Quick Start – DXChrono Desktop Help

Will my computer run it?

DXChrono needs a 64-bit Windows, macOS, or Linux PC, or a Raspberry Pi 4 or 5 (64-bit OS). A typical mini-PC with 8 GB of RAM is comfortable; a Pi 4 with 2 GB is the floor for a 2D wall display. Small HamClock appliances such as the Inovato Quadra are not a good fit. Full detail: System requirements.

Download and run

1. Get the application

Download the latest release for your platform from desktop.dxchrono.com/download. You get a standalone program:

Windows – DXChrono.exe
macOS – DXChrono-macOS-arm64.zip or DXChrono-macOS-x64-Intel.zip; unzip to get the DXChrono executable
Linux (x64) – DXChrono-Linux-x64.tar.gz; extract and run DXChrono
Raspberry Pi (Linux arm64) – DXChrono-Linux-arm64-RaspberryPi.zip; unzip and run the executable

2. Run DXChrono

Put the program in a folder of your choice and run it (double-click on Windows/macOS, or ./DXChrono in a terminal on macOS/Linux). If you have not saved a licence key yet, a DXChrono licence window appears first: paste your key from the purchase email, optionally click Activate, then Continue to save and open the main app (see Integrations → Licence). If you have lost the key, click Lost your key? to have it emailed again.

After that, the app uses your saved settings and may start in fullscreen; press F to switch to a window if you prefer.

DXChrono main window with world map, grey line, and panels for clock, solar data, and HF band conditions — Main window in windowed mode with Clock, Solar Data, and HF Band Conditions panels.

macOS: If Gatekeeper blocks the app

macOS may block DXChrono the first time because it is not from the App Store. You will see a message that the app “cannot be opened because it is from an unidentified developer.”

Recommended: Right-click (or Control-click) the DXChrono program → Open. Click Open again in the dialog. macOS remembers your choice.
If that is not enough: open Terminal, go to the folder that contains DXChrono, and run xattr -cr DXChrono. Then open the app again.

3. Configure your station (and optional licence tweaks)

Press S to open Settings. In the Station tab enter:

Callsign – Your amateur radio callsign
Grid square – Maidenhead locator (e.g. IO91wm); the app fills latitude/longitude for you
Or set Latitude and Longitude directly for your QTH

Click Save. Settings are stored in config.yaml next to the program (for packaged builds). To change the licence key later, use Settings → License.

Next steps

Turn on feeds you use (DX Cluster, Cloudlog, satellites, and so on) in Settings, then Save.
Live HF conditions are on by default — see Settings → HF Band Conditions for Worldwide / My grid / Continent / DXCC.
Optional: enable the VHF CONDITIONS panel, or SpE (E) once you have a spe-ingest URL.
See Controls for keyboard shortcuts and Integrations for setup detail.

Data freshness

Different panels refresh on different timers, so some values can lag behind others. Check and tune refresh intervals in Settings → Data if you want faster updates.

Keeping DXChrono up to date

New releases add features and fixes. DXChrono can check for a newer version in the background (see Settings → Data → Software updates). When a newer build is listed on the DXChrono website, you get a simple Update Available message with links to the download page and the changelog. You always download and install the new build yourself—nothing is installed automatically.

If you prefer not to check from the app, turn off Check for app updates in Settings → Data and visit desktop.dxchrono.com/download when you want to upgrade.

Common issues

Very slow first start on Raspberry Pi or 4 GB RAM – The first map load can take a while if a huge world picture is in assets. New builds use a lighter load when they detect low RAM; you can still tune behaviour with environment variables (see Troubleshooting → Slow startup or heavy map load).
Cloudlog Test fails – Check that the URL has no trailing slash, the API key is correct (Cloudlog: Admin → API Keys), and your network allows access. If you use a public slug for recent QSOs, ensure it is set in Cloudlog and entered in Settings.
N1MM not showing QSOs – In N1MM: Config → Broadcast Data, enable Contacts on port 12060. On the same PC as N1MM, 127.0.0.1:12060 is enough. On a Raspberry Pi or other LAN machine, add subnet broadcast in N1MM too, e.g. 127.0.0.1:12060 192.168.1.255:12060. In DXChrono: Enable N1MM+ UDP, port 12060, listen 0.0.0.0, then Save. See Troubleshooting → N1MM.

For more fixes, see Troubleshooting.