Troubleshooting

This section covers common issues with DXSpotter Pro and how to resolve them.

Quick Diagnostic Checklist

Before drilling in, check the basics:

  • [ ] Is the LCD lit? (If not, check USB-C power)

  • [ ] Does the status bar clock show a real time? (If not, NTP hasn't synced — usually a network issue)

  • [ ] Is the LINK indicator showing ONLINE? (Green = good)

  • [ ] Is the cluster name visible to the left of the LINK indicator?

  • [ ] Is your callsign shown in the top-left? (Not SET CALL)

  • [ ] Does the web portal load if you open http://<device-ip>/ from another device?

Setup and First-Run Issues

Wizard Doesn't Appear on First Boot

Symptoms:

  • Device boots straight to the main screen

  • Status bar shows SET CALL but no wizard

Cause: The wizard only auto-opens when both WiFi and callsign are unconfigured. If something was previously saved (or partially saved), the wizard won't take over.

Solution:

  • Tap the callsign in the status bar to set it

  • Long-press the LINK indicator to add a WiFi network

  • Or factory reset via the web portal to start fully fresh

WiFi Picker Shows No Networks

Possible causes and solutions:

  • Out of range — move the device closer to your access point

  • 5 GHz only — DXSpotter Pro only supports 2.4 GHz. Enable 2.4 GHz on your router

  • Hidden SSID — hidden networks won't appear in the scan. Add them via the web portal where you can type the SSID manually

  • Scan in progress — give the picker a few seconds to populate

WiFi Connection Issues

Device Stuck in AP MODE

Symptoms:

  • LINK indicator shows AP MODE (amber)

  • Main screen replaced by a setup screen with two QR codes

Cause: DXSpotter Pro couldn't connect to any of its configured WiFi networks after several attempts (typically 3 consecutive failures).

Solution: Use the on-screen QR codes

  1. Scan the left QR with your phone — it joins the open DXSpotter Pro Setup network

  2. Scan the right QR — your phone opens http://192.168.4.1/ in a browser

  3. Use the web form to fix the WiFi password or pick a different network

  4. Save — the device reboots and tries again

If the QR codes don't scan (unusual lighting, camera issues), the SSID and URL are also printed as text below the QR codes.

WiFi Drops Repeatedly

Possible causes:

  • Weak signal — check the RSSI in the LINK modal; values below 30% are unreliable

  • Router power-saving — some routers idle-disconnect IoT clients; disable that for the DXSpotter Pro MAC

  • Channel congestion — try a different 2.4 GHz channel on your router

  • DHCP lease expiry — assign a DHCP reservation by MAC for a stable lease

The device retries automatically every 5 seconds and falls back to AP mode after about 3 consecutive failures.

DX Cluster Connection Issues

No Spots Appearing

Symptoms:

  • LINK is ONLINE

  • Clock is updating

  • Spot list stays empty for several minutes

Possible causes and solutions:

1. Callsign not configured

  • Most common cause. The status bar shows SET CALL instead of your call

  • Tap the callsign to enter it

  • The cluster will not be contacted until a valid callsign is set

2. Filter too restrictive

  • Tap the CLEAR button below the propagation panel to remove all filters

  • If spots arrive after clearing, your filter was excluding everything — adjust it

3. Cluster server down or unreachable

  • Tap the cluster name and pick a different cluster from the picker

  • Or test from a computer: telnet dxc.hamserve.uk 7300 and see if you get a banner

4. Band genuinely quiet

  • During poor propagation, some bands are simply silent

  • Cross-check with the propagation panel — if all bands are POOR, that explains it

Cluster Error Modal Appeared

If a cluster error popup appeared with a message:

  • The cluster rejected something — usually a bad filter command

  • Tap OK to dismiss

  • Open the MODE modal (or web portal) and pick a working filter

  • If the error was a duplicate-login error, change the callsign suffix and try again

Duplicate Login / Reconnect Loop

Symptoms:

  • Cluster keeps reconnecting and immediately disconnecting

  • Cluster error popup may show a duplicate-login message

Cause: Another client (a different DX Spotter, a desktop app, or a previous session) is already logged into the cluster with your callsign. DX clusters allow only one connection per callsign.

Solution:

  • Edit the callsign on this device so it's unique — e.g. -1/-2 (SSID-style) or /P//M (portable); any distinguishing suffix works

  • Or disconnect the other client

  • The cluster will reconnect immediately with the new callsign

"Device Not Registered" Lockout Screen

Symptoms:

  • Full-screen warning: Device Not Registered

  • Big red Device ID block (the MAC address)

  • Footer: "Normal function is blocked until the device is registered."

  • Touch UI is unresponsive — the lockout overlay covers everything

What's Happening:

DXSpotter Pro checks in with the TopBytes update service when it first comes online. If the service reports that this device's MAC address isn't registered to a customer account, the lockout screen takes over and the device refuses to operate.

This typically only happens on:

  • Brand-new devices that haven't been claimed yet

  • Devices that have been transferred between owners

  • Edge cases where the server data is temporarily wrong

Solution:

  1. Note the Device ID (MAC address) shown on screen — it's the long code in the centre

  2. Email TopBytes customer support at support@topbytes.net

  3. Include the Device ID and a copy of your sales receipt

  4. We'll register the device against your account; the lockout clears on the next OTA check (within an hour) or after a reboot

The lockout does not clear by itself, by factory reset, or by downgrading firmware — registration is server-side.

Display Issues

LCD is Blank or Black

  • No power — verify USB-C cable is fully seated and the power supply works

  • Insufficient power — try a 5 V / 1 A or higher supply; thin cables drop voltage

  • Boot loop — connect via USB-C serial at 115200 baud and watch the boot output for crash messages

LCD Shows a Brief 1-Pixel Vertical Shift

Symptoms:

  • Content occasionally jumps up or down by one scan line

  • Usually transient, recovers on the next refresh

If you see it:

  • Update to the latest firmware (the device auto-checks hourly, or run ota via the serial CLI for an immediate check)

  • As an interim recovery, run reset-lcd via the serial CLI to force a full redraw

LCD Flickers or Tears

  • PSU noise — try a different USB-C power supply (a clean wall adapter, not a noisy USB hub)

  • Brown-out from undersized PSU — minimum 1 A at 5 V; aim for 2 A for headroom

  • Long thin cable — voltage drop at the device end; use a shorter, thicker cable

Touch Doesn't Register

  • Screen edges: the touch active area extends to the visible LCD edges; if you're touching the bezel, you'll miss

  • Static — try a power cycle

  • Persistent issue — power-cycle the unit; if it persists across reboots, contact support

Configuration Issues

Lost the Device's IP Address

You need the IP address to access the web portal:

  • Tap LINK on the touchscreen — the IP is shown in the modal

  • Use the serial CLI — connect at 115200 baud and run show

  • Use mDNS — open http://<deviceName>.local/ from a device that supports Bonjour/mDNS

  • Check your router's DHCP client list for the configured deviceName (default dxspotter-pro)

Forgot WiFi Password

  • Long-press LINK -> delete the old entry -> re-add with the correct password

  • Or use the web portal (after triggering AP mode) — see Getting Started

  • Or use the serial CLI: wifi clear, then wifi add <ssid> <password>, then save

Web Portal Not Loading

  • Wrong IP — re-check the IP via the LINK modal or serial show

  • Mixed networks — the device on one network and your browser on another? Get on the same network

  • Browser caching — force-reload (Ctrl-F5 / Cmd-Shift-R)

  • AP mode — if the device is in AP mode, browser must be connected to the DXSpotter Pro Setup SSID and pointed to http://192.168.4.1/

Propagation Panel Empty / "TLS connect failed"

Symptoms:

  • SFI / SN / A / K all show --

  • Solar gauges flat

  • Serial log shows [prop] TLS connect failed or similar

Cause: DXSpotter Pro couldn't fetch propagation data from the TopBytes feed (u.topbytes.net) over HTTPS. The cluster connection is unaffected.

Solutions:

  • Verify your network allows outbound HTTPS to u.topbytes.net (port 443)

  • Check DNS — some restrictive networks block outbound DNS

  • Wait — the device retries shortly after a failure and otherwise refreshes in the background. Because the data is cached on the TopBytes server, brief upstream HamQSL outages don't affect the panel.

  • No fix needed if you don't care about the propagation panel; the rest of the device works normally

Serial CLI Issues

No Serial Output

  • Wrong baud rate — must be exactly 115200

  • Wrong port — DXSpotter Pro exposes serial via the on-board USB-serial bridge on UART0 (not the S3 native USB-JTAG)

  • Cable — some USB-C cables are charge-only; use a known data cable

OTA Issues

OTA Stalls Mid-Update

Symptoms:

  • Progress bar stuck at a fixed percentage

  • "Downloading..." for several minutes

Solution:

  • Wait 5 minutes — large updates can be slow on poor links

  • If still stuck, power-cycle the device. The partition flag means a partially-written update is rejected and the device boots the old firmware

  • Retry: in serial CLI run ota, or just wait an hour for the next auto-check

OTA Reports a Lower Version Than Expected

  • The update service reports the highest released version available for your device's ID

  • Production units only install firmware that is newer than what's currently running

  • Check your device is registered under the correct account in the customer portal

Emergency Recovery

If a botched OTA leaves the device unable to boot, you can re-flash it directly from your web browser over USB.

You will need a USB-C cable that carries data (not charge-only), and a computer running Chrome, Edge, or Opera (browsers that support Web Serial). Plug the DXSpotter Pro into your computer.

Note

The device is an ESP32-S3 and is restored from its full-flash image.

Click the "Connect" button above and select the USB port associated with your DXSpotter Pro. The browser downloads the latest firmware and re-flashes the device, which then reboots into the recovered firmware.

If the device won't enter flashing mode automatically, hold BOOT, press RESET, then release BOOT — this forces it into download mode.

Getting Help

Self-Help

Before contacting support:

  • Check the serial console at 115200 baud — the boot log usually points at the issue

  • Re-read the relevant section of this manual

  • Try a factory reset (web portal) if the device is in a confused state

  • Try a different cluster server if the cluster is misbehaving

What to Send to Support

When reaching out, include:

  • Device ID (MAC address) — visible on the LINK modal or the unregistered-screen lockout

  • Firmware version — visible on the LINK modal

  • Symptoms — what's happening, what you expected

  • Serial log — copy/paste from boot through the failure

  • What you've tried so far

Contact

Common Error Messages

Message

Meaning

[net] cooldown: connect timeout

WiFi connection failed; will retry shortly

[net] entering AP / captive portal mode

Three consecutive WiFi failures; device is now hosting the setup AP

[ota] device not registered — skipping

The update service says this device isn't claimed; lockout screen will appear

[ota] no WiFi, skipping version check

OTA poll happened with no network; will retry next hour

[prop] TLS connect failed

HamQSL fetch failed; propagation gauges will be empty until next retry

[cluster] cooldown

Cluster connection failed; will retry after the cooldown timer

[cli] full panel re-init

The reset-lcd CLI command was just executed