Downloading and Installing DXLab Applications

Getting Started with DXLab

Documentation

Articles and Presentations

Availability Announcements

Bridges, Gateways, and Extenders

Distribution Sites

DXLab Reflector

 

Before installing your first DXLab application, install the DXLab Launcher.

Installing or Upgrading the DXLab Launcher

The DXLab Launcher automates the installation of new DXLab applications and the upgrading of already-installed DXLab applications. If you're an aspiring DXLab user who has not installed any DXlab applications on your PC, or if you're a long-time DXLab user who has never installed the Launcher, then installing the Launcher will make it easy to install new DXLab applications and keep them up to date as upgrades are released. Clicking the button below will download and install the DXLab Launcher on your PC. Step-by-step guides are available, both in HTML for browsing and in PDF for printing.

If your PC is running Vista, login to the account named Administrator before clicking the Install Launcher button below.

Do not click this button if the Launcher is already installed on your PC! If you're not sure, here's how to check.

 

If the Launcher is already installed on your PC, you should determine if a newer version is available and, if so, upgrade it.

 

Installing a new DXLab Application

With the latest version of the DXLab Launcher installed on your PC, you can install an uninstalled DXLab application by following these steps:

  1. if your PC is running Vista, login to the account named Administrator  

  2. start the Launcher

  3. click the Launcher's  Config button to open its Configuration window

  4. click the Configuration window's New ? button to update the installation status and release availability of all DXLab applications

  5. click the appropriate Install button in the DXLab Application panel 

The Launcher will confirm your intention to install the application, and display the pathname of the folder into which the application will be installed so you can confirm or correct it. The Launcher will then initiate a Setup program that registers the application and its components, prompting you for additional installation decisions such as the creation of start menu entries, desktop shortcuts, and the installation of optional files like country maps or audio announcements. A step-by-step guide is available.

 

Upgrading an Installed DXLab Application

If your PC is running Vista, login to the account named Administrator before proceeding.

With the latest version of the DXLab Launcher installed on your PC, you can upgrade an installed DXLab application to its latest release by following these steps:

  1. if your PC is running Vista, login to the account named Administrator  

  2. start the Launcher

  3. click the Launcher's  Config button to open its Configuration window

  4. click the Configuration window's New ? button to update the installation status and release availability of all DXLab applications

  5. click the appropriate Upgrade button in the DXLab Application panel 

The Launcher will inform you when the upgrade is complete. A step-by-step guide is available.

If you installed a DXLab application at some time in the past but haven't been installing its upgrades, you can obtain all subsequent defect repairs and enhancements by upgrading to the latest release, as described above.

Full releases and development releases

All DXLab applications are produced using a software engineering process known as iterative development, characterized by frequent releases referred to as development releases. Occasionally, a stable development release is used to create a full release containing all software and documentation components. To facilitate rapid evaluation, development releases are lightweight, containing only those components that have changed since the most recent full release.

When the DXLab Launcher installs a new DXLab application, it first installs the application's most recent full release; if a later development release is available, the Launcher automatically performs the upgrade.

 

Availability announcements

New releases of DXLab applications are announced on the DXLab email reflector, an open forum that you are encouraged to join. This reflector plays a major role in driving the development of DXLab -- suggestions are refined, alternatives are considered, and releases are critiqued; the result is a powerful flow of ideas whose implementation benefits all participants. At your option, messages posted to the reflector can be delivered via email -- either individually, or in a daily digest.

You can also determine whether new releases are available by running the Launcher and clicking the New ? button in the upper right corner of its Configuration window; in the DXLab Applications panel, Available releases that are newer than what's installed on your PC are highlighted in red font. You can configure the Launcher to automatically check for new releases on startup; a message indicating that new releases are available will appear on the Launcher's main window.

If you installed an application's full release at some time in the past but haven't kept up with development releases, you can obtain all subsequent defect repairs and enhancements by upgrading to that application's most recent development release, as described above.

See http://www.dxlabsuite.com/dxlabwiki/InstallingDXLabApplications for step-by-step guides to installing and upgrading DXLab applications.

 

Documentation

For step-by-step help with common installation and usage scenarios, see Getting Started with DXLab. The table below provides links to feature summaries, online documentation, and printed documentation for each DXLab application:

Summary Online Documentation  Printable English Documentation Printable German Documentation
Commander summary Commander help

Commander PDF English help

Commander PDF Deutsche Hilfe

DXKeeper summary DXKeeper help

DXKeeper PDF English help

DXKeeper PDF Deutsche Hilfe

DXView summary DXView help

DXView PDF English help

DXView PDF Deutsche Hilfe

Launcher summary Launcher help

Launcher PDF English help

Launcher PDF Deutsche Hilfe

Pathfinder summary Pathfinder help

Pathfinder PDF English help

Pathfinder PDF Deutsche Hilfe

PropView summary PropView help

PropView PDF English help

PropView PDF Deutsche Hilfe

SpotCollector summary SpotCollector help

SpotCollector PDF English help

SpotCollector PDF Deutsche Hilfe

WinWarbler summary   WinWarbler help

WinWarbler PDF English help

WinWarbler PDF Deutsche Hilfe

Defect Logs, and Enhancement Logs are useful in identifying changes made over time if you haven't been monitoring the release notes that accompany availability announcements; links to these logs are provided in the Available Releases table below.

 

Available DXLab Releases

DXLab applications can be manually downloaded via hyperlinks in the table below, or via any of several worldwide distribution sites

Application Most Recent Full Release  Most Recent Development Release  Auxiliary Files Versions Defect Logs Enhancement Logs
Commander 5.8.7

7.1.0

   history log log
DXKeeper 5.5.9

5.9.7

Scripts history log log
DXLab Launcher 1.5.2

1.5.5

1.5.5 (Launcher self-update only) history log log
DXView 2.6.8

2.9.6

DXCC Database 2.2.3  installation instructions

USAP Database

IOTA Database 1.1.4

LotW Database


Country Maps
Standard World Maps (96 DPI)
Enlarged World Maps (120 DPI)

history log log
Pathfinder 4.3.9

4.4.9

Search Library history log log
PropView 1.3.0

1.4.2

   history log log
SpotCollector 3.4.2

4.4.2

Audio Announcements by Joe DX
Audio Introductions by Joe DX
Audio Announcements in CW
history log log
WinWarbler   4.5.0 5.7.2 WinWarbler DXCC List history log log

 

Bridges, Gateways,  and Extenders

DXLab applications interoperate using an open protocol. This has stimulated the development of new applications that work in concert with some or all members of the DXLab Suite:

Application Function Most Recent Full Release  Most Recent Development Release  Online Documentation 
BMUtil extends DXKeeper's AddNeeded operation to support "every entity on every band in every mode"            
DM780 DXLab Bridge enables a DM780 user to log QSOs directly to DXKeeper 1.0 ReadMe
DX Atlas alternative world map for DXView 2.25      
DXLabFrequency small window that displays frequency, mode and s-meter 1.1.0 1.1.6   ReadMe
DXLab HRD Bridge transceiver control via Ham Radio Deluxe 1.0.2 1.0.6 HTML help
DXLabPTT Supports the use of IZ8BLY Hellschreiber with Commander 1.0.0        
interoperation with TurboHAMLOG            
DXLPlus Automated look-up program for broadcast DX stations (screenshot) 1.6.131     English PDF help
German PDF help
Frequency Manager stores frequencies including a title and mode in a tree
hierarchy layout, with optional scanning
2.0 2.0 ReadMe
HamSked scheduler that  interoperates with Commander 0.5.1    HTML help
DXLabTest application that illustrates the use of DXLab's DDE interfaces (includes source code) 1.1.4        
LP StepLink Commander to SteppIR control box interface          
MixW DXLab Gateway MixW interoperation with DXKeeper, DXView, Commander, SpotCollector and Pathfinder 3.0.6 3.0.7   
MM DXLab Bridge MMSSTV, MMTTY, and MMVARI interoperation with DXKeeper and Commander 6.0.0      HTML help
MultiPSK digital mode application that directly interoperates with DXKeeper and Commander 3.11      
Rotor4WinContest integrates DXView and Win-Contest            
SpotSpy extends SpotCollector to support visible and audible alarms for needed call signs and/or IOTA groups.
           

 

Distribution sites

 

DXLab Reflector

If you have questions or suggestions, please send them via email to the DXLab reflector.

Subscribe to the DXLab Reflector