Configuration

This section provides detailed information about every configuration option available on DXSpotter Pro. The device offers two equivalent ways of configuring most settings — directly on the touchscreen, or via the web portal — and this chapter covers both.

Two Ways to Configure

Touch UI (on-device)

Most day-to-day adjustments can be made on the screen:

  • Tap the callsign in the status bar to change it

  • Tap the cluster name to pick a different DX cluster

  • Tap a band in the propagation panel to apply a band filter

  • Tap MODE to set the mode filter or pick a preset

  • Tap ALERTS to manage your alert callsign list

  • Long-press the LINK indicator to manage WiFi networks (add/remove/reorder)

  • Long-press the clock to change the timezone

Web Portal

For bulk changes — adding many WiFi networks at once, defining custom clusters and custom filters, editing the timezone, changing the device name — use the web portal:

  • On the same network: open http://<deviceName>.local/ or the device's IP

  • Or connect to the DXSpotter Pro Setup AP and open http://192.168.4.1/

The web form is feature-equivalent to the original DX Spotter portal and adds DXSpotter Pro-specific sections for alerts, custom clusters, and custom filters.

Accessing Configuration After Initial Setup

There are several ways to re-enter configuration after first setup:

Method 2: Web Browser on Your Network

If DXSpotter Pro is connected to your WiFi:

  1. Find the device's IP address — either from your router's DHCP client list, the LINK modal on the device, or the serial show command

  2. Open a browser to that IP address

  3. The configuration page loads

  4. Make changes and click Save

Method 3: AP Setup Page (when WiFi has failed)

If DXSpotter Pro cannot connect to any configured WiFi network, it automatically falls back to AP mode and shows the AP setup screen on the LCD with two QR codes. See Getting Started for the full flow.

Method 4: Serial CLI

Connect via USB-C at 115200 baud and use commands like wifi add, cluster, callsign, filter, tz, save, reboot. See Advanced Features for the full command list.

Device Information

Device ID (MAC Address)

The Device ID is the device's unique MAC address. It appears:

  • At the top of the web configuration page

  • On the on-screen LINK modal (under "MAC")

  • On the "Device Not Registered" lockout screen, if displayed

  • In the serial monitor output

Type:

Read-only

Format:

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX (hexadecimal)

Example:

A4:CF:12:34:56:78

The Device ID is used by the TopBytes update service to identify your unit during firmware version checks and registration.

Firmware Version

The firmware version is shown:

  • In the FIRMWARE row of the LINK modal

  • In the OTA progress modal during an update

  • At the top of the web configuration page

  • On the serial banner at boot

WiFi Configuration

Multiple WiFi Networks

DXSpotter Pro supports up to 5 WiFi network credentials with priority-based connection. On every boot the device scans the area and connects to the first credential whose SSID is in range.

Touch UI: WiFi Management

Long-press the LINK indicator in the status bar (top-right, shows LINK, ONLINE, OFFLINE or AP MODE). The WiFi management modal opens. From here you can:

  • See the list of configured networks in priority order

  • Add a network — tap the add button, pick from a live scan, enter the password on the on-screen keyboard

  • Delete a network — tap the delete affordance on a row

  • The first row (slot 0) is always tried first

Web Portal: WiFi Settings Section

The web portal provides the same functionality plus drag-and-drop priority reordering. Each WiFi network entry has:

Network Name (SSID)

Type:

String (1-32 characters)

Required:

Yes

Password

Type:

String (8-63 characters for WPA/WPA2; blank for open networks)

Required:

Only for secured networks

Important

  • When adding a new network: enter the password

  • When editing existing networks: leave blank to keep the existing password

  • The password field is always blank when loading the page for security

DX Cluster Configuration

Selecting a Cluster (Touch UI)

Tap the cluster name on the right side of the status bar. The cluster picker modal drops down with a list of:

  • Built-in cluster presets — pre-configured public DX cluster servers

  • Custom clusters — any clusters you've added via the web portal, marked with a star

Tap any row to switch to that cluster. The current cluster is highlighted. The device disconnects from the old cluster, connects to the new one, sends your callsign, and re-applies your current filter. Tap the modal background or the X button to dismiss without changing.

Built-in Cluster Presets

DXSpotter Pro ships with the same built-in presets as the classic DX Spotter:

Name

Host

Port

HamServe G1FEF

dxc.hamserve.uk

7300

G3LRS UK

dxc.g3lrs.org.uk

7300

M0KGX

dx.m0kgx.com

7300

NC7J

dxc.nc7j.com

7373

xOTA

xota.iz2lsc.eu

7373

Custom Clusters

Up to 5 custom clusters can be added via the web portal. Each requires a name, hostname, and port. Custom clusters appear alongside the built-in presets in both the touch picker and the web dropdown, and persist through reboots and firmware updates.

Cluster Port

Type:

Integer (1-65535)

Required:

Yes

Default:

7300

The TCP port. Set automatically when you pick a preset; editable manually in the web form.

Your Callsign

Type:

String (Amateur Radio Callsign)

Required:

Yes

Default:

empty (will appear as SET CALL on screen until configured)

Maximum length on touch UI:

11 characters

Touch UI: Editing the Callsign

Tap the callsign in the top-left of the status bar. An on-screen keyboard opens with your current callsign pre-loaded. Edit it, then tap OK. The callsign is automatically converted to upper-case and the cluster reconnects with the new identity.

Web Portal: Callsign Field

Standard text field. Saved on form submit.

Danger

Callsign requirements:

  • You must enter a valid amateur radio callsign

  • The callsign cannot be blank or left as NOCALL

  • If the callsign is not configured, the device will not attempt to connect to the cluster

Important

Multiple devices on the same cluster:

DX clusters allow only one connection per callsign. If you run more than one DXSpotter Pro (or one DXSpotter Pro plus a classic DX Spotter), give each a unique callsign — append an SSID-style -1/-2 or a portable /P//M (any distinguishing suffix works) — to avoid duplicate-login boot loops.

Filter Configuration

DXSpotter Pro has a two-slot composable filter system. Slot 0 is the band filter (typically a frequency range) and slot 1 is the mode filter (typically a mode like CW, SSB, FT8). The two are AND-combined into a single accept/spot rule on the cluster server.

Selecting a Band (Touch UI)

Tap any band row in the propagation panel (160M, 80M, 40M, 30M, 20M, 17M, 15M, 12M, 10M, 6M). The active band is highlighted in the panel and shown in the filter footer at the bottom. Tap a different band to switch. Tap CLEAR to remove all filters.

Selecting a Mode (Touch UI)

Tap MODE at the top of the propagation panel. The filters modal opens with two sections:

MODES (top row of small toggle buttons):

  • ANY

  • CW

  • SSB

  • FT8

  • FT4

  • RTTY

  • PSK

Tap one to apply that mode. The button highlights to show it's active. Tap ANY to clear just the mode slot.

PRESETS (below the modes, listed if you've configured custom filters in the web portal):

  • Each preset is a complete accept/spot filter command, given a friendly name

  • Tap a preset to apply it atomically — this replaces both slots and is treated as a single recipe rather than a composable rule

Web Portal: Filter Dropdown

The web form has a single Filter dropdown that combines built-in filter presets and your custom filters. Selecting any of these from the web is equivalent to tapping a PRESET in the touch modal.

Built-in Filter Presets:

Name

Filter Command

All Bands

(blank — no filter)

*OTA

accept/spot 0 info pota or info sota or info bota or info wwff

Custom Filters

Up to 5 custom filters can be defined in the web portal. Each has a friendly name and a raw DX-Spider filter command. They appear:

  • In the web Filter dropdown

  • In the PRESETS section of the on-device MODE modal

Examples of useful custom filter commands:

accept/spot 0 freq 14.000-14.100         # 20M CW band only
accept/spot 0 freq 20m or freq 15m       # two bands
accept/spot 0 freq hf and info ft8       # HF FT8 only
accept/spot 0 by_zone 14                 # only spots from CQ Zone 14

Tip

When you change the filter, the cluster connection is updated in place — DXSpotter Pro does not need to reboot or re-login.

Alert Configuration

DXSpotter Pro can flag and pop up incoming spots whose DX callsign matches one of your saved alert entries.

How Matching Works

Each alert entry is a callsign or prefix, matched case-insensitively as a startsWith against the spotted DX callsign. So:

  • 3B7 matches any 3B7* station (e.g. 3B7A, 3B7M/P)

  • VK9DX matches that exact callsign (and any callsign starting with that string)

  • VK matches any Australian callsign (broad — typically too broad)

You can define up to 10 alert entries.

Auto-Dismiss Timer

The alert popup modal auto-dismisses after a configurable number of seconds (default 60, range 0–600). Set to 0 to require manual dismiss.

Touch UI: ALERTS Modal

Tap ALERTS at the top of the propagation panel. The alert management modal shows:

  • The current list of alert entries, each with a delete button

  • An ADD button to add a new entry — opens the on-screen keyboard

Web Portal: Alerts Section

The web form has an Alerts block where you can edit each entry as a text input, add or remove rows, and set the auto-dismiss timer.

What an Alert Looks Like in Operation

  • Spots whose DX callsign matches any alert entry are rendered with an amber background in the spot list

  • When a matching spot first arrives, an alert popup modal is shown automatically with the full spot details, an amber border, and a bell icon

  • The popup auto-dismisses after the configured number of seconds, or you can dismiss it sooner by tapping the X

Display and Behaviour Settings

Maximum Spots

Type:

Integer

Default:

depends on memory; typical value 64

Range:

8–128

Configurable via:

web portal only

The size of the in-memory spot ring buffer. New spots are inserted, oldest are evicted when the buffer fills. The visible spot list shows the most recent spots from the ring sorted by spot time. Larger values let you scroll back through more recent activity.

Timezone

Type:

Selection (POSIX timezone string)

Default:

UTC0

Configurable via:

long-press the clock in the status bar, web portal dropdown, or serial CLI tz <posix-tz>

The on-device picker and the web dropdown show the same list of around 20 worldwide timezones: UTC, London, Paris, Berlin, Moscow, Dubai, Mumbai, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Tokyo, Sydney, Auckland, US Eastern/Central/Mountain/Pacific, Alaska, Hawaii, and Sao Paulo. Timezones with daylight saving rules adjust automatically. Selecting a timezone applies it immediately - no reboot needed.

The timezone affects:

  • The clock in the centre of the status bar (shown as HH:MM:SS XXX where XXX is the timezone abbreviation)

  • The "time" column in the spot list (UTC spot time converted to local)

  • The "TIME" row of the spot detail modal

Device Name

Type:

String (alphanumeric and hyphens)

Default:

dxspotter-pro

Configurable via:

web portal only

Used as the DHCP hostname and for mDNS/Bonjour discovery. Useful when running multiple DXSpotter Pro devices on the same network.

Screen Rotation

Type:

Selection (Normal / 180°)

Default:

Normal

Configurable via:

the LINK modal on the touch screen, or the web portal

Flips the display 180° for upside-down mounting (for example, when the unit hangs from a shelf or is mounted with the USB-C socket at the top). The screen image and the touch input are rotated together, so taps stay aligned.

  • On screen: tap the LINK indicator in the status bar, then tap ROTATE SCREEN 180. The device saves the setting and reboots to apply it.

  • Web portal: under Device, set Screen Rotation to 180° and click Save & Reboot.

Note

A rotation change takes effect after a short reboot — this is the most reliable way to switch orientation on this display.

QRZ.com Callsign Lookup

When you sign in with QRZ.com credentials, DXSpotter Pro enriches each spot with the operator's name, location (QTH), grid square, and country, looked up live from QRZ.com. The extra details appear in the spot detail modal (tap a spot) and in the alert pop-up.

This feature is optional and off by default. Without credentials the device works normally — you simply won't see the QRZ extras.

Requirements

  • A QRZ.com account.

  • A paid QRZ XML Logbook Data subscription. The lookup uses QRZ's XML data API, which requires an active XML subscription — a free QRZ account cannot access it.

Signing In

QRZ credentials are entered from the web portal:

  1. Open the web portal (see Accessing Configuration After Initial Setup) and scroll to the QRZ.com Lookup section.

  2. Enter your QRZ Username (your QRZ login) and QRZ Password.

  3. Click Save & Reboot.

For security, the password is never shown back in the form — on later visits the password field reads (unchanged). Leave it blank to keep the stored password, or type a new one to change it. Clearing the username also clears the stored password and disables lookups.

How It Works

  • The device signs in to QRZ.com on the first lookup that needs it, then reuses that session.

  • Lookups run in the background and are cached, so repeated taps on the same callsign are instant.

  • If a callsign isn't found on QRZ, the modal just omits the extra fields.

Note

Lookups require internet access (HTTPS to QRZ.com). If QRZ is unreachable or your subscription lapses, the spot detail and alert modals still work — just without the QRZ extras.

Factory Reset

The web configuration page includes a Factory Reset button. Tapping it (after confirming the prompt) clears the entire NVS configuration and reboots the device — it comes back up with no WiFi, no callsign, and shows the on-screen wizard again.

Warning

Factory reset cannot be undone. Note your settings before performing one.

The serial CLI does not currently provide an equivalent destructive reset; if you need to start completely fresh from the serial console, use wifi clear, edit fields manually, then save and reboot.

Configuration Examples

Example 1: Single Operator, 20M Focus

Use Case: Monitor 20M from a home shack.

  • WiFi: HomeNetwork

  • Cluster: HamServe G1FEF (default)

  • Callsign: K3ABC

  • Filter: tap 20M band row in the propagation panel

  • Mode: ANY (no mode filter)

  • Timezone: US Eastern

  • Alerts: empty

Example 2: DX Hunter with Alerts

Use Case: Watch for rare DX across all bands and get popups when target callsigns appear.

  • Cluster: HamServe G1FEF

  • Filter: cleared (all bands)

  • Alerts: 3B7, FT5, VK9X, T31, ZL9

  • Alert auto-dismiss: 90 seconds

Example 3: FT8 on All Bands

Use Case: Watch FT8 activity worldwide.

  • MODE button: tap FT8

  • Band: cleared

  • The propagation panel still shows all-band conditions; tap a band to narrow

Example 4: Contest Station

Use Case: Multi-op contest station, 40M focus.

  • Custom Filter (web): name 40m CW Contest, command accept/spot 0 freq 7.000-7.080

  • Apply via PRESETS in the MODE modal

  • Custom Cluster (web): your contest's preferred cluster server

  • Alerts: known multipliers your team is chasing

Saving Configuration Changes

  • Touch UI: Changes are persisted as you go. There is no "save" button — every modal saves immediately on confirm.

  • Web Portal: Click the Save button at the bottom of the form. If you changed WiFi credentials, the device will reboot to apply them. Cluster, filter, callsign, and timezone changes apply live without a reboot.

What's Next?