Configuring SpotCollector's Audio Alarm and Announcement Settings

SpotCollector Online Help Contents

 

 

Controls on the Audio Alarm tab govern SpotCollector's Audio Alarm and Audio Announcement settings:

Enable

when checked, SpotCollector will generate an audio alert when the conditions satisfied in the Audio Alarm trigger panel are satisfied, or when a geomagnetic storm is reported; this setting can also be modified via the Audio checkbox in the Main window's Filter panel
Automatically re-enable Audio Alarm after 15 minutes When checked, Audio Alarms will be automatically re-enabled 15 minutes after being disabled via the Main window's Audio checkbox
Announce geomagnetic storms when checked, a thunderclap will be played when the A-index exceeds 30 at startup, or when the A-index is reported to increase to a value greater than 30
Suppress Marathon announcements When checked, newly created Spot Database entries needed for Marathon will not be announced

 

Controls in the Alarm Announcements panel control the content of the an announcement generated by an Audio Alarm:

Include award counters, band, and mode
Include frequency when checked the Spot Database entry's frequency will be included in the announcement if Include award counters, band and mode is also checked
Include needed callsigns when checked, the Spot Database entry's callsign will be included in the announcement if Include award counters, band and mode is also checked
Announce callsign phonetically  when this sub-panel's Enable box is checked, the Spot Database entry's callsign will be announced phonetically by playing letter and number files in SpotCollector's Sounds/Phonetics sub-folder at the specified speed

  • Phonetics speed: controls the speed at which callsign phonetics are announced

  • Test callsign: specifies a callsign to be announced when the Test button is clicked

  • Test button: when clicked, announces the Test callsign using current callsign announcement settings
Include LotW participation in announcement When checked, plays the file LotW.wav in SpotCollector's Sounds sub-folder after announcing a Spot Database entry whose callsign is known to participate in LotW if Include award counters, band and mode is also checked
Include eQSL AG participation in announcement When checked, plays the file eQSL.wav in SpotCollector's Sounds sub-folder after announcing a Spot Database entry whose callsign is an Authenticity Guaranteed member of eQSL.cc if Include award counters, band and mode is also checked

 

Transceiver Announcements

Frequency changes when checked with Commander running, transceiver frequency changes will be audibly announced after the frequency remains unchanged for 1 second
Mode changes when checked with Commander running, transceiver mode changes to these modes will be audibly announced: CW, CW-R, USB, LSB, RTTY, RTTY-R, AM, and FM; for other modes, slashes or backslashes in the mode name will be replaced with hyphens, and SpotCollector will be directed to play the file DeslashedModeName.wav in its Sounds sub-folder

 

Controls on the Audio Alarm Trigger panel determine under what conditions an Audio Alarm will be generated:

Needed when checked, SpotCollector will generate an audio announcement when a Spot Database entry is created or updated and

  • a QSO with the entry's station would advance award progress

  • the entry has not previously triggered an audio announcement
Needed & Filtered when checked, SpotCollector will generate an audio announcement when a Spot Database entry is created or updated and
Needed includes Unconfirmed as well as Unworked determines whether the Needed and Needed & Filtered settings apply to Spot Database Entries that are Unworked, or Spot Database Entries that are Unworked or Worked but Unconfirmed
Announce special callsigns when checked with the Needed or Needed & Filtered setting selected, the creation or update of a Spot Database entry for a special callsign will generate an audio announcement indicating whether or not a QSO with the callsign is needed to advance award progress
SQL expression when checked, SpotCollector will generate an audio announcement when a Spot Database entry is created or updated and matches the specified SQL expression, which may include wildcards and substitutions.
Test clicking this button filters the Spot Database Display with the SQL expression to quickly verify that it is correct SQL and functions as expected
Match SDB filter when checked, the Audio Alarm trigger will automatically be updated to match the Spot Database Display filter

 

Controls on the Sound Files panel specify .wav files to be "played" under specific conditions:

Play intro on startup when checked with the Enable box also checked, SpotCollector will play the .wav file specified in the Intro pathname on startup

Intro pathname

the name of a .wav file that SpotCollector will play on startup if the Play intro on startup and Enable boxes are checked

  • Select - click to select a .wav file

  • Test - click to play the selected .wav file (the Enable box must be checked)

Sound pathname

the name of a .wav file that will be played when a Spot Database entry is announced if the Include award counters, band, and mode box is not checked, or if no .wav file is available for the entry's DXCC country

  • Select - click to select a .wav file

  • Test - click to play the .selected wav file (the Enable box must be checked)

 

 

Controls on the Sound Folder Pathnames panel specify the Folders in which groups of .wav files are maintained:

Entities, Bands, Modes pathname of the folder containing .wav files used to announce entities, bands, and modes
Alphanumerics pathname of the folder containing .wav files used to announce callsigns alphanumerically
Phonetics pathname of the folder containing .wav files used to announce callsigns phonetically