Configuration

This section provides detailed information about all configuration options available for the DX Spotter.

Accessing Configuration After Initial Setup

Re-entering Configuration Mode

There are two ways to access the configuration interface after initial setup:

Method 1: Serial Reset Command

  1. Connect the DX Spotter to your computer via USB

  2. Open a serial terminal (115200 baud)

  3. Power on the device

  4. Within the first 2 seconds, send the letter R or r

  5. The device will clear all settings and enter configuration mode

Method 2: While Connected to WiFi

If your DX Spotter is connected to your WiFi network:

  1. Find the device's IP address from your router or serial monitor

  2. Open a web browser

  3. Navigate to the device's IP address (e.g., http://192.168.1.100)

  4. The configuration page will load

  5. Make changes and click "Save Configuration"

Note

When modifying settings while connected to WiFi, only cluster and display settings that change will trigger a reconnection. WiFi credential changes will trigger a reboot.

Device Information

Device ID (MAC Address)

At the top of the configuration page, you'll see the Device ID, which displays the device's MAC address.

Type:

Read-only

Format:

XX:XX:XX:XX:XX:XX (hexadecimal)

Example:

A4:CF:12:34:56:78

Purpose:

  • Uniquely identifies your DX Spotter hardware

  • Useful for network troubleshooting

  • Helpful when managing multiple devices

  • Can be used for MAC address filtering on routers

  • Permanent identifier that never changes

Note

The Device ID (MAC address) is hardware-based and cannot be changed. It is displayed for information purposes only.

WiFi Configuration Options

Multiple WiFi Networks

The DX Spotter supports up to 5 WiFi network credentials with priority-based connection. This allows the device to automatically connect to the best available network based on your configured priority order.

How It Works:

  1. Priority Order: Networks are tried in order from top to bottom (#1 has highest priority)

  2. Auto-Scan: On boot, the device scans for available networks

  3. Smart Connection: Connects to the highest-priority network that's available

  4. Seamless Roaming: Automatically switches networks if you move between locations

Managing WiFi Networks:

  • Add Network: Click the green "+ Add WiFi Network" button

  • Reorder Priority: Drag and drop networks to change priority

  • Delete Network: Click the red "Delete" button on any network

  • Network Scanner: Use "Scan Available Networks" to discover and add networks

WiFi Network Configuration

Each WiFi network entry requires:

Network Name (SSID)

Type:

String (1-32 characters)

Required:

Yes

Example:

MyHomeNetwork

The SSID (Service Set Identifier) of the WiFi network.

Password

Type:

String (8-63 characters for WPA/WPA2, or blank for open networks)

Required:

Only for secured networks

Example:

MySecurePassword123

The password for the WiFi network.

Important

Password Field Behavior:

  • When adding a new network: Enter the password

  • When editing existing networks: Leave blank to keep the existing password

  • The password field is always blank when loading the page for security

  • Only enter a new password if you want to change it

Network Scanner Integration:

  1. Click "Scan Available Networks"

  2. Available networks appear in a list with signal strength

  3. Click any network to add it to your WiFi list

  4. Enter the password for the selected network

  5. Drag to adjust its priority position

Priority Indicators:

Each network shows its priority number (#1, #2, #3, etc.). Priority #1 is tried first, then #2, and so on.

DX Cluster Configuration Options

We have partnered with hamserve, https://dxc.hamserve.uk as the default DX Cluster to connect. Hamserve DX cluster is hosted in a data center with excellent bandwidth and uptime statistics, making it a great choice for receiving your DX Spots.

Cluster Host

Type:

Hostname or IP Address

Required:

Yes

Default:

dxc.hamserve.uk

Example:

dxc.hamserve.uk or 192.168.1.50

The hostname or IP address of the DX cluster server you want to connect to.

While we recommend using hamserve, you are free to change to a different provider if you wish. Below are just some others we have tested against.

Popular DX Cluster Servers:

Server

Address

Port

Ham serve (G1FEF)

dxc.hamserve.uk

7300

G3LRS UK

dxc.g3lrs.org.uk

7300

M0KGX

dx.m0kgx.com

7300

Note

Some DX cluster servers may require registration or have specific callsign validation requirements.

Cluster Port

Type:

Integer (1-65535)

Required:

Yes

Default:

7300

Example:

7300

The TCP port number for the telnet connection to the DX cluster.

Most DX clusters use port 7300, but some may use different ports (like 23, 7373, 8000, etc.).

Protocol

Type:

Selection

Required:

Yes

Default:

TCP/Telnet

Options:

TCP/Telnet

Currently, only TCP/Telnet protocol is supported. This is the standard protocol used by most DX cluster networks.

Note

Future versions may support additional protocols such as MQTT or HTTP APIs.

Your Callsign

Type:

String (Amateur Radio Callsign)

Required:

Yes

Default:

NOCALL

Example:

K3ABC, G4XYZ, VK2ABC

Your amateur radio callsign. This is used to log in to the DX cluster.

Danger

Important Callsign Requirements:

  • You must enter a valid amateur radio callsign

  • The callsign cannot be blank or left as "NOCALL"

  • If the callsign is not configured, the device will not attempt to connect to the cluster

  • Use your own callsign - do not use someone else's callsign

Callsign Format:

  • Standard callsign format (e.g., K3ABC, G4XYZ)

  • Include portable/mobile indicators if desired (e.g., K3ABC/P)

  • Case insensitive (will be sent as entered)

Important

Multiple DX Spotters:

If you have multiple DX Spotters, each one must use a unique callsign. DX clusters only allow one connection per callsign. If two devices use the same callsign, they will kick each other off in a reconnect loop.

Solution: Add a suffix to differentiate them:

  • Device 1: K3ABC

  • Device 2: K3ABC/2

  • Device 3: K3ABC/3

  • Or use indicators: K3ABC/P, K3ABC/M, K3ABC/S (Portable, Mobile, Station)

Display Configuration Options

Band Filter

Type:

String (DX Cluster command)

Required:

No (leave blank for all bands)

Default:

Empty (all bands)

Example:

accept/spot 0 freq 20m

A filter command to limit which spots are displayed. This is sent directly to the DX cluster after login.

Common Filter Examples:

Filter Command

Description

accept/spots 0 freq 20m

Only 20 meter spots

accept/spots 0 freq 40

Only 40 meter spots

accept/spots 0 freq 15

Only 15 meter spots

accept/spots 0 freq 10

Only 10 meter spots

accept/spots 0 freq 6

Only 6 meter spots

(blank)

All bands

Advanced Filtering:

Some DX clusters support more advanced filtering. Refer to your cluster's documentation for specific syntax. Examples might include:

  • Frequency range filtering: accept/spots 0 freq 14.000-14.100

  • Mode filtering (cluster dependent)

  • Continent filtering (cluster dependent)

  • HF, Phone filtering: accept/spots 0 freq hf/ssb

  • Mode filtering (cluster dependent)

  • Continent filtering (cluster dependent)

  • show HF and 2M only: accept/spots 0 freq hf or freq 2m

  • Continent filtering (cluster dependent)

Tip

When you change the band filter, the display title will automatically update if you haven't customized it. For example, filtering to 20 meters will set the title to "20M".

Display Title

Type:

String (up to ~20 characters recommended)

Required:

No

Default:

Auto-generated from band filter

Example:

20M, Field Day, My Station

The title displayed at the top center of the display.

Auto-Generation Behavior:

If you leave the title blank or don't customize it:

  • The device will automatically generate a title based on your band filter

  • Filter for 20M = Title: "20M"

  • Filter for 40M = Title: "40M"

  • No filter = Title: "All Bands"

Custom Titles:

You can enter any custom title you want:

  • Keep it short (20 characters or less recommended)

  • Examples: "Contest", "Field Day", "DX Watch", "K3ABC"

Note

If you change the band filter and the title was auto-generated, the title will automatically update to match the new band. If you've customized the title, it will remain as you set it even when changing filters.

Scroll Interval

Type:

Integer (milliseconds)

Required:

Yes

Default:

10000 (10 seconds)

Range:

5000-60000

Example:

15000 (15 seconds)

The time in milliseconds that each spot is displayed before scrolling to the next spot in the history.

Recommendations:

  • Fast Reading: 5000-7000ms (5-7 seconds)

  • Standard: 10000ms (10 seconds) - Default

  • Leisurely: 15000-20000ms (15-20 seconds)

  • Very Slow: 30000-60000ms (30-60 seconds)

Tip

If you're monitoring from across the room, use a longer scroll interval to give yourself time to read each spot.

Maximum Spots

Type:

Integer

Required:

Yes

Default:

5

Range:

1-15

Example:

10

The maximum number of spots to keep in the scrolling history.

How It Works:

  • New spots are added to the history

  • The display scrolls through all spots in the history

  • When the history is full, the oldest spot is removed when a new one arrives

  • With more spots, you can see more history but it takes longer to cycle through

Recommendations:

  • Minimal History: 1-3 spots - See only the most recent spots

  • Standard: 5 spots (Default) - Good balance

  • More Context: 10-15 spots - See more band activity history

Display Rotation

Type:

Selection (0 or 180 degrees)

Required:

Yes

Default:

0 (Normal orientation)

Options:

Normal (0 degrees) or Flipped (180 degrees)

The display rotation setting allows you to flip the display 180 degrees for upside-down mounting.

When to Use:

  • Normal (0 degrees): Default orientation - use when device is mounted right-side up

  • Flipped (180 degrees): Use when device is mounted upside-down or needs to be viewed from a different angle

Note

Display rotation is useful when:

  • Mounting the device on a wall or shelf where cables need to exit from the top

  • Placing the device in a location where upside-down viewing is more natural

Device Name

Type:

String (alphanumeric and hyphens)

Required:

No

Default:

dxspotter

Range:

1-32 characters

Example:

shack-monitor, portable-dx, contest-spotter

The device name is used for network identification via DHCP hostname and mDNS (Multicast DNS).

Purpose:

  • Identifies the device on your network

  • Useful when running multiple DX Spotters

  • Appears in router DHCP client lists

  • Used for mDNS discovery

Naming Guidelines:

  • Use only alphanumeric characters and hyphens

  • Keep it descriptive but concise

  • Examples:

    • dxspotter - Default, single device

    • shack-20m - 20 meter monitor in shack

    • portable - Portable operations spotter

    • contest - Contest monitoring device

Tip

If you have multiple DX Spotters on the same network, give each one a unique device name to easily identify them in your router's device list.

Timezone

Type:

Selection (dropdown)

Required:

Yes

Default:

UTC

The timezone setting controls the time displayed on the DX Spotter's clock. Select your local timezone from the dropdown list.

Available Timezones:

Timezone

Description

UTC

Coordinated Universal Time (default)

London (GMT/BST)

United Kingdom with daylight saving

Paris (CET/CEST)

Central European Time with daylight saving

Berlin (CET/CEST)

Central European Time with daylight saving

Moscow (MSK)

Moscow Standard Time (no daylight saving)

Dubai (GST)

Gulf Standard Time (no daylight saving)

Mumbai (IST)

India Standard Time (no daylight saving)

Bangkok (ICT)

Indochina Time (no daylight saving)

Singapore (SGT)

Singapore Time (no daylight saving)

Hong Kong (HKT)

Hong Kong Time (no daylight saving)

Tokyo (JST)

Japan Standard Time (no daylight saving)

Sydney (AEST/AEDT)

Australian Eastern Time with daylight saving

Auckland (NZST/NZDT)

New Zealand Time with daylight saving

US Eastern (EST/EDT)

Eastern Time with daylight saving

US Central (CST/CDT)

Central Time with daylight saving

US Mountain (MST/MDT)

Mountain Time with daylight saving

US Pacific (PST/PDT)

Pacific Time with daylight saving

Alaska (AKST/AKDT)

Alaska Time with daylight saving

Hawaii (HST)

Hawaii Standard Time (no daylight saving)

Sao Paulo (BRT/BRST)

Brasilia Time with daylight saving

Note

Timezones with daylight saving time (DST) will automatically adjust when DST begins and ends. The time is synchronized via NTP (Network Time Protocol) servers.

Factory Reset

The configuration page includes a Factory Reset button that erases all settings and restores the device to factory defaults.

What Gets Erased:

  • WiFi credentials (SSID and password)

  • DX cluster settings (host, port, protocol)

  • Callsign

  • Band filter

  • Display title

  • Device name

  • Timezone

  • Scroll interval

  • Maximum spots setting

  • Display rotation

How to Perform Factory Reset:

  1. Access the configuration web page

  2. Scroll to the bottom

  3. Click the red "Factory Reset" button

  4. Confirm when prompted

  5. Device will erase all settings and reboot

  6. After reboot, device creates "DXCluster AP" access point

  7. Reconfigure from scratch

Warning

Factory reset cannot be undone! Make note of your current settings before performing a factory reset.

Note

Factory reset is useful when:

  • Selling or giving away the device

  • Starting fresh with new configuration

  • Troubleshooting persistent configuration issues

  • Moving device to a completely different network/cluster setup

Configuration Examples

Example 1: 20 Meter Monitor

Use Case: Monitor only 20 meter activity at your home station.

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: HomeNetwork
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: dxc.hamserve.uk
Cluster Port: 7300
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: K3ABC
Band Filter: accept/spot 0 freq 20m
Display Title: (blank - auto-generates to "20M")
Device Name: dxspotter
Timezone: US Eastern (EST/EDT)
Scroll Interval: 10000
Maximum Spots: 5
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Example 2: All Bands DX Hunter

Use Case: Monitor all bands to catch any DX openings.

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: HomeNetwork
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: dxc.hamserve.uk
Cluster Port: 7300
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: G4XYZ
Band Filter: (blank - all bands)
Display Title: DX Hunter
Device Name: shack-monitor
Timezone: London (GMT/BST)
Scroll Interval: 8000
Maximum Spots: 10
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Example 3: Field Day Portable

Use Case: Portable operation at Field Day, focusing on 40 meters.

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: FieldDay2025
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: dxc.k3lr.com
Cluster Port: 7373
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: W1ABC/P
Band Filter: set/dx filter on 40
Display Title: Field Day
Device Name: portable
Timezone: US Eastern (EST/EDT)
Scroll Interval: 12000
Maximum Spots: 7
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Example 4: Multiple DX Spotters (Multi-Band Station)

Use Case: Running 3 DX Spotters simultaneously, each monitoring a different band.

Device 1 - 20 Meter Monitor:

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: HomeNetwork
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: dxc.hamserve.uk
Cluster Port: 7300
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: K3ABC
Band Filter: accept/spot 0 freq 20m
Display Title: 20M
Device Name: dxspotter-20m
Timezone: US Eastern (EST/EDT)
Scroll Interval: 10000
Maximum Spots: 5
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Device 2 - 15 Meter Monitor:

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: HomeNetwork
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: dxc.hamserve.uk
Cluster Port: 7300
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: K3ABC/2
Band Filter: accept/spot 0 freq 15m
Display Title: 15M
Device Name: dxspotter-15m
Timezone: US Eastern (EST/EDT)
Scroll Interval: 10000
Maximum Spots: 5
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Device 3 - 10 Meter Monitor:

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: HomeNetwork
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: dxc.hamserve.uk
Cluster Port: 7300
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: K3ABC/3
Band Filter: accept/spot 0 freq 10m
Display Title: 10M
Device Name: dxspotter-10m
Timezone: US Eastern (EST/EDT)
Scroll Interval: 10000
Maximum Spots: 5
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Note

Notice how each device uses a unique:

  • Callsign: K3ABC, K3ABC/2, K3ABC/3 (prevents duplicate login)

  • Device Name: dxspotter-20m, dxspotter-15m, dxspotter-10m (easy network identification)

  • Band Filter: Different band for each monitor

Example 5: Contest Station

Use Case: Multi-band contest operation with quick updates.

Configuration:

WiFi SSID: ContestWiFi
WiFi Password: ********
Cluster Host: wa9pie.net
Cluster Port: 7300
Protocol: TCP/Telnet
Callsign: K3LR
Band Filter: (blank - all bands)
Display Title: Contest
Device Name: contest
Timezone: US Eastern (EST/EDT)
Scroll Interval: 5000
Maximum Spots: 15
Display Rotation: Normal (0 degrees)

Saving Configuration Changes

After making any configuration changes:

  1. Review Your Settings

    Double-check all fields before saving.

  2. Click "Save Configuration"

    The button is at the bottom of the configuration page.

  3. Wait for Confirmation

    You'll see a success message or confirmation.

  4. Automatic Behavior

    • If WiFi credentials changed: Device will reboot in 3 seconds

    • If only cluster/display settings changed: Device will reconnect without rebooting

    • Spot history will be cleared if the band filter changed

  5. Verify Operation

    After saving, verify that:

    • WiFi reconnects successfully

    • DX cluster connection is established

    • Spots begin appearing with your new settings

Configuration Backup

The DX Spotter stores all configuration in the ESP32's non-volatile storage (NVS). This means:

  • Settings persist through power cycles

  • No battery needed to maintain configuration

  • Settings survive firmware updates (in most cases)

Note

If you perform a factory reset or send the serial R command, all settings will be erased and the device will return to initial configuration mode.

What's Next?

Now that you understand all configuration options, learn about: