Operation

This section covers the day-to-day operation of your DX Spotter device.

Understanding the Display

Display Layout

The DX Spotter uses a 256x64 pixel yellow OLED display with the following layout:

[WiFi Icon]    Display Title        HH:MM:SS
---------------------------------------------
SPOTTED_CALL              Frequency MHz
Comment text here

Let's break down each element:

Status Line (Top Row)

WiFi Signal Indicator (Top Left)

The WiFi icon shows your connection strength:

  • 4 Bars (strongest): Excellent signal (75-100%)

  • 3 Bars: Good signal (50-74%)

  • No Connection Icon: WiFi disconnected (0%)

The signal strength is calculated from your RSSI (Received Signal Strength Indicator).

Display Title (Top Center)

  • Shows your configured title or auto-generated band name

  • Examples: "20M", "All Bands", "Field Day", "K3ABC"

  • Centered on the display

Time (Top Right)

  • Current time in HH:MM:SS format (24-hour)

  • Automatically synchronized via NTP (Network Time Protocol)

  • Updates every second

Separator Line

A horizontal line separates the status area from the spot content.

Spot Content Area

Each spot displays three pieces of information:

Line 1: Callsign and Frequency

  • Left side: The spotted callsign (large, bold font)

  • Right side: Frequency in MHz

Example:

W1ABC              14.074 MHz

Line 2: Comment

  • Shows the spotter's comment about the station

  • Common examples: "CQ DX", "CQ CONTEST", "FT8", "599 in OH"

Example:

CQ DX FT8

Normal Operation

Power On Sequence

When you power on the DX Spotter:

  1. Boot Screen (2 seconds)

    TopBytes Ltd
DX Spotter Starting...
WiFi (YourSSID)

  2. Network Connection (5-30 seconds)

    The device connects to your configured WiFi network.

  3. Cluster Connection (2-5 seconds)

    The device connects to the DX cluster and sends your login and filter commands.

  4. Normal Operation

    Spots begin appearing on the display.

Spot Display Behavior

When First Connected:

  • The display shows "Waiting for spots..." until the first spot arrives

  • This is normal and may take a few seconds to a few minutes depending on band activity

As Spots Arrive:

  • New spots are added to the history

  • The display scrolls through spots in the history

  • Each spot is displayed for the configured scroll interval (default 10 seconds)

Scrolling Animation:

  • Spots smoothly scroll upward during the last 500ms of the display interval

  • The animation creates a fluid transition between spots

  • The next spot slides up from the bottom as the current spot slides up and off the top

Spot History:

  • The device maintains a history of recent spots (default 5, max 15)

  • New spots are inserted after the currently displayed spot

  • Oldest spots are removed when the history reaches the maximum size

Understanding Spot Information

DX Spot Format

DX clusters transmit spots in a standard format. The DX Spotter parses these lines and extracts:

Raw Cluster Format:

DX de N4XYZ: 14.074  K3ABC  CQ DX FT8  15:30Z

Parsed Display Format:

K3ABC              14.074 MHz
CQ DX FT8

Information Extracted:

  • Spotter Callsign: N4XYZ (logged but not displayed)

  • Spotted Callsign: K3ABC (displayed large on Line 1)

  • Frequency: 14.074 MHz (displayed on Line 1 right)

  • Comment: CQ DX FT8 (displayed on Line 2)

  • Time: 15:30Z (received but not currently displayed)

Common Comment Meanings

Here are some common comments you'll see:

General Activity:

  • CQ - Station is calling CQ (seeking any contact)

  • CQ DX - Station is calling for DX contacts

  • CQ CONTEST - Station is in a contest

Digital Modes:

  • FT8 - Operating FT8 mode

  • FT4 - Operating FT4 mode

  • RTTY - Radio teletype mode

  • PSK31 - Phase shift keying mode

CW (Morse Code):

  • CW - Morse code operation

  • QRS - Sending slowly (for new operators)

Special Operations:

  • DXpedition - Special DX expedition operation

  • IOTA - Islands On The Air program

  • POTA - Parks On The Air activation

Signal Reports:

  • 599 - Perfect signal report (very strong)

  • 579 - Strong signal

  • Numbers indicate signal strength (5), readability (9), tone (9)

WiFi Connection Status

Connection Indicators

Connected:

  • WiFi icon shows bars in top left

  • Time updates every second

  • Spots are received and displayed

Disconnected:

  • WiFi icon shows disconnected symbol

  • Time may stop updating

  • Spots stop arriving

  • Device will attempt automatic reconnection

Automatic Reconnection

If the WiFi connection is lost:

  1. The device detects the disconnection

  2. "WiFi disconnected. Attempting to reconnect..." message in serial log

  3. Device waits 5 seconds

  4. Attempts to reconnect using saved credentials

  5. If successful, reconnects to DX cluster

  6. Spot display resumes

Note

The spot history is maintained during reconnection, so you won't lose your recently displayed spots.

DX Cluster Connection Status

Connection States

Connecting:

  • Device attempts to establish telnet connection

  • Serial log shows: "Attempting to connect to DX Cluster: [host]:[port]"

Connected:

  • Spots are received and displayed

  • Serial log shows parsed spot information

Disconnected:

  • If cluster connection fails or drops

  • Serial log shows: "Telnet connection failed. Retrying in 30 seconds."

  • Device automatically retries connection every 30 seconds

Callsign Validation

Danger

Callsign Requirement

The device will not connect to the DX cluster if:

  • Your callsign is blank/empty

  • Your callsign is set to "NOCALL"

If you see no spots and the serial log shows "Cannot connect to cluster: Callsign not configured", you need to enter your callsign in the configuration.

Cluster Messages

Occasionally, you may see non-spot messages from the cluster in the serial log:

  • Welcome messages

  • Login confirmation

  • Filter acknowledgment

  • System announcements

These are logged but not displayed on the screen. Only valid DX spots are shown on the display.

Serial Monitor Operation

Connecting via Serial

If you want to see detailed operational information:

  1. Connect the DX Spotter to your computer via USB

  2. Open a serial terminal (Arduino IDE, PuTTY, screen, etc.)

  3. Set baud rate to: 115200

  4. You'll see real-time operational messages

Serial Output Examples

Startup:

DX Spotter Starting...
Attempting to connect to stored Wi-Fi: HomeNetwork
......................
Successfully connected!
IP Address: 192.168.1.100
Time configured with GMT/BST (Daylight Saving) adjustment.
London Time: Wednesday, June 25 2025 14:32:18 (BST)
Web server started on port 80

Cluster Connection:

Attempting to connect to DX Cluster: dxc.g3lrs.org.uk:7300
Telnet connected. Sending configuration commands...
Set Filter set/dx filter on 20
CLUSTER MSG: Welcome to G3LRS DX Cluster

Spot Reception:

W1ABC 14.074 -> CQ DX FT8
K3DEF 14.244 -> CQ CONTEST
G4XYZ 14.195 -> 599 IN OH

Errors/Issues:

Cannot connect to cluster: Callsign not configured (blank or NOCALL).
Telnet connection failed. Retrying in 30 seconds.
WiFi disconnected. Attempting to reconnect...

Daily Usage Tips

Optimal Viewing Distance

  • The display is easily readable from 1-3 meters (3-10 feet)

  • High contrast ensures visibility in various lighting conditions

  • No backlight adjustment needed - OLED pixels emit their own light

Power Considerations

Continuous Operation:

  • The DX Spotter can run 24/7 if desired

  • Power consumption is low (typically <1W)

  • No harm from continuous operation

Portable Use:

  • Compatible with USB power banks

  • A 10,000 mAh power bank can power the device for 40+ hours

  • Perfect for field day, portable operations, or camping

Power Cycling:

  • Safe to power on/off as needed

  • Settings are stored in non-volatile memory

  • No initialization needed after power cycling

Band Activity Monitoring

Best Practices:

  • Set band filters to match your operating interests

  • Use longer scroll intervals if monitoring from across the room

  • Increase max spots to see more history during busy periods

  • Use shorter scroll intervals during contests for rapid updates

Understanding Activity Levels:

  • High Activity: New spots every few seconds (contests, good conditions)

  • Moderate Activity: New spots every 1-2 minutes

  • Low Activity: Sporadic spots, may wait several minutes

  • No Activity: Either band is closed or filter is too restrictive

Placement Recommendations

Ideal Locations:

  • On your operating desk within easy view

  • Shelf near your radio equipment

  • Wall-mounted near your station (if mounting holes provided)

Avoid:

  • Direct sunlight (can wash out display)

  • Extreme temperatures (below 0C or above 40C)

  • High humidity environments

  • Areas with poor WiFi signal

Display Orientation:

  • The DX Spotter supports display rotation for upside-down mounting

  • Configure rotation in the web interface: Normal (0 degrees) or Flipped (180 degrees)

  • Useful when mounting with cables exiting from the top

  • No need to physically flip the device - software rotation handles the display

Typical Operating Scenarios

Scenario 1: Morning Band Check

Power on your DX Spotter while having your morning coffee:

  1. Device boots and connects automatically

  2. Watch for spots indicating which bands are "open"

  3. If you see activity on 20M, head to your radio

  4. Use the spotted frequency as a starting point

Scenario 2: Contest Monitoring

During a contest weekend:

  1. Configure for "all bands" or your contest band of choice

  2. Set scroll interval to 5-7 seconds for rapid updates

  3. Increase max spots to 15 to see more activity

  4. Watch for multipliers or rare stations

  5. Note frequencies where activity is concentrated

Scenario 3: Background Monitoring

Keep it running while doing other activities:

  1. Set longer scroll interval (15-20 seconds)

  2. Glance at display periodically

  3. If an interesting callsign or rare DX appears, head to your radio

  4. Device maintains history so you can review recent spots

Scenario 4: Learning Tool

For new hams learning about band activity:

  1. Set to "all bands" mode

  2. Observe which bands are active at different times of day

  3. Learn about propagation patterns

  4. Note peak activity times for different bands

  5. Understand how solar conditions affect band openings

What's Next?