This release

- when creating a new Spot Database Entry, properly initializes the fields representing the regions from which the entry was spotted, eliminating the need for ISNULL tests in SQL expressions (tnx to Eldon W5UHQ)

- only displays an Origin Grid or DX Grid with 6-character precision if it's the result of an unambiguous extraction from spot notes, or is specified in an entity override (tnx to Bill W4BSG)

- provides the option to display a Smoothed Sunspot Number estimated from the last reported Solar Flux (tnx to Steve K2FW)

- updates the CollectingWWV.htm documentation file


Notes:

1. User-defined SQL queries that apply the ISNULL function to the NA-E, NA-M, NA-W, SA, EU, AF, AS or OC fields must be modified for use with SpotCollector 5.3.6 and future releases: replace instances of

ISNULL(X)

with

(X='')

where X is one of the aforementioned fields. The ISNULL function should no longer be required in any SQL query.


2. Ons startup, SpotCollector displays the last-reported Solar Flux Index (SFI) in its Main window's WWV panel. To see the Smoothed Sunspot Number (SSN) estimated from the last-reported SFI, double-click the word SFI in the WWV panel. The Smoothed Sunspot Number is estimated using the equation

SSN = (33.52 x (85.12 +SFI) ^ .5) - 408.99  

(where ^ is the exponentiation operator)

As shown in

http://www.nwra.com/spawx/comp.html

the Smoothed Sunspot Number estimated in this manner can vary significantly from the Smoothed Sunspot Number calculated from optical observations of the sun. Propview uses the above equation to estimate the SSN supplied to VOACAP, ICEPAC, and IONCAP.


SpotCollector 5.3.6 is available via the DXLab Launcher, and via

<http://www.dxlabsuite.com/download.htm>

73,

Dave, AA6YQ