DXLab Suite is great software for controlling your ham station, including the Flex 6300. I recently made the move from Ham Radio Deluxe.
Up until now, my main software for ham radio support and logging has been the last free version of Ham Radio Deluxe. Unfortunately, I ran into a few problems with HRD and the Flex 6300. The main issue was lack of a driver for the radio that would properly change modes remotely. A side effect of this was the failure of HRD integration with Digital Master 780 – the digital modes software.
After checking various alternatives, I selected DXLab Suite. This free software does everything that HRD does, and more. Unfortunately, it is a collection of seven different programs that work together. By contrast, HRD was more integrated with three main programs for control, logging and digital modes. The result is that DXLab Suite consumes much more monitor real estate and looks more cluttered.
After a few days of experimentation, I have managed to get the basics working. Users will find that the Commander module does an excellent job of interfacing with and controlling the Flex 6300 using the TCP/IP connection. Also, transferring the logbook from HRD into DX Keeper (the logging module) was easy. This includes setting up the usernames and passwords for running Logbook of the World and E-QSL.
New users like me will quickly discover that DXLab Suite perhaps has too many options. Configuring the programs is challenging. Definitely, you will want to read the manual. Another useful resource is a series of introductory videos provided by AB1OC.
DXLab Suite has Great Connectivity
In addition to sharing information within the suite, DXLab has some add-ons for the most popular digital models software. For example, you can easily use Fldigi and Digital Master 780 with your Flex 6300. These add-ons are bridges that connect these programs with Commander – the heart of DXLab Suite.
The first choice for me is DM780, the digital modes program from HRD. If you download and run DM780-DXL, the software integrates together very nicely. You can download this program here. It has two bridges – one to connect DM780 to the logbook, and one for rig control.
Secondly, many people use Fldigi as their digital modes software. It’s also great. The bridge you want for this is the Fldigi DXLabs Gateway.
Lastly, DXLabs has its own internal digital program called Winwarbler, but I haven’t used that yet.