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Features
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Overview of all main features of KST4Contest.
Sked Direction Highlighting
One of the core features: when a station makes a sked request towards your direction, it is highlighted green and bold in the user list.
How does it work?
The calculation is based on the following logic:
- When station A sends a sked request to station B, it is assumed that A is pointing its antenna towards B.
- If the resulting direction from A to your own station is within half the beamwidth of your own antenna, A is highlighted.
Example (beamwidth 69°, half-angle 34.5°):
| Situation | Result for DO5AMF in JN49 |
|---|---|
| Sked from F5FEN → DM5M | ✅ Highlighted (F5FEN points towards DM5M, close to JN49) |
| Sked from DM5M → F5FEN | ✅ Highlighted (DM5M replies towards F5FEN) |
| F1DBN is uninvolved | ❌ No highlighting |
| DO5AMF/P (different location) | ❌ No highlighting for sked reply |
The calculation does not include topographic path calculations – this is a deliberate simplification. It may be added in a future version.
Configuration: Configuration – Antenna Beamwidth
Sked Direction Spots (Built-in DX Cluster)
From v1.23: Direction warnings are forwarded as DX cluster spots to the logging software when a QRG is known. Details: DX Cluster Server.
QRG Detection (QRG Reading)
KST4Contest processes every line of text flowing through the channel and automatically extracts frequency references. These are displayed in the user list in the QRG column.
Recognised formats: 144.205, 432.088, .205 (with configured band assumption), etc.
Benefit: Without asking, you can directly look up a station's calling frequency and decide whether a contact is possible.
Worked Marking
Worked stations are visually marked in the user list – per band. Based on Log Synchronisation via UDP or Simplelogfile.
Reset the database before each contest: Configuration – Worked Station Database Settings.
NOT-QRV Tags (from v1.2)
When a station indicates it is not QRV on a specific band, this can be manually marked:
- Select the station in the user list.
- Right-click → Set NOT-QRV for the appropriate band.
These tags are stored in the internal database and persist after a KST4Contest restart. Can be reset via the settings.
Benefit: Prevents repeated sked requests on bands where the station is not active – saves time for both sides.
Direction Filter
Shows only stations in the user list that are located in a specific direction. Toggle using the N / NE / E / SE / S / SW / W / NW buttons or by entering degrees manually.
Useful: While calling CQ in a specific direction, only show stations in that direction.
Distance Filter
Hide stations beyond a maximum distance. The "Show only QRB [km] <=" button is a toggle.
Worked and NOT-QRV Filter
Toggle buttons (one per band) to hide already-worked stations and/or NOT-QRV-tagged stations. The filter takes effect immediately without manually reactivating (live since v1.22).
Coloured PM Rows (from v1.25)
New private messages appear in red. The colour fades every 30 seconds from yellow to white – like a rainbow fade. This makes it immediately clear how recent a message is.
(Idea by IU3OAR, Gianluca Costantino – thank you!)
PM Catching
Some users accidentally post direct messages publicly, e.g.:
(DM5M) pse ur qrg
KST4Contest detects such messages that contain your own callsign and automatically sorts them into the private messages table. No messages are missed this way.
Multi-Channel Login (from v1.26)
Simultaneous login to two chat categories (e.g. 144 MHz and 432 MHz). Both chats are monitored in parallel.
Dark Mode (from v1.26)
Toggle via: Window → Use Dark Mode
For individual colour adjustments: edit the CSS file (path in the program settings).
Opposite Station Multi-Callsign Login Tagging (from v1.26)
Support for stations that are active in the chat with multiple callsigns simultaneously (e.g. expedition setups).
QRZ.com and QRZ-CQ Profile Buttons (from v1.24)
For selected stations in the user list, there are direct buttons to open the QRZ.com profile and the QRZ-CQ profile in the browser.
Sked Reminders with ALERT (from v1.40)
A sked reminder service with automatic messages can be activated for each chat member. Configurable interval patterns:
- 2+1 minutes: Messages at 2 min and 1 min before the sked.
- 5+2+1 minutes: Messages at 5, 2 and 1 min before the sked.
- 10+5+2+1 minutes: Messages at 10, 5, 2 and 1 min before the sked.
In addition to the automated messages to the remote station, there is an acoustic and visual notification for your own operator so no sked is ever missed.
Activate from the FurtherInfo panel of the corresponding station.
QSO Sniffer (from v1.31)
The QSO sniffer monitors the chat for messages from a configurable callsign list and automatically forwards them to the PM window. This prevents relevant messages from being lost in the general chat traffic.
Configuration: Configuration – Sniffer Settings
Win-Test Integration (from v1.31, fully configurable from v1.40)
KST4Contest fully supports Win-Test as a logging programme:
- Log synchronisation: Worked stations are automatically retrieved from Win-Test and marked in the user list.
- Frequency parsing: The current TRX frequency is read from Win-Test UDP packets and populates the
MYQRGvariable. - Sked handover (SKED push via UDP): Agreed skeds from KST4Contest can be pushed directly to Win-Test, so the remote callsign appears in Win-Test's sked window.
Details: Configuration – Win-Test Network Listener
PSTRotator Interface (from v1.31, fully configurable from v1.40)
KST4Contest can control antenna direction directly via PSTRotator. When a station is selected in the user list, the rotator can automatically be turned to the QTF of the selected station.
Configuration: Configuration – PSTRotator Settings
Band Alert for New QSOs (from v1.40)
When a station is logged, KST4Contest automatically checks whether that station has shown any other active bands in the chat that you are also QRV on. If so, a hint alert appears so no multi-band opportunity is missed.
Worked Tag Lifetime (from v1.40)
Worked stations are automatically removed from the database after 3 days. Manually resetting the worked database before each contest is therefore no longer strictly necessary – the database keeps itself up to date.
Chatmember Score System / Priority List (from v1.40)
KST4Contest automatically calculates a priority score for each active chat member. The score is derived from:
- Antenna direction of the remote station (is it pointing towards me?)
- QRB (distance)
- Activity time and message count
- Active bands and frequencies
- AP availability (AirScout)
- Sked direction (degrees)
- Sked success rate and skedfail markings
The top candidates are highlighted in a dedicated priority list, helping you not to miss the most important contacts during contest stress.
Stations with a failed sked can be marked using the Skedfail button in the FurtherInfo panel – this temporarily lowers their score.
AP Timeline (from v1.40)
A visual timeline shows up to 4 highly-scored stations per minute slot that should be workable via aircraft scatter. Prioritisation criteria:
- Highest reflection potential is preferred (not necessarily the fastest arrival).
- Stations towards which your antenna is not pointing are shown transparently.
This gives the contest operator a quick overview of which stations will be reachable via which aircraft and at what time.
Interval Beacon
Automatic CQ messages in the public channel at a configurable interval. Recommended: use the MYQRG variable so the current frequency is always accurate. Details: Configuration – Beacon Settings.
Simplelogfile
File-based log evaluation using regex. Details: Log Synchronisation.
Cluster & QSO of Others
A separate window showing the QSO flow between other stations. Particularly interesting during quieter night-time hours of a contest. This window can be minimised when not needed. Future plan: filtering to stations in your selected QTF.