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You can import any type of ASCII file (spreadsheet, file from contest
software) into DX4WIN after creating a custom filter. As following, step by
step, how to do that.
- Open the file containing the data you want to import into DX4WIN into
MICROSOFT EXCEL or other software like that, delete all the columns you
don't want to import, select all the spreadsheet and click on the button
for that all the text will be left aligned in all columns. Save the file in
text format (separately by spaces). The extension of this file is PRN.
- Open DX4WIN and go to the menu File | Import/Export.
After the Import/Export Filters window comes up, select Filter | New
to create a new filter (see note below). For example you can see on
this screenshot the characteristics of my custom filter I use to
import a Cabrillo file from my contest software (the fields of
General tab are very easy to complete and not very important, except
the EXT field.
NOTE: in order to create a new filter, your "User
Level" must be set to "Advanced" or higher on the Personal tab of
your Preferences.
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- Click on Fields tab and go to the menu File | View
ASCII file and open the PRN file you made with MICROSOFT EXCEL or
other software like that. You must see something like that (for this
example, I'm using a Cabrillo file made from my contest software
On the screenshot you can see all the data of each
QSO: 21317 is the frequency, SSB is the mode, 2008-03-29 is the date
(YYYY-MM-DD), 1150 is the time (HHMM). Don't worry, the order of the
data isn't important. You can have the time in first and the callsign in
the end or in any another order.
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- Now, you must say to DX4WIN which data is on position 1 and
which data are on the other positions. In my example there is the frequency
on position 1, mode on position 11, date on position 21, time on position
38 (use the right arrow to see all data). For your information the | is
position 5 (| between 1 and 10 is 5, | between 10 and 20 is 15) and the
zeros are the positions of the numbers (the zero of 10 is position 10, the
zero of 20 is position 20). Double click on Field and select the data you
want and write the position, the length of the data and the type (double
click in the field to see the choices).
In my example it's like that:
And the same for all data (remember to use the right arrow to
see all data). In general you must have only one type of data on each position.
If you see something like: Callsign Also Date, you probably
made a mistake.
- When you have finished with all the data, clik on File
| Save Changes and Exit, then, click on the menu File | Import,
select the file containing the data you want to import and click OK
on the following screen:
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- If you didn't make any errors when you have created
you custom filter and all the data are imported correctly into
DX4WIN, you get a window like that:
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If you get a window like that, you made an (or many)
error(s) when you create your custom filter. Hit F8 and write Error in
the field Notes for this QSO. In my example I have made an error in the
type of data for the band (I have the following text in the field Notes
for this QSO: Error: Band=368). Check the type you have selected for
this data.
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Tips
- Before I import some data into DX4WIN I create a new log file and I test
the import into this new file so, if I have any kind of problem, my logbook
isn't affected. When I can see that the import is good, I don't save the
test log file and import the data into my logbook.
- Don't worry, you will made some errors when you create your first custom
filters but, when you know how doing that, it's very easy and you will see
that it's a very nice feature of DX4WIN.