<!-- Title information -->
-<title>The DXSpider User Manual
-<author>Ian Maude, G0VGS, (ianmaude@btinternet.com)
-<date>Version 1.0, March 2001
+<title>The DXSpider User Manual v1.50</title>
+<author>Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)</author>
+<date>September 2002 revision 0.1</date>
+
<abstract>
A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
</abstract>
There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
including DXSpider. DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software that runs
-under the Linux operating system. Linux is fast becoming the choice
-for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility, reliability
-and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
+under several operating systems including Linux and Windows. Linux is fast
+becoming the choice for amateur radio stations because of it's flexibility,
+reliability and the lack of the memory limitations of DOS. Linux supports
multitasking and is also multiuser. It has support for AX25, ROSE,
NetROM and TCPIP built in, making it the ideal choice for amateur
radio. It is also totally free!
exercise in perl programming. It has developed rapidly and today is a
very powerful cluster program. It was designed to be totally compatible
with the AK1A program, although several commands have been extended to
-try and improve functionality.
+improve functionality.
This manual is designed to help you become familiar with the commands
that DXSpider supports and to help you get the best from the program so
<sect1>Telnet logins.
<p>
-Because DXSpider runs under the Linux operating system, it is possible to
-make a direct telnet connection into the cluster. With telnet
-connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so you will be
-asked to login with your callsign.
+With telnet connections, the source callsign is not seen by DXSpider, so
+you will be asked to login with your callsign.
To telnet to DXSpider, you would connect to a specific port. There is no
standard at the moment for a cluster telnet port but ask the sysop if
you are unsure.
command if you are connected via telnet.
If you do not log out gracefully using one of the above commands,
you may find you are unable to get a full connect next time. This
-may also happen if a NETRom connection drops. You may get connected,
+may also happen if a netrom connection drops. You may get connected,
but nothing else will happen because the program thinks you are still
connected and will not let you connect twice under the same call.
However you could reconnect by adding a number to the end of your call,
-for example G0YLM2.
+for example G0YLM-2.
This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in the TNC or
by altering your program configuration.
The output from this would look something like this ..
<tscreen><verb>
-sh/sun Location Rise Set Azim Elev
+sh/sun
+Location Rise Set Azim Elev
G0VGS Morecambe, Lancashire 07:08Z 17:39Z 205.3 24.1
</verb></tscreen>
would look like this ...
<tscreen><verb>
-sh/sun 5b4 Location Rise Set Azim Elev 5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.0 18.8
+sh/sun 5b4
+Location Rise Set Azim Elev
+5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.0 18.8
</verb></tscreen>
You can also specify multiple arguments like this ...
<tscreen><verb>
sh/sun gw4veq 5b4ab zs
Location Rise Set Azim Elev
-GW4VEQ Brungwran, Isle of Anglesey IO 07:14Z 17:48Z 204.9 24.9 5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.5 18.3
+GW4VEQ Brungwran, Isle of Anglesey IO 07:14Z 17:48Z 204.9 24.9
+5B Cyprus-5B 04:23Z 15:40Z 244.5 18.3
ZS So-Africa-ZS1-ZS 04:31Z 17:28Z 289.9 41.3
ZS So-Africa-ZS5-ZS 03:44Z 16:34Z 278.5 32.0
ZS So-Africa-ZS6-ZS 03:59Z 16:42Z 277.6 35.0
<tscreen><verb>
sh/moon ea
-Location Rise Set Azim Elev RGain dB
+Location Rise Set Azim Elev RGain dB
EA Spain-EA 08:15Z 20:09Z 257.2 9.5 -0.6
</verb></tscreen>
The first of our three examples would output something like this,
-<verb>
+<tscreen><verb>
sh/c
Node Callsigns
EI5TCR (7 users)
G4XQY G7GAN
GB7DXM G1EUC G3GAF G3LAS G4ZTR G8WXU
M0BCT M1EMF
-</verb>
+</verb></tscreen>
You will notice that EI5TCR is showing only that it has 7 users and not
giving the actual callsigns. This means that this node is on a limited
The second example would just show the nodes connected in the
network, like this,
-<verb>
+<tscreen><verb>
sh/c/n
Node Callsigns
GB7BAA GB7BAA GB7BPQ (GB7CDX) GB7DJK GB7DXA
GB7MBC
PA4AB-14 PA4AB-14
PI4TUE-8 PI4TUE-8
-</verb>
+</verb></tscreen>
If we insert the node_call pi4tue-8 into the third example, then
this would be the output,
-<verb>
+<tscreen><verb>
Node Callsigns
PI4TUE-8 9A1CMA-6 DF6PW DL4FAY DL4KAK DL4WF-2
F5NOD-2 F5PAC IZ0CSR N6CR OH2BLD
ON1LVL-13 ON4CBT ON4CJP ON5DXL-14 ON7NQ
PA0RCT PA3DYS PA3FDO PA5KW-4 PI4TUE-9
YT1XX
-</verb>
+</verb></tscreen>
As you can see, only the users of the requested node are shown.
The output of this command would look like this,
-<verb>
+<tscreen><verb>
Callsigns connected to GB7MBC
G0JHC G0NEI G0VGS G0VGS-2 G0YLM
G3JAG G3OWO G3UEU
-</verb>
+</verb></tscreen>
<sect>Talk mode.
<bf/A./Use the <bf>SET/BEEP</bf> command. You can find information
on this in the "DXSpider Command Reference" section.
-<bf/Q./I keep getting disconnected from the cluster, what is
-happening and how can I stop it?
-
<bf/Q./I got disconnected from the cluster and now I can't log
back in again. What is wrong?
Try logging on again adding an ssid to your callsign as DXSpider
treats G0YLM and G0YLM-1 as different users.
-<bf/Q./I notice that all the commands are shown in lower case in
-the main section of this manual, but in upper case in the "DXSpider
-Command Reference" section. Why is that?
-
<bf/Q./How do I know if I have got the latest version of this
user manual?
<P>
<tt>
-<bf>accept/announce [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set an accept filter
+<bf>accept/spots [0-9] <pattern></bf> Set an accept filter
line for spots
</tt>
Allow WX information to be seen at your console. You can switch off
WX messages with the <em>unset/wx</em> command.
+<sect1>show/configuration
+
+<P>
+<tt>
+<bf>show/configuration [<node>]</bf> Show all visible nodes and their users
+</tt>
+
+<P>
+This command allows you to see all the users that can be seen
+and the nodes to which they are connected. With the optional <em>node</em>,
+you can specify a particular node to look at.
+
+This command is normally abbreviated to: sh/c
+
+BE WARNED: the list that is returned can be VERY long
+
+<sect1>show/configuration/node
+
+<P>
+<tt>
+<bf>show/configuration/node</bf> Show all the nodes connected
+</tt>
+
+<P>
+Show all the nodes connected locally and the nodes they have connected.
+
+
<sect1>show/date
<P>