en Configuration - praktimarc/kst4contest GitHub Wiki

Configuration

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After the first start, the settings window opens – this is the central starting point for all configuration. It is recommended to keep the settings window open during operation (e.g. to quickly toggle the beacon on and off).

Important: Always click "Save Settings" after any change! Settings are stored in ~/.praktikst/preferences.xml on Linux and in %USERPROFILE%\.praktikst\preferences.xml (or C:\Users\<Username>\.praktikst\preferences.xml) on Windows. From v1.21 onwards, window sizes and divider positions are also saved when you click Save.

Station Settings

Station Settings

Login and Chat Categories

Enter your ON4KST chat credentials here (callsign and password). Also, select the primary chat category (e.g., IARU Region 1 VHF/Microwave).

With the option for a second chat (Multi-Channel Login), you can log in to another category simultaneously (e.g., UHF/SHF). Both chats will then be monitored in parallel. You can optionally specify a different login name for the second chat (useful for Opposite Station Multi-Callsign Logging).

Callsign and Locator

Enter your own callsign and Maidenhead locator (6 characters, e.g., JN49IJ). These values are needed for distance and direction calculations.

Active Bands

Use the "my station uses band" checkboxes to select the active bands. Buttons and table rows will only appear in the user interface for selected bands. The software must be restarted after making changes.

Antenna Beamwidth

Enter a realistic value for your antenna's beamwidth (in degrees). This value is used for the Sked Direction Highlighting. A test value of 50° has proven effective; DM5M uses quads with 69°.

Do not enter fantasy values – the direction calculations will become useless.

Default Maximum QRB

Maximum distance (in km) for which direction warnings should be triggered. A realistic value for DM5M is 900 km. Stations farther away are ignored for highlighting purposes.

Server Settings (from v1.31)

The chat server DNS and port are configurable in the Preferences:

  • Server DNS: Default www.on4kst.org (changed from www.on4kst.info in v1.31 hotfix).
  • Port: Default port of the ON4KST server.

A change is only needed if the server moves or an alternative endpoint is used.

Log Sync Settings

Three methods are available for automatically marking worked stations. Details: Log Synchronisation.

Universal File Based Callsign Interpreter (Simplelogfile)

Interprets any log file using regex for callsign patterns. No band information is available. Suitable as a fallback or for log programs that are not directly supported.

Network Listener for Logger's QSO UDP Broadcast

Recommended method. KST4Contest listens for UDP packets sent by the logging software to the broadcast address when a QSO is saved. Stations are marked with band information. UDP port: default 12060. (Used by UCXLog, N1MM+, QARTest, DXLog.net, etc.).

Win-Test Network Listener (Additional UDP Listener)

A dedicated network listener for Win-Test. KST4Contest receives and processes Win-Test-specific UDP packets (including sked handovers) on the configured port.

TRX Sync Settings

Receives the current transceiver frequency from the logging software via UDP. This enables the automatic population of the MYQRG variable. Useful for:

  • Quickly inserting your own QRG into chat messages.
  • Automatic CQ beacon with current frequency.

Note for multi-setup: When running two logging programs on two computers but only one KST4Contest instance, only one logging program should send frequency packets. KST4Contest cannot distinguish between sources.

AirScout Settings

Configuration of the interface to AirScout for aircraft scatter detection. Details: AirScout Integration.

Notification Settings

Three notification types are available:

  1. Simple sounds: TADA sound for incoming messages, tick for sked direction detection, etc.
  2. CW announcement: The callsign of a station sending a private message is output as a CW signal.
  3. Phonetic announcement: The callsign is pronounced phonetically.

Shortcut Settings

Configuration of quick-access buttons that appear directly in the main window. Clicking a button inserts the configured text into the send field. All variables can be used.

Snippet Settings

Text snippets are accessible via:

  • Right-click on a callsign in the user list
  • Right-click in the CQ message table
  • Right-click in the PM message table
  • Keyboard shortcuts: Ctrl+1 to Ctrl+0 for the first 10 snippets

If a callsign is selected in the user list, the snippet is addressed as a direct message: /CQ CALLSIGN <snippet text>

Beacon Settings

Configuration of an automatic interval beacon in the public chat channel. Recommended: use the MYQRG variable in the text so the current frequency is always up to date. Interval and text are freely configurable.

Tip: Enable the beacon when calling CQ and quickly disable it in the settings window when not calling.

Messagehandling Settings (from v1.25)

New settings section with the following options:

  • Auto-reply to all incoming messages: Configurable automatic reply to private messages.
  • Auto-reply with own CQ QRG: When someone asks for your QRG, KST4Contest automatically replies with the content of the MYQRG variable.
  • Default filter for the userinfo window: Pre-configured message filter for the station info window (for Gianluca :-) ).

Win-Test Network Listener (from v1.31)

A dedicated listener for Win-Test-specific UDP packets. Enables:

  • Log synchronisation: Worked stations are retrieved from Win-Test and marked in the user list.
  • Frequency parsing: The current TRX frequency from Win-Test populates the MYQRG variable.
  • Sked handover (SKED push): Skeds from KST4Contest are passed directly to Win-Test via UDP. Win-Test's default UDP broadcast port (9871) is used.

Settings:

  • Enable/Disable: Checkbox in Preferences (from v1.40).
  • Port: Configurable UDP port for the Win-Test listener.
  • Sked UDP address and port: Target address and port for SKED handover to Win-Test.

Note: The Win-Test listener is an additional listener – the standard QSO UDP broadcast listener on port 12060 remains independent.

PSTRotator Settings (from v1.31)

KST4Contest can control antenna direction via PSTRotator.

Settings:

  • Enable/Disable: Checkbox in Preferences (from v1.40).
  • IP address: IP address of the PSTRotator computer (default: 127.0.0.1 when running on the same PC).
  • Port: Communication port of PSTRotator.

Note: After clicking a direction button, KST4Contest waits briefly for the rotator response. With slow rotors (e.g. SPID) there may be a small delay.

Sniffer Settings (from v1.31)

The QSO sniffer filters chat messages from configurable callsigns and forwards them to the PM window.

Settings:

  • Callsign list: Comma-separated list of callsigns whose messages are always forwarded to the PM window.

Use case: Keep track of important stations (e.g. DX expeditions or trusted contest allies) without constantly monitoring the main chat.

Worked Station Database Settings

The internal worked database contains:

  • Worked status of all stations (per band)
  • NOT-QRV tags (since v1.2)

From v1.40: Entries have an automatic lifetime of 3 days – manually resetting before each contest is no longer strictly necessary. For a full reset, the "Reinitialize" button is still available.

Dark Mode (from v1.26)

Toggle via the menu: Window → Use Dark Mode. The colors can be individually customized via CSS.

Saving Settings

Click "Save Settings" after every change! Without saving, all changes will be lost on the next start.

  • Storage location: ~/.praktikst/preferences.xml on Linux and %USERPROFILE%\.praktikst\preferences.xml (or C:\Users\<Username>\.praktikst\preferences.xml) on Windows
  • From v1.21: Window sizes and divider positions are also saved.
  • If you encounter problems: delete the configuration file → KST4Contest will create a new one with default values.
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