| WR3Y |
Rating:      |
2003-11-05 | |
| Simply the best! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I can't say how impressed I am with this program. It is so powerful and so easy to customize! I am comiing from using Logic and I can tell you there is no comparison. DXBase is SO much easier to use! I wish I had bought this years ago. I had no problem importing 4000+ Q's or my CQWW logs. I did somehow erase one of my toolbars by mistake and I emailed DXBase(on the weekend no less) and got an immediate response. I am not real experienced with software and they suggested I call. I did and Jack had the problem fixed for me in 5 minutes on the phone. I was really impressed. I would still be waiting for any answer from my old software company. In fact they never responded to my last email, which caused me to switch. Great move, should have done it earlier! Great job! |
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| WX2K |
Rating:      |
2002-04-08 | |
| Performs Well! |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
I recently decided to upgrade my previous logging program with one providing more features & functionality, with greater statistical reporting capability. The new logging program had to operate in a true 32-bit Windows environment, have an HF radio interface, log both the transmit & receive frequencies for each QSO, contain fields for the QSL sent & received dates, contain a field for transmitter power and have an automatically assigned “QSO number” field. It also had to have the ability to be customized to display only the fields that I need, allow the form of the date field to be selectable (i.e. DD-MM-YYYY, MM-DD-YYYY or YYYY-MM-DD) and have at least two “user defined” fields.
Given these requirements, I narrowed my choice to Dxbase 2002. In order to gain confidence in using it, I made parallel log entries for over a week in my previous logging program, just in case something unexpected happened...although it never did! A hard copy of the user’s manual is not provided, but the help file contained on the CD-ROM is clear, concise and easy to navigate. Heeding the advice given, I did spend time reviewing each topic until it was thoroughly understood.
One important point to keep in mind is that the database is big! Although easy to backup on Zip, tape or optical media, copying to floppy will require multiple disks and the appropriate utility program to split the large database file.
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| WB8IZM |
Rating:      |
2002-03-13 | |
| I really enjoy this logging software |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
| I was forced into buying a new software program when I upgraded to XP. I bought DXBase 2002 on the recommendation of my local DX brethren. Like my old program, DXBase adds up all my country and state totals. But this goes so much further with the internet interface and lookups to compare the DX Spot to my confirmed countries. There are so many more features that I am anxious to learn and use too. Overall, I am very pleased and find it well worth the money. |
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| KK2QQ |
Rating:   |
2002-02-09 | |
| DXBase 2002 - Better, but still needs some work. |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
Now I've been using this software since DxBase 98 and I must agree that this software is very complex and does take some getting used to. To clarify, I develop software for a living and I find this software difficult to figure out at times.
For example: It took me almost a full day to figure out how to print out a single QSL card. Not very easy to find which combination of menu choices and dialog boxes to yield a single card. Who would of thought it would be called a "Page Label" -- See what I mean!
Also I believe that DXBase2002 was released too early. It's got a lot of nice new features, but I've seen many blatant bugs in older features. One of them, causes the automatic tracking/recognition of of the callsign QTH (Country, etc.) based on whatever entry within the program you're currently highlighting to freeze up. I have to restart the program to get it back. This tracking of the callsign QTH is, btw, one of its best features.
Custom arrangement of the toolbars is also really whacked. Try and set up the configuration they show in the screen shot on their website. Took me over two hours to get the toolbars to align properly. That shouldn't be that way.
Finally, but most importantly the PSK31 Program which they've added this version is a joke -- full of bugs and a very "sorry integration." Inclusion of this program was the main reason I recently upgraded, but the value obviously hasn't come through. It's obviously a quick and dirty knock-off of the WinPSK program built using the ActiveX control that's available for developers. There are several serious bugs:
First, there is no built in launch integration from the DXBase main program. I actually thought they would integrate it as a MDI child window -- that would've been sweet. However, it's only launchable from the windows start menu or by figuring out how to add it to the Programs Customize menu.
Second, if you resize the TX and RX text windows, they stop scrolling after they fill up -- this makes the program unusable once you experience it.
Finally, when you fill in the QSO form in the PSK screen and hit the "log" button: It doesn't log the mode as PSK and it doesn't log the frequency! Go Figure.
To sum up: Adding new features to software is great, but you can't break existing features or add bugs that cause existing perception to fail. That's how you lose customers.
One feature suggestion for future versions: Allow capability for Kenwood TS-2000 be able to both log/operate the radio AND do VHF/UHF packet through the same Com Port.
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| W5PUG |
Rating:   |
2002-02-09 | |
| Hope you are patient |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This is by far and away the hardest software program (not just ham radio, I mean all programs) that I have ever used. I have DXBase 2002, and it must be buggy.
The help menu often refers to pull down menu commands which are not easily found. I had been away for a few years, and had to log a lot of old qso's by hand. Did it once before in Hyperlog, and it was smooth and easy. A real pain in DXBase.
If you have LOTS of time on your hands to learn it, and don't mind going to the help menu most of the time you sit down to the rig, go for it. If you're in to graphic design of your labels, and you can figure out how to design the labels, go for it. Just don't expect any help from the help menu.
On the other hand, if you want a program that lets you spend time on the air (I have a job and a family) instead of trying to figure the complex thing out, get something simpler. I've been trying to print labels for a week now, without much success. I can use Adobe PhotoShop, Excel, MS PowerPoint, Access and a host of other programs by learning as I go. Not this monster. |
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| AB7SL |
Rating:      |
2001-07-11 | |
| The Cadillac of loggers! |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have run DXBase since the 2000 version and have since upgraded to 2001 and now 2002. Two things really standout about DXBase 2002...the professional look and feel and power of this logging software is very top-notch. It does EVERYTHING! It is so versatile that it meets the needs of the serious DX'er as well as being simply so easy to log QSO...
The second thing is the superb support from Jack Lennox and his staff. I have owned many other logging programs through the years...none of the others come close...I know ..I've tried them.
" DXBase 2002 is The Cadillac of all loggers!!" |
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| K1GD |
Rating:      |
2001-07-11 | |
| Excellent Logging tool - None Better |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
| I have used the dxbase logging software for the past 4 years and am currently using the 2002 version. This software does it all and is very easy to use. It is easily customised to the individual operators needs and can also have multiple data bases for different operators. The few problems I have encountered have been addressed quickly by the company, who I have found to be very interested in my needs and concerns. NOTHING ELSE COMES CLOSE!!! A++++++++ |
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| W1MCE |
Rating:      |
2001-07-11 | |
| VG to excellent logging program |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I've been using DXbase for three years.I uppgraded about 1 year ago to DXbase 2000 and am totally satisfied. I recently transferred all files (88 megabytes) from a 233 MHz pentium desktop to a Windows 98 environment notebook computer (Compaq 1200). The transfer worked without a single 'hic-cup', everything went very smoothly.
I use the program for all DX contacts. QSO labels and return address labels print with ease. The correlation files between QSO labels and QSL managers is an excellent feature. My full DXCC status is kept current automatically in the data base. Additionally, IOTA, WAS, 10-10, etc are kept updated automatically.
The sub windows, HF summary and previous QSO are always active and provide very useful information. HF summary gives range and bearing data, QSL status on the DX entity (worked and confirmed/not confirmed) by band and mode.
On line support via the DXbase reflector has been excellent with most questions answered within 24 hours. |
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| KE4WY |
Rating:      |
2001-07-11 | |
| Works Great |
Time Owned: more than 12 months. |
I have used DXBase 2000, 2001 and now 2002 and it has worked fine. It works fine with my CD Call book, in fact I copied it to my hard drive and set it up to read the CD info from the hard drive and it is able to read the info from the hard drive also.
I have never had a problem with this program trying a number of other programs before settling on this one.
I would buy again and plan on upgrading to the 2003 version as soon as it's available. |
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| W2PA |
Rating:      |
2001-01-21 | |
| Nice integrated package |
Time Owned: 0 to 3 months. |
This review is for DXBase 2001 plus the update downloaded from their site in late December 2000, running on a 400MHz Pentium-II laptop with Windows2000 and 290M memory.
Basically I really like this software. It's my first plunge into computer logging for non-contest operation and award tracking. I looked into most of the packages available and went with this one since it had good reviews and seemed to be the one written the closest attention to the Windows style.
It took me a few weeks over the holidays to enter in my contacts back to about 1989 (I've been licensed since 1969 so I've still got a way to go with this) plus all of my QSLs. Now it's really nice to be able to track DXCC with it and manage QSLs. It's also extremely cool to be able to QSY to a packet spot, capture a spot from the radio, have a new log entry automatically take information from the radio, etc. Fully connected with a transceiver and the packet cluster, it makes a really nice combination.
I like being able to tailor the arrangement of windows on the screen. You can set it up the way you like it and rapidly get familiar with the arrangement so operating becomes natural. You get a lot more information into a screenful with DXBase than with the other logging programs I've tried.
DXing with the packet cluster is pretty nice. You can monitor a VHF packet cluster node and an Internet cluster at the same time in separate windows. Selection of filters (band, mode, etc.) for cluster spots is easy and versatile. Spots that get through your filters (from either VHF or Internet or both) appear in the DXInfo window and also can make a sound (from a selectable wav file). You can even have it announce the spot in voice so that if you're across the room you can hear it. If you want you can replace the voice with your kid's voice (cool!) or your voice or anyone's if you take the time to re-record all of the phoenetic letters and numbers and substitute the files (you need to do this outside of DXBase). If you see a spot you want, you click on it and your radio goes there in a snap. DXBase tries to interpret the DX spot comments to some degree; for example, if it says QSX 14.205, it'll set your auxiliary VFO to the transmit frequency and the main VFO to the spot frequency - nice. It doesn't always get it right though. If the spot just says QSX 205 it'll tune your transmitter to 205kHz ;-). Understandable since there's no standard format for comments. Same thing if you originate a spot - if you're working split, it will fill in the comment field appropriately. Another nice feature is that it separates out the messages from valid spots so the only thing that appears in the spots view are the ones you need - the messages all go to the messages tab. Everything still appears untouched and unfiltered in the cluster window.
Entering QSO data is fairly straightforward but it takes getting used to. I think they could spend some time on usability improvement here. You set it up a bit differently for entering past QSOs than when entering QSOs in real-time. The most automated way is to type in the call, hit tab, and let it fill in almost everything else. When you do, it shows you a list of previous QSOs with that station, if any. (I've noticed a lot of people using a similar feature lately - they'll greet you with your name before you even give it. You can interface it to a variety of external callsign databases and programs too.) It also updates other windows at this point: the HF Summary shows worked/confirmed indicators for the country or state or zone or whatever, that you just worked; the General Info window shows QSL manager information if available (and you can update it if not). There is a "Contest Mode" selectable that works okay for casual operation but is not very useful or usable for high intensity operation. You really need a logger meant for contesting - besides, DXBase will import your contest logs just fine if they are saved in a common format.
DXBase will send CW for you from the keyboard (either character by character or line by line). It'll also control your rotator if it has an interface (mine doesn't).
The DX Info window will also show you grey line countries/cities as a list. A map would be nicer but this is fine.
I haven't yet tried out the customized list or QSL labelling features (waiting for my new cards to arrive) but they look quite useful.
The help facility is fairly complete, indexed, and easy to navigate. It looks like you'd expect a Windows help file to look. You can download a free copy of it to browse (but there's no free demo version of the actual program available).
Let me temper this positive review with a few negative comments. First, don't believe all the hype on their web site. While this is a very nicely done package, it doesn't exactly live up to their exaggerated claims of professional quality. DXBase is not as bug-free, quirk-free, or inconsistency-free as commercial packages you might be using such as Excel, Word, etc. (example: cut/paste doesn't work in some of the text fields in the QSO log) and I was able to get it to "hang" a few times. But that's really okay with me - I wouldn't expect that from a ham radio product with a smaller development budget and much smaller number of customers. I would not have even mentioned it in this review except for the fact that they seem to stress it so very much on their web site. They ought to know better. Maybe I might be more critical than most since I work in the software industry, but they really asked for it with all the hyperbole. I gave them a 5, grading on a curve with their direct competitors (not the big software vendors, else they'd have gotten a 3) and because 4.5 wasn't an option (nothing's ever perfect). I had no problem compiling a list of bugs and quirks that I will send in when my rate of finding them quiets down a bit and I try more features. To be fair, some turned out not to be bugs but problems in the way I was using it (one could, though, argue about this from a usability standpoint). I plan to use DXBase for a long time and will try to be as constructive as possible with what I end up sending them.
Another thing that left a bad taste in my mouth was how non relevant things show up in your face from the "tip of the day" feature. Don't get me wrong - it is a very nice feature when you're just beginning. It's similar to what you might have seen with other Windows programs. But these guys have gone a little beyond helpful hints. For example, one popped up with (they all start with "Did you know..."): "If you enjoy this software we encourage you to brag about it to others. More customers means lower prices for you." - pretty tacky! It left me with the question: have prices really dropped as their customer base has grown in size? There was also this tip: "If you give a copy of this software to someone else, you have committed a crime punishable by a fine and imprisonment." - Threatening your customers with prison in the tip of the day is not the way to enlist evangelists! Sheesh.
The bottom line is the more I use DXBase the more I like it. I have indeed recommended it to friends (do I get a price break now? ;-) and I'm looking forward to the next update. Keep up the good work, guys, but do a little re-writing on your web site.
Chris, W2PA |
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