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Configuration

Florian Thienel edited this page May 30, 2024 · 16 revisions

The configuration is stored in file ~/.config/hamradio/hellocontest.json. It contains the defaults for contest settings and the configuration of hardware and connections to other systems (for example dx clusters). Everything that is related to a contest is stored within the contest log file (see contest settings).

The file is loaded only once when Hello Contest is started. If you change it while Hello Contest is running, you need to restart the application to see the effects of your configuration changes.

If the file is missing when Hello Contest is started, it is automatically created and filled with a default configuration.

There is currently no way to change the configuration through the UI of Hello Contest, but you can open it in a text editor from the main menu (File > Open Configuration File...).

Default Directory for Log Files

This is the directory that the file selection dialog starts in, whenever you want to open or save a contest log file.

"log_directory": "$HOME/"

Listening Port for HamDXMap

Hello Contest allows to connect with a locally opened instance of [F5UII's HamDXMap] to show the currently worked station on the map. To activate this feature, set the ham_dx_map_port setting and enter the same port number in HamDXMap.

"ham_dx_map_port": 17300

Be aware that this parameter takes an integer value greater than zero (not a string). If this parameter is not set, or is set to zero, the websocket endpoint will not be started.

Default Station Information

This station information is used when you reset the contest settings. The callsign field contains the callsign that you are actually using in the contest (for example a club call), while the operator field contains your personal callsign. The locator field contains your maidenhead locator that is used to calculate the beam direction and distance to other stations.

"station": {
	"callsign": "DL0ABC",
	"operator": "DL1ABC",
	"locator": "AA00xx"
}

Default Contest Settings

"contest": {
	"name": "Default",
	"qsos_goal": 48,
	"points_goal": 60,
	"multis_goal": 12
}

Radio Configuration

You can configure several radios, the one that is actively used by Hello Contest is selected in the main menu (Radio > ...). Hello Contest can either use the "Hamlib NET rigctl" protocol ("type": "hamlib") or the TCI protocol ("type": "tci") to connect to the radio.

For each radio, you can define which keyer hardware is used for this radio. If the radio has a keyer that can be used over CAT, use "keyer": "radio". Otherwise just use the name of the keyer hardware configuration.

For TCI radios that can have multiple "TRX", you can select the trx to be used in the radio's "options" section (see the example below). By default the TRX number 0 is used.

"radios": [
	{
		"name": "Hamlib Radio",
		"type": "hamlib",
		"address": "localhost:4532",
		"keyer": "local cwdaemon"
	},
	{
		"name": "TCI Radio",
		"type": "tci",
		"address": "localhost:40001",
		"keyer": "radio",
		"options": {
			"trx": "1"
		}
	}
]

Keyer Hardware Configuration

You can configure several keyer hardware. Currently only the type cwdaemon can be used. Support for winkeyer will be added in the future.

"keyers": [
	{
		"name": "Local CWDaemon",
		"type": "cwdaemon",
		"address": "localhost:6789"
	}
]

Keyer Settings

These settings are used to initialize the keyer settings of a new contest. If you change the speed or the keyer macros later in the contest, those settings are persisted and used from then on.

"keyer_settings": {
	"wpm": 25,
	"preset": "Default",
}

Keyer Presets

Keyer presets are a named set of keyer macros for s&p and run working mode. Hello Contest currently supports four macros per working mode. You can select the active preset in the main window. If you make any changes to the macros in the main window, those changes are stored with the contest data.

"keyer_presets": [
	{
		"name": "Default",
		"sp_macros": [
			"{{.MyCall}}",
			"rr {{.MyReport}} {{.MyNumber}} {{.MyXchange}}",
			"tu gl",
			"nr {{.MyNumber}} {{.MyXchange}} {{.MyNumber}} {{.MyXchange}}"
		],
		"run_macros": [
			"cq {{.MyCall}} test",
			"{{.TheirCall}} {{.MyReport}} {{.MyNumber}} {{.MyXchange}}",
			"tu {{.MyCall}} test",
			"nr {{.MyNumber}} {{.MyXchange}} {{.MyNumber}} {{.MyXchange}}"
		]
	}
]

The following placeholders can be used:

Placeholder Description
MyCall the station callsign
MyReport my report
MyNumber my QSO number, using t for 0 and n for 9
MyXchange all configured exchange fields concatenated, except report and number
MyExchange all configured exchange fields concatenated, including report and number
MyExchange_n_ the n-th configured exchange field, as is (for example MyExchange1)
MyExchange_n_Number the n-th configured exchange field as number, using t for 0 and n for 9 (for example MyExchange1Number)
TheirCall their callsign

Spot Liftime

The default lifetime of a spot. If there are no new spots for a station for this period, the spot is removed from the spot list.

"spot_lifetime": "10m"

Spot Sources

You can configure several sources for spots which can be activated in the main menu (Bandmap > ...). Multiple spot sources can be active at the same time.

Spots can be filtered: "filter": "continent" accepts only spots from the same continent as the station's callsign, "filter": "country" accepts only from the same country.

Hello Contest distinguishes between different types of spot sources, where each type has a certain degree of reliability and a color code assigned. When a spot is coming from multiple sources, the color of this spot is determined by its most reliable source.

Spot Type Color Description
worked gray already worked station
manual white manually marked in the bandmap (Bandmap > Mark in Bandmap)
skimmer fuchsia a locally running skimmer that only spots stations you can actually hear
rbn yellow a dx cluster that provides spots from remotely running rbn skimmers
cluster cyan a dx cluster that provides spots reported by humans
"spot_sources": [
	{
		"name": "Skimmer",
		"type": "skimmer",
		"host_address": "localhost:7373",
		"username": "dl0abc"
	},
	{
		"name": "W3LPL",
		"type": "rbn",
		"host_address": "w3lpl.net:7373",
		"username": "dl0abc",
		"filter": "continent"
	}
]