[CQ-Contest] Skimmer reverse beacon experiment - update

[Pete Smith]

Keep in mind, this is a first beta.  Issues like how to integrate with, or 
stand up a separate network for, CW Skimmers are still a ways down the 
road.  The idea of identifying spots by the owner of the Skimmer (perhaps 
with <skimmed> in the comments) does strike me as worthwhile, and I'll pass 
it on to Alex if he doesn't latch onto it here.

73, Pete N4ZR

At 08:42 AM 3/8/2008, David Robbins K1TTT wrote:

>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
> > > >
> > > > _______________________________________________
> > > > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > > > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > > > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> > > >
> > > >
> > >_______________________________________________
> > >CQ-Contest mailing list
> > >CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > >http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest
> >
> > _______________________________________________
> > CQ-Contest mailing list
> > CQ-Contest at contesting.com
> > http://lists.contesting.com/mailman/listinfo/cq-contest