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Re: [CQ-Contest] Skimmer for Propagation Analysis

To: "'CQ-Contest@contesting. com'" <cq-contest@contesting.com>
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Skimmer for Propagation Analysis
From: Guy Molinari <guy_molinari@hotmail.com>
Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2008 21:51:34 +0000
List-post: <cq-contest@contesting.com">mailto:cq-contest@contesting.com>
I believe this could be implemented without requiring that grid square be 
embedded within the transmission.   Also, in the process, busted calls could be 
eliminated.   
 
By looking up the call in a DB.   I think packet cluster software does this as 
well to support spot filtering.
 
73 - Guy, N7ZG



> Date: Sun, 9 Mar 2008 11:27:37 -0700> From: xdavid@cis-broadband.com> To: 
> k1ttt@arrl.net> CC: CADXA@LISTSERV.TEMPE.GOV; CQ-Contest@contesting.com> 
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Skimmer for Propagation Analysis> > > Yes, I do 
> that of course, although it is pretty obvious that a lot of > stations are 
> calling DX they can't hear either.> > That wasn't my point, though. I 
> wouldn't care whether the station was > CQ'ing or not. I'd only care about 
> the grid square they gave as a > report. Skimmer looks for a "CQ" or" QRZ" 
> because it is designed to > populate a bandmap of stations that would 
> actually be there for more > than one QSO, but Skimmer already captures both 
> ends of the contact. It > just filters out the ones without a "CQ" or "QRZ" 
> or similar phrase > before it adds a callsign to the bandmap (local or 
> global). My thought > was that Skimmer could be written to capture the grid 
> square of ALL of > the stations it heard if that were part of the report. If 
> Skimmer > running at my s
 tation knows my grid square as well as those of the ones > it hears from my 
station, whether they are calling CQ or not, it could > capture propagation 
information from my QTH. If it did that for > everyone running Skimmer and the 
results were telneted to a central > server for aggregation and processing, 
you'd get a global view of > propagation, both instantaneous and over time.> > 
So to address your comment, if the contest exchange included grid square > 
information and everyone used Skimmer (at least for propagation > information), 
those folks who were calling DX that I couldn't hear would > be telneting that 
reception report to the global propagation map because > Skimmer running at 
their station would (presumably) be hearing the DX > station's grid square.> > 
Skimmer could populate a global callsign bandmap for cluster-type users, > and 
a separate global propagation map without callsigns for those so > inclined. 
Aside from buying the program, I'd personally be willing t
 o > pay a reasonable subscription fee to support a server that provided real > 
time (and time-lapse) propagation maps based upon actual receptions if > it was 
populated by enough inputs to make it worthwhile.> > 73,> Dave AB7E> > > David 
Robbins K1TTT wrote:> > For pure propagation analysis you shouldn't care if the 
station is cqing or> > not. Lots of information can be gleaned from listening 
to pileups for dx> > that you can't hear, but you can hear who is calling 
them.> >> >> > David Robbins K1TTT> > e-mail: mailto:k1ttt@arrl.net> > web: 
http://www.k1ttt.net> > AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net> > 
> >> > > >> -----Original Message-----> >> From: 
cq-contest-bounces@contesting.com [mailto:cq-contest-> >> 
bounces@contesting.com] On Behalf Of David Gilbert> >> Sent: Saturday, March 
08, 2008 16:23> >> To: CQ-Contest@contesting. com; CADXA> >> Subject: 
[CQ-Contest] Skimmer for Propagation Analysis> >>> >>> >> It occurred to me 
that a possible use of a Skimmer-
 type application> >> might be for propagation analysis.> >>> >> Given that:> 
>>> >> a. Skimmer and a wideband IF to feed it (either from an outboard> >> 
Softrock or the rig itself) can monitor an entire ham band and,> >> apparently 
with a fair amount of intelligence, decode and analyze the> >> signals it finds 
there. Skimmer is able to grasp simple phrases like> >> "CQ" and "QRZ" to 
figure out whether a station is running or not.> >>> >> b. Skimmer can display 
its results on a bandmap for the user, but it> >> can (or will be able to) also 
telnet the components of that bandmap to a> >> server where presumably they 
could be aggregated, crunched to filter> >> dupes and busted calls, and 
displayed as a master global bandmap.> >>> >> So ... what if a contest used 
grid squares for the exchange, and Skimmer> >> not only captured the callsign 
but also its report? Callsigns are not a> >> reliable indicator of location, 
but grid squares are. That information> >> could be used to gener
 ate a global propagation map for either real time> >> use or analysis later. 
Ideally Skimmer would capture signal strength> >> information as well (it 
certainly would be technically possible to pull> >> that off the A/D feeding 
the computer) but such readings would be> >> unreliable due to many reasons 
(i.e., directional antennas). However,> >> Skimmer might be able to derive some 
intensity information from the> >> number of reports over essentially the same 
path and create, for> >> example, a color overlay on the propagation map to 
identify stronger> >> openings.> >>> >> Basically, once you have a program like 
Skimmer that is capable of> >> analyzing and decoding an entire band, the uses 
are limited only by the> >> data you feed it ... the rest is simply database 
crunching. So why not> >> feed it with something useful like location or 
(heaven forbid) actual> >> signal reports?> >>> >> Just some thoughts ...> >>> 
>> 73,> >> Dave AB7E> >>> >> _________________________________
 ______________> >> CQ-Contest mailing list> >> CQ-Contest@contesting.com> >> 
http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest> >> > >> >> >> >> > > 
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