[Skimmertalk] Skimmer Server Stats - ARRLDXCW 2010

[Pete Smith]

It is trivially easy.  The only gotcha is to make sure you do *not* try 
to run the QS1R Server with Skimmer Server.  SS loads its own firmware 
into the QS1R's FPGA, so you need to let it do that.  Once it's done, 
you start Skimmer Server and right-click on the system tray icon - tell 
it to show the SS window, and then page through each of the tabs on it.  
They are all quite self-explanatory.  You can do this without the QS1R 
if you want (I think).

73, Pete N4ZR
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On 2/22/2010 8:41 AM, Mack wrote:
> Pete and others,
>
> Based upon your experience and others I have purchased a QS1R with an
> expected delivery this week.
>
> I'd really appreciate you taking a few minutes to describe any special
> configuration you needed to have it work across 7 bands with CWSkimmer
> Server. I don't want to have to discover all your lessons learned myself. It
> will be used solely in this role.
>
> I plan to use a dedicated receive antenna (vertical) with a receiver front
> end overload protector (I.C.E.) before going into the QS1R. I'll use it on a
> stand-alone computer which is a quad core with 2 GB of RAM running Windows
> XP Pro latest SP.
>
> Thank you in advance for any tips or lessons learned you have.
>
> 73,
>
> Mack de WB4MAK
> http://www.nfarl.org
> http://www.sedxc.org
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: skimmertalk-bounces at contesting.com
> [mailto:skimmertalk-bounces at contesting.com] On Behalf Of Pete Smith N4ZR
> Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 07:49
> To: skimmertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [Skimmertalk] Skimmer Server Stats - ARRLDXCW 2010
>
> I thought fellow Skimmerheads - and maybe some others - would be
> interested in some statistics from my Skimmer Server in the ARRLDXCW
> 2010.  I was running a QS1R receiver on 6 bands simultaneously, with 96
> KHz bandwidth on each, and an 8-foot active vertical from Clifton
> Laboratories (mine is a prototype, but production units are now
> available - www.cliftonlaboratories.com ).  Incidentally, I never saw
> over 50 percent CPU loading on a very minimal dual-core Pentium.
>
> In the 48 hours of the contest, Skimmer Server reported 46,954 spots,
> almost 1000/hour.  Of these, 28,634 were DX (non-W/VE) [note please,
> these sub-totals are approximate because I'm doing this manually].
>
> On Saturday morning, the first European heard on 15M was 9A1A at 1140Z,
> 8 dB above the noise; on Sunday it was 9A5X at 1142Z, 2 dB above the noise.
>
> I would be curious to know how those compare with other US Eastern-half
> Skimmers.  My QS1R is sensitivity-limited on 15 and 10, because I don't
> (yet) have a preamp in line.  Did you hear your first Europeans earlier
> than I did?
>
> Also, are there any hardcore Excel or Access jocks out there who would
> be interested in massaging the data?  If so I'd be glad to provide it in
> either form.
>
>