Spot 1.9.6 Released on 15 November.
This release fixes two bugs: the first bug involved the formatting of frequencies of spots causing some programs using Spot's server function to not recognize the spot. The frequency sent to programs using Spot as a server no longer have formatted frequencies. Second bug was the inappropriate warning that an update was in progress via Spot's update mechanism. This initial check has been disabled and a newer version of the update mechanism will be implemented in the next release.
K3NC Review in Oct., 2008 CQ Magazine
Read Neal's review of the fantastic Flex-Radio Systems Flex-5000a transceiver in the October 2007 CQ Magazine or download a pdf version from the Flex-Radio website (click here).
Neal Campbell, K3NC, Receives Software Excellence Award.
On May 17, 2008 at the FlexRadio Banquet and Forum held at the Dayton Hamvention, a Flexi Award was presented to Neal Campbell, K3NC, in honor of providing services and solutions to all Flex Radio operators. Flex-Radio stated that Flexi award were given to people who recognized an opportunity to unselfishly give of themselves a knowledge or skill that advanced the cause of software defined radio and benefited the FlexRadio community as a whole. You can read more about the Flexi awards on the FlexRadio web page at this URL: http://www.flex-radio.com/Users.aspx?topic=flexies.
virtuallY
A virtual Y cable, for Windows platforms, makes connecting amateur radio programs to each other possible. Go to download page for version 1. If you are a PowerSDR user, use K5FR's DDUtil program.
Announcement information from Spot
Screen Details
When you connect to Spot, the program will request the latest 50 spots from the DXCluster and enter the data in this information display. As new announcements are received, Spot adds them here so you always have the most recent announcement information.
Spot adds a couple of enhancements called Bottom of Band announcements (BoB) which are those pseudo-spots that people make and just put something in the spot comment field they want everyone to see. Usually (but not always!) the mark the frequency of these spots as the bottom of some particular band (e.g., 14000.0. 3500.0) Spot has an option that allows you to specify any dx spot made on the bottom of bands to be treated as announcements, and add them to this window.
Since the callsign is usually not important, sometimes this DX spot abusers will enter the latest, most wanted DX callsign as the spotted station in the Bottom-of-Band announcements which can wreck blood pressure and cause accidents while you tish to the radio to snag these "new ones". So, Spot allows you to filter them out of the dx spot window if you so choose.
You can also see the announcement assistant has been activated by clicking on the Ann button below the announcement information display. This assistant lets you automatically retrieve various numbers of prior announcements, clear the announcement display, as well as make an announcement without remembering the DXCluster syntax.
