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K3bay DX Packet Cluster Login

What is a DX Cluster and what does it do?

A cluster is a networked system that tells users when and where interesting HF, VHF and UHF stations are currently on the air. These can be rare DX stations, stations worked during meteor showers or unusual VHF openings or anything else that is out of the normal. Typically, when a ham hears or works an interesting station he sends the call and frequency to his serving cluster. The cluster then sends it on to other associated clusters and they all broadcast it to the logged-on users of each cluster. Each interested user can then tune to the station's frequency and try to work it.

Clusters do other fun things - for example, they give out current WWV information, show who else is connected and provide simple messaging services between users.

Some people are critical of their use but in reality it is no different that using a fish finder - you still have to catch the fish and that's the hard part!

How do DX clusters work?

Each user has a computer with software capable of talking to the cluster. Many logging programs have this software included. The cluster is a central computer that holds the spots, logs in the users and sends and receives information to and from other clusters. The users and the clusters can be interconnected with internet and/or packet radio. The clusters are often arranged in tiers with master cluster computers feeding several others.

There are many features in clusters to keep the spots to manageable levels. For example, only spots originating in eastern North America can be sent out to users in that region because it is not too useful to know that Australians have an opening to Japan.

The user begins by logging on to the cluster. The first time, the cluster asks for a bunch of information about the station and its location so it can provide beam headings and the like specific to the user. Each time the cluster gets a new spot it sends it out to the logged on users. In quiet times there may only be one every few minutes - during major contests the stream of spots is almost continuous. Users are expected to contribute to the flow of dx information. When you hear or work an interesting station, you should generate a spot to help out other stations.