Operation

This section covers day-to-day operation of DXSpotter Pro — every region of the screen, what each tap does, and how to interpret what you see.

Callsign (Top Left)

Shows your configured callsign in the accent colour.

  • If no callsign is set, shows SET CALL in dim text

  • Tap to edit — opens an on-screen alphanumeric keyboard

  • The new callsign is automatically converted to upper-case and saved

  • The cluster reconnects with the new identity

Clock (Top Centre)

Shows the current local time as HH:MM:SS XXX where XXX is the timezone abbreviation (e.g. BST, EDT, UTC).

  • Synchronised via NTP

  • Refreshes every second

  • Adjusts automatically for daylight saving rules of your configured timezone

  • Long-press to open the timezone picker — scrollable list of around 20 worldwide timezones; tap a row to apply and persist immediately (no reboot needed)

Cluster Name (Top Right)

Shows the friendly name of the currently-selected DX cluster server (e.g. HamServe G1FEF).

  • Tap to open the cluster picker modal — switch to a different cluster

  • Long names are truncated with an ellipsis to fit the available space

Row Layout

Each row has:

  • Frequency (left, monospaced): e.g. 14.074, 1296.000

  • DX callsign (large, accent): the spotted station

  • Spotter callsign (smaller, dim): who reported the spot

  • Time (small): when the spot was reported, in your local timezone

  • Comment (right side): the start of the comment text, truncated with ... if it's too long

Tapping a Spot

Tap any row to open the spot detail modal. The modal shows:

  • The full frequency (no truncation)

  • The DX callsign at large size

  • The spotter callsign

  • The full local time (date + HH:MM:SS)

  • The complete comment text — no truncation

Tap the X button or the modal background to dismiss.

Spot Highlighting

  • Amber background: This spot's DX callsign matched one of your alert entries (see Configuration). The first time an alert match arrives, the alert popup modal is also shown.

  • Default background: Normal spot.

  • Alternating rows have a slightly different background colour for readability.

Spot Sorting and Eviction

  • Spots are kept in an in-memory ring buffer (size: maxSpots, default in the dozens, configurable via web)

  • Displayed in descending time order (most recent at the top)

  • When the ring is full, the oldest spot is dropped as new ones arrive

Propagation Panel

The right panel shows live solar/propagation data and band conditions, plus the filter footer.

Solar Stats Block (Top of Panel)

Four stats from the cached HamQSL feed, refreshed in the background:

  • SFI — Solar Flux Index (typical range 60–300+)

  • SN — Sunspot Number (current count)

  • A — A-index (geomagnetic activity, lower is better)

  • K — K-index (geomagnetic activity, lower is better)

Each cell has a numeric value and a thin coloured gauge bar that fills proportionally — green when conditions favour propagation, red/amber when they don't.

A small "updated HH:MM" line shows when the data was last fetched.

Note

Propagation fetching requires internet access (HTTPS to u.topbytes.net, which serves the cached HamQSL feed). If your network blocks outbound HTTPS, the gauges will be empty and a one-line error appears in the panel. The cluster and spot streaming still work.

Note

Data credit: the solar / propagation data is provided by HamQSL.com — the solar-terrestrial data widget created and maintained by Paul L Herrman, N0NBH (https://www.hamqsl.com/). DXSpotter Pro displays a cached copy of this feed; all credit for the underlying data belongs to HamQSL.

MODE and ALERTS Buttons

Two small buttons sit at the top of the propagation panel:

  • ALERTS — opens the alert management modal (add, remove, view alert callsigns)

  • MODE (also labelled "FILTERS") — opens the filters modal with mode toggles and any custom presets

Per-Band Conditions

Below the solar stats is a list of bands from 160M to 6M, each row showing:

  • Band name (left)

  • Day condition: GOOD / FAIR / POOR

  • Night condition: GOOD / FAIR / POOR

Conditions are colour-coded (green = GOOD, amber = FAIR, red = POOR).

Tap any band row to apply that band as a filter. The active band is visually highlighted, and the cluster session reconfigures to send only spots from that band.

WiFi Management Modal

Long-press the LINK indicator. Lists configured WiFi networks; lets you add new ones (with WiFi-picker scan + on-screen keyboard for the password) or remove existing ones.

Cluster Picker Modal

Tap the cluster name. Lists all built-in and custom cluster servers. Active cluster is highlighted. Tap any row to switch.

Filters Modal (MODE)

Tap MODE in the propagation panel. Top section: mode toggle buttons (ANY / CW / SSB / FT8 / FT4 / RTTY / PSK). Bottom section: PRESETS list of any custom filters configured via the web portal. Active selections are highlighted.

Spot Detail Modal

Tap any spot row. Full-screen-width modal with the complete spot information (frequency, DX callsign, spotter, time, and the full comment). When QRZ.com lookup is configured, the operator's name, QTH, grid, and country are added as they're fetched from QRZ (see QRZ.com Callsign Lookup in Configuration).

Callsign Edit Modal

Tap your callsign in the status bar. On-screen keyboard with current callsign pre-loaded.

Alerts Modal

Tap ALERTS in the propagation panel. List of saved alert callsigns/prefixes with delete buttons, plus an ADD button.

Alert Popup Modal

Auto-shown when a matching DX spot arrives. Shows the full spot details (plus the QRZ.com name/QTH/grid when configured) with an amber border and a bell icon. Auto-dismisses after the configured timeout (default 60 seconds), or tap to dismiss sooner.

Cluster Error Modal

Auto-shown when the DX cluster reports an error (typically a bad filter command). One OK button to dismiss; the message text is the cluster's own error response.

Normal Operation Sequence

Power-On

  1. Splash (~1 s): DXSpotter Pro logo and version

  2. Config load: NVS settings loaded

  3. WiFi scan and connect (5–30 s): tries configured networks in priority order

  4. NTP sync (1–3 s): clock populated with local time

  5. Cluster login (1–5 s): connects to selected cluster, sends callsign, applies filter

  6. Propagation fetch (background, ~5 s after WiFi up, then periodically)

  7. Spot streaming: spot list begins populating

If WiFi fails repeatedly the device drops to AP-mode setup screen — see Troubleshooting.

Steady State

  • Status bar clock ticks every second

  • Spots arrive via the cluster and are inserted at the top of the spot list

  • Solar/propagation data refreshes periodically in the background

  • The OTA system checks the TopBytes update service hourly for newer firmware

Auto-Recovery

  • WiFi disconnect: the network state machine retries automatically; the LINK indicator turns red

  • Cluster disconnect: the cluster client cycles through cooldown then reconnects

  • Repeated WiFi failures: device falls back to AP mode and shows the QR setup screen

Tips for Daily Use

Optimal Viewing Distance

  • The 7-inch LCD is comfortably readable from 1–4 metres

  • The propagation gauges are sized for at-a-glance reading from across the shack

Power

  • DXSpotter Pro can run 24/7 on USB-C

  • Quality 5 V power supply rated 1 A or more recommended

  • Compatible with USB-C power banks for portable / Field Day use

Placement

  • Keep on a desk or wall mount within the operating position

  • Avoid direct sunlight (LCDs wash out)

  • Keep within good 2.4 GHz WiFi range

  • The screen is glossy — angle to avoid reflections

Filtering Strategy

  • For one-band operating: tap the band in the propagation panel

  • For mode-specific monitoring: tap MODE and pick CW / SSB / FT8 / etc

  • For complex filters: define a custom filter in the web portal and apply it via the PRESETS section in the MODE modal

  • CLEAR removes both slots

Alerts Strategy

  • Add the prefixes you're chasing (e.g. 3B7 not 3B7M — the prefix match is broader)

  • Keep the auto-dismiss at 60 s for hands-off operating, or 0 (manual dismiss) when you're at the radio and want to acknowledge each one

  • Avoid very short alerts like K — they'd match almost everything

Typical Operating Scenarios

Scenario 1: Casual Band Watch

  • No filter, propagation panel visible, spots arriving from all bands

  • Glance at the screen periodically

  • Tap any interesting spot to see the full comment

Scenario 2: Contesting on 20M

  • Tap 20M in the propagation panel

  • Optionally tap MODE -> CW or SSB

  • Add multipliers as alerts so popups guide you

Scenario 3: DXpedition Hunting

  • No band filter — work whatever band the DX is on

  • Add the DXpedition's prefix as an alert

  • When the popup appears, jump to the radio

Scenario 4: Field Day / Portable

  • Power from a USB-C battery bank

  • Use any 2.4 GHz WiFi (cellular hotspot works fine)

  • The on-screen wizard means anyone can re-setup on site if needed

What's Next?