DX’ing: Helpful Computer and Web Tools

Howard Groveman W6HDG

Updated 10/05/21

Send your favorite DX Tools for possible inclusion: [email protected]

VOACAP
http://www.voacap.com
Based on the extensive research work done for the Voice of America Coverage Analysis Program, these tools are now in the public domain.  Jari Perkiömäki, OH6BG/OG6G has made the tools easy to use for any ham.

http://www.voacap.com/dx.html
Put in your Grid Locator and it analyzes the best bands and times to work some of the big upcoming DXpeditions

http://www.voacap.com/prediction.html
Move the blue receiver pointer and red transmitter pointer to two locations in the world, put in the date and discover the best propagation times and frequencies between two points

http://www.voacap.com/planner.html
Put in a date and transmitter QTH and get custom propagation charts for each band.

CLUBLOG
http://www.clublog.org
Click on Help and then click on “Introduction to ClubLog”.  This program lets you compare your DX performance to others and also lets you slice and dice your log in every imaginable way to see what you have worked and what countries you need. Join and Enjoy!

DXMAPS
http://www.dxmaps.com
Gives you a real-time visual presentation of band conditions on any HF or VHF band.  The map refreshes automatically.  Click on the map to see a line by line listing of Spotted Stations.

http://www.dxmaps.com/spots/warnings.php
Sign up for a personal email if any VHF or UHF band has opened from your area. Great for 6 meters.

DXWATCH
http://www.dxwatch.com
If you don’t have the DX Cluster running in your electronic logbook, go here to see the very latest DX Cluster Spots.  You can set filters for your particular interests.  Hover your mouse over any of the callsigns in the Spot list to see the details about the station.  Great for learning country prefixes. Click on the callsign to see the QRZ.com info.  You can also sign up at DXWatch to receive an email if a particular country or callsign gets spotted – great for the first spots from a new DXpedition getting on the air.  Let your email do the work.

REVERSE BEACON NETWORK
http://www.reversebeacon.net
See all the skimmers which are currently online and listening

http://www.reversebeacon.net/srch.php
put in your callsign and see if you have been spotted in the last 15 minutes.  Then send out a CQ on CW anywhere in the CW portion of any band.   Refresh the page and see who in the world has automatically heard you.  Your CQ can simply be “CQ CQ W6XYZ” two or three times.  Also works well with RTTY.  Change antennas and try again to see how your SNR changes. Who needs a field strength meter when you have this Worldwide Field Strength Meter?

HAMSPOTS
http://www.hamspots.net
This is similar to Reverse Beacon Network but tracks PSK and FT8 signals which have automatically been spotted/uploaded through your digital software.  Also works with some other digital signals – read the help file.  Sign up with a callsign and password to begin searching. Helps to determine if the digital mode DX spot you see on a DX Cluster is a pirate. Simply put in the callsign and you will get a callsign history of who they recently spotted and who spotted them.

DX NEWSLETTERS
http://www.arrl.org/w1aw-bulletins-archive-dx
The ARRL DX Bulletin

http://www.dailydx.com
Daily DX and Weekly DX Newsletter

http://www.dx-world.net/
Click on the DX Bulletin banner for a very thorough listing which also includes a colorful monthy chart

MORSE TUTORS
http://www.rufzxp.net
One of the best free Morse tutors that is like a video game.  Post your high scores to the web!

IZ2UUF is an Android phone app that can send Morse at any speed and is great for learning to copy your own call at a high rate of speed.

CONTEST CALENDAR
http://www.hornucopia.com/contestcal/
The definitive contest calendar.  Look for contests with the words “DX”, “Worldwide” or "International" in the title.

LoTW LOOK
This is an Android phone app that pushes your latest LoTW confirms out to your phone at any interval you select

SDR’s AND PANADAPTERS
http://sdrplay.com/
$109+ SDR Receiver series that is very powerful and works with at least 3 public domain software packages.

http://www.telepostinc.com/LP-PAN.html 
LP-PAN Panadapter
Works with many transceivers which have an IF output. No longer in production but if you own a K3, FTdx5000, FTdx3000 or FTdx101D-MP, this gives you a clickable panadapter with DX Spots superimposed. Occassionally available used. Get the LP-PAN2 version which has a replaceable crystal to change rig compatibility.

http://www.flexradio.com   
Flex Radio - variable reviews. I owned one and TX Audio was not punchy for DX.

http://www.eesdr.com/en
Expert Electronics - excellent reviews

http://ecom.eladit.com/FDM-DUO/en
FDM-DUO Elad Transceiver - excellent reviews. Amplifier offered has issues reported.

http://yaesu.com

https://www.icomamerica.com

Some of the newest Yaesu and Icom transceivers use SDR technology and are quite popular.