How do I setup N3FJP Contact Log with new Spots on Display Feature ??

David Livingston

How do I setup spot integration using N3JFP. N3JFP's Contest Log is already linked to the flex and follows the bands and frequencies correctly. How do I get the new Spot Integration configured?

KY6LA_Howard

The author of N3JFP needs to make a connection via the SSDR API

David Livingston

I thought we were missing an API...
Thanks

KY6LA_Howard

The API is available to developers and should be in General Availability soon OR try to connect via SliceMaster

David Livingston

Thanks

Tim - W4TME

Nope

Mark WS7M

David, I have the N3FJP stuff.  Pretty good stuff but I have not found him super willing to add features.  I asked for several almost a year ago and got nothing.  I am hopeful he will decide to support this.

K1DBO

Does N3FJP support any mechanisms for communication with external programs?

John - AF3K

Yes.  Here is a screenshot from the DX spotting setup 

Ken - NM9P

N3FJP has in the past added API access for Flex 6000 which takes band, frequency and mode info from the current active slice, so you can log from all slices on the 6000’s. But the slice to be logged needs to be selected as the active slice. He also worked with me when there was a problem with the API slice changing modes improperly from spots in 160M. But he is doing all this (with his wife) in their spare time. So he doesn’t have much time for huge additional projects. Perhaps he will consider sending spots to the 6000 worth the time and effort.

K1DBO

That's good for getting spots into N3FJP.  There's a hint that it sends spots out to the LAN as well.  That could be useful especially if the spots are augmented with "color" or "needed status".  Otherwise, just connecting Slice Master directly to the same cluster node would be just as good.

K1DBO

So that implies that N3FJP is already capable of making Flex API calls.  With that in place, adding the API calls to send spots to the radio would be a straightforward endeavor. 

John - AF3K

Ken, I also have N3FJP configured to use the Flex API for band/freq/mode info.  Agree it would be very cool if N3FJP would extend the capability so the filtered spots displayed in N3FJP (received from whatever source) were then pushed out to the Flex display.

Dave - WB5NHL

Here we go, caught in the middle......  Flex says its up to Scott and Scott says it's up to Flex. Specifically he said

"The Flex software simply needs to connect with my software on port 1100 as detailed here:

http://www.n3fjp.com/help/api.html
And then the Flex software should send this command:
<CMD><RELAYDXSPOTS><VALUE>TRUE</VALUE></CMD>
Each time a DX Spot is received in N3FJP, it will be relayed directly to the Flex software.  .
If the Flex folks have not already take advantage of this feature, please encourage them to visit the link above for all the details they need to interface and receive DX Spots directly from my software!"

K1DBO

I just too a quick look at the docs and it all looks pretty straight forward.  I'll add this to the Slice Master to-do list.

--Don

John - AF3K

Thank you Don!

David Livingston

Howard, I received this from N3JFP today. I would appreciate your comments.

Thanks,  David K4CAE

Hi David,

 Thanks for your e-mail.  I don't have any Flex equipment myself, but I have had the ability to feed other applications DX Spots coded in my software's API for some time.  

 The Flex software simply needs to connect with my software on port 1100 as detailed here:

 http://www.n3fjp.com/help/api.html

 And then the Flex software should send this command:

 <CMD><RELAYDXSPOTS><VALUE>TRUE</VALUE></CMD>

 Each time a DX Spot is received in N3FJP, it will be relayed directly to the Flex software.  .

 If the Flex folks have not already take advantage of this feature, please encourage them to visit the link above for all the details they need to interface and receive DX Spots directly from my software!

 

Enjoy!

 

73, Scott

N3FJP

David Livingston

SliceMaster does work.  Is there a way to get content filtering, country spotted from, mode selection? Thanks, K4CAE

K1DBO

I'm not planning on adding this sort of functionality directly to Slice Master.  Instead, the plan is to leverage existing programs for this.  The simplest example is VE7CC's CC User spot aggregator. It will do all sorts filtering for you and combine spots from multiple sources.  Slice Master connects to it, instead of directly to the cluster.

But Slice Master also know how to consult a few popular logging programs too.  DXLab's Spot Collector has fantastic filtering capabilities that Slice Master makes use of (It can also send spots directly to the Flex via the API).  Logger32, N1MM+, and HRD Logbook are great information sources for Slice Master.  When Slice Master uses these programs to get spots, the spots are displayed with color to indicate their "needed" status.  

So, I'd rather leaver filtering to the pros... I am however, willing to add support for more loggers, N3FPJ included.

James Charlton

I, too, use the various N3FJP loggers and would like my Flex 6600M to display the same information as the logger screen displays.  But, reading the various comments, I'm not sure it is exactly explained.

Currently, the logger displays the various DX spots as they come in and indicates if it is a new, unconfirmed or confirmed contact based on the user's log. It would be nice if the Flex displayed that same data. Just displaying the DX spots without correlating them with the user's log would not be all that useful.

Without any modifications to the logger or Flex, the logger does read band, freq and mode data from the Flex.  By clicking on a DX spot on the logger screen, that data is sent to the Flex which immediately tunes to it and sets the correct mode. 

So, really all that's left is for Flex to display the correlated DX spot data on its screen.  So close and yet, so far.
Jim Charlton  AD0AB 

Ken - NM9P

Thanks. There are a lot of us who use N3FJP’s ACLog for general logging, even if else use N1MM for contesting. N3FJP has recently added auto-load to LOTW whenever you Log a new contact.

Tim - W4TME

This is very doable, but the onus is not on FlexRadio to read a proprietary spot protocol from one logger, but have N3FJP (or another logger for that matter) send the spots that align with your log worked, confirmed, needed status to the radio by using the API and sending the spot to the radio with the appropriate color attribute to indicate status.

We have built an open and very user-friendly interface into the radio using the network API.  It just needs to be used.

John - AF3K

Hi James,

My understanding is that once Slice Master (or Flex directly) integrates with N3FJP it should work the way you want - with the spots filtered by the rules in the N3FJP DX Spotting Setup before going to the Flex panadapter.  I haven't extensively tested it, but I believe the N1MM integration provided by Flex works that way now....N1MM filters the spots first, and then the Flex API grabs them and displays them on the panadapter.

John, AF3K

James Charlton

Hi Tim and John,
I am not trying to say that Flex or anyone else should do something to integrate N3FJP loggers into anything.  I only wanted to make clear exactly what the N3FJP logger actually does with respect to DX spots.

From my point of view, the new 2.3.7 software runs GREAT on an old win7 PC and on my 6600M and integrates perfectly with the existing functions of N3FJP loggers.  Displaying DX spots on Flex would just be a bit of frosting on the cake.

I think that all the suggestions people make is not an indication of perceived shortcomings, but a result of such an amazing and versatile piece of equipment that we users see unlimited possibilities.

Most of us come from a time when you buy a radio and you're stuck with whatever it does.  Now, with Flex, every new software release is like getting a new radio!

Just as an FYI, not everyone is using the Flex as a radio. A friend has told me it makes an awesome AC voltmeter over its frequency range. 

Please keep up the good work,
Jim Charlton  AD0AB 

KY6LA_Howard

@David Welcome to the can of worms and why Flex chose NOT to support any other loggers except N1MM +. Supporting multiple individual favorite loggers would be a support nightmare for Flex. Just look at how many questions are being generate by DXLABS and Slicemaster Traditionally loggers write interfaces to radios NOT radios manufacturers writing interfaces for Loggers. Ask yourself, if the vendor was ICOM, would Scott even dare to suggest Icom To specifically write an interface to his logger? Fortunately it looks like Slicemaster May take a shot at Supporting it.

Ken - NM9P

This is again why it is a great thing that FRS has released its API. It makes it possible for people to create interfacing/translating programs that can make just about anything work together, even if the original providers cannot or will not agree on a particular standard. The same is possible with the creation of midi controllers, usb controllers, and a host of other things. All we need are some skilled programmers (which I am not) to have some fun doing it.

Ryan - NC4RA

Thank you Don for adding it to your to-do list!

Dave - WB5NHL

Scott, N3FJP, now has an AClog beta release that sends spots to the Flex. See this thread  https://community.flexradio.com/flexradio/topics/n3fjp-aclog-beta?topic-reply-list%5Bsettings%5D%5Bf...