1. DXLab
Prepared for:
Williamson County Amateur Radio Club
ADØK
AA6YQ

2. Better DXing Through Software
The DXLab Suite
Better DXing Through Software

3. What is the DXLab Suite? This is a DX-chasing program…optimized for DX
It works well as a general purpose log, and can be used for contesting, but is NOT optimized for it.
The Suite of programs:
Eight applications that
Automate mundane DXing activities
Can be used individually or in combination
Automatically interoperate
Include comprehensive online help
Evolve continuously based on user feedback
Are free
Developed by Dave Bernstein, AA6YQ

4. DXLab: Monolithic Architecture (1996-1999)
Transceiver Control
Prefix lookup, world map
Logging & award tracking
Spot Collection
Propagation forecasting
QSL routes
XCVR
Rotator
Sound Card

5. DXLab Suite: Distributed Architecture (2000 onward)
Logging & awards
Propagation
QSL routes
Spot Collection
Transceiver Control
Prefix lookup, world map
Digital Modes
XCVR
Sound Card
Rotator

6. AA6YQ’s shack

7. ADØK’s shack

9. DXLab With Dual Monitors

10. What Functions Does DXLab Provide?
Transceiver Control
Rotator Control
Solar terminator display and prediction
Prefix Lookup
World map display
Callbook Lookup (with separately purchased CD)
Logging
Award Tracking and Submission
QSL card/label generation
eQSL.cc and LOTW support
PSK31, PSK63, RTTY. CW generation (no reading)
Voice Keyer
DX & WWV Spot collection and analysis
Propagation prediction
Propagation monitoring
QSL route discovery
Suite management

11. What Do the Eight Applications Do?
Transceiver Control Commander
Rotator Control DXView
Solar terminator display and prediction DXView
Prefix Lookup DXView
World map display DXView
Callbook Lookup (with separately purchased CD) DXKeeper
Logging DXKeeper
Award Tracking and Submission DXKeeper
QSL card/label generation DXKeeper
eQSL.cc and LOTW support DXKeeper
PSK31, PSK63, RTTY. CW generation (no reading) WinWarbler
Voice Keyer WinWarbler
DX & WWV Spot collection and analysis SpotCollector
Propagation prediction PropView
Propagation monitoring PropView
QSL route discovery Pathfinder
Suite management Launcher

12. Commander

13. Commander Transceiver control for
Elecraft K2
FlexRadio SDR-1000
Icom transceivers with CI-V interfaces
Kenwood TS-50, TS-440, TS-450, TS-570, TS-690, TS-711, TS-811, TS-850, TS-870, TS-940, TS-950, TS-2000
TenTec Omni V.9, Omni VI, Argonaut V, Jupiter, Pegasus, Orion
Yaesu FT-100, FT-757, FT-767, FT-817, FT-840, FT-847, FT-857, FT-890, FT-897 FT-900, FT-920, FT-990, FT-1000D, FT-1000MP, FT-1000MP MarkV
Switches between multiple radios based on frequency
10 banks of 10 memories
Frequency-dependent devices (Tuners, Amps)
User-defined commands
Captures PC  Radio message traffic

14. DXView Prefix lookup Solar terminator display
Now or anytime
Sunrise/sunset calculator
Auroral Zone Presentation
Plots VHF QSOs
World map display
beam headings
DX spots)
MapQuest
DX Atlas
Country maps
DXCC db maintenance
Rotator control for
Hygain M2
Yaesu
ARSWIN
Heath
SARtek
TIC

15. DXKeeper Logging QSLing Award Tracking
Comprehensive database
Capture window optimized for operating
Supports HamCall, Buckmaster, and QRZ callbooks
QSLing
Generates QSL cards and Labels
Generates Address labels or prints envelopes
Real-time interface to eQSL.cc
ADIF interface to new ARRL Logbook of the World (LOTW)
Independently tracks hardcopy, eQSL, and LotW confirmations for each QSO
Automatically updates log to reflect downloaded eQSL and LotW confirmations
Award Tracking
Real-time: DXCC and TOPLIST
Reports: DXCC, TOPLIST, VUCC, Grids, WAS, WAC, WAZ, WPX, IOTA, US. Counties
Multiple QTHs per Log, Multiple Logs
Importing and Exporting via ADIF, tab-delimited, and Cabrillo
DXView Interoperation
Lookups
Showing progress

16. DXKeeper
Capture Window
Database Window

17. A DXKeeper-generated QSL Card

18. DXKeeper Logging QSLing Award Tracking
Comprehensive database
Capture window optimized for operating
Supports HamCall, Buckmaster, and QRZ callbooks
QSLing
Generates QSL cards and Labels
Generates Address labels or prints envelopes
Real-time interface to eQSL.cc
ADIF interface to new ARRL Logbook of the World (LOTW)
Independently tracks hardcopy, eQSL, and LotW confirmations for each QSO
Automatically updates log to reflect downloaded eQSL and LotW confirmations
Award Tracking
Real-time: DXCC and TOPLIST
Reports: DXCC, TOPLIST, VUCC, Grids, WAS, WAC, WAZ, WPX, IOTA, US. Counties
Multiple QTHs per Log, Multiple Logs
Importing and Exporting via ADIF, tab-delimited, and Cabrillo
DXView Interoperation
Lookups
Showing progress

19. WinWarbler Supports 5 modes Panoramic tuning display
PSK31 and PSK63 (uses AE4JY’s PSKcore engine)
3 receive panes
Broadband decode with callsign extraction to maintain “stations heard” list
RTTY
Soundcard RTTY (uses JE3HHT’s MMTTY engine)
External TNC (KAM, PK232, MFJ, SCS) CW
Phone (voice keyer)
Panoramic tuning display
32 macros, comprehensive macro language
Logging
Built-in ADIF minilog
Automatically logs to DXKeeper if running
Commander interoperation
Frequency for logging
QSY to optimize tone within transceiver bandwidth
PTT
GPS interface

20. WinWarbler: PSK

21. WinWarbler
RTTY Spectrum View

22. WinWarbler
RTTY Waterfall View

23. SpotCollector Connects to six spot sources
Four Telnet clusters
DX Summit cluster (via IRC #CQDX)
Local packet cluster (via external TNC)
Captures DX spots and places them in a database
Duplicate spots eliminated
Spots of same DX station are combined into one entry
Spot database entries can be filtered by Need, Call, Entity, Freq, Band, Mode, Continent, Spot Source
Spot database entries are “colored” based on “need”
Spots are plotted on DXView’s world map
Spots can be announced via the soundcard
Built-in web server provides access from other PCs on your network
Tracks statistics
Double-clicking on a spot database entry or a plotted spot
QSY’s the radio (will set QSX if available)
Populates DXKeeper’s Capture window
Captures WWV spots
Displays most recent solar flux, A-index, and K-index
Displays 1-month history of solar & geomagnetic parameters

24. SpotCollector

25. PropView Propagation prediction Propagation monitoring
Uses IONCAP engine
Gets solar flux from SpotCollector
Gets locations from DXView
Produces graphical predictions
Propagation monitoring
Monitors NCDXF/IARU beacon network
Builds beacon schedules by band, by bearing, or by specified beacons
QSYs transceiver per beacon schedule
Rotates antenna per beacon schedule

26. PropView

27. Pathfinder Searches the Web for QSL information
Country-specific callbooks (~100)
QSL sites (~40),
DX Summit spot archives
12 user-assignable search keys
Captures callsigns entered via DXView or DXKeeper
Pathfinder Web Client
Download or install not req’d
12 fixed search keys

28. Pathfinder Web Client

29. Launcher
Provides ability to start and stop your DXLab applications with a single mouse click
Provides ability to minimize and restore your DXLab applications with a single mouse click

30. How is the DXLab Suite Developed?
User-driven iterative development
Full release: standard Windows install
All required components
Required for first installation on a PC
2 to 14 Mbytes
Development release
Typically just an executable
200 to 500 Kbytes
Frequent: typically several per week
Optional (Development releases are cumulative)
User critique and feedback is a primary driver
Yahoo-based DXLab reflector: participants
Defect repairs get highest priority; goal is < 24 hours
Prioritization is always a challenge
Closed source, one developer (but lots of help)
Public, documented DDE interfaces

31. Where is the DXLab Suite going?
Transceiver Control
Kachina & JRC support
Bandmap (completed)
User-defined controls
DXView
Ability to apply old prefix-to-entity rules (scripts to accomplish this, now)
Display common phrases in the DX station’s native language
DXKeeper
More real-time award tracking (e.g. counties)
ADIF 2.0 support
Literally hundreds of creature comforts
User-defined fields
WinWarbler
CW decoding
MFSK
PropView
Long-term beacon analysis for discovering secondary openings
Launcher
Automatic DXLab application updates

32. What do I need to run the DXLab Suite?
Minimum (2-4 applications) (struggled on a PII, 266 Mhz/512 RAM)
133 Mhz Pentium
64 MB DRAM
800x600 SVGA monitor
Windows 98SE
Good (all applications) (I use a P3/650 Mhz/384 MB RAM)
400 Mhz Pentium 2
128 MB DRAM
1280x1024 XVGA monitor
Windows 2000 or Windows XP
Optimum (all applications)
1.5 Ghz Pentium 4
256 MB DRAM
1600x1200 XVGA monitor (or multiple smaller monitors)

33. How Many Ops Use the DXLab Suite?

34. Where do I get the DXLab Suite. http://www. qsl. net/dxlab http://ad0k

35. Better DXing Through Software
The DXLab Suite
AA6YQ
Better DXing Through Software