes in a QSO are reflected immediately in all windows; there is no need to do a refresh after changes have been made.
QSO: Windows | SunRise/Set
Show Window with Sunrise and Sunset information for the current country.
Show direct heading, longpath heading, reciprocal heading (the direction of the beam of the DX station in your direction), local and DX sunrise and sunset times. The PopUp menu has two commands to show more extensive listings for sunrise and sunset.
PopUp Menu
One Year SunRise/Set
SunRise/Set by Date
Switch to QSOWindow
QSO: Windows | CW Keyboard Alt+K
Open CW keyboard Interface.
The CW keyboard allows characters typed on the keyboard to be transmitted as morse code characters by keying the transmitter. DX4WIN uses a printer port to interface to your radio using the same simple keying interface as used in many contesting programs. The printer port used is specified in File | Preferences | Hardware. To set keying speed and other parameters see CW Keyboard Parameters.
See the circuit diagram how to connect your computer to your radio.
When the CW keyboard has the focus, you can type regular characters (A to Z, 0 to 9 and /) which will be shown in the window and send immediately. The function keys F1 to F5 can be programmed to send longer messages. There are also a number of special characters which are substituted by strings obtained from the current QSO:
Character substitutions:
Key
Function
@
Contents of Callsign field
#
QSO number (in contest mode only)
$
Contents of rstS field
&
Contents of Recvd field
=
BT (-...-)
!
SK (...-.-)
*
AR (.-.-.)
PopUp Menu
ESC Stop sending immediately
F1 .. F5 Add contents of message buffer
Alt+F9 Send slower; the speed is decreased by 2 WPM
Alt+F10 Send faster; the speed is increased by 2 WPM
Alt+K Switch to QSO Window
Ctrl+C Configure; see CW Keyboard Parameters
Note: In an environment like Windows, were more than one program may be running at the same time, it is difficult to keep control over events that need precise timing such as the generation of morse code. For example, when you are receiving electronic mail in the back ground while DX4WIN is sending code, the mail process may be demanding resources which will slow down the code. Try to avoid running such programs when using the CW keyboard.
QSO: Windows | LogBook
Open the Logbook Window.
The Logbook Window shows a listing of all QSOs, and limits the QSOs shown if a QSO filter is active. Note that if a Selection is active, the QSOs listed can be restricted even further.
Each line contains a single QSO. The fields shown and the sort-order are determined by current active report definition.
The current QSO shown in the QSO Window 'drives' the current QSO in the Logbook Window i.e. when selecting a different QSO the highlight in the Logbook Window will move to the same QSO. The Logbook Window can 'drive' the QSO Window too; double-click the on the line and the QSO Window will show the corresponding QSO, ready to be edited etc.
Popup menu
Goto QSO (Enter)
Confirm / Label (F2)
Switch to QSO Window (F9)
Select Report
Print
Write to File
Report Editor
QSO: Windows | Same Call
Open the Same Call Window.
The Same Call Window shows all contacts made with the station that is visible in the QSO Window. The contacts are limited to the current Selection and are listed in reverse order, i.e. the latest contact is listed first. Besides the date, time, band and mode you will see the QSL date and an indicator if the contact was confirmed. The current QSO is high-lighted.
When you double-click on one of the contacts shown, the QSO window will show that contact.
Popup Menu
Goto QSO (Enter)
Confirm / Label (F2)
Switch to QSO Window (F9)
Summary Windows
A Summary window summarizes on what bands in what mode you worked the country (or Zone, State or IOTA) shown in the QSO Window. This window indicates the highest 'status level' for any band / mode combination. Summaries are available for Country, Zone, State and IOTA. Modes and bands displayed depend on your Station Preferences.
For numerical summaries of how many countries, zones and states you worked in various modes and on various bands see the reports section.
The example below indicates that The Netherlands was worked using phone on 80m, 40m, 20m, 17m, 15m and 10m. The phone contacts for 80m, 40m 20m and 10m were submitted for a DXCC award. The FSK contacts were made on 20m, 15m and 10m, and they were all confirmed
The summary windows are always up-to-date. When adding, updating or deleting QSOs, there is no need to refresh the display.
The table below summaries the characters used in this display. These characters used to indicate status of a band / mode combination sorted in increasing level of success:
Char
Status
Explanation
.
Not worked
Not worked or invalid
W
Worked
Worked but not confirmed
M
Mailed
QSL card mailed
C
Confirmed
QSL card received
S
Submit
Submitted for award
*
Checked
Checked for award
Radio Address
Address of radio.
Some radios, such as ICOM and TenTec, share an identical set of commands to operate the various models. The different models are distinguished by their address. Below is a listing of the brand and the address for each model.
Manufacturer ICOM
NOTE: As ICOM in their literature specifies the radio address in hexa-decimal, we have followed that convention. Be warned however, that other software may have required that you enter the address in decimal notation.
Model
Address
IC-735
04
IC-R7000
08
IC-275A/E/H
10
IC-375A
12
IC-475A/E/H
14
IC-575A/H
16
IC-1275A/E
18
IC-R71A/E/D
1A
IC-751A
1C
IC-761
1E
IC-271A/E/H
20
IC-471A/E/H
22
IC-1271A/E
24
IC-781
25
IC-725
28
IC-R9000
2A
IC-765
2C
IC-970A/E/H
2E
IC-726
30
IC-R72
32
IC-706
48
IC-775
46
IC-781
25
Radio Database
Edit the definition of a radio.
This is NOT the command to select a different radio, see preferences to select your radio!
DX4WIN uses a database to describe the commands to interface to a range of different radios.
When starting the editor, the radio will be disabled temporarily, and enabled again when you cancel the changes made. If you save your changes, the radio is reset to 'None' in the preferences.
The commands for this window:
File
Radio
Test
The various sections are organized as pages of a notebook with the following tabs:
General
Cmds / Fields
Values
Radio editor | Cmds / Fields
Commands
The programs that interface to the radio make use of a number of standard commands. Not all commands are required; the program tries to work with a the set of available commands. The names of the commands are self explanatory, except for the Read VFO A Xtra. This command is available on a number of radios to return more information than just the current frequency. Some fields (see below) can point to this command to obtain more information from the radio using a single command.
Location
Locations are used to indicate where the result of a read command should be stored. Fields (see below) can obtain their values from these locations. All commands sent to the radio use the 'Other' location.
Field
Fields are used to read and interpret data coming from the radio. With each field there is an associated command that will be sent to the radio when the program needs the value in a field. Not all fields are required; the program tries to work with the fields available. Fields with 'Write' in their name are used to set values in the 'Other' location used to send a command to the radio. Some radio manufacturers use an identical set of commands for their various radios, but each model has a unique address that is needed for every command sent to the radio. The 'Write ID' field is used for that purpose, and the value is obtained from the 'Address' location in the hardware preferences.
Format
The format field specifies the conversion needed to convert a value specified to the format required or returned by the radio. The '-R' indicates that the value has to be reversed; ie interpreted from right to left instead of from left to right.
All formats, except for the 'Flag' format the position indicates the position of the field in the command. The length indicates the number of byte used. The scale factor is used to multiply a value when read from the radio and is used to divide the value when sending a command to the radio. The program internally uses Hz to specify a frequency, but if a particular radio returns a frequency in multiples of 10Hz, the scale should be set to 10.
For the 'Flag' format, the position indicates the location of a single byte. The mask is a value used to perform a bit wise AND operation, and if the result is equal to 'Value', the flag is interpreted as true, otherwise the result is false.
Radio editor | General
Radio Model
Model of the radio; each entry in the database needs a unique radio model. The value is displayed in the hardware preferences to select a particular radio.
Last Modified
This field cannot be modified directly. The field will be set to the current date after a modification.
Notes
Extra remarks for a particular radio. The notes are displayed in the hardware preferences.
Low and High frequency
Operating range of the radio.
The following three fields define the communication parameters for the RS-232 interface to the radio and are self explanatory. Note that the COM port is specified in the hardware preferences.
Baud Rate
Data Bits
Stop Bits
Radio editor | Values
Format
The format indicates how the commands specified should be interpreted.
The following three options make it easier to transcribe radio commands following the description of the manufacturer:
Byte Order
Used only when sending a command to the radio. Some radio manufacturers document the radio commands in one way but require the actual order of the bytes sent to be reversed.
Location Offset
The documentation of radio commands define the starting location of fields in a command starting at zero or at one.
Preamble
Some radios require an identical sequence of bytes before every command that was sent to the radio. Note when specifying a value, such as frequency or mode, the position specification should ignore the preamble. The only exception is the value of the radio 'address'; the position of 'Write ID' field takes the complete command string into account, including the preamble.
Confirm Length
Some radios return information after a command that changes the status of the radio but which does not return information. The confirm length is the number of bytes to expect from the radio after such a command; the bytes read are ignored.
S Meter Multiplier
A floating point value to multiply the value of an S meter reading. The program assumes S meter values to be in the range 0 to 11.
Mode Values
These values are used to interpret the mode when reading are setting the radio operating mode.
Radio Features:
The table below is a summary of the radio features depending on the availability of a TNC for packet and if a log file is open or not:
TNC
Log
Feature
No
Closed
Panorama View (if computer can read the S meter value from the radio)
Scanner
No
Open
Add QSO: Band and mode from radio
Yes
Closed
Set radio to DX spot
DX spotting window follows radio when sorted by frequency
Yes
Open
Announce DX: band/mode from radio
Grab DX: set radio to DX spot and enter in log
Radio Editor | File
There are two file commands:
File | Cancel Changes and Exit
All changes made will be ignored and the editor is closed. If a radio was enabled before starting the editor, it will be enabled again.
File | Save Changes and Exit
All changes will be written to the radio database. If a radio was enabled before starting the editor, it will not be enabled. Select the radio under the preferences.
Radio Editor | Radio
New
Create a new radio definition with all fields set to their default value.
Copy
Make a copy of the current radio definition. The name of the radio is modified to create a unique entry.
Update
The changes made to the radio definition are saved in memory, the changes are not written to the radio database.
Print
Print a listing of the current radio definition.
Delete
Delete the current radio definition.
Radio Editor | Test
The following commands allow for testing the current radio definition. The notebook will switch to the 'Test' page, and the listbox will show a trace output when the commands execute. The trace output will show the fields loaded and their associated commands and the bytes sent to the radio and the bytes returned.
Read Radio
Read the current mode, frequency and possible QSX frequency from the radio. Results are displayed at the bottom of the window.
Write Radio
Read the mode and the two input frequencies from the input fields at the bottom of the window and set the radio accordingly. A QSX frequency will set the radio to operate split.
S Meter
If reading the S meter is supported, the value returned is displayed in the QSX field.
Copy to Clipboard
Copies the contents of the listbox to the clipboard. The copied text can be pasted into an editor etc.
Recognizing a DX Spot
To recognize DX spot in the many lines of text received from the TNC, especially when monitoring while not connected, the program uses a pattern recognition algorithm. Up to four patterns can be specified.
When data is received from the TNC it is converted to upper case and each line is tested to see if it matches any of the four patterns. If a match is found, the DX spot is added to the DX Spotting window in the current sort order.
By default, the following four patterns are defined:
No
specification
comments
1
DX|DE|r:|f|c|q|tZ
format of a regular spot
2
f|c|d|tZ|q|<r>
format for SH/DX
3
DX|f|c|q
format send to cluster
4
DX|c|f|q
format send to cluster
All characters have to match exactly as specified. Some characters have a special meaning:
char
interpretation
c
callsign of DX
f
frequency
q
all other fields combined. May contain QSX, WKD, etc. followed by a frequency
r
callsign of station reporting the spot
t
time
|
one or more blanks
Report Window
The report window is created by one of the many report commands. You can have multiple report windows visible at the same time; close the window by clicking the Windows close icon in the title bar.
Popup menu
Print
Write to File
Switch to QSO Window (F9)
Listing reports have a feature that allows you to search for all QSOs generating an entry in the report.
For example:
The reports indicates that you worked Monaco on 10m but never received a QSL card back (there is an 'M' on the intersection of the line Monaco and the column 10m, indicating the highest 'level' is card mailed). By double-clicking on the M, the QSO filter will be set to find all QSOs with Monaco on 10m for which you mailed a QSL card!
When you double-click on an entry containing an 'S' or an '*', the filter will be set to 'Submit' or 'Checked' for a specific band or mode award. For example, if the 10m column for Monaco contains an '*' the filter will be set to search for a QSO on 10m that has been checked for the 10m band award. Such a QSO may actually not exist, because you may not have submitted that QSO for the band award. You can still find such QSOs by double-clicking in the MIX column for the Mixed award or in a mode column, like PHO, for a mode award.
Note that report windows are 'static' i.e. the contents does not change when changes are made to the log.
Report Window: Print
Print the current report.
The fonts used and possible embellishments for the the report are determined by your preferences .
Before the report is printed you will get a chance to activate the Windows option to configure the printer and to select a range of pages you want to print.
A print-job can be canceled by clicking the Cancel button.
Report Window: Write to File
Write the report to an ASCII file
When selecting this command you will be prompted for the name of a file to write the report to. The report is written as a comma separated ASCII file (CSV) suitable for importing into other programs, such as a spreadsheet.
Same Call: Confirm / Label (F2)
Perform the actions as specified in the Preferences / F2 Key.
This F2 command in this window works similar as the F2 command in the QSO Window, except that it will ignore the next QSO option. Used to set the confirm field and indicate that a label for this QSO should be printed.
Note that a similar function is available from the QSO Window and the Logbook Window.
Same Call: Goto QSO (Enter)
Show the high-lighted QSO in the QSO Window.
This command will enable you to reach and edit a QSO that is visible in the Same Call Window.
Search Addr/QSL Mgr Window
This window shows the search result in external databases for a given callsign. The window is created from the QSO Window by using the Search External Data command.
Popup Menu
Lookup Callsign (Enter)
Search the external databases using the contents of the callsign field. Shows, after some filtering, the results returned by the external search program(s). If both address and QSL information searches are enabled and a QSL manager is found, the callsign of the QSL manager will be used to find the address information of the manager. You can select one or more lines in the listbox to be copied to the Windows clipboard.
Set QSL Manager
Set the QSL Manager field of the current QSO to the string in the QSL mgr field. This button is only enabled if the Callsign field is the same as the callsign in the current QSO.
Copy to ClipBoard (Ctrl+C)
Copy the selected lines of the result listbox to the Windows clipboard. The contents of the clipboard can be 'pasted' in other Windows programs, to print an envelope etc.
Full Size Window
By default the window shows all input fields. When the window is not full size, the input fields will be hidden.
Automatic Update
When enabled, a lookup will be performed as soon as the callsign in the QSO Window has changed. Disabled by default, because lookups are time consuming.
Fields
Result listbox
Shows the result of a callsign search
Callsign
Initially set to the Callsign field of the current QSO. This field can be modified to search for different calls.
QSL Mgr
When the search returns a QSL manager the field will show this; only available if the External lookup for QSL manager information is enabled.
Select one or more lines in a listbox
In some listboxes you can select one or more lines to be used by a command. For example this is used to save or delete lines in the packet window or to identify lines to be copied to the clipboard when searching in external databases.
Select a line by pressing the spacebar, or click with the mose, and extend the selection by holding down the Shift key while pressing the Up- or Down-arrow keys, or use the mouse instead of the arrow keys. Different areas can be selected by using the Ctrl key.
Sorting QSOs
The QSOs in the QSO Window and the LogBook Window can be sorted in many different ways. The following table summarizes the various ways you can sort:
Sort Key
Sort Order
<Band>
Band <Prefix>
<Call>
Callsign <Date>
<County>
State County
<Date>
Date Time
<Grid>
Grid <Band>
<Group>
Group <Date>
<IOTA>
IOTA <Band>
<Prefix>
Prefix <Call>
<SeqPrt>
SeqPrt
<State>
State <Band>
<TenTen>
TenTen <Band>
<WPX>
WPX<Call>
<Zone>
Zone <Band>
All the sorting procedures use so called compound sort keys. If the first keys of two QSOs are equal, the sort procedure compares the QSOs using the second key, etc.
The < > notation is used the differentiate between the QSO fields and the sort keys with the same name. For example: when we expand the sort key <Zone> into the QSO fields, it looks like:
<Zone> Zone <Band>
Zone Band <Prefix>
Zone Band Prefix <Call>
Zone Band Prefix Call <Date>
Zone Band Prefix Call Date Time
The same definitions for sort keys apply to the QSO Window and the LogBook Window.
Split Frequency
The transmit frequency of the radio.
If the radio will transmit on a different frequency than its receive frequency, the radio is said to operate in split mode.
When determining the split frequency, DX4WIN takes into account the settings of the A and B VFOs, if the radio is operating in split mode, and the settings of the RIT and XIT offsets.
Support
In case you need support to configure and operate DX4WIN, here are the important numbers and addresses:
Rapidan Data Systems
3601 Plank Road, Suite 389
Fredericksburg, VA 22407
Telephone: (540) 785-2669
Fax: (540) 786-0658
Email: SBOOKOUT@MNSINC.COM
For late breaking news and updates see our World Wide Web home page at:
http://www.erols.com/pvander
Switch to QSO Window (F9)
Pressing the F9 key will move to focus to the QSO Window.
This command allows a quick switch to the QSO Window without using the mouse.
Utility Programs
A number of small utility programs are provided to assist in converting the binary formatted files of other logging programs to an ASCII file with fixed fields as required by the import utility.
The utility programs are located in the 'import' directory, which is a subdirectory of the directory where you installed the main program.
Parameters for the conversion programs are passed on the command line, where the first parameter is always the name of the file to be converted. The conversion produces the file 'export.txt', and sometimes produces the file 'export.fld' containing information about the conversion process.
Utility CVDBASE.EXE
Converts a dBase formatted file to ASCII; the 'export.fld' file lists all fields as they were written to the output file.
column 1: field number
column 2: location of the field
column 3: type of field
column 4: name of the field
column 5: length of the field
Utility CVASC.EXE
Converts an ASCII file without line breaks to an ASCII file with a single line for each record.
Parameter 2: number of characters to skip before first record
Parameter 3: length of a record
Utility CVDELIM.EXE
Converts an ASCII file where the fields are comma delimited to a fixed format. The 'export.fld' file shows the field number, starting location and the length of each field.
An optional second parameter modifies the field delimiter; by default the fields are delimited by a comma. In addition to COMMA, you can specify COLON or SEMICOLON.
Fields can also be quoted, to allow for the delimiter inside a field. The field quote character can be a ' (single quote) or " (double quote).
Windows
DX4WIN uses a number of windows to show various 'views' of the log.
You can move a window to a different position by 'dragging' the window (click on the title bar, keep the left mouse button down and move the window.)
The position and the size of a window is saved when the window is closed (by clicking the close icon); when you reopen a window it will reappear in the same position.
Main Window
QSO Window
Summary Windows
Same Call Window
Logbook Window
Report Window
Packet Window
DX Spotting Window
Appendix A - QSO Fields
The following names are used to identify the names of the fields as they are visible in the QSO Window with the following exceptions:
Country name, Dir / Dist, SeqPrt, State name, Number and WPX. These fields are not visible in the QSO Window, but they can be included in reports shown in the LogBook Window.
Awards
Band
Callsign
Cnfrm
Country name
County
Date & Time
Dir / Dist
Grid
Group
IOTA
Label
Manager
Mode
Notes for this call
Number
Prefix
QRP
QSLDate
QSL Method
Recvd
RSTs, RSTr
Satellite
SeqPrt
State
State name
TenTen
ValidDX
WPX
YLop
Zone
Appendix B: Files
This appendix describes all the files used by DX4WIN and the directories where they are located.
SAVE directory
This directory contains all the files that are modified by the program. They are placed in a separate directory to facilitate backup
*.DXL
The extension for a log file.
There are no other files related to your log such as index files etc. Log files can be in any directory, but placing your logs in this directory eases backup.
DX4WIN.CTY
This file contains the country-, the QSL manager-, IOTA- and the call exception-databases.
DX4WIN.REP
Report definitions.
DX4WIN.IEP
Import/export filters.
Only needs to be backed-up if you changed the import/export filters.
DX4WIN.CFG
Configuration file.
In case you delete this file you will have to set all your preferences again. This file is not part of the distribution; it will be created automatically if not found or the version of the file is different.
DX4WIN.RIG
Radio database. Only needs to be backed-up if you changed a radio definition.
DX4WIN.PUT
Contains all the DX spots. Deleting this file will simply erase all previous spots.
DX4WIN.CAL
Contains all the calendar events. Deleting this file will delete all events.
Main directory
DX4WIN.EXE
The executable program.
DX4WIN.HLP
The help file.
DX4WIN.ICO
Windows icon for the program.
DX4WIN.DXB
Backup file for the current log.
This file will be deleted when the program terminates normally. In case the file exists when the program starts, due to an abnormal program termination (power failure, program crash etc.), you will be asked if the file needs to be saved.
DX4WIN.CTB
Backup file for the country database.
UNINSTAL.EXE and DX4WIN.LOG
The program to remove the DX4WIN program and related files. The dx4win.log file is an ASCII file describing the files and directories created during the installation of the program.
EXTDATA directory
*.BAT *.EXE *.PIF
Files used to access the external databases such as the GOLIST, BuckMaster and QRZ CDROMS. The *.BAT file are generated by DX4WIN.
Other EXE files can be placed in this directory to support the access of external data.
IMPORT directory
*.PMP
Files used to map the prefixes used by DX4WIN to those of other logging programs. See mapping prefixes.
*.BAT and *.EXE
Files used to support the import of binary log files; see importing binary files.
SOUNDS directory
*.WAV
The sound files used to make voice announcements for packet. You can replace these files with recordings of your own.
Appendix C: Radio errors
The software that 'talks' to your radio can return various errors:
No
Message
Correction
1
The serial port specified for the radio is in use by another device
Select a different port for the radio or the other device
2
The interface connecting your computer to your radio indicates that the radio is not active (Data Carrier Detect is off)
Is the radio on? Is interface box on? faulty cable?
3
The radio did not return the expected data
4
The radio is not accepting data from the computer
5
A read command was issued and the command has no command string
This is an error in the command set for the radio
6
A read command was issued but the command indicates that zero bytes are expected
This is an error in the command set for the radio
7
A field trying to extract a value from data returned from the radio is not defined
This is an error in the command set for the radio
Appendix D: System Error Messages
When executing a program from DX4WIN, like accessing external data or calling a binary conversion routine, the system can return one of the following errors:
0 System was out of memory, executable file was corrupt, or relocations were invalid.
2 File was not found.
3 Path was not found.
5 Attempt was made to dynamically link to a task, or there was a sharing or network-protection error.
6 Library required separate data segments for each task.
8 There was insufficient memory to start the application.
10 Windows version was incorrect.
11 Executable file was invalid. Either it was not a Windows application or there was an error in the .EXE image.
12 Application was designed for a different operating system.
13 Application was designed for MS-DOS 4.0.
14 Type of executable file was unknown.
15 Attempt was made to load a real-mode application (developed for an earlier version of Windows).
16 Attempt was made to load a second instance of an executable file containing multiple data segments that were not marked read-only.
19 Attempt was made to load a compressed executable file. The file must be decompressed before it can be loaded.
20 Dynamic-link library (DLL) file was invalid. One of the DLLs required to run this application was corrupt.
21 Application requires 32-bit extensions.
Appendix E: Revision History
Version 1.08
Import:
The CVDELIM.EXE was modified to use a file defining the columns
Logwin import filter uses new CVDELIM utility; Changed the location of the Note field to read the Name field
Added PAC, AMT, TOR. PKT, J3E and A1A as modes recognized
Added import filter for N6RJ Second Op
Added import filters for SD (CQWW. ARRL and IOTA)
Importing a QSO with any award flag set to Submit or Checked, will be marked as Confirmed
All import filters which have a Note field will now filter duplicate notes by default
Form to set CW parameters was not scaled
Counting QSOs did not reflect Selection if there was not a filter specified
Mark QSLs command ignored 'QSOs after date' setting for some awards
Changed starting date of AC3 prefix for USA to 1/1/87
changed KP3, NP3 and WP3 to be Puerto Rico
DX Spots
Changed the logic of updating country information using DX spots
DX spots were sometimes not recognized or not announced correctly.
Added an option to the packet preferences to limit spots to those coming from certain countries.
Added an option to the packet preferences to completely ignore the gray or uninteresting spots.
Added a Sunrise / Sunset window, which shows values for longpath, reciprocal bearing, sunrise and sunset times.. This window has a PopUp Menu providing listings for sunrise and sunset times by date or by country.
Added a command to start/stop the radio.
Added option to disable the printing of the QSL method when printing labels.
Added import/export facility for QSL manager information
Support for address of a QSL manager:
Added under File|Databases
Import/export for addresses
Added as part for country file merge
In QSO Window edit address of current Manager (Ctrl+E in QSL Mgr field)
When QSL manager has an address and the QSL method is '$$$$' or 'Direct', an address label will be printed when printing QSL labels
When a frequency on import was so short that a blank followed the value, the conversion failed. fixed.
Pressing Up- or Down arrow in QSL Date field will set the date to the QSO Date if the field was empty
When a filter is being entered, moving to a different QSO or entering a QSO from the spotting window did not reset the filter mode for the QSO window. fixed.
Added USB and LSB as recognized modes on import for mode PHO and TTY for mode FSK
Added YY\MM\DD as additional date format
Added QSLDate to be a flag; 'Y', '1', 'R' and 'S' will use QSO date as QSL date
Added 'f' and 'F' to be recognized as true in a flag on import.
Added import filter for Logeqf
Added import filter for Toplog
Modified Logic import filter to use new QSL Date flag and flag for the Cnfrm field
In Note field added:
Ctrl+D to copy date from QSODate and insert as text,
Ctrl+E starts an editor to edit the note (which also supports Ctrl+D and Ctrl+R)
Ctrl+R to read the frequency from the radio and insert as text
