Updated: 03 January 2022

This is the procedure to add a new entity in DX4WIN. Of course, you could just wait until Jim AD1C releases the updated country file.


Making a Backup

Before making any changes to your country file, it is best to make a backup copy of both your country file and your logbook. This way, if there are any errors, you can restore the previous versions of these files and try again.

Both of the files you need to save can be found in your DX4W###\SAVE directory:

DX4WIN.CTY
          <yourcall>.DXL

Exit DX4WIN, then copy both files to a safe place, preferably somewhere other than your hard drive (i.e. a floppy or USB device).

It is also useful to print out your DXCC status report (Reports -> DXCC -> Summary, then right-click and print) as a quick way to check your modified country file for errors.


Collecting the Data

You will need to obtain the following information for the new entity:

Often you can copy most of the information from a nearby entity that already exists, for example using the data from KH8, American Samoa as the basis for KH8/S, Swains Island. Two good sources for geographical information are:


Creating the New Entity

First, make sure you logbook is closed. DX4WIN will not allow you to edit the country database if the log is open.

Note that when filling in the form(s) below, you must use the same Date format that you have selected in your DX4WIN preferences:

          mm/dd/yyyy
          dd/mm/yyyy
          yyyy-mm-dd

Now from the main DX4WIN window, go to File -> Databases -> Countries and you should see the following window appear:

Country Editor

In the Country Editor window, click on Country -> Add and a form for the new entity will appear:

New Entity Entry Window

Fill in the data that you collected above. You must fill in the "Prefix", "Country name" and "Continent" fields, which are prefilled as shown above. Note that "Zone" refers to the CQ Zone. Here is the result of creating the new entity FJ, Saint Barthelemy:

FJ Entity

Once you have confirmed that the data you entered is correct, save the new entity using Country -> Update:

Saving the Updated Entity


Mapping Prefixes and/or Callsigns

Next, you must "teach" DX4WIN how to map prefixes and callsigns to the new entity. This is done through the "Mappings" (prefix) or "Callsigns" (callsigns) tabs in the Country Editor.

To map a prefix to the entity, click on the "Mappings" tab, and the window will look like this:

Prefix mapping for FJ

To add a new mapping, click on Mappings -> Add and a form will appear:

Add a Prefix Mapping

Under the Mapping column, enter the prefix you want to map. In the Start date column, enter the starting date for the prefix mapping (usually matches the DXCC entity start date). When you are done it should look like this:

Prefix Mapping data for FJ

To save this mapping, click on Mappings -> Update:

Update Prefix Mapping

It's possible that the prefix you just assigned was used by another entity in the past. The easiest way to determine this is to to find the new entity you just created. Using Country -> Find, type in the name of the entity until it appears highlighted in the list:

Find FJ

Then type Enter and the entry for FJ in the Country Editor will appear. Now click on the Mappings tab again. You might see something like this:

Multiple Mappings for FJ

Note that there are now two mappings for FJ. The first one in light gray shows that FJ is mapped to the entity whose prefix is FS. The second mapping is the one you just added. Since the first (light gray) mapping does not have an end date, there will be a conflict. You can see this when checking for errors (see the next section below).The light gray entry means it's associated with a different DXCC entity than the one you are currently working on, so you will need to go to that DXCC entity to fix it.

Using Country -> Find, type in the name of the other entity (in this case, Saint Martin) until it appears highlighted in the list:

Find FS entity

Then type Enter and the entry for FS in the Country Editor will appear. Now click on the Mappings tab again. You might see something like this:

Prefix mappings for FS

Modify the FJ prefix mapping to add an end date. The end date is actually the first day that the prefix is NOT mapped, in this case, the start date for FJ, or 14 December 2007. Then Mappings -> Update to save the modified mappings:

Updated mapping for FS


Checking for Errors

When you think you have finished making the changes, and have saved all your work, you must check for errors using File -> Check for Errors. You may see a window that looks like this:

Prefix Overlap Error

If there are no errors, then the window will look like this:

Country Editor No Errors

You must fix all errors until you see the window above.


Saving your Work

Once you are satisfied with the changes, and there are no errors, save the country file changes by using File -> Save Changes and Exit in the Country Editor:

Save Changes and Exit

This next step is critically important.  You must exit DX4WIN completely and restart the program. If you do not do this, there exists the possibility for logbook data corruption!

After restarting DX4WIN, you should be able to re-open your logbook. Create a DXCC Summary Report (Reports -> DXCC -> Summary) and compare it to the report you made/printed before making the country file changes. The number in the "Available" row under the "Totals" column should have increased by one, but the other numbers should be the same (highlighted below):

AD1C DXCC Report

If they are not, then something went wrong, and you'll have to do a little investigating to find out what went wrong.