JTDX_IMPROVED RELEASE NOTES Note: To stay compatible with the version numbering of the original JTDX, I do not add a new version number for jtdx_improved intermediate updates. The sub-version is always equal to the upload date at Sourceforge. jtdx_2.2.159 Update 2023-03-28: - New buttons for the frequently used bands allow direct switching to the main operating frequencies. You can hide the buttons via the View menu. - The Rx / Tx frequency selection fields have been swapped so that the Tx field is now at the top. - New option: Show distance and/or azimuth in messages with grid: If a station sends a valid Maidenhead locator, jtdx_improved now automatically calculates the distance and the great-circle azimuth and displays it in the Band Activity pane. - A new "Align DXCC / distance / azimuth" checkbox allows you to keep the displayed distance/azimuth values in an aligned table form with the DXCC names (or with the principal prefixes). - The spin box allows further configuration of the preferred layout. It sets the number of spaces between the DXCC and the distance/azimuth field. You can increase or decrease the default number. - In the help menu, hyperlinks to the jtdx_improved home page as well as to a new pdf file "The additional features of jtdx_improvd" have been added. - Upgrade to the "Big CTY" variant of the cty.dat file. This allows in particular a much more correct mapping of the ITU zones. - Update of the lotw-user-activity.csv file. - The jtdx_improved source code is now also compliant with macOS. Update 2023-02-20: - The mode buttons now change their background color to indicate which mode is currently selected. - Update to hamlib 4.5.4. Update 2022-11-14: - This update prevents you from calling the Fox in the wrong time slot when in Hound mode. There is a convention that Hound must always TX odd (15/45), and Fox always even (00/30). So far, on all JTDX and jtdx_improved versions, it was possible to change this manually as with the normal FT8. In my eyes this is/was a severe bug, because currently there are again and again OMs calling the various DXpeditions in the wrong time slot. I also sent my patch to the developers of the original JTDX, so hopefully they fix it there as well. Update 2022-11-09: - Bug fix: The ▲ (triangle-up) and ▼ (triangle down) buttons worked the wrong way around. Only the 'improved' ("AL") GUI was affected. Update 2022-10-07: - Dark Style: Some improvements have been made to layout and geometry of the GUI when using the dark style. (I implemented the various improvements I programmed for the new wsjt-x_improved dark style mode.) - Auto-scaling for my 'improved' ("AL") GUI has been improved. The area of the controls now automatically increases or decreases when switching to a new font size. A special version for 4K screens is no longer necessary! The GUI can now be used with font sizes between 7 and 12 pt without any problems. Also 14 or 16 pt fonts still work, but with a few limitations. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-10-02. - Last but not least: There is a new jtdx-improved-community mailing list where all jtdx_improved topics can be discussed and where you/we can all try to help each other. To subscribe, go to the following page: https://sourceforge.net/projects/jtdx-improved/lists/jtdx-improved-community In the future I plan to use this mailing list also to announce updates. Note: For technical reasons, updates to the Raspberry Pi installers must be made later. Should one of you be able to provide me with installers for Raspberry Pi and/or macOS, please contact me via private email. Update 2022-09-26: - Better readability of Tab 3 when using the dark style. Since the dark style requires more space, the height of Tab 3 is now automatically adjusted when switching to or from the dark style. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-09-05. Update 2022-07-19: - New feature: A double click with the right mouse button on the waterfall now sets the Rx & Tx audio frequencies. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-07-17. Update 2022-07-13: - Correct a flaw that could cause OmniRig 1.19 or later to set incorrect frequencies after initialization. - New feature: Double-click on the Lookup button searches on QRZ.com for the callsign from the DX Call box. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-07-10. Update 2022-06-22: - Fix another inconsistency in the GUI: Improve stretching of the fields for DX Call and DX Grid. Update 2022-06-19: - Fix a small inconsistency in the GUI - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-06-19. Update 2022-04-28: - jtdx_improved now supports the following JTAlert features (like WSJT-X and wsjt-x_improved do): - Color Band Activity Callsigns/Exchanges with alert colors - Color Band Activity Decodes ending in 73 or RR73 - Highlight Band Activity DT values that exceed threshold It works with JTAlert v2.51.3 and upwards. Thanks to Laurie VK3AMA for the good cooperation! - Due to the new possibility to highlight single "words" (callsigns, grids, etc.) I slightly changed the behavior of Highlight messages with DX Call / Grid. The coloring of whole lines is now only done for CQ messages. For all other messages callsign and grid are colored individually. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-04-24. Update 2022-03-26: - For those of you who like my enhanced features but not the new layout, there is now also a version of jtdx_improved with JTDX's default GUI. Everything else is the same there. - Some minor fixes and improvements to the code. Update 2022-03-24: - Adding an option to highlight messages with DX Call / DX Grid. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-03-24. Update 2022-03-23: - Adding an option to highlight all messages with My Call by a yellow or cyan background (like wsjtx). - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-03-23. Update 2022-03-20: - Implementation of my Alerts feature. Play individual alert sounds as notifications ("New DXCC", "New Grid", "Calling You" and so on). Note: This feature requires that your rig is connected via USB audio, and that this audio sink is NOT named 'Default'. Current limitation: Due to the structure of the JTDX source code it is necessary to have "Blank line between decoding periods" enabled, and the very first decode period is not alerted. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-03-20. Release 2022-03-15: - Forked from the official JTDX_2.2.159 source code. - The GUI of the main window has been optimized. It is now similar to that of wsjt-x_improved AL. - New “FT8”, “FT4”, and “JT” buttons make it easy to switch between the frequently used modes. - Implementation of my Band Hopping feature. A new Tab 3 has checkboxes for the most important FT8, FT4 and JT65 frequencies. Just select the bands/modes you want and push the "Band Hopping" button. Automatic band hopping takes place every other full minute. - Update to hamlib 4.5_2022-03-14.