Enable SpotCollector UDP feed¶
AetherSDR can receive DX spots broadcast by Ham Radio Deluxe's SpotCollector over UDP and display them on the panadapter. This page explains how to start the listener, set the correct port, and configure it to start automatically.
Before you start¶
- SpotCollector must be installed, configured, and running on the same machine or local network, and set to broadcast spots via UDP.
- Note the UDP port SpotCollector is broadcasting on — you will need to enter it in AetherSDR.
Steps¶
- Open
Settings > SpotHub.... - Click the SpotCollector tab.
- Set UDP Port: to the port SpotCollector is broadcasting on. Valid range: 1–65535. This value is saved as
SpotCollectorPort. - Click Start.
- Confirm the status indicator changes to Listening. Incoming spots will appear in the SpotCollector Spots console as they arrive.
- To have the listener start automatically every time AetherSDR launches, enable Auto-start on startup. This is saved as
SpotCollectorAutoStart.
What each control does¶
| Control | Description | Setting key |
|---|---|---|
| UDP Port: | UDP port AetherSDR listens on for SpotCollector broadcasts. Valid range: 1–65535. | SpotCollectorPort |
| Start / Stop | Starts or stops the UDP listener. | — |
| Auto-start on startup | Starts the listener automatically on launch. | SpotCollectorAutoStart |
| SpotCollector Spots | Read-only console showing spots received from SpotCollector. | — |
| Enable FreeDV Reporter reporting when RADE is active | Enables station-reporting to the public FreeDV Reporter map (qso.freedv.org) whenever the RADE modem is active. Requires a valid callsign and grid square — if either field is blank or unresolvable, the checkbox refuses to enable and displays a warning. | FreeDvAutoReport |
| Callsign: (FreeDV Reporter) | Callsign to report to the FreeDV Reporter map. Read-only when Use radio is checked. When Use radio is checked, the field is populated from the radio's configured callsign and updates automatically if that callsign changes. | FreeDvMyCallsign |
| Use radio (callsign) | Pre-fills the callsign field from the radio's configured callsign and locks the field read-only. | FreeDvUseRadioCallsign |
| Grid Square: (FreeDV Reporter) | Maidenhead grid square to report. Read-only when Use GPS is checked. | FreeDvMyGrid |
| Use GPS (grid) | Pre-fills the grid field from the radio's GPS module and locks the field read-only. Only shown on radio models that have GPS hardware. | FreeDvUseGpsGrid |
| Station Msg: (FreeDV Reporter) | Optional free-text message shown beside the callsign on the public FreeDV Reporter map. | FreeDvMyMessage |
| Auto Mode: | Automatically switches the slice mode when clicking a spot that includes mode information (e.g. CW, FT8, RTTY). Default is Enabled. | SpotsAutoMode |
| Spot Lines: | Draws vertical lines from the spectrum up to each spot label. Default is Enabled. Disable during contests to reduce visual clutter. | IsSpotsLinesEnabled |
| Total Spots: | Live readout of how many spots are currently tracked across all sources. | Updated whenever spots are added or cleared. Resets to 0 when Clear All Spots is pressed. |
FreeDV Reporter reporting¶
The FreeDV tab contains a Station Reporting group that controls whether AetherSDR broadcasts your station's activity to the public FreeDV Reporter map at qso.freedv.org.
Requirements before enabling¶
- A valid callsign must be available — either from the radio (when Use radio is checked) or typed into the Callsign: field.
- A valid Maidenhead grid square must be available — either from the radio's GPS module (when Use GPS is checked, on supported hardware) or typed into the Grid Square: field.
If either value is missing when you attempt to enable Enable FreeDV Reporter reporting when RADE is active, AetherSDR displays a warning and leaves the checkbox unchecked. This prevents blank or placeholder values from appearing on the shared public map.
Steps to enable reporting¶
- Open
Settings > SpotHub...and click the FreeDV tab. - In the Station Reporting group, confirm the Callsign: field shows your callsign.
- If Use radio is checked, the field is populated automatically from the radio's configured callsign and is read-only. Uncheck Use radio to enter a callsign manually.
- Confirm the Grid Square: field shows your Maidenhead locator.
- On radios with GPS hardware, check Use GPS to populate it automatically. Uncheck Use GPS to type a grid square manually.
- Optionally enter a short message in Station Msg: — it appears beside your callsign on the map.
- Check Enable FreeDV Reporter reporting when RADE is active.
- If either the callsign or grid square is blank, a warning dialog appears. Fill in the missing value and try again.
- Reporting is now active whenever the RADE modem is running.
Auto Mode default change¶
As of v0.9.5.1, Auto Mode: (SpotsAutoMode) defaults to Enabled for new installations. If you are upgrading and want to retain the previous behavior, open the Display tab and set Auto Mode: to Disabled.
Tune to a spot by double-clicking¶
Double-clicking a row in the Spot List tab tunes the active slice to that spot's frequency. As of v0.9.7, AetherSDR also reads the mode hint from the spot comment and forwards it to the receiver, so the slice switches to the correct mode (for example CW or SSB) at the same time as the frequency changes. No additional configuration is required.
Tips¶
- Spots received from SpotCollector appear alongside spots from other sources in the Spot List tab. The Source column identifies them.
- If the panadapter spot overlay is not visible, check that Spots: is set to Enabled on the Display tab.
- Auto Mode defaults to Enabled. When you double-click a spot that includes mode information (e.g. CW, FT8, RTTY), the slice mode switches automatically. Disable it on the Display tab if you prefer to switch modes manually.
- Use Spot Lines: on the Display tab to control whether vertical lines are drawn from the spectrum up to each spot label. Disable this during contests to reduce visual clutter.
Troubleshooting¶
- Status stays Stopped / no spots appear — Verify that SpotCollector is actively broadcasting and that the UDP port in AetherSDR matches the port configured in SpotCollector. Check that no firewall is blocking UDP traffic on that port.
- Listener starts but the panadapter shows no spots — Confirm that the master spot overlay is on: open the Display tab and check that Spots: is Enabled.
- FreeDV Reporter checkbox unchecks itself with a warning — The callsign or grid square field is empty or could not be resolved. Fill in both fields (or enable Use radio / Use GPS if the radio can supply the values) before enabling reporting.