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Free in OpenShack for Windows

DX Arena

Your first CW QSO, without the nerves. The other station lives in your PC, sends at your speed and lets you finish. Missed something? Just send AGN. Once the QSOs feel easy, move on to pile-ups and contests.

No license key needed. DX Arena comes as a free part of the CW Suite in OpenShack for Windows. Install, start, call CQ. With the OpenShack Box you send on your own paddle or straight key. From the second start on, a short note about the Box and the CW Suite pops up once per session; one click and it's gone. With a CW Suite license the note goes away and you get all the other trainers too.

Download OpenShackRead the manual
First QSOYour speedRead alongPaddle or keyboardPile-ups & contests
DX Arena: pile-up session with rate meter, function keys and logbook
DX Arena: entry line, F-keys, transcript and log.
CQ DE
Before you call CQ on the air

Practise first, then the band.

Start with First QSO: call and report, nothing else. Then name and QTH, later a ragchew. On the Beginner level the other station sends at exactly your speed and always gives 599.

Call & reportName & QTHRagchew

What the Arena does.

QSOs first, pile-ups and contests later. Add QRN, QRM and QSB when you're ready.

DX Arena QSO practice

QSO practice

First QSO, standard QSO with name and QTH, ragchew, SOTA and POTA. You call CQ or answer one. The other station reacts to what you actually send.

Manual: learn to QSO ->
DX Arena transcript

Reading along is OK

Early on you may peek: RX shows what the other station sends. Switch it off once you copy by ear.

Manual: aids ->
OpenShack Box

With your paddle

With the OpenShack Box you send on your paddle or straight key, sidetone from the Box. The PADDLE line shows what the Arena read from your sending.

Explore the Box ->
DX Arena run summary

After the run

After every run: what went well, what didn't, and a suggestion for the next step. In contests also score, rate, dupes and busted calls.

Manual: results ->
DX Arena pile-up

Pile-ups and contests

Once the QSOs feel easy: pile-ups with several callers, plus CQ WW, CQ WPX, IARU HF, ARRL DX, WAG, CWT, FOC and more, each with the right exchange.

Manual: contests ->
DX Arena keyboard entry

Keyboard, ESM and macros

F1 CQ, F2 Exch, F3 TU, Enter Sends Message. Same layout as N1MM+, so your fingers learn the right moves.

Manual: keyboard and ESM ->
CQ TEST
Two weeks before the contest

Contest practice with the real exchange.

Pick the contest, set the conditions, call CQ TEST. Exchange and cut numbers like the real one: 5NN, T for 0, N for 9. You set pile size, activity, QRM, QSB, flutter and LIDs.

Supported contests
CQ WPXCQ WWIARU HFARRL DX CWRussian DXRSGB IOTAWorked All GermanyDARC XMAS/EasterDARC 10mOK1WC MWCRSGB 80m Club ChampionshipRSGB CommonwealthCWops CWTCWops CW OpenFOC MarathonFOC BW QSO PartyIARU R1 VHF/UHF

Here is a tip: if someone tries to steal your frequency, send “QSY”.

More training?

Morse Trainer, Advanced Trainer, RufzXP, pile-up training, TX analysis, Paddle Analyzer, Morse Chat, Morse games and more come with the CW Suite license. Enter the key, done.

See Box + CW Suite
DownloadFAQ