To facilitate rapid real-time logging with minimum screen space consumption, DXKeeper provides a QSO Capture window, activated by clicking the Capture button located on the Log QSOs tab. The QSO Capture Window records 38 items, all but four of which (call, DXCC, tx frequency, and mode) are optional. By dragging the Capture window's lower border up or down, the Capture window can be configured to display from as few as two items to all items.
Clicking the Lookup button, or striking the Enter key in the Call textbox, or striking the Tab key in the Call textbox results in the following actions:
if the Shift key is depressed when striking the <enter> key in the Call textbox, the name, QTH, Address, Primary Administrative Subdivision, Secondary Administrative Subdivision, Grid, IOTA, Sent Via, LotW membership, and eQSL.cc membership items are cleared
if the Ctrl or Shift key is depressed when the Lookup button is clicked, the name, QTH, Address, Primary Administrative Subdivision, Secondary Administrative Subdivision, Grid, IOTA, Sent Via, LotW membership, and eQSL.cc membership items are cleared
the callsign is colored to reflect its DXCC/Challenge/Toplist award status:
red: the callsign's DXCC entity is unworked, the entity-band is sought and unworked, or the entity-mode is sought and unworked
blue: the callsign's DXCC entity is worked but not confirmed, or the entity-band is sought and worked but not confirmed, or the entity-mode is sought and worked but not confirmed
black: the callsign's DXCC entity is confirmed, the entity-band is either confirmed or not sought, and the entity-mode is either confirmed or not sought
if the Display Previous QSOs on Lookup box is checked
filters the log to only display previous QSOs with the Call or a variant of the Call (e.g. with a portable, QRP, or mobile designator)
initializes the DXCC, name, QSL via, QTH, gridsquare, IOTA, QSL address, Primary Administrative Subdivision, Secondary Administrative Subdivision, ITU, CQ, continent, eQSL.cc member and LotW member items using information found in previous QSOs, with priority given to information extracted from the most recent QSOs (the QSL address is not visible in the Capture window, but will be logged with the other items)
if a User-defined item's Init box is checked, initializes the item using information found in previous QSOs, with priority given to information extracted from the most recent QSOs
if a Callbook is installed, selected, and configured for automatic initialization, it's database is queried to set the name, QTH, Primary Administrative Subdivision, Secondary Administrative Subdivision, IOTA, QSL address, QSL Via, and gridsquare items, if not already set (the QSL address item is not visible in the Capture window, but it will be logged with the other items)
updates the DXCC item, if not already set, based on the Call's prefix and updates DXView's display based on the prefix and grid fields
updates the az(imuth) and path items to the values used in the last rotator control command issued by DXView if running with rotator control enabled, or from their previous value if DXView is either not running or is running with rotator control disabled
updates the IOTA item, if not already set, if it can be determined from the Call's prefix
updates the ARRL section, continent, ITU, and CQ items, if not already set, if they are determinable from the prefix (these items are not visible in the Capture window, but will be logged with the other items)
if the LotW database is installed, checks the LotW membership box if the callsign in the Call textbox is a known participant in the ARRL's Logbook of the World
if the eQSL AG database is installed, checks the eQSL.cc membership box if the callsign in the Call textbox is an Authenticity-Guaranteed member of eQSL.cc
sets the tx frequency, rx frequency, and mode items from your transceiver's current settings (if Commander is running) or from their previous values (if Commander isn't running)
sets the RST sent and RST rcvd items if either the run-mode box or the Initialize RST fields box is checked
if the Capture callsign generates prop forecast box is checked with DXView and PropView both running, directs PropView to generate a propagation forecast for the station's location on the captured TX frequency.
Allowing the mouse cursor to linger over the DXCC item when it contains a DXCC entity prefix will prompt DXKeeper to display a popup window containing the full name of the DXCC entity. Similarly, allowing the mouse cursor to linger over a State or Province item will prompt DXKeeper to display a popup window containing the full name of the state or province.
If the first letter of the callsign you enter is an exclamation point, DXKeeper assumes that you are logging a CQ, an unsuccessful call, a test, or some other transmission that you wish to record but does not represent a QSO. Such log entries are not assigned a DXCC prefix, do not initiate a Callbook database lookup, and are not included in award tracking statistics.
Double-clicking or striking the Enter key in the grid textbox updates DXView's display to show the specified grid square as its current position. Depressing the CTRL key while double-clicking the Grid textbox updates DXView's display and rotates the antenna to the short-path heading; depressing the ALT key while double-clicking the Grid textbox updates DXView's display and rotates the antenna to the long-path heading.
Clicking the Begin button, entering a received signal report in the RST rcvd field with the Set QSO start when RST Rcvd box is checked, striking Alt-B in any Capture window field, or striking CTRL-B in any Capture window field
designates the the QSO start time
hides the Begin button until the QSO is logged or cleared, or the End button is clicked
displays the QSO start time
displays the End button
Clicking the End button or striking CTRL-E in any Capture window item
designates the the QSO end time
hides the End button until the Begin button is clicked
displays the QSO end time
displays the Begin button
Checking the QSL Requested box indicates that a QSL card or label should be sent and a confirmation requested. If logged, the QSO's QSL Sent and QSL Rcvd items will be set to 'R' (for requested); when you later run the QSL Workflow, the Add Requested button will automatically generate a QSL card or label for this QSO; printed cards and 2-column labels will bear a "please!" in their QSL? column.
Checking the use bureau box indicates that the QSL should be sent via the QSL bureau. If logged, the QSO's QSL Sent Via item will be set to 'B'.
Checking the LotW member box indicates that the callsign participates in the ARRL's Logbook of the World. If logged, the QSO's LotW Member item will be set to 'Y'.
Checking the eQSL.cc member box indicates that the callsign is an Authenticity Guaranteed member of eQSL.cc . If logged, the QSO's eQSL.cc Member item will be set to 'A'.
Checking or unchecking the contest-mode box enables or disables Contest-mode.
Double-clicking the QSL Via item invokes the Address Editor .
Double-clicking an item's label will filter the Log Page Display to show all QSOs whose item matches the value in the Capture window. If the Capture window's IOTA item contains OC-005, for example, double-clicking the IOTA label will filter the Log Page Display to show all QSOs whose IOTA item is OC-005.
If an item has a default value, Ctrl-double-clicking that item's label will display the Configuration window and place the mouse cursor in the default value,
Uncapitalized first letters of each word entered into the Name or QTH items will be automatically capitalized unless the word contains a capitalized letter.
Striking the Enter key in the QTH item initiates a word-by-word inspection of the QTH item.
If the QTH item contains a valid grid square and the QSO's, then the QSO's Grid Square item will be set to the Grid Square found in the QTH item
If the QTH item contains a valid US State abbreviation, and the QSO's DXCC entity is USA or Alaska or Hawaii, then the QSO's State item will be set to the State found in the QTH item
If the QTH item contains a valid Canadian Province abbreviation, and the QSO's DXCC entity is Canada, then the QSO's Province item will be set to the Province found in the QTH item
If the QTH item contains a valid ARRL Section abbreviation, and the QSO's DXCC entity is USA or Alaska or Hawaii or US Virgin Islands or Puerto Rico or US Pacific possessions, or Canada, then the QSO's ARRL Section item will be set to the ARRL Section found in the QTH item
If the State, Province, ARRL Section, and Grid Square items found in the QTH item unambiguously identify a CQ Zone, then the QSO's CQ zone item will be derived from the information found in the QTH item
If the State, Province, ARRL Section, and Grid Square items found in the QTH item unambiguously identify an ITU Zone, then the QSO's ITU zone item will be derived from the information found in the QTH item
Clicking the Clear button with Contest-mode unchecked requests confirmation (if Prompt on Capture Clear is enabled) and then clears all Capture items, presents the Begin button, and clears the Log Page Display filter; if Contest-mode checked, the TX# item is not cleared.
depressing the Alt key while clicking the Clear button eliminates the request for confirmation even if Prompt on Capture Clear is enabled
depressing the Ctrl key while clicking the Clear button selects the last QSO in the Log Page Display
Clicking the Log button
verifies that all required items are present
computes the DX station's latitude and longitude if the grid square item is populated
computes the antenna azimuth if
the antenna path selector is set to shortpath or longpath
your QTH latitude and longitude is provided by the specified myQTH, or by a default QTH latitude and longitude
computes the QSO distance if the antenna azimuth was computed and
the computed antenna azimuth lies within 10 degrees of the specified antenna azimuth
or
no antenna azimuth is specified
places the Iota item in standard format (e.g. AF1 will be changed to AF-001)
clears the log filter, if set
notes the time at which the QSO ended
if the CTRL key was depressed when the Log button was clicked, or if the Upload an eQSL... box is checked, uploads the QSO to eQSL.cc; if this upload is successful,
the QSO's eQSL sent is set to Y
the QSO's eQSL date sent is set to the current UTC date
the QSO's eQSL rcvd is set to R
If you have multiple operator callsigns and multiple eQSL.cc accounts, you can prevent the upload of QSOs whose operator callsigns don't match the currently specified eQSL.cc username by checking the Don't upload QSOs whose operator callsign isn't the specified Username box.
enters the QSO into the current log (if Contest-mode is disabled and the Don't log Capture window Contest, TX#, RX# if contest mode disabled option is enabled, the Capture window's Contest ID, TX#, and RX# items are not included with the logged information)
plays the "Windows Default Beep" sound If the Provide audible feedback box is checked
if the Generate local spot on Capture log option is enabled and SpotCollector is running, an outgoing local spot will be generated
clears all items
presents the Begin button
Note that striking CTRL-<enter> or CTRL-L in any Capture Window item is equivalent to clicking the Log button.
If the Log Page Display is filtered to show previous QSOs with the station in the Call item, the number of previous QSOs is parenthetically appended to the Call item's label, whether or not the main log window is visible. Clicking on the Call item's label will display the main log window, should it be minimized. Information about the most recent QSO -- date, time, frequency, mode, and QSL status -- is displayed in the Capture window is appropriately resized; click the window maximize button on the right side of the title bar to expand the Capture window enough to show all information.
With Contest Mode disabled, a Log Page Display entry will be rendered in red font if its Callsign, Band, and Mode match those in the Capture window; this can help avoid duplicate QSOs; with Contest Mode enabled, a Log Page Display entry will be rendered in red font if its Callsign, Band, Mode and Contest ID match those in the Capture window.
If required items are missing or contain invalid values, clicking the Log button highlights the labels of these items in red, but does not enter the QSO into the current log. Frequencies not falling within a defined band are considered invalid. Callsign validity checking can be enabled or disabled via the Flag Invalid Callsigns setting. If a Capture item's data exceeds its specified maximum length, its label will be highlighted in red and the Log button will not enter the QSO into the current log.
You can include substitution commands in the QSL msg item to include information determined by your current location.
Uncapitalized first letters of each word entered into the Name or QTH items will be automatically capitalized unless the word contains a capitalized letter.
To allow operation without removing one's hands from the keyboard, DXKeeper provides keyboard shortcuts for navigating among the Capture Window's items.
While DXKeeper can log a receive frequency (distinct from a transmit frequency) for each QSO, the Capture window does not provide a means of recording this information. For cross-band QSOs -- Satellite QSOs, for example -- use the Main window for logging.
If SpotCollector is running and has been configured to generate cluster spots, then clicking the Spot button will use the Capture window's Call, TX frequency, and Mode items to generate a DX spot; if the Mode is not CW or SSB, it will be included as a spot note. If the Spot split frequency setting is enabled, outgoing spot notes will include the difference between the Capture window's TX and RX frequencies unless that difference exceeds 9.9 KHz, in which case the full TX frequency will be included. If the band is 6m or above and a gridsquare has been captured, it will also be included as a spot note; if the operator's gridsquare is specified in the current myQTH, then the spot note will be of the form "DX_Grid > Operator_Grid".
Depressing the CTRL key while clicking the Spot button will display a dialog box that lets you specify notes to be included in the spot; in this case, you must manually include the mode and or gridsquare in the notes should that be appropriate.
Depressing the ALT key while clicking the Spot button will direct SpotCollector to generate a "local spot", meaning that a spot database entry is created but the no spot is sent to the spotting network.
Depressing both the CTRL and ALT keys while clicking the Spot button combines both of the above actions: you'll be prompted to specify notes for a local spot.
If WinWarbler is running and Capture window F-Keys via WW is checked, then striking the function keys F5 through F12 in a Capture window textbox will invoke a WinWarbler macro, with Shift key and Alt key modifiers functioning as they would within WinWarbler. Striking the Esc key in a Capture window textbox will abort any active WinWarbler transmission.
Logging Information
Required for Award Tracking
To track progress towards awards like WAS, USA-CA, RDA, WAJA, JCC, JCG, and AJA, DXKeeper provides items in its Capture window that let you record a callsign's Primary Administrative Entity and its Secondary Administrative Entity. Some DXCC entities formally define a set of Primary Administrative Subdivisions, e.g. States in the United States, Oblasts in Russia, and Prefectures in Japan; unique abbreviations or codes are used to identify these primary subdivisions. For such entities, DXKeeper provides an appropriately-labeled (e.g. state, oblast, prefecture) selector lets you choose from among the valid codes; if you click the ? button to the left of this selector, DXKeeper's Capture Administrative Subdivision Selector window will appear, which provides a cross-reference between code or abbreviation and full name, and lets you choose a primary subdivision by clicking in either the window's Code or Name selector.
If a country contains multiple DXCC entities, then when you select one of these entities the selector will provide choices valid for the selected entity; if a QSO's DXCC entity is Asiatic Russia, for example, the subyekt selector will only offer Oblasts located in Asiatic Russia.
ADIF defines the District of Columbia (DC) as a Primary Administrative Entity of the United States. DXKeeper's WAS report treats QSOs with stations in the District of Columbia as being in Maryland; its Worked All Counties report treats QSOs with stations in the District of Columbia as being in Maryland's Washington County.
ADIF defines Newfoundland and Labrador (NL) as a Primary Administrative Entity of Canada, replacing the previous separate provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador
Some of the DXCC entities that define a set of Primary Administrative Subdivisions formally define a set of Secondary Administrative Subdivisions for each of their Primary Administrative Subdivision, e.g. Counties in the United States, Districts in Russia, and Cities and Guns in Japan; unique abbreviations or codes are used to identify these secondary subdivisions. For such entities, DXKeeper provides an appropriately-labeled (e.g. county, district, city/gun) selector lets you choose from among the valid codes; if you click the ? button to the left of this selector, DXKeeper's Capture Administrative Subdivision Selector window will appear, which lets you choose a secondary subdivision by clicking in either the window's Code or Name selector.
ADIF defines 28 Alaskan Counties; DXKeeper expect these to be logged with Alaskan QSOs. The Worked All Counties report automatically maps these counties to the correct Judicial District and reports your County progress accordingly.
For entities that do not define Primary or Secondary Subdivisions, DXKeeper provides pri sub and sec sub textboxes with which any subdivision name can be recorded; you could use this to capture a subdivision name for QSO with a country that does not formally define its subdivisions.
The Capture window also provides region and DOK items to record entity-specific information required for certain awards.
For a summary of what information to record in what item for each supported award, see the table here.