DXtreme Software On the Web

DXtreme Reception Log Data Sheet
Version 5.0.1

Overview DXtreme Reception Log — Our Best Logging Program	DXtreme Software is proud to present the latest version of its highly acclaimed logging system for Windows ... DXtreme Reception Log.™ With the release of Reception Log (also known as Reception Log 2002), DXtreme Software continues its tradition of adding impressive and innovative features to its flagship logging application ... ensuring that DXtreme Reception Log continues as the best logging application on the market today for all kinds of radio and television monitoring enthusiasts! Basically, Reception Log lets you log the stations you've heard, create reception reports, manage your QSLs, and track the performance of your monitoring station. But what makes Reception Log special is its array of advanced features that can make your DXing and QSLing more fun! Reception Log integrates seamlessly with popular Windows and Internet applications to take full advantage of what they can offer today’s active monitoring enthusiast. Advanced Features Reception Log’s advanced features let you: Scan, capture, display, edit, and format your QSL images using Reception Log’s *QSL Imaging facility. Capture electronic QSLs (eQSLs) as you receive them from the Internet using Reception Log’s Screen Capture utility. Record and play audio clips of the stations you have heard. Create customized* paper reception reports. Send electronic reception reports to stations by e-mail (eReports). Send loggings to clubs, magazines, and others by e-mail. Run a variety of reports that track the performance of your monitoring station. And much, much more! The Price? New Users in North America — Only $49.95 USD New Users Outside North America — Only $52.95 USD All prices include shipping, handling, and lifetime e-mail support. What's Next? Please read the remainder of this page to learn more about Reception Log and how it can make your monitoring, reception reporting, and QSLing more efficient and pleasurable! We'll tell you the whole story! So ... Get your favorite beverage Grab a snack ... and read on! Topics we'll cover include: Reception Log Window Audio Processing Reception Report Facility — Paper & Electronic Lookup Windows QSL Imaging QSL Repository Explorer Reception Log Export Reports Maintenance Modules Preferences On-Line Help Ordering Information Don't forget to: Take the DXtreme Reception Log tour Read what people are saying about DXtreme Software products
Features Reception Log Window Top of Page	The Reception Log window is the first window you encounter when you start the program. The Reception Log window lets you manage your electronic logbook and gain access to the advanced features of the product. Tabs The Reception Log window has the following six tabs that organize and provide access to the fields of the window: Reception Log — The Reception Log tab lets you enter introductory information about the station you have heard. For example, you can enter the: Name and location of the station. Class of the station (SWBC, utility, and so on). Date and time of reception. Frequency and mode of transmission. Receiving equipment used to monitor the station. Signal quality of the transmission. Name of the file that contains an audio clip of the station. Station Information — The Station Information tab lets you enter the postal and Internet addresses of the station you have heard. If desired, you can set Reception Log so it automatically fills in the Station Information fields when you are adding a new log entry for a station whose address information is already in the log. Verification Status — The Verification Status tab lets you specify status information about reception reports and QSLs. For Reception Reports, you can specify whether you are sending a report. If you are sending a report, you can also specify the: Date you're sending the report. Return postage you are sending with the report. Method you are going to use to send the report (air mail, surface mail, e-mail, etc.). Language of the report. For QSLs, you can specify whether you have received a QSL. If you have received a QSL, you can also specify the: Date you received the QSL. Method the station used to send the QSL to you (air mail, surface mail, e-mail, and so on). Signer of the QSL. Name of the file that contains an image of the QSL. The Verification Status tab also lets you preview the front and back of the QSL — provided you have either scanned or imported an image of the QSL into your QSL Repository. Program Details — The Program Details tab lets you enter detailed information about the programs you have heard. You can: Specify the language of the transmission. Enter the start time, end time, and description of each program — using up to six program detail lines that can each accommodate up to 500 characters. Specify the signal quality observed during each program interval. Comments — The Comments tab has a single field that lets you enter private information about each log entry. The Comments field can accommodate up to 500 characters. User Defined Fields — The User Defined Fields tab has seven fields that you can define and then use to enter and track information about each log entry that is important to you. There are two kinds of user defined fields (UDFs): Text Box Fields and List Box Fields. Text Box Fields — Four text box fields let you type the information you desire. Each field can accommodate up to 100 characters. List Box Fields — Three list box fields let you select the information you desire from a list of items that you also define. You define the UDFs in Reception Log's Preferences window (described later). Defining UDFs involves: Labeling each field, and Entering the list items you want to appear in each list box field. For example, you could define and use UDFs this way: Text Box UDF — Specify "K Index" as the label in Preferences. Then on the Reception Log window, type the current K-index value into the K Index box. When you run a report, you can track a specific K-index value. List Box UDF — Specify "Location" as the label in Preferences and then define a list of the locations from which you DX or listen. These locations could be Home, Vacation, DXpedition, and so on. Then on the Reception Log window, select the current monitoring location as you log each station. When you run a report, you can track a specific monitoring location. Fields and Maintenance Modules Most of the fields on the Reception Log window are drop-down list box fields that make entering consistent data easy. These fields are populated with list items that you can maintain in Reception Log's maintenance modules (described later). Menu Bar and Toolbar Reception Log's menu bar lets you access the other functions of Reception Log. These functions let you search for reception log entries, perform maintenance functions, manage reception reporting, perform audio processing, perform QSL imaging, run performance reports, and more. Reception Log's toolbar lets you quickly and conveniently access the functions you use most often. View Sample Reception Log Tabs Select the Reception Log tab you want to view: Note: You must have JavaScript enabled to see the sample windows on your browser. For best results, please click the button at the bottom of each sample window when you're finished viewing it. If you don't, the sample window may appear behind the main browser window.
Audio Processing Top of Page	Reception Log's audio processing facility lets you record and play audio clips of the stations you have heard. The audio toolbar on the Reception Log window ... ... lets you quickly and easily record and play audio as you are logging a station. Reception Log also integrates with the Windows Sound Recorder to let you edit and compress audio files. Format Reception Log saves the audio clip as a WAV file in the Audio Repository you specify in Preferences (described later). Verification By Audio With the release of Reception Log, DXtreme Software introduces the concept of Verification By Audio. Reception Log's reports enable you to track the stations, countries, continents, CQ zones, and states and provinces you have "verified" by audio. This feature gives you the flexibility to "prove" reception while waiting for your QSLs to arrive. You can also use this feature as an alternative to traditional QSLing. While there is no substitute for an attractive QSL card, let's face it, more and more stations are unable or unwilling to QSL by means of traditional QSL cards or letters. Tracking verifications by audio can be a very satisfying and inexpensive alternative. Of course, you can continue to track verifications by traditional QSL cards and letters. Reception Log's QSL Imaging facility (described later) provides impressive support for QSL image processing. Multimedia Benefits Take it from us, there is nothing like looking through your log years later and being able to actually hear the station you logged while you view the QSL you received!
Reception Report Facility — Paper and Electronic Top of Page	Reception Log includes a powerful Reception Report facility that enables you to create a customized paper or electronic reception report. The reception report you create has precisely the format and wording you want, and it includes pertinent information from the Reception Log window. Integration With Other Applications The Reception Report facility integrates with other applications. You can use Reception Log and one of the following applications to create a reception report. Microsoft Word — With Word, Reception Log creates a paper reception report that is based on a template document. Each template document contains boilerplate text and advanced formatting attributes that appear in all reception reports created using it. Bookmarks in the template document insert information from the Reception Log window. DXtreme Software provides four template documents in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. As part of the report creation process, Reception Log automatically activates Word so you can view, edit, and print the report. Click the following button to see a sample reception report created using Word: Note: You must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the sample reception report on your browser. When you are finished viewing the report, close its window. You do not need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view reception reports in Reception Log. You only need it to view the sample report on this Web page. If you don't have the Adobe Acrobat Reader, you can download it free from Adobe Systems Incorporated. Microsoft WordPad — With WordPad, Reception Log creates a paper reception report that is based on a script. Each script contains the boilerplate text and log variables you want. Each log variable contains data from its corresponding field on the Reception Log or Preferences window. For example, the [frequency] log variable contains the frequency of the log entry currently on display. The boilerplate text and the information the log variables contain appear in all reception reports created using the script. DXtreme Software provides 12 scripts in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. As part of the report creation process, Reception Log automatically activates WordPad so you can view, edit, and print the report. Click the following button to see a sample reception report created using WordPad: Note: You must have the free Adobe Acrobat Reader installed to view the sample reception report on your browser. When you are finished viewing the report, close its window. You do not need the Adobe Acrobat Reader to view reception reports in Reception Log. You only need it to view the sample report on this Web page. Your Web Browser — With your Web browser, Reception Log creates a paper reception report that is based on an HTML script. Each HTML script contains the boilerplate text, HTML elements, and log variables you want. The boilerplate text and the information the log variables contain appear in all reception reports created using the script. The HTML elements format the reception reports so each one has the appearance you want. DXtreme Software provides 12 HTML scripts in English, French, Portuguese, and Spanish. As part of the report creation process, Reception Log automatically activates your tables-capable browser (such as Microsoft Internet Explorer) so you can view and print the report. You can also edit the report using a text or HTML editor. Note that reception reports created using a Web browser are more attractive than the ones created in WordPad. Click the following button to see a sample HTML reception report: Note: Click the button at the bottom of the reception report when you're finished viewing it. Microsoft Outlook Express — With Outlook Express, Reception Log creates an electronic reception report (eReport) that is based on the same kind of script used to create reception reports in WordPad. As part of the eReport creation process, Reception Log automatically activates Outlook Express so you can edit and send the report. Click the following button to see a sample eReport: Note: Click the button at the bottom of the window when you're finished viewing it. Multiple Templates and Scripts You can create, edit, and maintain as many templates (using Word) and scripts (using Reception Log's Script Editor) as you want! Every time you create a reception report, Reception Log lets you select the template or script you want to use! Maintaining multiple templates and scripts allows you to create reception reports in other languages, or in a variety of formats for reporting to different types of stations, such as utility stations, broadcast band (BCB) stations, longwave stations, television stations, or shortwave broadcast (SWBC) stations! When creating reception reports in other languages, you can use AltaVista's free Babel Fish Translation Service. Select the sample window you want to view: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
Lookup Windows Top of Page	Reception Log has five lookup windows that make it easy to enter information into the fields of the Reception Log and Script Editor windows. Each lookup window lets you drag-and-drop — or copy and paste — the following kinds of information: Abbreviations Foreign words and phrases Symbols and special characters Log variables HTML elements Click the following button to see a sample Lookup window: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
QSL Imaging Top of Page	Reception Log's QSL Imaging window lets you scan, capture, view, edit, format, and annotate your QSLs and related documents. With QSL Imaging, you never again have to look through boxes or photo albums to answer the question: *"What did that QSL look like?"* Just search Reception Log for the confirmed log entry and then click View QSL to see the QSL card! As an alternative, you can use the QSL Repository Explorer (described later) to browse or explore your QSL Repository. By default, QSL Imaging saves QSLs in the Tagged Image File Format (TIFF). The TIFF format lets you save the front and back of each QSL as individual pages in a single image file — similar to how a word processor lets you save individual text pages in a single document file. If you want to save your QSL images in other formats, you can! With QSL Imaging you can perform the following functions: Basic Functions Scan QSLs and other documents into your computer (industry-standard TWAIN scanner required). Capture eQSLs from the Internet. View QSLs and related documents. Magnify and zoom QSL images. Navigate the pages of QSL image files. Page Manipulation Functions Annotate QSL images. Alter, crop, and delete image pages. Copy, cut, and paste image pages to and from the Clipboard. Formatting Functions Change the brightness, contrast, hue, color saturation, and gamma of image pages. Sharpen, resize, reverse, rotate, flip, and shear image pages. Filing Functions Print QSL images on your printer. Send QSL image files to others by e-mail. Save QSL images in other formats, such as: BMP JPG PCX (multipage) PNG TGA View Sample Windows Select the sample window you want to view (not all of QSL Imaging's capabilities are shown): Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of each sample window when you're finished viewing it.
QSL Repository Explorer Top of Page	Reception Log's QSL Repository Explorer lets you explore the QSL image files in your QSL Repository. The QSL Repository Explorer has the following components: QSL Repository File List QSL Thumbnail Browser QSL Image Display There are two ways to explore the repository. You can: Click the desired file in the QSL Repository File List and view the QSL in the QSL Image Display area. Browse the repository three QSLs at a time using the scrollable thumbnail viewer in the QSL Thumbnail Browser area. Click the following button to see a sample window: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
Reception Log Export Top of Page	Reception Log lets you export log entries in a variety of formats. Standard Format The standard format lets you export log entries one-at-a-time in a fixed format. Reception Log exports each log entry to the paper export application you set in Preferences. Using this feature, you can output log entries to HTML for sharing with others on the Web or by e-mail (described later). Custom Format The custom format lets you export log entries in the format that you want. Reception Log appends each exported log entry to a special file. Then it invokes WordPad to let you view, edit, or print your export. To determine the content and format of the custom exports, you create custom format script files that are similar to the reception report script files described earlier. Like reception report script files, custom format script files consist of boilerplate text and log variables that determine the format and content of the custom exports. You can create, edit, and maintain as many scripts (using Reception Log's Script Editor) as you want! When you perform a Custom export, Reception Log displays a dialog box that lets you select the script you want to use! DXtreme Software provides the following custom format script files: LI_FMTVReports.cfs — For reporting to the "FM/TV Report" column of Listening In, the official publication of the Ontario DX Association. LI_YourReports.cfs — For reporting to the "Your Reports" column of Listening In. Club Formats The club formats let you export log entries in the format required by club publications. Reception Log appends each exported log record to a special file. Then it invokes WordPad to let you view, edit, or print your exported loggings. This feature makes it easy for you to report your loggings — and QSL cards received — each and every month! Reception Log provides exports in the following club formats: NASWA — For exporting log entries in the format required by the editors of The Journal, which is the official publication of the North American Shortwave Association. Cumbre — For exporting log entries in the format required by Cumbre. NRC-IDXD — For exporting log entries in the format required by the National Radio Club and the International DX Digest. WUN-UTE — For exporting log entries in the format required by the Worldwide Utility Network, utility clubs, and magazines. QSL Reports — For exporting QSL reports in the format required by most clubs and publications. E-Mail Integration Reception Log also lets you send your exported log entries to others by e-mail as part of its integration with Microsoft Outlook Express. Select the sample window you want to view: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
Performance, Stations, and Log Entries By Station Reports Top of Page	Reception Log has an array of reports that let you: Track the performance of your station. Access information about the stations you have logged. You can run the following kinds of reports: Performance reports Stations reports Log Entries By Station reports Performance Reports Performance reports let you track the overall progress of your station. The following Performance reports are available: Summary — Lets you view the number of stations, countries, continents, CQ zones, and states and provinces you have worked and verified. Countries — Lets you view a list of the countries you have worked, not worked, verified, and worked but not verified. CQ Zones — Lets you view a list of the CQ zones you have worked, not worked, verified, and worked but not verified. States and Provinces — Lets you view a list of the states and provinces you have worked, not worked, verified, and worked but not verified. Stations Reports Stations reports let you see a list of: Stations heard. Stations verified. Stations heard but not verified. Log Entries By Station Reports Log Entries By Station reports let you see a list of log entries *by station. Report Filters* You can filter reports by the following parameters: Station Class Continent Country CQ Zone State/Province Date Year/Month Band Mode Rig Antenna Accessory Language Return Postage Delivery Method User Defined Fields You can also run reports without specifying parameters, to see results based on all of your data. Verification By QSL All reports help you track verifications made by traditional QSL cards and letters as well as by eQSLs sent over the Internet. When you indicate that you have received a QSL, Reception Log counts the station as "verified by QSL." Verification By Audio All reports help you track "verifications" made by the presence of audio files recorded using Reception Log's audio processing facility. When you record a station, Reception Log assumes that the audio file contains a station ID or some other proof that you heard the station. Accordingly, it counts the station as "verified by audio." Reception Log's Verification by Audio feature simply provides you with a verification alternative, which is important when you realize that many stations just don't QSL anymore. It gives you the flexibility to "prove" reception without having to obtain QSLs from the stations you have heard. Web Browser/HTML Integration Reception Log can export all reports to HTML and display them in your tables-capable Web browser. The reports appear in attractive HTML tables, using the color and text sizes you set in Preferences. What's more, if you want to share your reports with others, you can upload the report files to the Web! To Sum It All Up With Reception Log's powerful report functions, you can run reports like these: Unfiltered reports that show how well your station is performing. Shortwave broadcast (SWBC) stations you have heard and verified using your Drake R8B. Stations you have heard and verified on the 60-meter band. Utility stations you have heard from Africa. Broadcast band (BCB) stations verified in 2002. Countries you have heard and verified on the 19-meter band. States and Provinces you've heard and verified while logging broadcast band stations. And many, many more! View Sample Windows Select the Performance report window you want to view: Select the sample Stations report you want to view: Click the following button to see a sample Log Entries By Station report: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
Maintenance Modules Top of Page	Reception Log includes 14 maintenance modules that let you enter and maintain information that appears in: The drop-down list box fields of the system. The lookup windows (described earlier). Maintaining module information enables you to make consistent entries when you manage your log and run reports. Reception Log has the following modules: Countries States and Provinces Station Classes Languages Modes Rigs Antennas Accessories Postage Delivery Method Abbreviations Foreign Words and Phrases Symbols and Special Characters HTML Elements Where applicable, DXtreme Software populates these maintenance modules with pertinent information, such as NASWA countries, station classes, and so on. Select the sample window you want to view: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
Preferences Top of Page	The Preferences window lets you control the overall operation of Reception Log. You can set preferences in the following functional areas: User Information Entries Database Options Reception Log Options Web Browser Options Report Options Export Options QSL Imaging Options Audio Options Select the sample tab you want to view: Note: Remember to click the button at the bottom of the sample window when you're finished viewing it.
On-Line Help Top of Page	If you don't know how to perform a task, you can access procedural help by clicking Help Topics on the Help menu. If you want to find out what a particular field or button does, you can access What's This? help by clicking the ? at the top of the window and then the desired item. If you want to view status information as you perform a task, you can read the messages that appear in the microhelp panel at the bottom of every window in Reception Log. For even more assistance, you can click InformationCenter on the Help menu. The InformationCenter is a users-only area on the Web where you can learn more about Reception Log.
Ordering Information Top of Page	If you'd like more information, write to us with any questions you may have. Don't forget to take the DXtreme Reception Log Tour.