If you want to check the country database (or your log) for errors, you'll need to
follow the following steps, described in more detail below:
- Export your log, using your current country file
- Download and install the new country file
- Import your log
- Generate logbook of errors
Note that the procedure described below is only for analyzing country file
differences. There is no need to export/import when installing a new
country file.
Flam, OZ1AXG wrote a utility to identify logbook differences between two
country files by exporting your log in ADIF format. You can download his program
by following this link.
Detailed Instructions
- Export your log using your old (current) country file. This will create a log
containing all your country mappings.
In the main DX4WIN menu, go to File | Import/Export. After the filters come
up, select the
highest-number DX4WIN# format available. Now in the Import/Export
Filters window, go to File | Export.
Save the log under any name (I use my callsign). Note this log is a different
format than the .DXL file (with a different extension), so it's OK to use
the same name as your log, just do NOT give it a .DXL extension and
over-write your log!
- Exit DX4WIN
- Copy your existing DX4WIN.CTY file from the SAVE directory to your
..\BACKUP directory. Newer installations of DX4WIN may not have this
directory. If it doesn't already exist, create it yourself.
- Download and install the new country file by following the instructions
here
- Start DX4WIN
- In your preferences, on the Import tab, ensure that "Accept DX4WIN
values" is selected, and all three boxes are checked. If you make any
changes, be sure to save them!
- Then File | New to create a new log. Pick a different (unused) name than
before. You will probably not want to keep this log.
- Import your log using the new country file. This will identify any changes
in your country mappings.
In the main DX4WIN menu, go to File | Import/Export. After the filters come
up, select the highest-number DX4WIN# format available (the same format you
used to export the log in step #1 above). Now in the
Import/Export Filters window, go to File | Import. Double-click on the name of the file
you exported in step #1 above - it should have a .DXQ extension. Note the number
of import errors that were detected.
- Now in this new log, use the F8 key to search the "Notes for this QSO" field for the word
"import" (version 8) or "error" (version 7 or earlier).
You will probably see some differences. In my own log, I had 3
differences out of 65K QSOs. Your mileage may vary. Check the differences
against your QSL card collection. If you think they are real errors, please
let me know. Many errors will be Zone errors, but the ones I'm most interested are
the Pfx errors.
- Bring up the Logbook Editor (Window|Logbook). This will already be
filtered to show only the error QSOs. Right-click on the logbook window and
use the Report Editor to display only the following columns:
Callsign
Date
Country
Zone
Conf
QSO Notes
- Right-click on the report and select "Write to File". Give
it a name (like your callsign).
- Using a spreadsheet program like Microsoft Excel
(you can also use a plain text editor, but the fields are harder to see),
examine the file for differences. The "Country" column reflects the entity
in the new database, and "OtherPFX" errors in the "QSO Notes" column
reflect the entity in the old database. In most cases, the new
database will be correct. If you think it is not correct, verify the
QSO with a QSL. If the QSL does not match the new database, please send me
the details: callsign (as printed on the QSL), date, entity or island name
(from the QSL card) and any
other supporting information like CQ zone, IOTA, oblast, etc. Please don't
send me the entire .CSV file, I do not have time to re-verify all the changes.
If you want to restore your old country file when you are done, exit DX4WIN, copy the DX4WIN.CTY file from your ..\BACKUP
directory (see #3 above) back to your SAVE directory, restart DX4WIN and open your original log.