# Configuration > 🇬🇧 You are reading the English version | 🇩🇪 [Deutsche Version](de-Konfiguration) 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\\.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](client_settings_window_station.png) ### 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 The **My station uses …** checkboxes define the bands available in the current local station setup. Supported choices are 50 MHz, 70 MHz, 144 MHz, 432 MHz, 1296 MHz, 2320 MHz, 3400 MHz, 5760 MHz and 10 GHz. This selection controls more than the visible band columns. It is also used for: - the per-band Worked and NOT-QRV filters, - the NOT-QRV controls visible in the **Further Info** panel, - the `a` and `B+` band-opportunity calculation, - the **New bands** filter, - the band-upgrade hint after a log entry, and - band-specific priority and Reachability functions. After a change, click **Save Settings** and restart KST4Contest. Band columns and several related controls are created while the user interface is being built and are therefore not added or removed completely during the current session. ### Antenna Beamwidth Enter a realistic value for your antenna's beamwidth (in degrees). This value is used for the [Sked Direction Highlighting](en-Features#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. ### Path Analysis and Link Budget The station map uses several values from the **Station** tab to calculate the terrain profile and link budget for the selected remote station. Enter the local station data as realistically as possible. The remote-station values remain global assumptions unless more accurate information is available. | Setting | Use | |---|---| | **Own antenna height AGL** | Height of the local antenna above the surrounding terrain in metres | | **Own TX power W** | Local transmit power in watts | | **Own ant. gain dBi** | Gain of the local antenna in dBi | | **DX OM TX power W** | Assumed transmit power of the remote station in watts | | **DX OM ant. gain dBi** | Assumed antenna gain of the remote station in dBi | **AGL** means *Above Ground Level*. Do not enter the height above sea level. The terrain elevation at the local station already comes from the elevation profile; KST4Contest adds the configured antenna height to this value. For the remote station, KST4Contest currently uses a fixed antenna height of 10 metres above the local terrain. Its transmit power and antenna gain come from the two **DX OM** fields. These values are deliberately assumptions: ON4KST provides neither the actual antenna height nor the complete station data of the remote operator. Antenna gains must be entered in `dBi`. Add `2.15 dB` before entering a value specified in `dBd`: ```text dBi = dBd + 2.15 dB ``` The current QTF, configured antenna beamwidth and default maximum QRB affect the map display. The bands enabled for the local station and the frequency derived for the remote station also affect the selection of the analysis frequency. For the terrain profile, KST4Contest uses the antenna heights, elevation model and Earth curvature with a fixed effective Earth-radius factor of `k = 4/3`. The link budget additionally includes: - distance and the current analysis frequency, - transmit powers and antenna gains in both directions, - frequency-dependent estimated feeder losses, - free-space path loss, and - a rough additional loss caused by the relevant obstruction in the terrain profile. The calculation is performed in both directions. The weaker direction determines the common SSB or CW margin. Optimistic power or antenna values therefore improve the displayed result, but they do not improve the real radio path. The results remain engineering estimates. Current propagation conditions, local obstructions, vegetation, buildings, interference and unknown station parameters can change the actual result considerably. Operation, frequency selection and the limits of the calculation are described under [Station Map and Path Analysis](en-Features#station-map-and-path-analysis-from-v141). --- ## Server Settings (from v1.31) The connection details for the ON4KST chat server are shown at the top of the **Station** tab. They normally do not need to be changed. | Setting | Meaning | |---|---| | **ON4KST server** | DNS name or IP address of the chat server; the software default is `www.on4kst.org` | | **Port** | TCP port of the chat server; the default is `23001` | `www.on4kst.info` may also remain in an existing, working configuration. There is no reason to change it merely because the displayed name differs from the software default, provided that the chat connection remains reliable. These values apply only to the outgoing ON4KST chat connection. They do not change the local DX cluster server or any connection to AirScout, PSTRotator or logging software. The port must be between `1` and `65535`. An invalid entry is rejected and replaced with the last valid value. An incorrect server name or port, on the other hand, prevents KST4Contest from connecting to the chat. Changing either value does not alter an existing TCP connection. Disconnect and reconnect the chat, or restart KST4Contest. Then use **Save Settings** so that the values are retained for the next program start. --- ## Log Sync Settings The **Log sync** tab selects the sources from which KST4Contest imports worked stations. The three input paths provide different levels of detail: ![Log synchronisation settings](client_settings_window_logsync.png) | Input path | Data used | Result in KST4Contest | |---|---|---| | **Simplelogfile** | Callsigns read from a selected file | global Worked status, but no band or locator information | | **General QSO UDP listener** | QSO packets from UCXLog, QARTest, N1MM+ and DXLog.net | global and per-band Worked status plus worked grid square where both band and locator are transmitted | | **Win-Test network listener** | native Win-Test network packets | global and per-band Worked status, locator information and, depending on the settings, QRG synchronisation and sked handover | The file-based interpreter is mainly useful when the logging application provides no supported network interface. A callsign match alone, however, contains neither a reliable band nor a locator. Use one of the network listeners wherever possible if per-band information is required. The general QSO UDP listener is the recommended interface for UCXLog, QARTest, N1MM+ and DXLog.net. QSO and `RadioInfo` packets use the same configurable UDP port; the default is `12060`. Separate options in **Log sync** and **TRX sync** determine whether the received QSO and frequency information is processed. Win-Test uses its own network protocol and therefore has a separate listener. Its default port is `9871`. If this port is changed while the listener is enabled, KST4Contest restarts the Win-Test listener on the new port. After changing the shared UDP port `12060`, KST4Contest must instead be restarted completely. All enabled input paths may be used in parallel. Their Worked information is merged into the same internal database; identical reports do not create separate Worked states. KST4Contest must be running when a QSO is saved unless the logging application can resend the existing log. Configuration of the individual logging applications, band and locator handling, and the Win-Test sked handover are described under [Log Synchronisation](en-Log-Sync). --- ## 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](en-AirScout-Integration). --- ## Notification Settings ![Notifications, DX cluster output and QSO monitoring](client_settings_window_notification.png) 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. ### Fallback Band for Relative QRG Detection The **Fallback band for relative QRG detection** dropdown selects the band used when a relative QRG cannot be assigned to a recent station-specific band context. Only band prefixes supported by the frequency parser are available: ```text 50 MHz 70 MHz 144 MHz 432 MHz 1296 MHz 2320 MHz 3400 MHz 5760 MHz 10368 MHz (10G) 24048 MHz (24G) ``` The dropdown is neither a filter nor an override for complete frequencies. `432.088` is recognised as a frequency in the 432 MHz band regardless of the selection. The fallback is needed for relative values such as `.205`, `,205` or `qrg 205`. Before using the fallback, KST4Contest checks the sender's recent band context. If a complete frequency has been detected for the same station during the previous 30 minutes, that band takes precedence. A fallback setting of `144 MHz` therefore still turns `.100` into `432.100 MHz` if the station mentioned `432.088` shortly before. Although the setting is located in the Notification tab, it affects the general QRG parser. It therefore influences the QRG column, detected active bands, priority calculations, band-upgrade hints and other functions which use a known station frequency – not only DX cluster spots. ### Band Upgrade Hint after a Log Entry After receiving a log entry from UCXLog or Win-Test, KST4Contest can check whether the station which has just been worked still offers another common and unworked band. The check uses the same derivation as the `a` and `B+` display: 1. the bands enabled in the local station settings, 2. QRGs detected for the remote station during the previous 30 minutes, 3. explicit band designators in the name fields of its active chat entries, 4. stored per-band Worked marks, and 5. manually assigned NOT-QRV marks. Active chat variants of the same normalised callsign are evaluated together. NOT-QRV takes precedence over an automatically detected QRG or band designator. If at least one common and unworked band remains, the main window displays a blinking **BAND+** hint for approximately twelve seconds. The callsign and remaining bands are included in the button text; the tooltip contains the complete derivation. If general notification sounds are enabled, KST4Contest also plays a short sound. The two options serve different purposes: - **Blink + sound …** enables the hint after a matching log entry. - **Priority boost …** additionally raises the score of stations which have already been worked on at least one band but still offer another common and unworked band. The Priority Boost is only one factor in the complete calculation. Distance, antenna direction, recent activity, AirScout data, skeds and negative hints may still change the final order. Enabling the option therefore guarantees neither a particular score nor a particular position in the priority list. The other score weights currently have no separate user-interface controls. Several existing settings nevertheless provide input data for the calculation, particularly the [active bands](#active-bands), [antenna beamwidth](#antenna-beamwidth), [default maximum QRB](#default-maximum-qrb) and [AirScout settings](#airscout-settings). The complete calculation is described under [Priority Score and Priority List](en-Features#priority-score-and-priority-list-from-v140). The hint requires a log-synchronisation source which provides band information. The file-based callsign interpreter sees callsigns only and cannot reliably identify the band of the QSO which has just been logged. Further explanation: [Band Upgrade Hint after a Log Entry](en-Features#band-upgrade-hint-after-a-log-entry). --- ## 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](en-Macros-and-Variables#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 ` --- ## 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) The Win-Test network listener processes the native Win-Test UDP protocol. It is independent of the general QSO UDP listener on port `12060` and has three separate tasks: - processing QSOs including band and locator information, - processing STATUS packets for the local QRG, and - handing skeds over to the Win-Test network. ### Log sync settings | Setting | Function | |---|---| | **Receive Win-Test network based UDP log messages** | Enables the Win-Test network listener. When the listener is enabled, pressing **Create sked** also attempts the Win-Test handover. | | **UDP-Port for Win-Test listener** | Port used by the Win-Test network. The default is `9871`. The same port is used for the sked handover. | | **KST station name in Win-Test network (src of SKED packets)** | Station name used by KST4Contest when sending sked packets. A unique name should be used in a network containing several clients. | | **Win-Test network broadcast address** | Destination address for outgoing Win-Test network packets. In a local network, the address must be reachable by the Win-Test computer. | The broadcast address is configurable because `255.255.255.255` is not forwarded reliably through every station network or network interface. In a multi-computer setup, the directed broadcast address belonging to the station network may be required instead. ### TRX sync settings | Setting | Function | |---|---| | **Win-Test STATUS QRG Sync** | Takes the current frequency from Win-Test STATUS packets and uses it as the local QRG. | | **Use pass frequency from Win-Test STATUS** | Uses the transmitted pass frequency instead of the normal TRX QRG. | | **Win-Test station name filter** | Only processes STATUS packets from the specified Win-Test station. An empty field accepts every station name. | The station filter is particularly useful when several Win-Test clients are active. Without a filter, the most recently received STATUS packet from another operating position can overwrite the local QRG in KST4Contest. ### Sked handover There is no separate internal sked mode for the Win-Test handover. When the listener is enabled, **Create sked** attempts the Win-Test transfer in addition to creating the internal sked. KST4Contest only sends an `ADDSKED` packet when it can determine a QRG which belongs to the explicitly selected band. If no matching QRG is available, the internal sked remains intact and the Win-Test handover is omitted. `SSB` or `CW` is selected directly in the Further Info section when the sked is created. No automatic mode inference is used. Click **Save Settings** after making changes so that the port, station name, broadcast address and TRX options are restored at the next start. Data handling and QRG selection: [Log Synchronisation – Win-Test](en-Log-Sync#win-test) --- ## 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. --- ## GUI Settings: Band-Column Hints Two optional additions to the band columns can be enabled or disabled in the **GUI** tab: - **Show "o" in band columns …** displays an `o` if the four-character grid square has already been worked on the relevant band. Disabling the option does not delete any database records; it only hides the additional indicator in the band columns. `wkdany` is unaffected. - **Show "a" in band columns …** distinguishes a completely new callsign from a band opportunity involving a callsign already worked elsewhere. When disabled, both cases are displayed as `B+`. The band-opportunity calculation itself remains unchanged. Changes are reflected in the current user interface immediately. Click **Save Settings** afterwards if they should persist after the next start. ![GUI settings for band-column hints](client_settings_window_gui.png) --- ## Worked Station Database Settings The internal SQLite database stores contest-related state independently of the logging application's database: - the global Worked status of a callsign, - Worked status per band, - manually assigned NOT-QRV marks per band, and - worked four-character grid squares per band. The normalised callsign, without visible chat brackets or category formatting, is used as the key. This allows active variants of the same callsign to be evaluated consistently. Worked and NOT-QRV information expires automatically three days after its most recent change. Stored grid squares expire three days after the corresponding log entry. A manual reset before every contest is therefore normally unnecessary. The **Reset worked, NOT-QRV and grid data...** button removes every Worked mark, NOT-QRV mark and stored worked grid square. A confirmation dialog is displayed first. Known callsign rows remain in the database; only the contest-related state is reset. A reset is useful when you deliberately want to start with an empty contest state or have imported test data. It is not intended as a daily maintenance step. Display and derivation: [Worked Callsigns, New Bands and New Grid Squares](en-Features#worked-callsigns-new-bands-and-new-grid-squares). --- ## 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\\.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.