Presentation of DBLog

DBLog is a logging program for radio amateurs based on a relational Data Base.

It is UTF8 compliant and sensitive to the 'locale'. Look at this....and this

It comes in English, Italian, Spanish (Incomplete) and Russian (Thanks to Vlad UA6JD), but other languages can be easily added.

It has been developed in Gambas2, a sort of Visual Basic for Linux, (much better then M$ VB), and the relational database PostgreSQL.

It allows to log QSOs, export a range of them in ADIF format, both in UTF-8 and in ISO-8859-1, and import from an ADIF file detecting automatically the encoding.

Can import LoTW and eQSL ADIF files to update confirmations.

It keeps statistics of DXCC worked countries in mixed mode.

It reads the VFO frequency via the hamlib daemon rigctld, so all radios supported by hamlib can be used.

When rigctld is active appears the Band Map graphic windows which shows an analogical representation of the radio tune. Clicking on the tune scale will set the radio VFO.

If Cluster is active spots are shown also on the Band Map.

The Band Map can store permanently spots, frequencies and modes.

It is integrated with fldigi. Fldigi can be started by DBLog. In this case it is fldigi which controls the radio.

The real frequency of the digimode is transfered to DBLog as well as the call and the modem in use.

Saving the QSO on fldigi all data's will be saved also into the DBLog database.

Receives cluster spots from xdx by PG4I, checks them against local statistics and shows the results in a dedicated window.

These work also if fldigi is active.

Clicking on a cluster spot sets the radio VFO, honoring QSX an UP information in case of split.

A separate window shows spots in the band set on the radio. If you go in RUN mode it will remember the CQ frequency. While in S&P a call written into the entry window will be remembered. A right clicking on this window items will set the radio VFO. A left click will pop up a menu that allows to delete a raw of data or change to the memory table.

Shows the azimuthal map of the earth centered on the QTH using xplanet. If the other station call is present, his position is also shown.

It includes a CW Keyer based on cwdaemon.

The configuration menu allows to select the configuration to use and change, modify or delete configuration records.

The NCDXF beacons can be monitored by band or by beacon. A map is available to see where beacons are located.

DBLog works also as 'Log server': another program can send commands to DBLog via TCP on port 3164 to fill fields and to log QSOs. DBLog replies with 'Name' and 'QTH' if the call has been worked before. More infos in the file SERVER_DOC.

DBLog has been developed with PostgreSQL but could work also with MySQL, SQLite3 and Firebird which are supported by GAMBAS,but it would take to modify some definition in the data base tables and change a couple of queries in DBLog source.

Known problems:

The advantages of using a relational data base both for qso data's and configuration data's are:

-- The code of DBLog is much simpler.

-- The user can do any kind of fancy query on data's using the standard SQL language.

-- The client-sever structure allows a multi-operator club station or DX expedition to have many operators logging into the same log. The log server can even be remote.

-- The computer which controls the radio can be a remote one.

-- data back-up can be done using the database features.

-- Other program can be used to analyze data's like psql, pgAdmin III, TOra for PostgreSQL.

-- Anybody can write other programs ( for digimodes, EME, Meteorscatter etc.) who log into the same log, without the need of been integrated into DBLog.

The author (me ZP4KFX) endorse the idea that the radio amateur software should be open and free to allow the "home made" also in this area.

He foresees also an open architecture for all radio amateur programs based on the separation of functions. Data should be managed by an single data base server for all the shack. The various applications should gravitate around this data tank, possibly standardized (ADIF fields for the log for instance).

This will simplify greatly life both for developers and users.

DBLog is using free software and it is released in source code under the GNU GPL license, so anybody can modify it and improve it.

Beta testers and Gambas programmers are welcome !

73 de Pino ZP4KFX
pinozollo at gmail.com
http://www.qsl.net/zp4kfx

Download the source of the last version Beta 1.0 . The installation instructions are in the file INSTALL.

There are also the installation files for various distributions in

http://www.qsl.net/zp4kfx/Linux/DBLog .(Debian, Ubuntu, OpenSuSE, Madriva, Fedora, Slackware and 'autotools')

The file LOG.tgz contains the instructions to generate the data-base tables.

Let me know if something is not clear.

See a screesnot with Cluster and Spots windows , a view of NCDXF beacons or a general entry screenshot .

Here other screen-shots.