QSL Configuration

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Configuring DXKeeper is primarily accomplished via the Configuration window and the QSL Configuration window. 

DXKeeper's QSL Configuration window presents 12 tabs: 

• the General tab enables you to preset each new QSO's 'QSL Requested" checkbox, indicate whether multiple QSOs should be confirmed on each QSL card or label, and customize the operation of the Add Needed and Add Requested functions

• the Cards tab enables you to specify the dimensions of QSL cards and Reply cards, and the information to be printed on each card

• the QSL Labels tab enables you to specify the dimensions of QSL labels

• the Envelopes tab enables you to specify the layout of your envelopes, your return address, and whether or not an Airmail designator is to be printed

• the Address Labels tab enables you to specify the dimensions of address labels

• the QSL Msgs tab enables you to specify up to 8 standard QSL messages

• the eQSL tab enables you to specify your eQSL.cc username and password, and control synchronization between DXKeeper and eQSL.cc

• the LoTW tab enables you to specify your LoTW username and password, specify uploading parameters, and control synchronization between DXKeeper and LoTW

• the ClubLog tab enables you to specify your Club Log email address, username, and password, enable automatic uploading, and govern the way DXKeeper processes Inbound OQRS requests

• the QRZ tab enables you to specify the Station Callsign and API Key for each of your QRZ Logbooks, select the QRZ Logbook to receive uploaded QSOs and report confirmations, and enable automatic uploading

• the ADIF & TDF tab enables you to control the precision of frequencies exported to ADIF and Tab-delimited files from the QSL Queue and suppress QSL Via items whose content is not a single callsign

• the Printer tab enables you to select the printer(s) on which QSL cards, QSL labels, envelopes, and address labels will be printed

General Tab

The Options panel provides the ability to set default values for the Capture window's QSL requested and use bureau checkboxes, and to enable the confirmation of multiple QSLs on each QSL card or label:

The Add Needed panel controls the operation of the Add Needed function:

The Add Requested panel controls the operation of the Add Requested function:

The Address report panel provides a Report one address per callsign option that when enabled limits the generated Address File to report a callsign's address once, no matter how many entries are present for that callsign in the QSL Queue; if this option is disabled, an address is reported for each entry in the QSL Queue.

The QSL Date Format panel selects the date format used on QSL cards, Reply cards, QSL labels, and in tab-delimited files exported from the QSL Queue or exported from the Log Page Display.

Cards Tab

The Page Layout panel lets you specify whether DXKeeper prints 

• one QSL card or Reply card per page, aligned on the printer's right-side paper guide

• one QSL card or Reply card per page, centered in the printer's paper guide

• one QSL card or Reply card per page, aligned on the printer's left-side paper guide

• four QSL cards or Reply cards per page, as shown in this layout:

If you choose 4 cards per page, guides that make it easier to separate the cards will be printed if you check the Page Layout panel's print separation guides box.

This tab's Frequency panel allows you to specify whether generated QSL cards and Reply cards show a QSO's frequency or its band.

This tab's Card Dimensions panel allows you to specify the geometry of each card, and the separation between the two rows of cards printed four cards per page:

Additional panels on this tab provide control of information printed on QSL cards generated by DXKeeper. You can individually specify the font name, metrics (size, bold, italic), and color of the station callsign, confirmation statement, QSO information, and the text positioned in each corner of the card. Double-clicking a font name, size, or color control displays a dialog box that facilitates selection of the desired parameters.

You can also specify the pathname of a file containing a background image in BMP format to be printed on QSL cards.You can use Microsoft Paint to open a file in JPG format and save it in BMP format.  If the Background Image panel's Enable box is checked, then DXKeeper will compute an image size in pixels from the printable area dimensions reported by the selected printer's driver, the specified card Width and Height, and your monitor resolution; the computed image size is displayed at the top of the Print Preview window. If the selected printer's driver reports left and top margins of 0, then background image will cover the entire QSL card; otherwise, there will be side margins equal to the printer's left margin, and top/bottom margins matching the printer's top margin. The selected background image will be adjusted to fit; an image whose pixel size exactly matches the computed image size shown at the top of the Print Preview window will not be adjusted -- otherwise, re-sampling and/or changes to the image's aspect ratio may be required. 

If you are printing QSL cards on blank cardstock either without a background image or with a background image that does not include the station callsign, check the Station Callsign panel's Display box so that DXKeeper will print each QSO's station callsign. If the Below Upper Text box is unchecked, the station callsign with be printed  at the top-center of each card; if this box is checked, the station callsign will be printed in the center of each QSL card below the fourth line of Upper Text  -- allowing more or larger text in the Upper Left and Upper Right text boxes, but reducing the number of QSOs that can be confirmed on a single QSL card. Note that the callsign printed is taken from the QSO's station call item, not the from the default station callsign; this allows you to operate with multiple callsigns within the same log -- e.g. AA6YQ and AA6YQ/1 -- and print the correct callsign on each card. 

If you are printing QSL cards or Reply cards on cardstock preprinted with your callsign or using a background image that includes the station callsign, then uncheck the Station Callsign panel's Display box.

If you want the contents of the QSO's Via item to be appended to the Confirmation information if those contents are a valid callsign, check the Confirmation panel's Include QSL Manager box. If you want [x buro] (where x is the DXCC prefix for the destination QSL bureau) appended to the Confirmation information if the QSL is to be sent via the QSL bureau, check the Confirmation panel's Include [buro] box.

Below the Confirmation information, DXKeeper will print a table consisting of a row of Heading text followed by one row of Information text for each QSO being confirmed. The QSO Information panel lets you specify the color of the font used to display text in the Heading row, and separately specify the color of the font used to display text in the QSO Information rows. If you'd like the table's rows and columns to be separated by lines, check the QSO Information panel's print grid lines box, and specify the color to be used to render these lines.

Information from the following QSL Information textboxes is printed on every QSL card using the specified font parameters and color:

Typically, these QSL Information  text boxes are used to print information about your QTH -- your city, county, state, grid-square, etc. If you are printing QSL cards on cardstock preprinted with your QTH information, then simply leave the QSL Information  text boxes blank. If you always operate from the same place, then you can directly enter your QTH information. But if you operate from multiple locations and want your QSL cards to accurately indicate the QTH from which you made the QSO, then you must

1.  specify each QTH, assigning each a unique identifier

2. make sure that each QSO's myQTH field contains the identifier for the QTH from which that QSO was made

3. use appropriate QSL substitution commands in the QSL information fields

By using QSL substitution commands in the QSL Information textboxes, you can establish one QSL card style that will correctly print QSL cards for QSOs made from a variety of locations. Each substitution command found in a QSL Information textbox is replaced by the appropriate information for the QTH from which the current QSO was made.

Information is printed in the four corners of a Reply card using 8-point Arial font:

• upper-left corner: Reply Card

• upper-right corner: recipient's DXCC entity

• lower-left corner: Date Printed

• lower-right corner: signature line

The font colors used to display the above information are specified by the Upper Left Text Font color, Upper Right Text Font color, Lower Left Text Font color, and Lower Right Text Font color settings, respectively.

Font metrics for a Reply card's Station Callsign and Confirmation line are specified by the Station Callsign and Confirmation panel settings, respectively. The Station Callsign panel's Below Upper Text setting is ignored when generating Reply Cards, as are the Confirmation panel's Include QSL Manager and Include [buro] settings.

QSL Labels Tab

Each QSL label is composed of a Confirmation line and a table consisting of a Heading row and one row of QSO Information for each confirmed QSO.  You can individually control the font name, font metrics (size, bold, italic), and font color of each of these elements with the Confirmation Font, Heading Font, and QSO Information Font boxes at the bottom of the tab. Double-clicking a font name, font size, or font color control displays a dialog box that facilitates selection of the desired parameters.  If you'd like the table's rows and columns to be separated by lines, check the print grid lines box.

This tab's Frequency panel allows you to specify whether generated QSL labels show a QSO's frequency or its band.

The following settings are used in the Single Address Labels, 2-column Address Labels, and 3-column Address Labels panels to specify the geometry of the QSL labels you're using.. Sample settings are available here.

Envelopes Tab

You can print envelopes for conveying QSL cards to your QSO partner ("DX Envelopes") bearing addresses extracted from logged QSOs, and envelopes bearing your address ("Self-addressed Envelopes").

The following settings are used to specify the geometry of DX envelopes to be addressed, the location of the address on the envelope, and the return address to be printed. 

If you always operate from the same place, then you can directly enter your return address; even if you operate from multiple locations, you may want all QSLs returned to the same address. But if you operate from multiple locations and want QSL cards returned to the location from which you operated, you must

1.  specify each QTH, assigning each a unique identifier
2. make sure that each QSO's myQTH field contains the identifier for the QTH from which that QSO was made
3. use appropriate substitution commands in the return address

By using the following substitution commands in the return address field, you can establish one return address specification that will correctly print envelopes whose return addresses are specified by the operating location. Each substitution command found in a return address field is replaced by the appropriate information for the QTH from which the current QSO was made, as shown in the following table:

Self-addressed envelopes bear the return address specified in the DX Envelope panel. The DX Envelope panel's top margin and left margin settings and the following additional settings specify the geometry of Self-Addressed Envelopes:

The Printer Orientation panel determines whether DX Envelopes and Self-address Envelopes are printed in "portrait" or "landscape" orientation.

Address Labels Tab

The following settings are used in the Single Address Labels, 2-column Address Labels, and 3-column Address Labels panels to specify the geometry of the address labels you're using.

The Units panel determines whether dimensions in the Single Address Labels, 2-column Address Labels, and 3-column Address Labels panels are specified in inches or millimeters.

The Append callsign to first line of address option, when enabled, appends the callsign to the first line of the address

The Print DX address in upper case option forces the DX address to be printed in upper case.

The Return Address panel specifies up to 5 lines of address to be printed on self-addressed Single Address Labels, 2-column Address Labels, and 3-column Address Labels. If you always operate from the same place, then you can directly enter your return address; even if you operate from multiple locations, you may want all QSLs returned to the same address. But if you operate from multiple locations and want QSL cards returned to the location from which you operated, you must

1.  specify each QTH, assigning each a unique identifier
2. make sure that each QSO's myQTH field contains the identifier for the QTH from which that QSO was made
3. use appropriate substitution commands in the return address

By using the following substitution commands in the return address field, you can establish one return address specification that will correctly print envelopes whose return addresses are specified by the operating location. Each substitution command found in a return address field is replaced by the appropriate information for the QTH from which the current QSO was made, as shown in the following table:

QSL Msgs Tab

This tab provides 8 candidate QSL messages, any one of which can be selected as the default QSL message via the Defaults tab's QSL msg selector. You can also chose from among these messages using the Capture window's QSL msg selector. Double-clicking one of these messages invokes an editor window that's helpful when modifying a long QSL message. A QSL message's label will be highlighted in red if the maximum length is exceeded.

You can use substitution commands in QSL messages to include information determined by your current location.

eQSL Tab

• when you modify these settings, they are stored in the currently-open log file

• when you open a log file, these settings are restored from that log file

Note: The Username and Password specified in this tab will appear in generated errorlog.txt files when Log debugging information is enabled; do not employ a username or password that you also use to secure valuable online accounts!

Update eQSL AG Membership button

• enabled if the eQSL AG database is present in DXView's Databases folder or in DXKeeper's Databases folder

• click to set the eQSL Member item to 'A' in all QSOs in the Log Page Display whose callsign is an Authenticity Guaranteed member of eQSL.cc

LoTW Tab

• when you modify these settings, they are stored in the currently-open log file

• when you open a new log file, these settings are restored from that new log file

Note: The Username and Password specified in this tab will appear in generated errorlog.txt files when Log debugging information is enabled; do not employ a username or password that you also use to secure valuable online accounts!

The Handling of LoTW QSL detail inconsistencies setting controls the resolution of inconsistencies between a downloaded LoTW QSL and its matching logged QSO in the country code, CQ, ITU, Gridsquare, Iota, State, and/or County fields:

1. always replace the logged data with the LoTW QSL data

2. always preserve the logged data, ignoring the LoTW QSL data

3. always preserve the logged data, ignoring the LoTW QSL data, and describe each inconsistency in the report displayed when the Sync LoTW QSLs or Update from LoTW operation completes

4. display a dialog presenting the logged data and the LoTW QSL data so that the operator can choose

• if the Ignore subsquare mismatches option is enabled, then the logged Grid will be replaced with the LoTW Grid if the first four characters of the logged and LoTW Grids are identical, no matter which of the above options is selected

TQSL settings:

Update LoTW Membership button

• enabled if the LoTW database is present in DXView's Databases folder or in DXKeeper's Databases folder

• if no Maximum age of most recent LoTW upload is specified, clicking this button sets LoTW Member item to 'Y' in all QSOs in the Log Page Display that has been confirmed via LoTW, or whose callsign is found in the LoTW database.

• if a Maximum age of most recent LoTW upload is specified, clicking this button 

  • sets the LoTW Member item to 'Y' in all QSOs in the Log Page Display that have been confirmed via LoTW, or whose callsign is found in the LoTW database with a "date of last upload" within the interval specified by Maximum age of most recent LoTW upload, or whose callsign is found in the LoTW database with a "date of last upload" after the QSO date

  • clears the LoTW Member item in all QSOs in the Log Page Display that have not been confirmed via LoTW and whose callsign is not found in the LoTW database with a "date of last upload" within the interval specified by Maximum age of most recent LoTW upload and whose callsign is not found in the LoTW database with a "date of last upload" after the QSO date

   

Club Log Tab

The Club Log panel on this tab provides settings that enable DXKeeper to upload QSOs to Club Log, delete QSOs from Club Log, download confirmations from Club Log, and download new OQRS requests from Club Log.

Note: The Password specified in this tab will appear in generated errorlog.txt files when Log debugging information is enabled; do not employ a username or password that you also use to secure valuable online accounts!

QRZ Tab

ADIF & TDF Tab

Printer Tab

Settings on this tab specify

• the printer to be used for printing QSL cards and Reply cards

• the printer to be used for printing QSL labels and address labels

• the printer to be used for printing Envelopes

For each of these three printing categories, you can specify the paper size, paper source, and print quality.

If you have a single printer, configure all three printing categories to utilize that printer.

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