1 <!doctype linuxdoc system>
5 <!-- Title information -->
7 <title>The DXSpider User Manual
8 <author>Ian Maude, G0VGS, (ianmaude@btinternet.com)
9 <date>Version 1.0, March 2001
11 A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
14 <!-- Table of contents -->
17 <!-- Begin the document -->
21 <sect1>What is a DX Cluster?
24 A DX Cluster is a packet node where DX chasers on any band or mode can
25 post rare or interesting stations that they have worked or heard. Of
26 course other people are doing the same thing too, so you can find new
27 DX as well as telling others about the stations you have worked.
28 Clusters tend to be linked to each other so that the amount of people
29 using them is increased, thereby increasing the amount of posted DX.
30 Other information can be found on clusters such as on-line call books,
31 mail etc. You can talk to other stations connected to the cluster
32 network too, in real time, whether at the node you are logged into or
33 on another node connected to the network. You can also use converse
34 mode, where several stations can talk to each other in the same way.
35 Of course, the DX is still posted to you all the while!
37 <sect1>So what is DXSpider?
40 PacketCluster nodes have been around since roughly 1985. The original
41 PacketCluster idea came from Dick Newell, AK1A, and ran under DOS.
42 In about 1992 Dick stopped the development of the PacketCluster
43 software for amateur radio. Many systems are still using this
44 relatively old DOS software today.
46 There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
47 including DXSpider. DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software that runs
48 under the Linux operating system. Linux is fast becoming the choice
49 for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility, reliability
50 and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
51 multitasking and is also multiuser. It has support for AX25, ROSE,
52 NetROM and TCPIP built in, making it the ideal choice for amateur
53 radio. It is also totally free!
55 DXSpider was conceived and begun in 1998 by Dirk Koopman, G1TLH as an
56 exercise in perl programming. It has developed rapidly and today is a
57 very powerful cluster program. It was designed to be totally compatible
58 with the AK1A program, although several commands have been extended to
59 try and improve functionality.
61 This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the commands
62 that DXSpider supports and to help you get the best from the program so
63 you can enjoy working that rare DX! As DXSpider is being improved all the
64 time, commands will be added as time goes by, so make sure you have
65 the most upto date version of this manual. The latest version will
66 always be included with the cluster program so if you are unsure, simply
67 ask your sysop. The manual will also be available on the wesite.
70 <sect>Logins and logouts.
73 You might not think that there is a lot of point of including a
74 section on how to log in and out of DXSpider. However, you would be
75 suprised at the difficulties some people have in simply getting in
76 and out of the cluster!
78 There are several ways a login might be achieved, dependant on how
79 the sysop has DXSpider configured. It is impossible for me to cover all
80 variations but here are the basic ones.
85 Simplicity itself. The usual <bf>CONNECT</bf> command will log you straight
86 into the cluster and you will not have to do anything else.
87 Obviously, you will have to connect to the correct callsign. Some
88 nodes use an SSID with their call so you would have to add that.
100 There are several possibilities here, dependant on how the sysop has
101 configured his system. If you are connecting via netrom then you are
102 most probably connecting from another station. Listing the nodes in
103 that station with the <bf>NODES</bf> command will tell you what callsign
104 or netrom alias to connect to. Then just issue the connect command
105 from there. It is possible that the netrom alias may connect you to
106 a node with an alias for the cluster, such as DXC. Just type this
107 and you will be connected.
114 <sect1>Telnet logins.
117 Because DXSpider runs under the Linux operating system, it is possible to
118 make a direct telnet connection into the cluster. With telnet
119 connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so you will be
120 asked to login with your callsign.
121 To telnet to DXSpider, you would connect to a specific port. There is no
122 standard at the moment for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if
131 All the above are possible ways of connecting to a DXSpider cluster. You
132 may have some or all of these available to you. There may be one or
133 two additional ways to connect dependant on the network local to you.
134 However I am sure you get the idea.
139 Logging out can be done by simply issuing the standard <bf>BYE</bf>
142 You could also send a disconnect if you are using AX25, or a <bf>CLOSE</bf>
143 command if you are connected via telnet.
144 If you do not log out gracefully using one of the above commands,
145 you may find you are unable to get a full connect next time. This
146 may also happen if a NETRom connection drops. You may get connected,
147 but nothing else will happen because the program thinks you are still
148 connected and will not let you connect twice under the same call.
149 However you could reconnect by adding a number to the end of your call,
151 This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in the TNC or
152 by altering your program configuration.
155 <sect>Setting your personal details.
158 Once logged in to the cluster, you should set your details so that
159 anybody who wishes to contact you can find out who and where you are.
160 There are four items to set, your name, qth, location and home node.
161 Setting these details also allows the use of the SHOW/HEADING and
162 SHOW/SUN commands from within the cluster. Unless you set your QTH
163 and location, these commands cannot function.
164 Once you have set your name, DXSpider will greet you with it next time
165 you login. Your QTH setting is where you live and it is a good idea
166 to add your locator to this as the location setting is converted to
167 latitude and longitude once inputted. You can actually set your location
168 in latitude/longitude or as a locator. Setting your home node will
169 tell the program where you wish mail to be sent to you.
175 set/qth Morecambe, Lancashire IO84NB
176 set/location 48 34 n 12 12 e
181 <sect>Getting and posting DX.
184 When all is said and done, this is the main function of a DX cluster.
185 In its simplest form you can just connect to the node and you will
186 start to receive DX spots almost immediately! You can check on
187 recent postings in either a general manner or on a particular band or
188 mode. You can even check DX by callsign or a fragment of a callsign.
189 Of course, once you get the hang of things, it is expected that you
190 start posting some yourself! After all, there would be no clusters
191 if people did not post DX and you get the added thrill of the hunt!
196 As we have already said, it is possible just to connect to the
197 cluster and you will receive spots automatically. However, you may
198 wish to check on spots just posted. Maybe you wish to see if a
199 particular band is open or if a certain callsign is active, perhaps a
200 DXpedition. The command to do this is <bf>SHOW/DX</bf>. Without any
201 other arguments, this command will output the last 10 spots
202 posted. It is possible to look at more than this, for example the
203 last 20 or 50 spots, by adding the number to the command. You can
204 make it even more specific by adding a band in either wavelength or
205 frequency, and/or any additional information such as QSL details.
215 will show the last 10, 5 and 20 spots received by the cluster
226 will show the last 5, 10 or 20 spots on 20 metres only.
228 It is also possible to check for certain callsigns, or fragments of
229 callsigns in the same way.
238 would show the last 5 or 10 dx spots containing the callsign g0vgs.
241 You can check for DX by offset and also by specifying a comment to
252 would show the spots that arrived between 30 and 40 spots ago and any
253 spots with the word <em>iota</em> in the comment field. The case of
254 the comment is not important.
256 Checking DX posted on a certain day is possible too. All you have
257 to do here is to specify how many days ago it was like this ...
265 It is of course possible to specify multiple arguments.
270 show/dx 20 prefix 9a on vhf day 30
273 This would show the last 20 spots posted by or about calls with the prefix
274 9a on vhf 30 days ago.
276 As you can see the <bf>SHOW/DX</bf> command is very flexible, so if you are
277 not sure whether something will work or not, try it and see! More
278 information can be found in the Command Set section.
283 To post DX you use the <bf>DX</bf> command. The syntax is shown below.
288 dx (frequency) (callsign) (remarks)
291 Where frequency is in kilohertz and the callsign is the callsign of
292 the station you have worked or heard, (ie not your own callsign!).
293 The remarks section allows you to add information like the operators
294 name or perhaps a location. Actually DXSpider will allow the frequency
295 and callsign fields to be entered in any order.
300 dx 14004 pa3ezl OP Aurelio 599
303 In fact, all the following will give the same result...
306 dx 14004 pa3ezl OP Aurelio 599
307 dx pa3ezl 14004 OP Aurelio 599
308 dx pa3ezl 14.004 OP Aurelio 599
311 This posting, or callout as it is known, will be forwarded to all
312 other connected stations both at the cluster you are connected to and
313 other active clusters in the network. The callout will also be sent
314 to you as proof of receipt.
316 <sect>Headings and propagation
319 There are three commands in DXSpider to help you get the best DX possible.
320 These are <bf>SHOW/SUN</bf>, <bf>SHOW/MOON</bf> and
321 <bf>SHOW/HEADING</bf>. These commands will only work for you if you
322 have entered your personal details. They use your entered location as
323 a reference, so if you have not entered it or have entered it incorrectly
324 they will not return the correct information.
329 The <bf>SHOW/SUN</bf> command can be used in three different ways. It
330 can be used to show sunrise and sunset times for your own station, a
331 particular callsign or a prefix.
339 The output from this would look something like this ..
342 sh/sun Location Rise Set Azim Elev
343 G0VGS Morecambe, Lancashire 07:08Z 17:39Z 205.3 24.1
350 would look like this ...
353 sh/sun 5b4 Location Rise Set Azim Elev 5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.0 18.8
356 You can also specify multiple arguments like this ...
359 sh/sun gw4veq 5b4ab zs
362 and then the output would look like this ...
365 sh/sun gw4veq 5b4ab zs
366 Location Rise Set Azim Elev
367 GW4VEQ Brungwran, Isle of Anglesey IO 07:14Z 17:48Z 204.9 24.9 5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.5 18.3
368 ZS So-Africa-ZS1-ZS 04:31Z 17:28Z 289.9 41.3
369 ZS So-Africa-ZS5-ZS 03:44Z 16:34Z 278.5 32.0
370 ZS So-Africa-ZS6-ZS 03:59Z 16:42Z 277.6 35.0
376 The <bf>SHOW/MOON</bf> command works in the same way as the
377 <bf>SHOW/SUN</bf> command. This program however, calculates the
378 rise and set times of the moon for a prefix or callsign, together
379 with the current azimuth and elevation of the sun at these
388 The output from this command would look like this ..
392 Location Rise Set Azim Elev RGain dB
393 EA Spain-EA 08:15Z 20:09Z 257.2 9.5 -0.6
396 You can see that the output is similar to the <bf>SHOW/SUN</bf>
397 command, with slightly different fields.
402 The <bf>SHOW/HEADING</bf> command works in the same way as the
403 <bf>SHOW/SUN</bf> and <bf>SHOW/MOON</bf> commands but outputs beam
404 headings for a specified callsign or prefix. Reciprocal beam headings
413 The output from this command would look like this ..
417 ZL New-Zealand-ZL1-ZL: 7 degs - dist: 11238 mi, 18087 km Reciprocal heading: 355 degs
418 ZL New-Zealand-ZL2-ZL: 9 degs - dist: 11540 mi, 18574 km Reciprocal heading: 353 degs
419 ZL New-Zealand-ZL3-ZL: 19 degs - dist: 11634 mi, 18724 km Reciprocal heading: 345 degs
420 ZL New-Zealand-ZL4-ZL: 34 degs - dist: 11783 mi, 18963 km Reciprocal heading: 332 degs
425 <sect1>Making announcements.
428 Occasionally, you may wish to post something that does not fall into
429 the normal parameters for a DX callout. You may wish to tell
430 everybody connected that 10 FM is open for example, or ask if anyone
431 knows the QSL manager for a certain callsign etc. You can do this
432 using the <bf>ANNOUNCE</bf> command.
437 announce 10 FM is open in IO84NB to europe.
440 That would let everyone know locally that this was the case, however
441 it would not be forwarded to other nodes connected. To send
442 announcements to other connected nodes as well, you would use the
443 <bf>FULL</bf> extension.
448 announce full Anyone seen EA7WA today?
451 Be cautious in your use of announce full. There are many other tools
452 available to get the information you require and the judicious use of
453 this command is frowned upon as it creates a great deal of traffic
456 <sect1>Listing announcements.
459 You can list previous announcements in the standard format with the
460 <bf>SHOW</bf> command. As before you can list just the last 5 or as
467 show/announcements 10
470 <sect>Nodes and users.
473 You can check which nodes are connected in the network, who is
474 logged on locally, who is logged on at all the nodes or even
475 just one node in particular. This is handy if you wish to see whether
476 a friend is connected at the node they use. To see who is connected
477 to the nodes, the <bf>SHOW/CONFIGURATION</bf> command is used.
483 show/configuration/nodes
484 show/configuration (node_call)
485 show/configuration (prefix)
488 The first of our three examples would output something like this,
496 GB7BIG (GD0TEP) GD3UMW
497 GB7BPQ (G0INA) G0RCI G3AKU G3OCA
499 GB7DJK G0FYD G0REK G1TLH G4PEL G4SOZ
500 G4TVR G7SQW K8AZ M0CTQ-1 MM1CXE-10
503 GB7DXC (G0HDB) G0WFK (G1FYC) G3KWK G3LME
504 G3OIL G4BGW G4FUJ (G4PDQ) GW7SMV
506 (GB7DXG) GU6EFB GU7DHI
507 GB7DXK G1NTW G3IBI G3NSM G3XAQ G4CUS
509 GB7DXM G1EUC G3GAF G3LAS G4ZTR G8WXU
513 You will notice that EI5TCR is showing only that it has 7 users and not
514 giving the actual callsigns. This means that this node is on a limited
515 protocol of some kind, probably because of a contest situation where
516 slow radio links can block up and fail if too much information is sent
519 The second example would just show the nodes connected in the
525 GB7BAA GB7BAA GB7BPQ (GB7CDX) GB7DJK GB7DXA
526 GB7DXC GB7DXE (GB7DXG) GB7DXK GB7DXL
527 GB7DXM GB7DXS GB7IPT GB7MRS GB7UJS
528 GB7YDX KL7G N2TLY (ON0DXK)
529 GB7BIG EI5TCR GB7ADX GB7BIG GB7UDX
535 If we insert the node_call pi4tue-8 into the third example, then
536 this would be the output,
540 PI4TUE-8 9A1CMA-6 DF6PW DL4FAY DL4KAK DL4WF-2
541 F5NOD-2 F5PAC IZ0CSR N6CR OH2BLD
542 ON1LVL-13 ON4CBT ON4CJP ON5DXL-14 ON7NQ
543 PA0RCT PA3DYS PA3FDO PA5KW-4 PI4TUE-9
547 As you can see, only the users of the requested node are shown.
549 You can also use a prefix to show only a group of nodes. For example
550 you may only wish to see who is connected to the nodes in the UK. To
551 do this simply use a prefix like this ...
554 show/configuration gb7
557 To show the locally connected users, the <bf>SHOW/USERS</bf> command is
566 The output of this command would look like this,
569 Callsigns connected to GB7MBC
570 G0JHC G0NEI G0VGS G0VGS-2 G0YLM
577 You can send a single comment or start a dedicated talk session to
578 another user by using the <bf>TALK</bf> command.
581 Talk mode is used to send a one line comment or greeting to a
582 specific user connected either at your node or another in the
583 network. You can also enter into a dedicated talk session with
584 another user. Talks will be automatically forwarded to other nodes
585 if the station you are talking to is not connected locally.
586 You can find out who is connected by using the
587 <bf>SHOW/CONFIGURATION</bf> command, (described earlier).
592 talk g0rdi Having a good day Iain?
595 This example would send the line "Having a good day Iain?" to the
596 user g0rdi but would leave you in normal mode.
600 Entering Talkmode, /EX to end, /<cmd> to run a command
604 As you can see, you can still run commands whilst in talk mode.
605 Simply prefix the command with a / like /sh/dx and you will get
607 If the user is connected to another node, you may have to use a
608 slightly extended version of the <bf>TALK</bf> command.
614 To exit talk mode, you issue the command <bf>/ex</bf>.
616 Whilst in talk mode you will still receive DX spots. This means that
617 you can chat to a friend whilst working DX.
622 You can send and receive both personal mail and bulletins with DXSpider
625 <sect1>The "directory" command.
628 To list mail you would use the <bf>DIRECTORY</bf> command. On its
629 own, this command will output the last ten messages received by the
630 node, either to or from yourself or bulletins such as "DX" and "ALL".
631 As with other commands you can display more by specifying a number
632 with the command. You should be aware that Spider will accept
633 these commands by separating with either a slash or a space, so
634 <em>dir new</em> and <em>dir/new</em> work in the same way.
644 Of course most of the time you will only want to list new mail sent
645 to you personally since your last login. However you might also like
646 to check for general mail received by the node. In fact if there is
647 new mail for you, the cluster will tell you when you login. You will
648 also be informed if new mail arrives for you during the time you are
650 Mail is not only sent to callsigns though. Mail can also be sent to
651 subjects like "all" or "local" or "dx" etc. You can treat these
652 bulletins in the same way as personal mail with the directory
662 directory/from <call>
665 The last option will only show mail from a callsign if it was sent to
666 you personally or was sent as a bulletin. There are some additional
667 commands and these can be found in the DXSpider Command Reference section.
672 The output of the <bf>DIRECTORY</bf> command could be something like
677 20735 2 ALL GW7SMV 21-Feb 1204Z REC 9E1S QSL TDY 50Mhz....
678 20823 308 UK G0HDB 22-Feb 2334Z Help - which district code?
679 20824 105 ALL W9AE 23-Feb 0349Z S0NY QSL address?
680 20825 2 UK G0LRJ 23-Feb 0806Z QSL REC LZ2CJ/1.CARD NO-750.
681 20858 2 ALL GW7SMV 24-Feb 0905Z REC S92DX QSL CARD TDY 50Mhz
682 20921 200 ALL GM4FDM 27-Feb 2203Z Trip to VP8
683 20949 375 ALL K0MN 27-Feb 0428Z ST0P cards are gd @ ARRL
684 20950 2 UK G0LRJ 28-Feb 0835Z QSL REC SV9/IZ0CKJ/P EU-187.
685 20987 569 ALL GD0TEP 1-Mar 1733Z Portable contests
686 21076 2 ALL G4AFJ 3-Mar 1743Z kh6nd/kh5 qsl received
687 21184-p 599 GW4HAT G0VGS 4-Mar 1518Z Re: Time
690 The first column is the actual message number. If the message is a
691 personal one to you, you will see a letter 'p' after this number. If
692 the message has been read, there will be a '-' between the message
693 number and the 'p'. This only works for personal messages. The next
694 column shows the file size of the message. The third column shows the
695 address the message was sent to and the next column shows who sent it.
696 The rest is fairly self-explanatory.
698 Reading a message is as simple as typing read, followed by the
699 message number that you wish to read.
707 will read message number 25. However the mail will be displayed in it's
708 entirety unless you specify a page length. You can set your page length
709 to any number you like and when the message reaches that number of lines
710 you will get a prompt giving you options.
722 Sending mail is done in the time honoured way. First you specify
723 a recipient for the message, then you will be prompted for a subject.
724 Once you have done this you will be asked to type your message.
725 Please remember that there is no automatic word wrap, so unless you
726 are using a client that wraps lines automatically, remember to hit
727 return at the end of each line.
733 Enter Subject (30 characters):
735 Enter Message /EX to send or /ABORT to exit
737 Just a quick note to say that I can make Thursday after all. The
738 appointment I had has cancelled so we are go!
743 At this point you can either hit return and enter /ex to send the
744 message or use /abort at any time to abort it. You can now display
745 the message in the normal way. There are several send options and
746 these are listed in the Command Set section. These include sending
747 mail to several recipients and asking for a return receipt.
750 <sect1>Replying to mail.
753 If mail is addressed to you or to a bulletin address, you can use the
754 <bf>REPLY</bf> command to reply to it. Using this command, the
755 subject will be automatically set for you as "Re: subject", whatever
767 To delete a message, you use the <em>delete</em> command.
768 You can only delete messages sent to or received by yourself.
769 Bulletins are dealt with automatically or by the sysop.
771 <sect>Filtering (From version 1.45)
773 <sect1>General filter rules
776 Upto v1.44 it was not possible for the user to set their own filters. From
777 v1.45 though that has all changed. It is now possible to set filters for just
778 about anything you wish. If you have just updated from an older version of
779 DXSpider you will need to update your new filters. You do not need to do
780 anything with your old filters, they will be renamed as you update.
783 There are 3 basic commands involved in setting and manipulating filters. These
784 are <em>accept</em>, <em>reject</em> and <em>clear</em>. First we will look
785 generally at filtering. There are a number of things you can filter in the
786 DXSpider system. They all use the same general mechanism.
789 In general terms you can create a 'reject' or an 'accept' filter which can have
790 up to 10 lines in it. You do this using, for example ...
797 where ..... are the specific commands for that type of filter. There are
798 filters for spots, wwv, announce, wcy and (for sysops) connects. See each
799 different accept or reject command reference for more details.
801 There is also a command to clear out one or more lines in a filter. They are ...
808 There is clear/xxxx command for each type of filter.
811 and you can check that your filters have worked by the command ...
818 For now we are going to use spots for the examples, but you can apply the same
819 principles to all types of filter.
821 <sect1>Types of filter
824 There are two main types of filter, <em>accept</em> or <em>reject</em>. You
825 can use either to achieve the result you want dependent on your own preference
826 and which is more simple to do. It is pointless writing 8 lines of reject
827 filters when 1 accept filter would do the same thing! Each filter has 10
828 lines (of any length) which are tried in order. If a line matches then the
829 action you have specified is taken (ie reject means ignore it and accept
833 If you specify reject filters, then any lines that arrive that match the filter
834 will be dumped but all else will be accepted. If you use an accept filter,
835 then ONLY the lines in the filter will be accepted and all else will be dumped.
836 For example if you have a single line <em>accept</em> filter ...
839 accept/spots on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
842 then you will <em>ONLY</em> get VHF spots <em>from</em> or <em>to</em> CQ zones
846 If you set a reject filter like this ...
849 reject/spots on hf/cw
852 Then you will get everything <em>EXCEPT</em> HF CW spots. You could make this
853 single filter even more flexible. For example, if you are interested in IOTA
854 and will work it even on CW even though normally you are not interested in
855 CW, then you could say ...
858 reject/spots on hf/cw and not info iota
861 But in that case you might only be interested in iota and say:-
864 accept/spots not on hf/cw or info iota
867 which achieves exactly the same thing. You should choose one or the other
868 until you are comfortable with the way it works. You can mix them if you
869 wish (actually you can have an accept AND a reject on the same line) but
870 don't attempt this until you are sure you know what you are doing!
873 You can arrange your filter lines into logical units, either for your own
874 understanding or simply convenience. Here is an example ...
877 reject/spots 1 on hf/cw
878 reject/spots 2 on 50000/1400000 not (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
881 What this does is to ignore all HF CW spots and also rejects any spots on VHF
882 which don't either originate or spot someone in Europe.
885 This is an example where you would use a line number (1 and 2 in this case), if
886 you leave the digit out, the system assumes '1'. Digits '0'-'9' are available.
887 This make it easier to see just what filters you have set. It also makes it
888 more simple to remove individual filters, during a contest for example.
891 You will notice in the above example that the second line has brackets. Look
892 at the line logically. You can see there are 2 separate sections to it. We
893 are saying reject spots that are VHF or above <em>APART</em> from those in
894 zones 14, 15 and 16 (either spotted there or originated there). If you did
895 not have the brackets to separate the 2 sections, then Spider would read it
896 logically from the front and see a different expression entirely ...
899 (on 50000/1400000 and by_zone 14,15,16) or call_zone 14,15,16
902 The simple way to remember this is, if you use OR - use brackets. Whilst we are
903 here CASE is not important. 'And BY_Zone' is just the same as 'and by_zone'.
905 As mentioned earlier, setting several filters can be more flexible than
906 simply setting one complex one. Doing it in this way means that if you want
907 to alter your filter you can just redefine or remove one or more lines of it or
908 one line. For example ...
911 reject/spots 1 on hf/ssb
914 would redefine our earlier example, or
920 To remove all the filter lines in the spot filter ...
926 <sect1>Filter options
929 You can filter in several different ways. The options are listed in the
930 various helpfiles for accept, reject and filter.
932 <sect1>Advanced filtering
935 Once you are happy with the results you get, you may like to experiment.
938 The previous example that filters hf/cw spots and accepts vhf/uhf spots from EU
939 can be written with a mixed filter, for example ...
944 acc/spot 2 on 50000/1400000 and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
947 Note that the first filter has not been specified with a number. This
948 will automatically be assumed to be number 1. In this case, we have
949 said <em>reject all HF spots in the CW section of the bands but accept
950 all others at HF. Also accept anything in VHF and above spotted in or
951 by operators in the zones 14, 15 and 16</em>. Each filter slot actually
952 has a 'reject' slot and an 'accept' slot. The reject slot is executed
953 BEFORE the accept slot.
956 It was mentioned earlier that after a reject test that doesn't match, the
957 default for following tests is 'accept', the reverse is true for 'accept'.
958 In the example what happens is that the reject is executed first, any non
959 hf/cw spot is passed to the accept line, which lets through everything
960 else on HF. The next filter line lets through just VHF/UHF spots from EU.
963 <sect>Hints, tips and common questions.
966 <bf/Q./These commands seem very long! Can I shorten them?
968 <bf/A./Of course you can and the usual abbreviations work. If you
971 <bf/Q./I am not sure if this command is correct. Can I cause any
974 <bf/A./Do not be afraid to try a command to see if it will work,
975 at the worst you will get an error message. If you require any
976 help on a command, just type help followed by the command you
977 want help on. Look at the "DXSpider Command Reference" section to see
978 what help can be found.
980 <bf/Q./How should I use the announce command?
982 <bf/A./With respect. Use the command by all means, but please
983 only use the "full" extension if absolutely necessary. It can
984 create a LOT of messages passing between clusters.
986 <bf/Q./I like to be working in the shack while logged into the
987 cluster but I can't be looking at the screen all the time. How
988 can I be alerted when anything happens?
990 <bf/A./Use the <bf>SET/BEEP</bf> command. You can find information
991 on this in the "DXSpider Command Reference" section.
993 <bf/Q./I keep getting disconnected from the cluster, what is
994 happening and how can I stop it?
996 <bf/Q./I got disconnected from the cluster and now I can't log
997 back in again. What is wrong?
999 <bf/A./Probably the cluster thinks you are still logged on and
1000 will not let you reconnect using the same call to prevent loops.
1001 Try logging on again adding an ssid to your callsign as DXSpider
1002 treats G0YLM and G0YLM-1 as different users.
1004 <bf/Q./I notice that all the commands are shown in lower case in
1005 the main section of this manual, but in upper case in the "DXSpider
1006 Command Reference" section. Why is that?
1008 <bf/Q./How do I know if I have got the latest version of this
1011 <bf/A./The latest and greatest will always be on the Website. It will
1012 also be included with every release of DXSpider. As always, if unsure,
1013 ask your sysop what version number is the latest.
1015 <sect>The DXSpider command reference
1018 Below is a complete list of commands available from the cluster prompt.
1019 These are listed below in alphabetical order.
1021 <sect1>accept/announce
1025 <bf>accept/announce [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set an accept filter
1030 Create an 'accept this announce' line for a filter.
1032 An accept filter line means that if the announce matches this filter it is
1033 passed onto the user. See HELP FILTERS for more info. Please read this
1034 to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief later on.
1036 You can use any of the following things in this line:-
1039 info <string> eg: iota or qsl
1040 by <prefixes> eg: G,M,2
1042 origin_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1043 origin_itu <numbers>
1044 origin_zone <numbers>
1049 wx 1 filter WX announces
1050 dest <prefixes> eg: 6MUK,WDX (distros)
1057 acc/ann 2 by_zone 14,15,16
1058 (this could be all on one line: acc/ann dest 6MUK or by_zone 14,15,16)
1067 This filter would only allow announces that were posted buy UK stations.
1068 You can use the tag 'all' to accept everything eg:
1074 but this probably for advanced users...
1080 <bf>accept/announce [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set an accept filter
1085 Create an 'accept this spot' line for a filter.
1088 An accept filter line means that if the spot matches this filter it is
1089 passed onto the user. See HELP FILTERS for more info. Please read this
1090 to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief later on.
1092 You can use any of the following things in this line:-
1095 freq <range> eg: 0/30000 or hf or hf/cw or 6m,4m,2m
1096 on <range> same as 'freq'
1097 call <prefixes> eg: G,PA,HB9
1098 info <string> eg: iota or qsl
1100 call_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1111 For frequencies, you can use any of the band names defined in
1112 SHOW/BANDS and you can use a subband name like: cw, rtty, data, ssb -
1113 thus: hf/ssb. You can also just have a simple range like: 0/30000 -
1114 this is more efficient than saying simply: freq HF (but don't get
1115 too hung up about that)
1121 acc/spot 2 on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
1124 You can use the tag 'all' to accept everything, eg:
1130 but this probably for advanced users...
1136 <bf>accept/wcy [0-9] <pattern></bf> set an accept WCY filter
1140 It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you can
1141 filter on the following fields:-
1144 by <prefixes> eg: G,M,2
1146 origin_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1147 origin_itu <numbers>
1148 origin_zone <numbers>
1156 There are no examples because WCY Broadcasts only come from one place and
1157 you either want them or not (see UNSET/WCY if you don't want them).
1159 This command is really provided for future use.
1161 See HELP FILTER for information.
1167 <bf>accept/wwv [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set an accept WWV filter
1171 It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you can
1172 filter on the following fields:-
1175 by <prefixes> eg: G,M,2
1177 origin_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1178 origin_itu <numbers>
1179 origin_zone <numbers>
1189 accept/wwv by_zone 4
1192 is probably the only useful thing to do (which will only show WWV broadcasts
1193 by stations in the US).
1195 See HELP FILTER for information.
1201 <bf>announce <text></bf> Send an announcement to local users
1205 Send an announcement to LOCAL users only, where <text> is the text
1206 of the announcement you wish to broadcast
1208 <sect1>announce full
1212 <bf>announce full <text></bf> Send an announcement cluster wide
1216 This command will send your announcement across the whole cluster
1223 <bf>apropos <string></bf> Search the help database
1227 Search the help database for <string> (it isn't case sensitive),
1228 and print the names of all the commands that may be relevant.
1234 <bf>bye</bf> Exit from the cluster
1238 This will disconnect you from the cluster
1244 <bf>clear/spots [1|all]</bf> Clear a spot filter line
1248 This command allows you to clear (remove) a line in a spot filter or to
1249 remove the whole filter.
1251 If you have a filter:-
1255 acc/spot 2 on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
1264 you will be left with:-
1267 acc/spot 2 on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
1276 the filter will be completely removed.
1282 <bf>dbavail</bf> Show a list of all the databases in the system
1286 The title says it all really, this command lists all the databases defined
1287 in the system. It is also aliased to SHOW/COMMAND.
1293 <bf>dbshow <dbname> <key></bf> Display an entry, if it exists,
1298 This is the generic user interface to the database to the database system.
1299 It is expected that the sysop will add an entry to the local Aliases file
1300 so that users can use the more familiar AK1A style of enquiry such as:
1306 but if he hasn't and the database really does exist (use DBAVAIL or
1307 SHOW/COMMAND to find out) you can do the same thing with:
1317 <bf>directory</bf> List messages<newline>
1318 <bf>directory all</bf> List all messages<newline>
1319 <bf>directory own</bf> List your own messages<newline>
1320 <bf>directory new</bf> List all new messages<newline>
1321 <bf>directory to <call></bf> List all messages to <call><newline>
1322 <bf>directory from <call></bf> List all messages from <call><newline>
1323 <bf>directory subject <string></bf> List all messages with <string>
1325 <bf>directory <nn></bf> List last <nn> messages<newline>
1326 <bf>directory <from>-<to></bf> List messages <from> message <to> message <newline>
1330 List the messages in the messages directory.
1332 If there is a 'p' one space after the message number then it is a
1333 personal message. If there is a '-' between the message number and the
1334 'p' then this indicates that the message has been read.
1336 You can use shell escape characters such as '*' and '?' in the <call>
1339 You can combine some of the various directory commands together eg:-
1344 DIR SUBJECT IOTA 200-250
1347 You can abbreviate all the commands to one letter and use ak1a syntax:-
1358 <bf>dx [by <call>] <freq> <call> <remarks></bf> Send a DX spot
1362 This is how you send a DX Spot to other users. You can, in fact, now
1363 enter the <freq> and the <call> either way round.
1371 will all give the same result. You can add some remarks to the end
1372 of the command and they will be added to the spot.
1375 DX FR0G 144600 this is a test
1378 You can credit someone else by saying:-
1381 DX by G1TLH FR0G 144.600 he isn't on the cluster
1384 The <freq> is compared against the available bands set up in the
1385 cluster. See SHOW/BANDS for more information.
1391 <bf>help <cmd></bf> Get help on a command
1395 All commands can be abbreviated, so SHOW/DX can be abbreviated
1396 to SH/DX, ANNOUNCE can be shortened to AN and so on.
1398 Look at the APROPOS <string> command which will search the help database
1399 for the <string> you specify and give you a list of likely commands
1400 to look at with HELP.
1406 <bf>kill <msgno> [<msgno> ..]</bf> Delete a message
1407 from the local system
1411 Delete a message from the local system. You will only be able to
1412 delete messages that you have originated or been sent (unless you are
1419 <bf>links</bf> Show which nodes are physically connected
1423 This is a quick listing that shows which links are connected and
1424 some information about them. See WHO for a list of all connections.
1430 <bf>read</bf> Read the next unread personal message addressed to you<newline>
1431 <bf>read <msgno></bf> Read the specified message<newline>
1435 You can read any messages that are sent as 'non-personal' and also any
1436 message either sent by or sent to your callsign.
1438 <sect1>reject/announce
1442 <bf>reject/announce [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set a reject filter
1447 Create an 'reject this announce' line for a filter.
1449 An reject filter line means that if the announce matches this filter it is
1450 passed onto the user. See HELP FILTERS for more info. Please read this
1451 to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief later on.
1453 You can use any of the following things in this line:-
1456 info <string> eg: iota or qsl
1457 by <prefixes> eg: G,M,2
1459 origin_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1460 origin_itu <numbers>
1461 origin_zone <numbers>
1466 wx 1 filter WX announces
1467 dest <prefixes> eg: 6MUK,WDX (distros)
1473 rej/ann by_zone 14,15,16 and not by G,M,2
1476 You can use the tag 'all' to reject everything eg:
1482 but this probably for advanced users...
1488 <bf>reject/spots [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set a reject filter
1493 Create a 'reject this spot' line for a filter.
1495 A reject filter line means that if the spot matches this filter it is
1496 dumped (not passed on). See HELP FILTERS for more info. Please read this
1497 to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief later on.
1499 You can use any of the following things in this line:-
1502 freq <range> eg: 0/30000 or hf or hf/cw or 6m,4m,2m
1503 on <range> same as 'freq'
1504 call <prefixes> eg: G,PA,HB9
1505 info <string> eg: iota or qsl
1507 call_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1517 For frequencies, you can use any of the band names defined in
1518 SHOW/BANDS and you can use a subband name like: cw, rtty, data, ssb -
1519 thus: hf/ssb. You can also just have a simple range like: 0/30000 -
1520 this is more efficient than saying simply: on HF (but don't get
1521 too hung up about that)
1527 rej/spot 2 on vhf and not (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
1530 You can use the tag 'all' to reject everything eg:
1536 but this probably for advanced users...
1542 <bf>reject/wcy [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set a reject WCY filter
1546 It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you can
1547 filter on the following fields:-
1550 by <prefixes> eg: G,M,2
1552 origin_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1553 origin_itu <numbers>
1554 origin_zone <numbers>
1561 There are no examples because WCY Broadcasts only come from one place and
1562 you either want them or not (see UNSET/WCY if you don't want them).
1564 This command is really provided for future use.
1566 See HELP FILTER for information.
1572 <bf>reject/wwv [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set a reject WWV filter
1576 It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you can
1577 filter on the following fields:-
1580 by <prefixes> eg: G,M,2
1582 origin_dxcc <numbers> eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
1583 origin_itu <numbers>
1584 origin_zone <numbers>
1594 reject/wwv by_zone 14,15,16
1597 is probably the only useful thing to do (which will only show WWV broadcasts
1598 by stations in the US).
1600 See HELP FILTER for information.
1606 <bf>reply</bf> Reply (privately) to the last message that you have read<newline>
1607 <bf>reply <msgno></bf> Reply (privately) to the specified message<newline>
1608 <bf>reply B <msgno></bf> Reply as a Bulletin to the specified message<newline>
1609 <bf>reply NOPrivate <msgno></bf> Reply as a Bulletin to the specified
1611 <bf>reply RR <msgno></bf> Reply to the specified message with read
1616 You can reply to a message and the subject will automatically have
1617 "Re:" inserted in front of it, if it isn't already present.
1619 You can also use all the extra qualifiers such as RR, PRIVATE,
1620 NOPRIVATE, B that you can use with the SEND command (see SEND
1621 for further details)
1627 <bf>send <call> [<call> ...]</bf> Send a message to
1628 one or more callsigns<newline>
1629 <bf>send RR <call></bf> Send a message and ask for a read receipt<newline>
1630 <bf>send COPY <msgno> <call></bf> Send a copy of a message
1632 <bf>send PRIVATE <call></bf> Send a personal message<newline>
1633 <bf>send NOPRIVATE <call></bf> Send a message to all stations<newline>
1637 All the SEND commands will create a message which will be sent either to
1638 an individual callsign or to one of the 'bulletin' addresses.
1640 SEND <call> on its own acts as though you had typed SEND PRIVATE, that is
1641 it will mark the message as personal and send it to the cluster node that
1642 that callsign is connected to.
1644 You can have more than one callsign in all of the SEND commands.
1646 You can have multiple qualifiers so that you can have for example:-
1649 SEND RR COPY 123 PRIVATE G1TLH G0RDI
1652 which should send a copy of message 123 to G1TLH and G0RDI and you will
1653 receive a read receipt when they have read the message.
1655 SB is an alias for SEND NOPRIVATE (or send a bulletin in BBS speak)
1656 SP is an alias for SEND PRIVATE
1662 <bf>set/address <your_address></bf> Record your postal address
1666 Literally, record your address details on the cluster.
1672 <bf>set/announce</bf> Allow announce messages
1676 Allow announce messages to arrive at your terminal.
1682 <bf>set/beep</bf> Add beeps to terminal messages
1686 Add a beep to DX and other terminal messages.
1692 <bf>set/dx</bf>Allow DX messages to arrive at your terminal
1696 You can stop DX messages with the <em>unset/dx</em> command
1702 <bf>set/dxgrid</bf>Allow grid squares on the end of DX messages
1706 Some logging programs do not like the additional information at
1707 the end of a DX spot. If this is the case, use the <em>unset/dxgrid</em>
1708 command to remove the grid squares.
1714 <bf>set/echo</bf> Make the cluster echo your input
1718 If you are connected via a telnet session, different implimentations
1719 of telnet handle echo differently depending on whether you are
1720 connected via port 23 or some other port. You can use this command
1721 to change the setting appropriately.
1723 You can remove the echo with the <em>unset/echo</em> command
1725 The setting is stored in your user profile.
1727 YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE THIS COMMAND IF YOU ARE CONNECTED VIA AX25.
1733 <bf>set/here</bf> Set the here flag
1737 Let others on the cluster know you are here by only displaying your
1738 callsign. If you are away from your terminal you can use the <em>unset/here</em>
1739 command to let people know you are away. This simply puts brackets
1740 around your callsign to indicate you are not available.
1746 <bf>set/homenode <node_call></bf> Set your home cluster
1750 Tell the cluster system where you normally connect to. Any Messages sent
1751 to you will normally find their way there should you not be connected.
1762 <bf>set/language <language></bf> Set the language you wish to use
1766 You can select the language that you want the cluster to use. Currently
1767 the languages available are <em>en</em> (English) <em>sp</em> (Spanish)
1768 and <em>nl</em> (Dutch).
1774 <bf>set/location <lat and long></bf> Set your latitude and longitude
1778 You can set your latitude and longitude manually or alternatively use the
1779 <em>set/qra</em> command which will do the conversion for you.
1782 set/location 54 04 N 2 02 E
1785 <sect1>set/logininfo
1789 <bf>set/logininfo</bf> Show logins and logouts of nodes and users
1793 Show users and nodes when they log in and out of the local cluster. You
1794 can stop these messages by using the <em>unset/logininfo</em> command.
1800 <bf>set/name <your_name></bf> Set your name
1804 Tell the cluster what your name is, eg:-
1814 <bf>set/page <n></bf> Set the number of lines per page
1818 Tell the system how many lines you wish on a page when the number of lines
1819 of output from a command is more than this. The default is 20. Setting it
1820 explicitly to 0 will disable paging.
1827 The setting is stored in your user profile.
1833 <bf>set/qra <locator></bf> Set your QRA locator
1837 Tell the system what your QRA (or Maidenhead) locator is. If you have not
1838 done a SET/LOCATION then your latitude and longitude will be set roughly
1839 correctly (assuming your locator is correct ;-). For example:-
1849 <bf>set/qth <your QTH></bf> Set your QTH
1853 Tell the system where your are. For example:-
1856 set/qth East Dereham, Norfolk
1863 <bf>set/talk</bf> Allow talk messages to be seen at your console
1867 Allow talk messages to arrive at your console. You can switch off
1868 talks with the <em>unset/talk</em> command.
1874 <bf>set/wcy</bf> Allow WCY messages to be seen at your console
1878 Allow WCY information to be seen at your console. You can switch off
1879 WCY messages with the <em>unset/wcy</em> command.
1885 <bf>set/wwv</bf> Allow WWV messages to be seen at your console
1889 Allow WWV information to be seen at your console. You can switch off
1890 WWV messages with the <em>unset/wwv</em> command.
1896 <bf>set/wx</bf> Allow WX messages to be seen at your console
1900 Allow WX information to be seen at your console. You can switch off
1901 WX messages with the <em>unset/wx</em> command.
1907 <bf>show/date [<prefix>|<callsign>]</bf> Show
1912 This is very nearly the same as SHOW/TIME, the only difference the format
1913 of the date string if no arguments are given.
1915 If no prefixes or callsigns are given then this command returns the local
1916 time and UTC as the computer has it right now. If you give some prefixes
1917 then it will show UTC and UTC + the local offset (not including DST) at
1918 the prefixes or callsigns that you specify.
1924 <bf>show/dx [options]</bf> interrogate the spot database
1928 If you just type SHOW/DX you will get the last so many spots
1929 (sysop configurable, but usually 10).
1931 In addition you can add any number of these options in very nearly
1932 any order to the basic SHOW/DX command, they are:-
1935 on <band> - eg 160m 20m 2m 23cm 6mm
1936 on <region> - eg hf vhf uhf shf (see SHOW/BANDS)
1938 <number> - the number of spots you want
1939 <from>-<to> - <from> spot no <to> spot no in
1942 <prefix> - for a spotted callsign beginning with <prefix>
1943 *<suffix> - for a spotted callsign ending in <suffix>
1944 *<string>* - for a spotted callsign containing <string>
1946 day <number> - starting <number> days ago
1947 day <from>-<to> - <from> days <to> days ago
1949 info <text> - any spots containing <text> in the info or remarks
1951 by <call> - any spots spotted by <call> (spotter <call>
1954 qsl - this automatically looks for any qsl info on the call
1955 held in the spot database.
1957 iota [<iota>] - If the iota island number is missing it will
1958 look for the string iota and anything which looks like
1959 an iota island number. If you specify then it will look
1962 qra [<locator>] - this will look for the specific locator if
1963 you specify one or else anything that looks like a locator.
1970 SH/DX on 20m info iota
1971 SH/DX 9a on vhf day 30
1982 <bf>show/dxcc <prefix></bf> Interrogate the spot database by country
1986 This command takes the <prefix> (which can be a full or partial
1987 callsign if desired), looks up which internal country number it is
1988 and then displays all the spots as per SH/DX for that country.
1990 The options for SHOW/DX also apply to this command.
1995 SH/DXCC W on 20m info iota
2002 <bf>show/files [<filearea> [<string>]]</bf> List
2003 the contents of a filearea
2007 SHOW/FILES on its own will show you a list of the various fileareas
2008 available on the system. To see the contents of a particular file
2012 SH/FILES <filearea>
2015 where <filearea> is the name of the filearea you want to see the
2018 You can also use shell globbing characters like '*' and '?' in a
2019 string to see a selection of files in a filearea eg:-
2022 SH/FILES bulletins arld*
2025 See also TYPE - to see the contents of a file.
2031 <bf>show/filter</bf> Show the filters you have set
2035 Show the contents of all the filters that are set by you. This command
2036 displays all the filters set - for all the various categories.
2042 <bf>show/moon [<prefix>|<callsign>]</bf> Show moon
2047 Show the Moon rise and set times for a (list of) prefixes or callsigns,
2048 together with the azimuth and elevation of the sun currently at those
2051 If you don't specify any prefixes or callsigns, it will show the times for
2052 your QTH (assuming you have set it with either SET/LOCATION or SET/QRA),
2053 together with the current azimuth and elevation.
2055 In addition, it will show the gain or loss dB relative to the nominal
2056 distance of 385,000Km due to the ellipsoidal nature of the orbit.
2058 If all else fails it will show the Moonrise and set times for the node
2059 that you are connected to.
2072 <bf>show/muf <prefix> [<hours>][long]</bf> Show
2073 the likely propagation to <prefix>
2077 This command allow you to estimate the likelihood of you contacting
2078 a station with the prefix you have specified. The output assumes a modest
2079 power of 20dBW and receiver sensitivity of -123dBm (about 0.15muV/10dB SINAD)
2081 The result predicts the most likely operating frequencies and signal
2082 levels for high frequency (shortwave) radio propagation paths on
2083 specified days of the year and hours of the day. It is most useful for
2084 paths between 250 km and 6000 km, but can be used with reduced accuracy
2085 for paths shorter or longer than this.
2087 The command uses a routine MINIMUF 3.5 developed by the U.S. Navy and
2088 used to predict the MUF given the predicted flux, day of the year,
2089 hour of the day and geographic coordinates of the transmitter and
2090 receiver. This routine is reasonably accurate for the purposes here,
2091 with a claimed RMS error of 3.8 MHz, but much smaller and less complex
2092 than the programs used by major shortwave broadcasting organizations,
2093 such as the Voice of America.
2095 The command will display some header information detailing its
2096 assumptions, together with the locations, latitude and longitudes and
2097 bearings. It will then show UTC (UT), local time at the other end
2098 (LT), calculate the MUFs, Sun zenith angle at the midpoint of the path
2099 (Zen) and the likely signal strengths. Then for each frequency for which
2100 the system thinks there is a likelihood of a circuit it prints a value.
2102 The value is currently a likely S meter reading based on the conventional
2103 6dB / S point scale. If the value has a '+' appended it means that it is
2104 1/2 an S point stronger. If the value is preceeded by an 'm' it means that
2105 there is likely to be much fading and by an 's' that the signal is likely
2108 By default SHOW/MUF will show the next two hours worth of data. You
2109 can specify anything up to 24 hours worth of data by appending the no of
2110 hours required after the prefix. For example:-
2119 RxSens: -123 dBM SFI: 159 R: 193 Month: 10 Day: 21
2120 Power : 20 dBW Distance: 6283 km Delay: 22.4 ms
2121 Location Lat / Long Azim
2122 East Dereham, Norfolk 52 41 N 0 57 E 47
2123 United-States-W 43 0 N 87 54 W 299
2124 UT LT MUF Zen 1.8 3.5 7.0 10.1 14.0 18.1 21.0 24.9 28.0 50.0
2125 18 23 11.5 -35 mS0+ mS2 S3
2126 19 0 11.2 -41 mS0+ mS2 S3
2129 indicating that you will have weak, fading circuits on top band and
2130 80m but usable signals on 40m (about S3).
2138 will get you the above display, but with the next 24 hours worth of
2146 Gives you an estimate of the long path propagation characterics. It
2147 should be noted that the figures will probably not be very useful, nor
2148 terrible accurate, but it is included for completeness.
2154 <bf>show/prefix <callsign></bf> Interrogate the prefix database
2158 This command takes the <callsign> (which can be a full or partial
2159 callsign or a prefix), looks up which internal country number
2160 it is and then displays all the relevant prefixes for that country
2161 together with the internal country no, the CQ and ITU regions.
2169 <bf>show/qra <locator> [<locator>]</bf> Show the distance
2170 between locators<newline>
2171 <bf>show/qra <lat> <long></bf> Convert latitude and longitude to
2176 This is a multipurpose command that allows you either to calculate the
2177 distance and bearing between two locators or (if only one locator is
2178 given on the command line) the distance and beraing from your station
2179 to the locator. For example:-
2186 The first example will show the distance and bearing to the locator from
2187 yourself, the second example will calculate the distance and bearing from
2188 the first locator to the second. You can use 4 or 6 character locators.
2190 It is also possible to convert a latitude and longitude to a locator by
2191 using this command with a latitude and longitude as an argument, for
2195 SH/QRA 52 41 N 0 58 E
2202 <bf>show/qrz <callsign></bf> Show any callbook details on a callsign
2206 This command queries the QRZ callbook server on the internet
2207 and returns any information available for that callsign. This service
2208 is provided for users of this software by http://www.qrz.com
2214 <bf>show/route <callsign></bf> Show the route to <callsign>
2218 This command allows you to see to which node the callsigns specified are
2219 connected. It is a sort of inverse sh/config.
2225 <sect1>show/satellite
2229 <bf>show/satellite <name> [<hours> <interval>]</bf>
2230 Show satellite tracking data
2234 Show the tracking data from your location to the satellite of your choice
2235 from now on for the next few hours.
2237 If you use this command without a satellite name it will display a list
2238 of all the satellites known currently to the system.
2240 If you give a name then you can obtain tracking data of all the passes
2241 that start and finish 5 degrees below the horizon. As default it will
2242 give information for the next three hours for every five minute period.
2244 You can alter the number of hours and the step size, within certain
2247 Each pass in a period is separated with a row of '-----' characters
2253 SH/SAT FENGYUN1 12 2
2260 <bf>show/sun [<prefix>|<callsign>]</bf> Show
2261 sun rise and set times
2265 Show the sun rise and set times for a (list of) prefixes or callsigns,
2266 together with the azimuth and elevation of the sun currently at those
2269 If you don't specify any prefixes or callsigns, it will show the times for
2270 your QTH (assuming you have set it with either SET/LOCATION or SET/QRA),
2271 together with the current azimuth and elevation.
2273 If all else fails it will show the sunrise and set times for the node
2274 that you are connected to.
2280 SH/SUN G1TLH K9CW ZS
2287 <bf>show/time [<prefix>|<callsign>]</bf> Show
2292 If no prefixes or callsigns are given then this command returns the local
2293 time and UTC as the computer has it right now. If you give some prefixes
2294 then it will show UTC and UTC + the local offset (not including DST) at
2295 the prefixes or callsigns that you specify.
2301 <bf>show/wcy</bf> Show the last 10 WCY broadcasts<newline>
2302 <bf>show/wcy <n></bf> Show the last <n> WCY broadcasts
2306 Display the most recent WCY information that has been received by the system
2312 <bf>show/wwv</bf> Show the last 10 WWV broadcasts<newline>
2313 <bf>show/wwv <n></bf> Show the last <n> WWV broadcasts
2317 Display the most recent WWV information that has been received by the system
2323 <bf>sysop</bf> Regain your privileges if you login remotely
2327 The system automatically reduces your privilege level to that of a
2328 normal user if you login in remotely. This command allows you to
2329 regain your normal privilege level. It uses the normal system: five
2330 numbers are returned that are indexes into the character array that is
2331 your assigned password (see SET/PASSWORD). The indexes start from
2334 You are expected to return a string which contains the characters
2335 required in the correct order. You may intersperse those characters
2336 with others to obscure your reply for any watchers. For example (and
2337 these values are for explanation :-):
2340 password = 012345678901234567890123456789
2348 aa2bbbb0ccc5ddd7xxx3n
2353 They will all match. If there is no password you will still be offered
2354 numbers but nothing will happen when you input a string. Any match is
2361 <bf>talk <callsign></bf> Enter talk mode with <callsign><newline>
2362 <bf>talk <callsign> <text></bf> Send a text message to <callsign><newline>
2363 <bf>talk <callsign> > <node_call> [<text>]</bf>
2364 Send a text message to <callsign> via <node_call>
2368 Send a short message to any other station that is visible on the cluster
2369 system. You can send it to anyone you can see with a SHOW/CONFIGURATION
2370 command, they don't have to be connected locally.
2372 The second form of TALK is used when other cluster nodes are connected
2373 with restricted information. This usually means that they don't send
2374 the user information usually associated with logging on and off the cluster.
2376 If you know that G3JNB is likely to be present on GB7TLH, but you can only
2377 see GB7TLH in the SH/C list but with no users, then you would use the
2378 second form of the talk message.
2380 If you want to have a ragchew with someone you can leave the text message
2381 out and the system will go into 'Talk' mode. What this means is that a
2382 short message is sent to the recipient telling them that you are in a 'Talking'
2383 frame of mind and then you just type - everything you send will go to the
2384 station that you asked for.
2386 All the usual announcements, spots and so on will still come out on your
2389 If you want to do something (such as send a spot) you precede the normal
2390 command with a '/' character, eg:-
2393 /DX 14001 G1TLH What's a B class licensee doing on 20m CW?
2397 To leave talk mode type:
2407 <bf>type <filearea>/<name></bf> Look at a file in one of the fileareas
2411 Type out the contents of a file in a filearea. So, for example, in
2412 filearea 'bulletins' you want to look at file 'arld051' you would
2416 TYPE bulletins/arld051
2419 See also SHOW/FILES to see what fileareas are available and a
2426 <bf>who</bf> Show who is physically connected locally
2430 This is a quick listing that shows which callsigns are connected and
2431 what sort of connection they have
2437 <bf>wx <text></bf> Send a weather message to local users<newline>
2438 <bf>wx full <text> </bf> Send a weather message to all cluster users
2442 Weather messages can sometimes be useful if you are experiencing an extreme
2443 that may indicate enhanced conditions