[CQ-Contest] Skimmer reverse beacon experiment - update

Sat Mar 8 20:34:52 EST 2008

The grid square location of the skimmer in the comment field would yield 
relevant information, similar to how beacons identify their location in CW. 
Maybe something like K0RC/S for the spotting callsign and EN35nj for the 
comment location?

73 de Bob - KØRC in MN

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Pete Smith" <n4zr at contesting.com>
To: <k1ttt at arrl.net>; "'Bill Parry'" <bparry at rgv.rr.com>; 
<cq-contest at contesting.com>
Sent: Saturday, March 08, 2008 1:18 PM
Subject: Re: [CQ-Contest] Skimmer reverse beacon experiment - update

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