SpotCollector Online Help Contents
The Spot Database tab contains 9 panels.
| Pathname | Specifies the full pathname of the Spot Database |
| Select | Displays a file selector that can be used to specify a Spot Database pathname |
| Open | After modifying the Pathname, click this button to open the Spot Database in that Pathname |
Each incoming spot of a station is compare with existing Spot Database entries for that station. If, with respect to an existing Spot Database entry, the incoming spot lies within the time window and frequency range specified below, then the existing Spot Database entry is updated to reflect the incoming spot; otherwise, a new Spot Database entry is created.
| Maximum separation in time (minutes) | Specifies the time window, in minutes, into which an incoming spot must fall in order to be combined with an existing Spot Database entry |
| Maximum separation in frequency (kHz) | Specifies the frequency range, in kHz., into which an incoming spot must fall in order to be combined with an existing Spot Database entry |
| Maximum age of valid incoming spots (minutes) | Incoming spots whose age exceeds this value are not considered for entry in the Spot Database; a spot's age is computed as the difference between the time at which it was received (using your PC's UTC time) and the time at which it was sent (using the sender's UTC timestamp) |
| Maximum age of last LotW upload (months) | a Spot
Database Entry whose callsign is known to participate in LotW
but whose last upload to LotW exceeds this age will have its LotW item
set to 'N'.
|
| Make cumulative spot notes available | When checked, each Spot Database Entry's Cumulative field maintains a list of all spot notes received in ascending time order for display in the Spot Notes window |
| Frequency
Filter panel
|
When the Frequency filter is activated, all Spot Database entries whose frequencies lies outside the specified range or are older than the specified age are hidden |
| Need Filter panel | Determines whether the Spot Database Need filter hides entries for all but unworked DXCC entities, or hides entries for all but unworked or unconfirmed DXCC entities |
| Update interval | Specifies the interval (in minutes) at which spot statistics are updated to reflect spots which are more than 60 minutes old |
| Use Log last opened by DXKeeper |
consult the log file that was last opened by DXKeeper, and automatically switch to any new log opened in DXKeeper |
| Use Log in specified pathname | specify a log
file to be consulted independently of what log file was last opened in
DXKeeper
|
| Query operator when DXKeeper Log changes | ask the operator to choose when a log is opened in DXKeeper that is different than the one currently being consulted by SpotCollector |
The only limit to the growth of SpotCollector's Spot Database is the amount of free storage on its storage volume. Left to grow without bound, this will eventually reduce your PC's performance. Using facilities on this panel, you can manually "prune" the Spot Database's older entries, or clear it completely. You can also configure SpotCollector to automatically prune the Spot Database hourly; this makes it easy, for example, to limit the Spot Database to the last two days of entries without requiring user attention.
| Prune entries older than this age (days) | All Spot Database entries older than this will be deleted by the Prune command, or when SpotCollector starts if you have the Prune Spot Database on startup box checked |
| Prune | When clicked, deletes all Spot Database entries older than the specified age |
| Prune Spot Database on startup | If checked, the Spot Database is pruned when SpotCollector starts; all Spot Database entries older than the specified age are deleted. |
| Prune Spot Database hourly | If checked, the Spot Database is pruned when at the beginning of each hour; all Spot Database entries older than the specified age are deleted. |
| Clear Spot Database on startup | If checked, the Spot Database is cleared when SpotCollector starts |
| Clear | When clicked, deletes all Spot Database entries regardless of age |
Each Spot Database Entry includes award progress information obtained the log file referenced for award progress. If you modify or delete a logged QSO in DXKeeper, SpotCollector is automatically directed to update this award progress information. If you are planning to modify or delete many QSOs in DXKeeper, it may be more efficient to disable these automatic updates, and then perform one update after all changes have been made.
If automatic updates are left disabled, SpotCollector may incorrectly identify Spot Database Entries for needed DX stations.
To update each entry in the Spot Database Display, click this panel's Recomp button, which
You must also update each entry in the Spot Database Display after upgrading to a new DXCC database version that defines one or more new DXCC entities, or modifies the DXCC Prefix or country code of one or more existing DXCC entities; do this by clicking this panel's Recomp button.
| Enabled | If checked, enables the web server to respond to incoming requests |
| Port | Specifies the
TCP port used by SpotCollector's web server
|
| Spots per page | SpotCollector's web server displays the most recent N Spot Database entries, where N is specified by this parameter |
| Refresh interval (minutes) | SpotCollector's web server provides updates every N minutes, where N is specified by this parameter |
| Restart | Restart SpotCollector's web server, e.g. after a network outage |
This panel specifies SpotCollector's priority with respect to other running applications.