1 The DXSpider User Manual v1.50
2 Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)
3 September 2002 revision 0.1
5 A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
6 ______________________________________________________________________
12 1.1 What is a DX Cluster?
13 1.2 So what is DXSpider?
15 2. Logins and logouts.
21 3. Setting your personal details.
22 4. Getting and posting DX.
26 5. Headings and propagation
32 6.1 Making announcements.
33 6.2 Listing announcements.
38 9.1 The "directory" command.
44 10. Filtering (From version 1.45)
45 10.1 General filter rules
48 10.4 Advanced filtering
50 11. Hints, tips and common questions.
51 12. The DXSpider command reference
54 ______________________________________________________________________
56 1
\b1.
\b. I
\bIn
\bnt
\btr
\bro
\bod
\bdu
\buc
\bct
\bti
\bio
\bon
\bn
58 1
\b1.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. W
\bWh
\bha
\bat
\bt i
\bis
\bs a
\ba D
\bDX
\bX C
\bCl
\blu
\bus
\bst
\bte
\ber
\br?
\b?
60 A DX Cluster is a packet node where DX chasers on any band or mode can
61 post rare or interesting stations that they have worked or heard. Of
62 course other people are doing the same thing too, so you can find new
63 DX as well as telling others about the stations you have worked.
64 Clusters tend to be linked to each other so that the amount of people
65 using them is increased, thereby increasing the amount of posted DX.
66 Other information can be found on clusters such as on-line call books,
67 mail etc. You can talk to other stations connected to the cluster
68 network too, in real time, whether at the node you are logged into or
69 on another node connected to the network. You can also use converse
70 mode, where several stations can talk to each other in the same way.
71 Of course, the DX is still posted to you all the while!
74 1
\b1.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. S
\bSo
\bo w
\bwh
\bha
\bat
\bt i
\bis
\bs D
\bDX
\bXS
\bSp
\bpi
\bid
\bde
\ber
\br?
\b?
76 PacketCluster nodes have been around since roughly 1985. The original
77 PacketCluster idea came from Dick Newell, AK1A, and ran under DOS. In
78 about 1992 Dick stopped the development of the PacketCluster software
79 for amateur radio. Many systems are still using this relatively old
82 There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
83 including DXSpider. DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software
84 that runs under several operating systems including Linux and Windows.
85 Linux is fast becoming the choice for amateur radio stations because
86 of it's flexibility, reliability and the lack of the memory
87 limitations of DOS. Linux supports multitasking and is also
88 multiuser. It has support for AX25, ROSE, NetROM and TCPIP built in,
89 making it the ideal choice for amateur radio. It is also totally
92 DXSpider was conceived and begun in 1998 by Dirk Koopman, G1TLH as an
93 exercise in perl programming. It has developed rapidly and today is a
94 very powerful cluster program. It was designed to be totally
95 compatible with the AK1A program, although several commands have been
96 extended to improve functionality.
98 This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the commands
99 that DXSpider supports and to help you get the best from the program
100 so you can enjoy working that rare DX! As DXSpider is being improved
101 all the time, commands will be added as time goes by, so make sure you
102 have the most upto date version of this manual. The latest version
103 will always be included with the cluster program so if you are unsure,
104 simply ask your sysop. The manual will also be available on the
109 2
\b2.
\b. L
\bLo
\bog
\bgi
\bin
\bns
\bs a
\ban
\bnd
\bd l
\blo
\bog
\bgo
\bou
\but
\bts
\bs.
\b.
111 You might not think that there is a lot of point of including a
112 section on how to log in and out of DXSpider. However, you would be
113 suprised at the difficulties some people have in simply getting in and
116 There are several ways a login might be achieved, dependant on how the
117 sysop has DXSpider configured. It is impossible for me to cover all
118 variations but here are the basic ones.
121 2
\b2.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. A
\bAX
\bX2
\b25
\b5 l
\blo
\bog
\bgi
\bin
\bns
\bs.
\b.
123 Simplicity itself. The usual C
\bCO
\bON
\bNN
\bNE
\bEC
\bCT
\bT command will log you straight
124 into the cluster and you will not have to do anything else.
125 Obviously, you will have to connect to the correct callsign. Some
126 nodes use an SSID with their call so you would have to add that.
128 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
137 2
\b2.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. N
\bNe
\bet
\btr
\bro
\bom
\bm l
\blo
\bog
\bgi
\bin
\bns
\bs.
\b.
139 There are several possibilities here, dependant on how the sysop has
140 configured his system. If you are connecting via netrom then you are
141 most probably connecting from another station. Listing the nodes in
142 that station with the N
\bNO
\bOD
\bDE
\bES
\bS command will tell you what callsign or
143 netrom alias to connect to. Then just issue the connect command from
144 there. It is possible that the netrom alias may connect you to a node
145 with an alias for the cluster, such as DXC. Just type this and you
148 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
155 2
\b2.
\b.3
\b3.
\b. T
\bTe
\bel
\bln
\bne
\bet
\bt l
\blo
\bog
\bgi
\bin
\bns
\bs.
\b.
157 With telnet connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider,
158 so you will be asked to login with your callsign. To telnet to
159 DXSpider, you would connect to a specific port. There is no standard
160 at the moment for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if you are
163 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
171 All the above are possible ways of connecting to a DXSpider cluster.
172 You may have some or all of these available to you. There may be one
173 or two additional ways to connect dependant on the network local to
174 you. However I am sure you get the idea.
177 2
\b2.
\b.4
\b4.
\b. L
\bLo
\bog
\bgo
\bou
\but
\bts
\bs.
\b.
179 Logging out can be done by simply issuing the standard B
\bBY
\bYE
\bE command.
181 You could also send a disconnect if you are using AX25, or a C
\bCL
\bLO
\bOS
\bSE
\bE
182 command if you are connected via telnet. If you do not log out
183 gracefully using one of the above commands, you may find you are
184 unable to get a full connect next time. This may also happen if a
185 netrom connection drops. You may get connected, but nothing else will
186 happen because the program thinks you are still connected and will not
187 let you connect twice under the same call. However you could
188 reconnect by adding a number to the end of your call, for example
189 G0YLM-2. This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in
190 the TNC or by altering your program configuration.
193 3
\b3.
\b. S
\bSe
\bet
\btt
\bti
\bin
\bng
\bg y
\byo
\bou
\bur
\br p
\bpe
\ber
\brs
\bso
\bon
\bna
\bal
\bl d
\bde
\bet
\bta
\bai
\bil
\bls
\bs.
\b.
195 Once logged in to the cluster, you should set your details so that
196 anybody who wishes to contact you can find out who and where you are.
197 There are four items to set, your name, qth, location and home node.
198 Setting these details also allows the use of the SHOW/HEADING and
199 SHOW/SUN commands from within the cluster. Unless you set your QTH
200 and location, these commands cannot function. Once you have set your
201 name, DXSpider will greet you with it next time you login. Your QTH
202 setting is where you live and it is a good idea to add your locator to
203 this as the location setting is converted to latitude and longitude
204 once inputted. You can actually set your location in
205 latitude/longitude or as a locator. Setting your home node will tell
206 the program where you wish mail to be sent to you.
208 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
213 set/qth Morecambe, Lancashire IO84NB
214 set/location 48 34 n 12 12 e
220 4
\b4.
\b. G
\bGe
\bet
\btt
\bti
\bin
\bng
\bg a
\ban
\bnd
\bd p
\bpo
\bos
\bst
\bti
\bin
\bng
\bg D
\bDX
\bX.
\b.
222 When all is said and done, this is the main function of a DX cluster.
223 In its simplest form you can just connect to the node and you will
224 start to receive DX spots almost immediately! You can check on recent
225 postings in either a general manner or on a particular band or mode.
226 You can even check DX by callsign or a fragment of a callsign. Of
227 course, once you get the hang of things, it is expected that you start
228 posting some yourself! After all, there would be no clusters if
229 people did not post DX and you get the added thrill of the hunt!
232 4
\b4.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. R
\bRe
\bec
\bce
\bei
\biv
\bvi
\bin
\bng
\bg D
\bDX
\bX.
\b.
234 As we have already said, it is possible just to connect to the cluster
235 and you will receive spots automatically. However, you may wish to
236 check on spots just posted. Maybe you wish to see if a particular
237 band is open or if a certain callsign is active, perhaps a DXpedition.
238 The command to do this is S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/D
\bDX
\bX. Without any other arguments, this
239 command will output the last 10 spots posted. It is possible to look
240 at more than this, for example the last 20 or 50 spots, by adding the
241 number to the command. You can make it even more specific by adding a
242 band in either wavelength or frequency, and/or any additional
243 information such as QSL details.
245 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
255 will show the last 10, 5 and 20 spots received by the cluster
258 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs
268 will show the last 5, 10 or 20 spots on 20 metres only.
270 It is also possible to check for certain callsigns, or fragments of
271 callsigns in the same way.
273 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
282 would show the last 5 or 10 dx spots containing the callsign g0vgs.
285 You can check for DX by offset and also by specifying a comment to
288 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
298 would show the spots that arrived between 30 and 40 spots ago and any
299 spots with the word _
\bi_
\bo_
\bt_
\ba in the comment field. The case of the
300 comment is not important.
302 Checking DX posted on a certain day is possible too. All you have to
303 do here is to specify how many days ago it was like this ...
305 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
313 It is of course possible to specify multiple arguments.
315 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
317 show/dx 20 prefix 9a on vhf day 30
321 This would show the last 20 spots posted by or about calls with the
322 prefix 9a on vhf 30 days ago.
324 As you can see the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/D
\bDX
\bX command is very flexible, so if you are not
325 sure whether something will work or not, try it and see! More
326 information can be found in the Command Set section.
329 4
\b4.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. P
\bPo
\bos
\bst
\bti
\bin
\bng
\bg D
\bDX
\bX.
\b.
331 To post DX you use the D
\bDX
\bX command. The syntax is shown below.
333 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
337 dx (frequency) (callsign) (remarks)
341 Where frequency is in kilohertz and the callsign is the callsign of
342 the station you have worked or heard, (ie not your own callsign!).
343 The remarks section allows you to add information like the operators
344 name or perhaps a location. Actually DXSpider will allow the
345 frequency and callsign fields to be entered in any order.
347 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
351 dx 14004 pa3ezl OP Aurelio 599
355 In fact, all the following will give the same result...
359 dx 14004 pa3ezl OP Aurelio 599
360 dx pa3ezl 14004 OP Aurelio 599
361 dx pa3ezl 14.004 OP Aurelio 599
365 This posting, or callout as it is known, will be forwarded to all
366 other connected stations both at the cluster you are connected to and
367 other active clusters in the network. The callout will also be sent
368 to you as proof of receipt.
371 5
\b5.
\b. H
\bHe
\bea
\bad
\bdi
\bin
\bng
\bgs
\bs a
\ban
\bnd
\bd p
\bpr
\bro
\bop
\bpa
\bag
\bga
\bat
\bti
\bio
\bon
\bn
373 There are three commands in DXSpider to help you get the best DX
374 possible. These are S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/S
\bSU
\bUN
\bN, S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/M
\bMO
\bOO
\bON
\bN and S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/H
\bHE
\bEA
\bAD
\bDI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG. These
375 commands will only work for you if you have entered your personal
376 details. They use your entered location as a reference, so if you
377 have not entered it or have entered it incorrectly they will not
378 return the correct information.
379 5
\b5.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. S
\bSu
\bun
\bn
381 The S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/S
\bSU
\bUN
\bN command can be used in three different ways. It can be
382 used to show sunrise and sunset times for your own station, a
383 particular callsign or a prefix.
385 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
393 The output from this would look something like this ..
398 Location Rise Set Azim Elev
399 G0VGS Morecambe, Lancashire 07:08Z 17:39Z 205.3 24.1
407 would look like this ...
412 Location Rise Set Azim Elev
413 5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.0 18.8
417 You can also specify multiple arguments like this ...
421 sh/sun gw4veq 5b4ab zs
425 and then the output would look like this ...
429 sh/sun gw4veq 5b4ab zs
430 Location Rise Set Azim Elev
431 GW4VEQ Brungwran, Isle of Anglesey IO 07:14Z 17:48Z 204.9 24.9
432 5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.5 18.3
433 ZS So-Africa-ZS1-ZS 04:31Z 17:28Z 289.9 41.3
434 ZS So-Africa-ZS5-ZS 03:44Z 16:34Z 278.5 32.0
435 ZS So-Africa-ZS6-ZS 03:59Z 16:42Z 277.6 35.0
438 5
\b5.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. M
\bMo
\boo
\bon
\bn
440 The S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/M
\bMO
\bOO
\bON
\bN command works in the same way as the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/S
\bSU
\bUN
\bN command.
441 This program however, calculates the rise and set times of the moon
442 for a prefix or callsign, together with the current azimuth and
443 elevation of the sun at these locations.
445 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
453 The output from this command would look like this ..
458 Location Rise Set Azim Elev RGain dB
459 EA Spain-EA 08:15Z 20:09Z 257.2 9.5 -0.6
463 You can see that the output is similar to the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/S
\bSU
\bUN
\bN command, with
464 slightly different fields.
467 5
\b5.
\b.3
\b3.
\b. H
\bHe
\bea
\bad
\bdi
\bin
\bng
\bg
469 The S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/H
\bHE
\bEA
\bAD
\bDI
\bIN
\bNG
\bG command works in the same way as the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/S
\bSU
\bUN
\bN and
470 S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/M
\bMO
\bOO
\bON
\bN commands but outputs beam headings for a specified callsign
471 or prefix. Reciprocal beam headings are also calculated.
473 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be
481 The output from this command would look like this ..
486 ZL New-Zealand-ZL1-ZL: 7 degs - dist: 11238 mi, 18087 km Reciprocal heading: 355 degs
487 ZL New-Zealand-ZL2-ZL: 9 degs - dist: 11540 mi, 18574 km Reciprocal heading: 353 degs
488 ZL New-Zealand-ZL3-ZL: 19 degs - dist: 11634 mi, 18724 km Reciprocal heading: 345 degs
489 ZL New-Zealand-ZL4-ZL: 34 degs - dist: 11783 mi, 18963 km Reciprocal heading: 332 degs
493 6
\b6.
\b. A
\bAn
\bnn
\bno
\bou
\bun
\bnc
\bce
\bem
\bme
\ben
\bnt
\bts
\bs.
\b.
495 6
\b6.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. M
\bMa
\bak
\bki
\bin
\bng
\bg a
\ban
\bnn
\bno
\bou
\bun
\bnc
\bce
\bem
\bme
\ben
\bnt
\bts
\bs.
\b.
497 Occasionally, you may wish to post something that does not fall into
498 the normal parameters for a DX callout. You may wish to tell
499 everybody connected that 10 FM is open for example, or ask if anyone
500 knows the QSL manager for a certain callsign etc. You can do this
501 using the A
\bAN
\bNN
\bNO
\bOU
\bUN
\bNC
\bCE
\bE command.
503 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
507 announce 10 FM is open in IO84NB to europe.
511 That would let everyone know locally that this was the case, however
512 it would not be forwarded to other nodes connected. To send
513 announcements to other connected nodes as well, you would use the F
\bFU
\bUL
\bLL
\bL
516 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
520 announce full Anyone seen EA7WA today?
524 Be cautious in your use of announce full. There are many other tools
525 available to get the information you require and the judicious use of
526 this command is frowned upon as it creates a great deal of traffic
530 6
\b6.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. L
\bLi
\bis
\bst
\bti
\bin
\bng
\bg a
\ban
\bnn
\bno
\bou
\bun
\bnc
\bce
\bem
\bme
\ben
\bnt
\bts
\bs.
\b.
532 You can list previous announcements in the standard format with the
533 S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW command. As before you can list just the last 5 or as many as
536 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
541 show/announcements 10
545 7
\b7.
\b. N
\bNo
\bod
\bde
\bes
\bs a
\ban
\bnd
\bd u
\bus
\bse
\ber
\brs
\bs.
\b.
547 You can check which nodes are connected in the network, who is logged
548 on locally, who is logged on at all the nodes or even just one node in
549 particular. This is handy if you wish to see whether a friend is
550 connected at the node they use. To see who is connected to the nodes,
551 the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/C
\bCO
\bON
\bNF
\bFI
\bIG
\bGU
\bUR
\bRA
\bAT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bN command is used.
553 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
558 show/configuration/nodes
559 show/configuration (node_call)
560 show/configuration (prefix)
564 The first of our three examples would output something like this,
573 GB7BIG (GD0TEP) GD3UMW
574 GB7BPQ (G0INA) G0RCI G3AKU G3OCA
576 GB7DJK G0FYD G0REK G1TLH G4PEL G4SOZ
577 G4TVR G7SQW K8AZ M0CTQ-1 MM1CXE-10
580 GB7DXC (G0HDB) G0WFK (G1FYC) G3KWK G3LME
581 G3OIL G4BGW G4FUJ (G4PDQ) GW7SMV
583 (GB7DXG) GU6EFB GU7DHI
584 GB7DXK G1NTW G3IBI G3NSM G3XAQ G4CUS
586 GB7DXM G1EUC G3GAF G3LAS G4ZTR G8WXU
591 You will notice that EI5TCR is showing only that it has 7 users and
592 not giving the actual callsigns. This means that this node is on a
593 limited protocol of some kind, probably because of a contest situation
594 where slow radio links can block up and fail if too much information
595 is sent between nodes.
597 The second example would just show the nodes connected in the network,
604 GB7BAA GB7BAA GB7BPQ (GB7CDX) GB7DJK GB7DXA
605 GB7DXC GB7DXE (GB7DXG) GB7DXK GB7DXL
606 GB7DXM GB7DXS GB7IPT GB7MRS GB7UJS
607 GB7YDX KL7G N2TLY (ON0DXK)
608 GB7BIG EI5TCR GB7ADX GB7BIG GB7UDX
615 If we insert the node_call pi4tue-8 into the third example, then this
621 PI4TUE-8 9A1CMA-6 DF6PW DL4FAY DL4KAK DL4WF-2
622 F5NOD-2 F5PAC IZ0CSR N6CR OH2BLD
623 ON1LVL-13 ON4CBT ON4CJP ON5DXL-14 ON7NQ
624 PA0RCT PA3DYS PA3FDO PA5KW-4 PI4TUE-9
629 As you can see, only the users of the requested node are shown.
631 You can also use a prefix to show only a group of nodes. For example
632 you may only wish to see who is connected to the nodes in the UK. To
633 do this simply use a prefix like this ...
636 show/configuration gb7
640 To show the locally connected users, the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/U
\bUS
\bSE
\bER
\bRS
\bS command is used
642 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
650 The output of this command would look like this,
654 Callsigns connected to GB7MBC
655 G0JHC G0NEI G0VGS G0VGS-2 G0YLM
660 8
\b8.
\b. T
\bTa
\bal
\blk
\bk m
\bmo
\bod
\bde
\be.
\b.
662 You can send a single comment or start a dedicated talk session to
663 another user by using the T
\bTA
\bAL
\bLK
\bK command.
666 Talk mode is used to send a one line comment or greeting to a specific
667 user connected either at your node or another in the network. You can
668 also enter into a dedicated talk session with another user. Talks
669 will be automatically forwarded to other nodes if the station you are
670 talking to is not connected locally. You can find out who is
671 connected by using the S
\bSH
\bHO
\bOW
\bW/
\b/C
\bCO
\bON
\bNF
\bFI
\bIG
\bGU
\bUR
\bRA
\bAT
\bTI
\bIO
\bON
\bN command, (described
674 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
678 talk g0rdi Having a good day Iain?
681 This example would send the line "Having a good day Iain?" to the user
682 g0rdi but would leave you in normal mode.
687 Entering Talkmode, /EX to end, /<cmd> to run a command
692 As you can see, you can still run commands whilst in talk mode.
693 Simply prefix the command with a / like /sh/dx and you will get the
694 expected output. If the user is connected to another node, you may
695 have to use a slightly extended version of the T
\bTA
\bAL
\bLK
\bK command.
703 To exit talk mode, you issue the command /
\b/e
\bex
\bx.
705 Whilst in talk mode you will still receive DX spots. This means that
706 you can chat to a friend whilst working DX.
709 9
\b9.
\b. M
\bMa
\bai
\bil
\bl.
\b.
711 You can send and receive both personal mail and bulletins with
712 DXSpider quite easily.
715 9
\b9.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. T
\bTh
\bhe
\be "
\b"d
\bdi
\bir
\bre
\bec
\bct
\bto
\bor
\bry
\by"
\b" c
\bco
\bom
\bmm
\bma
\ban
\bnd
\bd.
\b.
717 To list mail you would use the D
\bDI
\bIR
\bRE
\bEC
\bCT
\bTO
\bOR
\bRY
\bY command. On its own, this
718 command will output the last ten messages received by the node, either
719 to or from yourself or bulletins such as "DX" and "ALL". As with
720 other commands you can display more by specifying a number with the
721 command. You should be aware that Spider will accept these commands
722 by separating with either a slash or a space, so _
\bd_
\bi_
\br _
\bn_
\be_
\bw and _
\bd_
\bi_
\br_
\b/_
\bn_
\be_
\bw
723 work in the same way.
725 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
735 Of course most of the time you will only want to list new mail sent to
736 you personally since your last login. However you might also like to
737 check for general mail received by the node. In fact if there is new
738 mail for you, the cluster will tell you when you login. You will also
739 be informed if new mail arrives for you during the time you are logged
740 in. Mail is not only sent to callsigns though. Mail can also be sent
741 to subjects like "all" or "local" or "dx" etc. You can treat these
742 bulletins in the same way as personal mail with the directory command.
744 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\bes
\bs:
\b:
752 directory/from <call>
756 The last option will only show mail from a callsign if it was sent to
757 you personally or was sent as a bulletin. There are some additional
758 commands and these can be found in the DXSpider Command Reference
762 9
\b9.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. R
\bRe
\bea
\bad
\bdi
\bin
\bng
\bg m
\bma
\bai
\bil
\bl.
\b.
764 The output of the D
\bDI
\bIR
\bRE
\bEC
\bCT
\bTO
\bOR
\bRY
\bY command could be something like this.
769 20735 2 ALL GW7SMV 21-Feb 1204Z REC 9E1S QSL TDY 50Mhz....
770 20823 308 UK G0HDB 22-Feb 2334Z Help - which district code?
771 20824 105 ALL W9AE 23-Feb 0349Z S0NY QSL address?
772 20825 2 UK G0LRJ 23-Feb 0806Z QSL REC LZ2CJ/1.CARD NO-750.
773 20858 2 ALL GW7SMV 24-Feb 0905Z REC S92DX QSL CARD TDY 50Mhz
774 20921 200 ALL GM4FDM 27-Feb 2203Z Trip to VP8
775 20949 375 ALL K0MN 27-Feb 0428Z ST0P cards are gd @ ARRL
776 20950 2 UK G0LRJ 28-Feb 0835Z QSL REC SV9/IZ0CKJ/P EU-187.
777 20987 569 ALL GD0TEP 1-Mar 1733Z Portable contests
778 21076 2 ALL G4AFJ 3-Mar 1743Z kh6nd/kh5 qsl received
779 21184-p 599 GW4HAT G0VGS 4-Mar 1518Z Re: Time
783 The first column is the actual message number. If the message is a
784 personal one to you, you will see a letter 'p' after this number. If
785 the message has been read, there will be a '-' between the message
786 number and the 'p'. This only works for personal messages. The next
787 column shows the file size of the message. The third column shows the
788 address the message was sent to and the next column shows who sent it.
789 The rest is fairly self-explanatory.
791 Reading a message is as simple as typing read, followed by the message
792 number that you wish to read.
794 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
802 will read message number 25. However the mail will be displayed in
803 it's entirety unless you specify a page length. You can set your page
804 length to any number you like and when the message reaches that number
805 of lines you will get a prompt giving you options.
806 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
814 9
\b9.
\b.3
\b3.
\b. S
\bSe
\ben
\bnd
\bdi
\bin
\bng
\bg m
\bma
\bai
\bil
\bl.
\b.
816 Sending mail is done in the time honoured way. First you specify a
817 recipient for the message, then you will be prompted for a subject.
818 Once you have done this you will be asked to type your message.
819 Please remember that there is no automatic word wrap, so unless you
820 are using a client that wraps lines automatically, remember to hit
821 return at the end of each line.
823 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
828 Enter Subject (30 characters):
830 Enter Message /EX to send or /ABORT to exit
832 Just a quick note to say that I can make Thursday after all. The
833 appointment I had has cancelled so we are go!
839 At this point you can either hit return and enter /ex to send the
840 message or use /abort at any time to abort it. You can now display
841 the message in the normal way. There are several send options and
842 these are listed in the Command Set section. These include sending
843 mail to several recipients and asking for a return receipt.
847 9
\b9.
\b.4
\b4.
\b. R
\bRe
\bep
\bpl
\bly
\byi
\bin
\bng
\bg t
\bto
\bo m
\bma
\bai
\bil
\bl.
\b.
849 If mail is addressed to you or to a bulletin address, you can use the
850 R
\bRE
\bEP
\bPL
\bLY
\bY command to reply to it. Using this command, the subject will be
851 automatically set for you as "Re: subject", whatever the subject was.
853 E
\bEx
\bxa
\bam
\bmp
\bpl
\ble
\be:
\b:
861 9
\b9.
\b.5
\b5.
\b. D
\bDe
\bel
\ble
\bet
\bti
\bin
\bng
\bg m
\bma
\bai
\bil
\bl
863 To delete a message, you use the _
\bd_
\be_
\bl_
\be_
\bt_
\be command. You can only delete
864 messages sent to or received by yourself. Bulletins are dealt with
865 automatically or by the sysop.
866 1
\b10
\b0.
\b. F
\bFi
\bil
\blt
\bte
\ber
\bri
\bin
\bng
\bg (
\b(F
\bFr
\bro
\bom
\bm v
\bve
\ber
\brs
\bsi
\bio
\bon
\bn 1
\b1.
\b.4
\b45
\b5)
\b)
868 1
\b10
\b0.
\b.1
\b1.
\b. G
\bGe
\ben
\bne
\ber
\bra
\bal
\bl f
\bfi
\bil
\blt
\bte
\ber
\br r
\bru
\bul
\ble
\bes
\bs
870 Upto v1.44 it was not possible for the user to set their own filters.
871 From v1.45 though that has all changed. It is now possible to set
872 filters for just about anything you wish. If you have just updated
873 from an older version of DXSpider you will need to update your new
874 filters. You do not need to do anything with your old filters, they
875 will be renamed as you update.
878 There are 3 basic commands involved in setting and manipulating
879 filters. These are _
\ba_
\bc_
\bc_
\be_
\bp_
\bt, _
\br_
\be_
\bj_
\be_
\bc_
\bt and _
\bc_
\bl_
\be_
\ba_
\br. First we will look
880 generally at filtering. There are a number of things you can filter in
881 the DXSpider system. They all use the same general mechanism.
884 In general terms you can create a 'reject' or an 'accept' filter which
885 can have up to 10 lines in it. You do this using, for example ...
894 where ..... are the specific commands for that type of filter. There
895 are filters for spots, wwv, announce, wcy and (for sysops) connects.
896 See each different accept or reject command reference for more
899 There is also a command to clear out one or more lines in a filter.
909 There is clear/xxxx command for each type of filter.
912 and you can check that your filters have worked by the command ...
920 For now we are going to use spots for the examples, but you can apply
921 the same principles to all types of filter.
925 1
\b10
\b0.
\b.2
\b2.
\b. T
\bTy
\byp
\bpe
\bes
\bs o
\bof
\bf f
\bfi
\bil
\blt
\bte
\ber
\br
927 There are two main types of filter, _
\ba_
\bc_
\bc_
\be_
\bp_
\bt or _
\br_
\be_
\bj_
\be_
\bc_
\bt. You can use
928 either to achieve the result you want dependent on your own preference
929 and which is more simple to do. It is pointless writing 8 lines of
930 reject filters when 1 accept filter would do the same thing! Each
931 filter has 10 lines (of any length) which are tried in order. If a
932 line matches then the action you have specified is taken (ie reject
933 means ignore it and accept means take it)
936 If you specify reject filters, then any lines that arrive that match
937 the filter will be dumped but all else will be accepted. If you use
938 an accept filter, then ONLY the lines in the filter will be accepted
939 and all else will be dumped. For example if you have a single line
940 _
\ba_
\bc_
\bc_
\be_
\bp_
\bt filter ...
944 accept/spots on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
948 then you will _
\bO_
\bN_
\bL_
\bY get VHF spots _
\bf_
\br_
\bo_
\bm or _
\bt_
\bo CQ zones 14, 15 and 16.
951 If you set a reject filter like this ...
955 reject/spots on hf/cw
959 Then you will get everything _
\bE_
\bX_
\bC_
\bE_
\bP_
\bT HF CW spots. You could make this
960 single filter even more flexible. For example, if you are interested
961 in IOTA and will work it even on CW even though normally you are not
962 interested in CW, then you could say ...
966 reject/spots on hf/cw and not info iota
970 But in that case you might only be interested in iota and say:-
974 accept/spots not on hf/cw or info iota
978 which achieves exactly the same thing. You should choose one or the
979 other until you are comfortable with the way it works. You can mix
980 them if you wish (actually you can have an accept AND a reject on the
981 same line) but don't attempt this until you are sure you know what you
985 You can arrange your filter lines into logical units, either for your
986 own understanding or simply convenience. Here is an example ...
987 reject/spots 1 on hf/cw
988 reject/spots 2 on 50000/1400000 not (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
992 What this does is to ignore all HF CW spots and also rejects any spots
993 on VHF which don't either originate or spot someone in Europe.
996 This is an example where you would use a line number (1 and 2 in this
997 case), if you leave the digit out, the system assumes '1'. Digits
998 '0'-'9' are available. This make it easier to see just what filters
999 you have set. It also makes it more simple to remove individual
1000 filters, during a contest for example.
1003 You will notice in the above example that the second line has
1004 brackets. Look at the line logically. You can see there are 2
1005 separate sections to it. We are saying reject spots that are VHF or
1006 above _
\bA_
\bP_
\bA_
\bR_
\bT from those in zones 14, 15 and 16 (either spotted there or
1007 originated there). If you did not have the brackets to separate the 2
1008 sections, then Spider would read it logically from the front and see a
1009 different expression entirely ...
1013 (on 50000/1400000 and by_zone 14,15,16) or call_zone 14,15,16
1017 The simple way to remember this is, if you use OR - use brackets.
1018 Whilst we are here CASE is not important. 'And BY_Zone' is just the
1019 same as 'and by_zone'.
1021 As mentioned earlier, setting several filters can be more flexible
1022 than simply setting one complex one. Doing it in this way means that
1023 if you want to alter your filter you can just redefine or remove one
1024 or more lines of it or one line. For example ...
1028 reject/spots 1 on hf/ssb
1032 would redefine our earlier example, or
1040 To remove all the filter lines in the spot filter ...
1048 1
\b10
\b0.
\b.3
\b3.
\b. F
\bFi
\bil
\blt
\bte
\ber
\br o
\bop
\bpt
\bti
\bio
\bon
\bns
\bs
1050 You can filter in several different ways. The options are listed in
1051 the various helpfiles for accept, reject and filter.
1054 1
\b10
\b0.
\b.4
\b4.
\b. A
\bAd
\bdv
\bva
\ban
\bnc
\bce
\bed
\bd f
\bfi
\bil
\blt
\bte
\ber
\bri
\bin
\bng
\bg
1056 Once you are happy with the results you get, you may like to
1060 The previous example that filters hf/cw spots and accepts vhf/uhf
1061 spots from EU can be written with a mixed filter, for example ...
1067 acc/spot 2 on 50000/1400000 and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)
1071 Note that the first filter has not been specified with a number. This
1072 will automatically be assumed to be number 1. In this case, we have
1073 said _
\br_
\be_
\bj_
\be_
\bc_
\bt _
\ba_
\bl_
\bl _
\bH_
\bF _
\bs_
\bp_
\bo_
\bt_
\bs _
\bi_
\bn _
\bt_
\bh_
\be _
\bC_
\bW _
\bs_
\be_
\bc_
\bt_
\bi_
\bo_
\bn _
\bo_
\bf _
\bt_
\bh_
\be _
\bb_
\ba_
\bn_
\bd_
\bs _
\bb_
\bu_
\bt _
\ba_
\bc_
\bc_
\be_
\bp_
\bt _
\ba_
\bl_
\bl
1074 _
\bo_
\bt_
\bh_
\be_
\br_
\bs _
\ba_
\bt _
\bH_
\bF_
\b. _
\bA_
\bl_
\bs_
\bo _
\ba_
\bc_
\bc_
\be_
\bp_
\bt _
\ba_
\bn_
\by_
\bt_
\bh_
\bi_
\bn_
\bg _
\bi_
\bn _
\bV_
\bH_
\bF _
\ba_
\bn_
\bd _
\ba_
\bb_
\bo_
\bv_
\be _
\bs_
\bp_
\bo_
\bt_
\bt_
\be_
\bd _
\bi_
\bn _
\bo_
\br _
\bb_
\by
1075 _
\bo_
\bp_
\be_
\br_
\ba_
\bt_
\bo_
\br_
\bs _
\bi_
\bn _
\bt_
\bh_
\be _
\bz_
\bo_
\bn_
\be_
\bs _
\b1_
\b4_
\b, _
\b1_
\b5 _
\ba_
\bn_
\bd _
\b1_
\b6. Each filter slot actually has a
1076 'reject' slot and an 'accept' slot. The reject slot is executed BEFORE
1080 It was mentioned earlier that after a reject test that doesn't match,
1081 the default for following tests is 'accept', the reverse is true for
1082 'accept'. In the example what happens is that the reject is executed
1083 first, any non hf/cw spot is passed to the accept line, which lets
1084 through everything else on HF. The next filter line lets through just
1085 VHF/UHF spots from EU.
1089 1
\b11
\b1.
\b. H
\bHi
\bin
\bnt
\bts
\bs,
\b, t
\bti
\bip
\bps
\bs a
\ban
\bnd
\bd c
\bco
\bom
\bmm
\bmo
\bon
\bn q
\bqu
\bue
\bes
\bst
\bti
\bio
\bon
\bns
\bs.
\b.
1091 Q
\bQ.
\b.These commands seem very long! Can I shorten them?
1093 A
\bA.
\b.Of course you can and the usual abbreviations work. If you are
1096 Q
\bQ.
\b.I am not sure if this command is correct. Can I cause any harm if I
1099 A
\bA.
\b.Do not be afraid to try a command to see if it will work, at the
1100 worst you will get an error message. If you require any help on a
1101 command, just type help followed by the command you want help on.
1102 Look at the "DXSpider Command Reference" section to see what help can
1105 Q
\bQ.
\b.How should I use the announce command?
1107 A
\bA.
\b.With respect. Use the command by all means, but please only use the
1108 "full" extension if absolutely necessary. It can create a LOT of
1109 messages passing between clusters.
1111 Q
\bQ.
\b.I like to be working in the shack while logged into the cluster but
1112 I can't be looking at the screen all the time. How can I be alerted
1113 when anything happens?
1115 A
\bA.
\b.Use the S
\bSE
\bET
\bT/
\b/B
\bBE
\bEE
\bEP
\bP command. You can find information on this in the
1116 "DXSpider Command Reference" section.
1118 Q
\bQ.
\b.I got disconnected from the cluster and now I can't log back in
1119 again. What is wrong?
1121 A
\bA.
\b.Probably the cluster thinks you are still logged on and will not let
1122 you reconnect using the same call to prevent loops. Try logging on
1123 again adding an ssid to your callsign as DXSpider treats G0YLM and
1124 G0YLM-1 as different users.
1126 Q
\bQ.
\b.How do I know if I have got the latest version of this user manual?
1128 A
\bA.
\b.The latest and greatest will always be on the Website. It will also
1129 be included with every release of DXSpider. As always, if unsure, ask
1130 your sysop what version number is the latest.
1133 1
\b12
\b2.
\b. T
\bTh
\bhe
\be D
\bDX
\bXS
\bSp
\bpi
\bid
\bde
\ber
\br c
\bco
\bom
\bmm
\bma
\ban
\bnd
\bd r
\bre
\bef
\bfe
\ber
\bre
\ben
\bnc
\bce
\be