Topband: Band opening?

[Robert Harmon]

Rick,

Thanks for sharing the text message info.
I use DXWatch and will give it a try.  Will be great to get
a text on spots I need. !

73,
Bob
K6UJ

On 1/3/16 8:21 AM, Richard (Rick) Karlquist wrote:
> On 1/3/2016 7:00 AM, K4OWR wrote:
>> :::: Now that I have your attention....
>> Is there any method anyone knows of to receive email or a text message
>> when there is DX present on 160 meters?
>> I subscribe to several, but none of them seems to include 160 in the
>> "notification" check box.
>>
>> Perhaps we could create one? I know this group is supposed to be for
>> contestors, but let's be honest, loads of other things are discussed.
>> BILL K4OWR
>
> It's news to me that this group is supposed to be for contestors.
> Anyway, I have found DXwatch.com to be useful, if you know
> about its limitations:
>
> 1.  Documentation isn't great.
>
> 2.  It works well in terms of sending an email, except
>
> 3.  There is a feature to send to an "alternate email" address
> that simply doesn't work.
>
> 4.  The feature of sending a text message to a phone has been disabled.
>
> 5.  A workaround for this is to use a feature that cell phone carriers
> provide:  you send an email to a special address for the carrier,
> and the carrier converts this to a text message for the phone.
> IE, from DXwatch's viewpoint, it is just sending an email; from
> your phones' viewpoint, it is just receiving an SMS text message.
> (See for example: 
> http://20somethingfinance.com/how-to-send-text-messages-sms-via-email-for-free/).
>
> Having said all that, it has been very useful for me. You can
> certainly filter for 160 meters.  I can directly credit DXwatch
> for bagging Chad for an ATNO, earlier this year.  I was out walking when
> the alert came in and I was able to get home in time to make
> the QSO.  Chad has been particularly troublesome because
> previous QSO's never produced QSL's and/or were not approved
> for DXCC.  (This was not on 160 meters, but is given as
> an example of DXwatch).  It was also instrumental in working
> Monaco (surprisingly difficult).
>
> All of this presupposes the DX has been spotted.  On CW, it might
> be more useful to be able to use the RBN to issue alerts.
> Of course, that has the limitation that the station to be
> spotted must call CQ (or "test") to show up.
> Does anyone know how to get RBN alerts?
>
> I have spot filtering in my logging program that is supposed
> to be able to send email alerts, but I have never been able
> to get it to work.  The logging program docs, of course, blame
> my ISP, my mail program, Windoze, etc, anything but their program.
>
> Rick N6RK
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