SpotCollector Online Help Contents
The General tab contains seven panels:
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when checked, enables the display of explanatory information when the mouse cursor lingers over a textbox, button, checkbox, display pane, or setting. |
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| Confirm spot deletion | when checked, attempting to delete a spot database entry displays a dialog box that asks you to confirm the deletion |
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when checked, displays received numeric zeros with a slash in Packet Cluster, IRC, and DX Cluster windows |
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| Seek everything |
if DXKeeper is not installed
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| Set Xcvr split | when checked, double-clicking on a spot database entry specifying a split frequency will place the transceiver in split mode (if support) and set the split frequency into the transceiver's alternate VFO |
| Save Spot Notes | when checked, the Outgoing Spots panel's Notes textbox is not cleared after the panel's Cluster or Local button is clicked, and the parenthetical phrase (notes saved) is appended to the panel's caption |
| Spot Xcvr split | when checked with Commander running (version 5.9.2 or later), the outgoing spot notes will track the transceiver's split frequency in kHz, e.g. "up 2.5" or "dn 1" |
| Main F-keys via WW | when checked, striking the function keys F5 through F12 will direct WinWarbler to invoke the associated macro; striking the ESC key will direct WinWarbler to abort the current transmission |
| Determine mode from notes | when checked, the operating mode determined by a DX station's sub-band is overridden by a mode specifier found in its spot notes |
| Capture location info from notes | when checked, SpotCollector attempts to recover location information for an entry's DX station (grid square, IOTA tag) and spotting station (grid square) from its spot notes; if successful, this information is used in preference to location information provided by the cluster software |
| Lookup missing location info | when checked, SpotCollector attempts to obtain location information for an entry's DX station (grid square, IOTA tag, CQ zone, ITU zone, continent, primary administrative subdivision, region) and spotting station (grid square) via DXCC or USAP database lookup if this information has not been extracted from spot notes or provided by the cluster software. |
| Automatic DXView Update | when checked, creation of a new Spot Database Entry will automatically direct DXView to perform a lookup operation, displaying the station's location on its world map (if DXView is running and its SC Lock button has not been clicked) |
| Request Prop Forecast | when checked, double-clicking a Spot Database Entry will direct PropView (if running) to compute a propagation forecast based on the current solar flux and parameters pre-establish in PropView (this box will be disabled unless both PropView and DXView are running) |
| Display info in title bars | when checked, UTC time and log information is displayed in the Main window's title bar, and UTC time is displayed in the spot source windows' title bars (uncheck if running Vista) |
| Use multiple monitors | when checked, windows that resided on a secondary monitor during the previous session will be restored to the same secondary monitor on startup; when not checked, all windows will be restored to the primary monitor on startup |
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when set, diagnostic information is recorded in the file errorlog.txt within SpotCollector's folder |
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Spots you originate are attributed to this callsign |
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Spots you originate are associated with this geographic origin:
Operator Latitude and Longitude are used to compute the distance to the station originating a DX spot for Band filtering |
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| Log Filter | When you select a DX station (e.g. by double-clicking on a Spot Database entry), determines whether DXKeeper displays all previous QSOs with that station's base callsign, or all previous QSOs with that station's DXCC entity |
| DX Unit |
Specifies whether Origin Distances and Band Filter Maximum Origin Distances are stored and displayed in miles or kilometers.
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If the specified Digital Mode Application isn't connected but Commander is running, then the settings in this panel's sub-panels determine to what mode the transceiver will be set when a Spot Database Entry is activated by double clicking or by right-clicking and selecting the QSY menu item.
When a CW Spot Database Entry is activated with Commander running, set the transceiver to the specified mode:
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CW |
"normal" CW |
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CW-R |
"reversed" CW |
When a RTTY Spot Database Entry is activated with Commander running, set the transceiver to the specified mode:
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RTTY |
"normal" RTTY |
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RTTY-R |
"reversed" RTTY |
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USB |
upper sideband |
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LSB |
lower sideband |
| PKT | "normal" packet |
| PKT-R | "reversed" packet |
When a Spot Database Entry is activated with Commander running and the entry's mode is other than USB, LSB, AM, FM, CW, or RTTY, then set the transceiver to the specified mode:
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RTTY |
"normal" RTTY |
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RTTY-R |
"reversed" RTTY |
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USB |
upper sideband |
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LSB |
lower sideband |
| PKT | "normal" packet |
| PKT-R | "reversed" packet |
The Service, Auto-restore, and Auto-minimize columns of checkboxes in this panel determine SpotCollector's actions if the specified Digital Mode Application is connected and a Spot Database Entry is activated by double clicking or by right-clicking and selecting the QSY menu item.
The Service checkboxes determine whether activation of a Spot Database Entry is conveyed to the Digital Mode Application as a function of the Entry's mode. The Digital Service box cannot be unchecked, because Digital mode Spot Database Entries are always conveyed to the Digital Mode Application if its connected. The CW, SSB, AM, and FM Service checkboxes determine whether activation of Spot Database Entries of these modes are also conveyed to the Digital Mode Application.
The Auto-restore checkboxes determine on a mode-by-mode basis whether whether after conveying activation of a Spot Database Entry to the Digital Mode Application, the Digital Mode Application's Main window is restored to the screen if it was minimized.
The Auto-minimize checkboxes determine on a mode-by-mode basis whether whether after activating a Spot Database Entry whose mode's Service checkbox is disabled, SpotCollector minimizes the Digital Mode Application's Main window if it is on-screen. The Digital Auto-minimize box cannot be checked because the Digital Service box cannot be unchecked, as explained above.
Controls on this panel let you specify the Digital Mode Application to which SpotCollector will send frequency and mode information when you select a Spot Database Entry, subject to settings on the panels described below. By default, the Digital Mode Application textbox is set to WinWarbler; if the Digital Mode Application textbox is empty, SpotCollector sets it to WinWarbler . If you specify a Digital Mode Application like MultiPSK and click the Connect button, then when you select a Spot Database Entry, SpotCollector will send the frequency and mode information to that Digital Mode Application from then on.
If Commander is running, the user-defined command sequence named in this panel's textbox is executed after any QSY directive sent from SpotCollector to Commander -- such as when you double-click on a Spot Database Entry; this capability could be used to enable an automatic antenna tuner, select a specific antenna, or set a clarifier offset. If you double-click a Spot Database Entry whose frequency and mode information will be sent to a specified Digital Mode Application (as described above), then SpotCollector will neither direct Commander to QSY nor direct Commander to execute the specified user-defined command sequence; you can configure WinWarbler to specify a user-defined command sequence to be conveyed to Commander in this scenario.
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File pathname textbox |
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Select button |
displays a file selector dialog that allows you to select and activate a Sub-band definition file |
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if this setting is blank, SpotCollector displays online help using your PC's default HTML browser -- typically Internet Explorer or Netscape; if you'd prefer to display online help with a specific HTML browser, place its full pathname here. |
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Select button |
displays a file selector dialog that allows you to choose a Browser pathname |
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Help button |
displays the information you are now reading |