DXLab
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DXLab is a suite of freeware applications that assist the amateur radio operator interested in DXing -- making contacts with stations in other countries. It consists of eight components that can be used indepedently, but when run simultaneously will automatically detect each other's presence and interoperate appropriately:
Commander: controls HF transceivers supplied by Icom, Kenwood, TenTec, Yaesu, Alinco, Elecraft, FlexRadio, and Kachina
permits definition of up two 2 sub-bands per band, and highlights out-of-segment operation provides 10 banks of 10 memories, each specifying frequency, mode, and filter switches between four transceivers with a mouse click, or automatically based on frequency supports additive and subtractive transverters for the 6m, 4m, 2m, and 70cm bands displays frequency-dependent control settings for devices like tuners and amplifiers supports User-defined Command Sequences displays DX spots in a zoom-able bandspread (if SpotCollector is running) monitors and optionally displays messages between your PC and transceiver automatically interoperates with DXKeeper, PropView, SpotCollector, and WinWarbler
DXView: displays location information and controls antenna rotators
given a callsign, callsign fragment or prefix, DXView displays
the name of the associated DXCC entity, and a map of the country
local time
latitude/longitude, gridsquare, and distance in miles or kilometers
the DXCC entitiy's continent, CQ zone, and ITU xone
short path and long path beam headings
DXing award progress (if DXKeeper is running)
sunrise and sunset times for the next 30 days
displays a world map depicting
shortpath and longpath beam paths to the DX location
the solar terminator
the auroral oval boundary (if SpotCollector is running)
controls rotators and controllers supplied by Alfaspid, ARSWIN, Heath, Hygain, LP-Rotor, M2, Prosistel, Rotor-EZ, SARtek, TIC, and Yaesu
automatically interoperates with DXKeeper, PropView, SpotCollector, and WinWarbler
DXKeeper: logs QSOs, tracks awards, generates QSLs, synchronizes with LotW and eQSL.cc
records and manages QSOs
extracts name, address, and location information from
callbook CDROMs: Flying Horse, HamCall, QRZ
QRZ.com (via Pathfinder)
tracks progress and generates progress reports for awards: DXCC, Maidenhead grids, Maidenhead fields, TOPLIST, VUCC, IOTA, WAC, WAS, WAZ, WPX
prints QSL cards and QSL Labels, addresses envelopes, and prints address labels
independently tracks hardcopy QSL, eQSL.cc, and Logbook of the World (LotW) confirmation for each QSO
uploads QSOs to eQSL.cc and LotW
downloads QSLs from eQSL.cc and LotW, and automatically updates your log to reflect confirmations
identifies QSLs required for DXCC submission, and generates required documentation
imports and exports ADIF-compliant log files.
automatically interoperates with Commander, DXView, Pathfinder, SpotCollector, and WinWarbler
logs QSOs in realtime from MixW, MMSSTV, MMTTY, MMVari, and MultiPSK
WinWarbler: supports PSK31, PSK63, RTTY, CW, and phone operations
simultaneously decodes PSK transmissions on three separate frequencies
simultanteously monitors all in-band PSK transmissions, displaying extracted callsigns in a "stations heard" window whose entries can be double-clicked to QSY
provides two independent means of sending and receiving RTTY signals (enabled diversity decoding, simultaneous decoding of DX station and pileup):
via soundcard, using JE3HHT's MMTTY engine
using an external RTTY modem, such as a Kantronics KAM or Timewave PK232
sends CW via
serial port modem control signal
parallel port data signal
an external WinKey keyer
an external modem, such as a Kantronics KAM or Timewave PK232
provides a phone voice keyer with up to 32 messages
supports 2 banks of 16 macros; macro definitions can be loaded from files on mode change
GPS interface makes position, course, and speed available via macro substitution commands
automatically interoperates with Commander, DXView, DXKeeper, SpotCollector, and Pathfinder
exports an ADIF log for use with any ADIF-compatible logging applications
SpotCollector: maintains a database that combines DX spots of the same station on the same frequency and mode into a single entry,
collects spots from up to four telnet-accessible DX Clusters, the DX Summit spotting network, and a local PacketCluster (via a TNC)
each database entry contains the following items:
callsign
time of the first spot
time of the most recent spot
the station's DXCC entity
frequency
mode of operation
most recent spot notes
QSX frequency (extracted from spot notes)
grid square (extracted from spot notes)
the database can be sorted and/or filtered by any item or combination of items
captures WWV spots, and graphically displays their values over the most recent solar revolution
includes a web server that displays spot databased entries on any LAN-connected device that hosts a web browser
automatically interoperates with Commander, DXView, DXKeeper, Pathfinder, PropView, and WinWarbler
PropView: predicts and monitors propagation
Computes and graphically displays propagation forecasts to a specified location, band openings across the UTC day
Monitors the NCDXF/IARU International Beacon Network
monitors individually selected beacons
monitors all beacons on a specified band
monitors all beacons near a specified bearing
can QSY your transceiver to the current beacon's frequency (if Commander is running)
can display the current beacon's location on a world map (if DXView is running)
can rotate your antenna to the specified bearing (if DXView is running)
automatically interoperates with Commander, DXView, DXKeeper, SpotCollector, and WinWarbler
Pathfinder: locates QSL information from more than 100 web-based sources of information
provides 12 dedicated search buttons, each assignable to a specific information source determines DXCC entity from callsign and provides one-click access to the appropriate country-specific online callbook automatically interoperates with DXKeeper, DXView, and SpotCollector
Launcher: makes it easy to control individual DXLab applications, or a specified group of DXLab applications
start or stop a group of DXLab applications with a single mouse click minimize or restore the main windows of all running DXLab applications with a single mouse click start, minimize, restore, or stop individual DXLab applications view at a glance the state of all DXLab applications determine what version of each DXLab application is installed on your PC, and what new versions are available for download save a DXLab application's Windows Registry settings to a specified file restore a DXLab application's Windows Registry settings from a specified file switch all DXLab applications from one set of Windows Registry settings to another (switch between multiple users, or multiple activity styles)
All DXLab applications are free, and available via [www.qsl.net/dxlab]
