[CQ-Contest] Skimmer reverse beacon experiment - update

[David Robbins K1TTT]

Now THAT would be a real zoo!  You could of course do it with my wintelnetx
spot sucker program.  It can translate from user side spots (DX de ...) into
either backbone(pcxx^...) or user sent spots (dx/skimmer xxx yyy) format to
inject spots into a cluster.  But I wouldn't do it with those until its
better understood and filtered better.  And I would NOT inject them with a
'skimmer' user name, that would be pure chaos, use a real callsign for the
region they come from so they can be filtered by source location by the
cluster and user software properly!

David Robbins K1TTT
e-mail: mailto:k1ttt at arrl.net
web: http://www.k1ttt.net
AR-Cluster node: 145.69MHz or telnet://dxc.k1ttt.net
 

> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com [mailto:cq-contest-
> bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Bill Parry
> Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 12:59
> To: 'Pete Smith'; cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Skimmer reverse beacon experiment - update
> 
> Pete, Can this be fed into a regular packet cluster?
> 
> Bill, W5VX
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:cq-contest-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Pete Smith
> Sent: Friday, March 07, 2008 8:37 PM
> To: cq-contest at contesting.com
> Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Skimmer reverse beacon experiment - update
> 
> Hi Clive - the spots I'm making available on the Internet are generated by
> a US$13 (that's right, $13, in kit form) 20M SoftRock SDR taking its
> antenna feed from the RX antenna loop of my second radio, a TS-930.  I
> have
> been feeding these spots directly into N1MM Logger and DX4WIN, simply by
> connecting to Skimmer as if it were a DX cluster node.
> 
> There are a number of radios on the market today (K3, Orions, etc.) and
> previously marketed (TS-940, TS-950, TS-850(?), etc. that have an IF tap
> on
> the antenna side of the roofing filter.  Neither of my radios has this
> built in, so I elected to go with the SoftRock for experimental
> purposes.  To tap the IF, you would need the appropriate SoftRock, or a
> much more sophisticated device like N8LP's forthcoming LP-PAN.
> 
> Either way, the potential is fantastic.
> 
> 73, Pete N4ZR
> 
> At 07:03 PM 3/7/2008, Clive Whelan wrote:
> >Pete
> >
> >Sure, fantastic software indeed, and you are demonstrating what it is
> >capable of. Perhaps the most profound implication is that it can render
> >the use of DX clusters irrelevant, and therefore - at a stroke- deprive
> >the cheats of their ( currently enjoyed) edge. However , what I don't
> >quite see is how the average Joe, or even the well equipped contest
> >station can integrate the functionality into his favourite logging
> >programme so that the "spots" populate the band map, until or unless
> >add-on hardware becomes available, or manufacturers make a ca. 100kHz
> >slice of the IF available to Skimmer. My 756PROIII clearly has that
> >potential as it can already display a bandscope over such a range, but I
> >don't see ICOM making that externally available any time soon, as it is
> >simply not for the mass market.
> >
> >
> >Am I lacking in vision, or do you share my reservations?
> >
> >
> >73
> >
> >
> >
> >Clive
> >GW3NJW
> >
> >
> >Pete Smith wrote:
> > > Today I replaced the Skimmer software with a new version that permits
> you
> > > to select whether to forward all spots to Telnet, or just the ones
> that
> > the
> > > software identifies as calling CQ.  Depending on circumstances, you
> might
> > > want either.  Thanks to Alex for being so accommodating to this
> experiment
> > >
> > > For the last several hours it has only been spotting stations that it
> has
> > > identified as CQ-ing or otherwise being ready to receive calls.  It
> has
> a
> > > series of key phrases it looks for, including some that are
> specifically
> > > relevant to contesting, like [callsign] TEST or [callsign]SS.  In
> "spot
> > > everything mode, it reports every station it hears - you can imagine
> how
> > > useful this would be for a DXpedition station managing a big pileup.
> > >
> > > As you can tell, I'm sold - but please note, I have no business
> connection
> > > with VE3NEA other than as an admiring user of his products.
> > >
> > > 73, Pete N4ZR
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > >
> > >
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