Manager


Manager - NA4M
Manager Notes

Reviews For: DX ToolBox

Category: Ham Software/Apps - Other than logging

eMail Subscription

Registered users are allowed to subscribe to specific review topics and receive eMail notifications when new reviews are posted.
Review Summary For : DX ToolBox
Reviews: 2MSRP: 19.99
Description:
DX Toolbox searches the web for you, gathering information on solar and
geomagnetic conditions that affect radio propagation. It's ideal for the ham
radio operator, shortwave listener, or other radio enthusiast, and is available
for Mac OS, Mac OS X, and Windows. It also offers several proagation forecast
tools, as well as grayline and grid maps.
Product is in production
More Info: http://www.blackcatsystems.com/software/dxtoolbox.html
# last 180 days Avg. Rating last 180 days Total reviews Avg. overall rating
0024
KW4CQ Rating: 2008-04-11
No Help file? Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
I think this program would find wider acceptance if the developer had included a help file or accompanying documentation that explained some of the features of this tool. For instance, what are the dB values shown in the Propagation maps in reference to? This tool had a lot of potential but it appears to be a "work in progress" effort, and it does need a lot more work.
ON4SKY Rating: 2004-07-28
Good fix ! Time Owned: 0 to 3 months.
Hi again,

Under specific environment (e.g. OS Windows XP English Home edition v2002) not all images that could be downloaded online in DX ToolBox 2.1.0 downloaded in the facts. Only the first or two first were downloaded but not the others.

Having reviewed the program in depth, I submitted the bug to the publisher immediately.

The problem was fixed les than 24 hours after I send the bug to Chris Smolinski! Congratulations for the fast customer service, fully satisfied, Hi!

The fix is available in the new beta 2.2.0 of the program. Contact the publisher (see his website or my review) to get access to his FTP server.
The fix is inserted in the large exe file.

In the same time Chris added some new functionalities as well. Good idea !
Buy it you will not disappointed !

Hope this helps.

73
Thierry, ON4SKY


----------------------
Earlier 5-star review posted by ON4SKY on 2004-07-26

Hi,

By chance browsing the Internet I found a small software that installed in a few seconds, required no instruction to be mastered; occupied about 14 MB on disk and called “DX ToolBox 2.1.0” from Black Cat Systems.

A lot of features are available in this nice propagation software at a few keystrokes.
Not only it is cheap and efficient but it provides a very intuitive graphical interface with maps, charts and reports.

If you want to understand figures its “litterature” is made for you, I mean all its warning messages and other status available in its Reports window. In addition tens of images will illustrate its most verbose text. And all this is accessible simply in clicking in submenus. That cannot be simpler !

If you don’t understand anything at all in the propagation, I make the bet that thanks to its graphical interface and dynamic windows this software will help you to understand better this complex subject, and that you will do a big …hop ahead, Hi !

Download and Purchase
“DX ToolBox” is free to try out and can be downloaded as a compressed Zip file of only 2.3 MB from the Internet. Some of its competitors are over three times bigger without offering more information. In this “free to try” version it displays at regularly interval a warning message. If you decide to continue using it, you can buy a copy for just $24.99, which gives you a registration code to remove the reminder messages (code to enter in Edit menu, Enter Registration Code).
“DX ToolBox” run on a single computer. If you wish to run it on multiple computers, you must obtain a license for each system, or the appropriate site license. Please contact Black Cat Systems for pricing and details about site licensing.

Last but not least, when you purchase you'll be entitled to use all new releases and updates to “DX ToolBox” released over the next year, free of charge.

I reviewed the product at http://www.astrosurf.com/lombry/qsl-soft-dx-toolbox.htm

73
Thierry, ON4SKY