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  The DXSpider User Manual v1.50
  Ian Maude, G0VGS, (g0vgs@gb7mbc.net)
  March 2003 revision 0.3

  A complete reference for users of the DXSpider DXCluster program.
  ______________________________________________________________________

  Table of Contents



  1. Introduction
     1.1 What is a DX Cluster?
     1.2 So what is DXSpider?

  2. Logins and logouts.
     2.1 AX25 logins.
     2.2 Netrom logins.
     2.3 Telnet logins.
     2.4 Logouts.

  3. Setting your personal details.
  4. Getting and posting DX.
     4.1 Receiving DX.
     4.2 Posting DX.

  5. Headings and propagation
     5.1 Sun
     5.2 Moon
     5.3 Heading

  6. Announcements.
     6.1 Making announcements.
     6.2 Listing announcements.

  7. Nodes and users.
  8. Talk mode.
  9. Mail.
     9.1 The "directory" command.
     9.2 Reading mail.
     9.3 Sending mail.
     9.4 Replying to mail.
     9.5 Deleting mail

  10. Filtering (From version 1.45)
     10.1 General filter rules
     10.2 Types of filter
     10.3 Filter options
     10.4 Advanced filtering

  11. Hints, tips and common questions.
     11.1 accept
     11.2 accept/announce [0-9] <pattern>
     11.3 accept/spots [0-9] <pattern>
     11.4 accept/wcy [0-9] <pattern>
     11.5 accept/wwv [0-9] <pattern>
     11.6 announce <text>
     11.7 announce full <text>
     11.8 apropos <string>
     11.9 blank [<string>] [<nn>]
     11.10 bye
     11.11 chat <group> <text>
     11.12 clear/announce [1|all]
     11.13 clear/route [1|all]
     11.14 clear/spots [0-9|all]
     11.15 clear/wcy [1|all]
     11.16 clear/wwv [1|all]
     11.17 dbavail
     11.18 dbshow <dbname> <key>
     11.19 directory
     11.20 directory <from>-<to>
     11.21 directory <nn>
     11.22 directory all
     11.23 directory from <call>
     11.24 directory new
     11.25 directory own
     11.26 directory subject <string>
     11.27 directory to <call>
     11.28 dx [by <call>] <freq> <call> <remarks>
     11.29 echo <line>
     11.30 filtering...
     11.31 help
     11.32 join <group>
     11.33 kill <from msgno>-<to msgno>
     11.34 kill <msgno> [<msgno..]
     11.35 kill <msgno> [<msgno> ...]
     11.36 kill from <regex>
     11.37 kill to <regex>
     11.38 leave <group>
     11.39 links
     11.40 read
     11.41 read <msgno>
     11.42 reject
     11.43 reject/announce [0-9] <pattern>
     11.44 reject/spots [0-9] <pattern>
     11.45 reject/wcy [0-9] <pattern>
     11.46 reject/wwv [0-9] <pattern>
     11.47 reply
     11.48 reply <msgno>
     11.49 reply b <msgno>
     11.50 reply noprivate <msgno>
     11.51 reply rr <msgno>
     11.52 send <call> [<call> ...]
     11.53 send copy <msgno> <call>
     11.54 send noprivate <call>
     11.55 send private <call>
     11.56 send rr <call>
     11.57 set/address <your address>
     11.58 set/announce
     11.59 set/anntalk
     11.60 set/beep
     11.61 set/dx
     11.62 set/dxcq
     11.63 set/dxgrid
     11.64 set/dxitu
     11.65 set/echo
     11.66 set/email <email> ...
     11.67 set/here
     11.68 set/homenode <node>
     11.69 set/language <lang>
     11.70 set/location <lat & long>
     11.71 set/logininfo
     11.72 set/name <your name>
     11.73 set/page <lines per page>
     11.74 set/password
     11.75 set/prompt <string>
     11.76 set/qra <locator>
     11.77 set/qth <your qth>
     11.78 set/talk
     11.79 set/usstate
     11.80 set/wcy
     11.81 set/wwv
     11.82 set/wx
     11.83 show/chat [<group>] [<lines>]
     11.84 show/configuration [<node>]
     11.85 show/configuration/node
     11.86 show/contest <year and month>
     11.87 show/date [<prefix>|<callsign>]
     11.88 show/db0sdx <callsign>
     11.89 show/dx
     11.90 show/dxcc <prefix>
     11.91 show/dxqsl <callsign>
     11.92 show/dxstats [days] [date]
     11.93 show/files [<filearea> [<string>]]
     11.94 show/filter
     11.95 show/hfstats [days] [date]
     11.96 show/hftable [days] [date] [prefix ...]
     11.97 show/moon [ndays] [<prefix>|<callsign>]
     11.98 show/muf <prefix> [<hours>][long]
     11.99 show/newconfiguration [<node>]
     11.100 show/newconfiguration/node
     11.101 show/prefix <callsign>
     11.102 show/qra <lat> <long>
     11.103 show/qra <locator> [<locator>]
     11.104 show/qrz <callsign>
     11.105 show/route <callsign> ...
     11.106 show/satellite <name> [<hours> <interval>]
     11.107 show/station [<callsign> ..]
     11.108 show/sun [ndays] [<prefix>|<callsign>]
     11.109 show/time [<prefix>|<callsign>]
     11.110 show/usdb [call ..]
     11.111 show/vhfstats [days] [date]
     11.112 show/vhftable [days] [date] [prefix ...]
     11.113 show/wcy
     11.114 show/wcy <n>
     11.115 show/wm7d <callsign>
     11.116 show/wwv
     11.117 show/wwv <n>
     11.118 sysop
     11.119 talk <call> > <node> [<text>]
     11.120 talk <call> [<text>]
     11.121 type <filearea>/<name>
     11.122 unset/announce
     11.123 unset/anntalk
     11.124 unset/beep
     11.125 unset/dx
     11.126 unset/dxcq
     11.127 unset/dxgrid
     11.128 unset/dxitu
     11.129 unset/echo
     11.130 unset/email
     11.131 unset/here
     11.132 unset/logininfo
     11.133 unset/privilege
     11.134 unset/prompt
     11.135 unset/talk
     11.136 unset/usstate
     11.137 unset/wcy
     11.138 unset/wwv
     11.139 unset/wx
     11.140 who
     11.141 wx <text>
     11.142 wx full <text>


  ______________________________________________________________________

  1.  Introduction

  1.1.  What is a DX Cluster?

  A DX Cluster is a packet node where DX chasers on any band or mode can
  post rare or interesting stations that they have worked or heard.  Of
  course other people are doing the same thing too, so you can find new
  DX as well as telling others about the stations you have worked.
  Clusters tend to be linked to each other so that the amount of people
  using them is increased, thereby increasing the amount of posted DX.
  Other information can be found on clusters such as on-line call books,
  mail etc.  You can talk to other stations connected to the cluster
  network too, in real time, whether at the node you are logged into or
  on another node connected to the network.  You can also use converse
  mode, where several stations can talk to each other in the same way.
  Of course, the DX is still posted to you all the while!


  1.2.  So what is DXSpider?

  PacketCluster nodes have been around since roughly 1985. The original
  PacketCluster idea came from Dick Newell, AK1A, and ran under DOS.  In
  about 1992 Dick stopped the development of the PacketCluster software
  for amateur radio. Many systems are still using this relatively old
  DOS software today.

  There are several new compatible cluster programs around now,
  including DXSpider.  DXSpider is a clone of PacketCluster software
  that runs 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!

  DXSpider was conceived and begun in 1998 by Dirk Koopman, G1TLH as an
  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 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 you can enjoy working that rare DX!  As DXSpider is being improved
  all the time, commands will be added as time goes by, so make sure you
  have the most upto date version of this manual.  The latest version
  will always be included with the cluster program so if you are unsure,
  simply ask your sysop.  The manual will also be available on the
  wesite.



  2.  Logins and logouts.

  You might not think that there is a lot of point of including a
  section on how to log in and out of DXSpider.  However, you would be
  suprised at the difficulties some people have in simply getting in and
  out of the cluster!

  There are several ways a login might be achieved, dependant on how the
  sysop has DXSpider configured.  It is impossible for me to cover all
  variations but here are the basic ones.


  2.1.  AX25 logins.

  Simplicity itself.  The usual CONNECT command will log you straight
  into the cluster and you will not have to do anything else.
  Obviously, you will have to connect to the correct callsign.  Some
  nodes use an SSID with their call so you would have to add that.

  Examples:



  connect GB7MBC
  connect GB7MBC-1



  2.2.  Netrom logins.

  There are several possibilities here, dependant on how the sysop has
  configured his system.  If you are connecting via netrom then you are
  most probably connecting from another station.  Listing the nodes in
  that station with the NODES command will tell you what callsign or
  netrom alias to connect to. Then just issue the connect command from
  there.  It is possible that the netrom alias may connect you to a node
  with an alias for the cluster, such as DXC.  Just type this and you
  will be connected.

  Example:


       connect MBCDX



  2.3.  Telnet logins.

  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.

  Example:



       telnet gb7mbc 8000



  All the above are possible ways of connecting to a DXSpider cluster.
  You may have some or all of these available to you.  There may be one
  or two additional ways to connect dependant on the network local to
  you.  However I am sure you get the idea.


  2.4.  Logouts.

  Logging out can be done by simply issuing the standard BYE command.

  You could also send a disconnect if you are using AX25, or a CLOSE
  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, 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
  G0YLM-2.  This can be done by either altering your MYCALL setting in
  the TNC or by altering your program configuration.


  3.  Setting your personal details.

  Once logged in to the cluster, you should set your details so that
  anybody who wishes to contact you can find out who and where you are.
  There are four items to set, your name, qth, location and home node.
  Setting these details also allows the use of the SHOW/HEADING and
  SHOW/SUN commands from within the cluster.  Unless you set your QTH
  and location, these commands cannot function.  Once you have set your
  name, DXSpider will greet you with it next time you login.  Your QTH
  setting is where you live and it is a good idea to add your locator to
  this as the location setting is converted to latitude and longitude
  once inputted.  You can actually set your location in
  latitude/longitude or as a locator.  Setting your home node will tell
  the program where you wish mail to be sent to you.

  Examples:



       set/name Ian
       set/qth Morecambe, Lancashire IO84NB
       set/location 48 34 n 12 12 e
       set/qra IO84NB
       set/home gb7mbc



  4.  Getting and posting DX.

  When all is said and done, this is the main function of a DX cluster.
  In its simplest form you can just connect to the node and you will
  start to receive DX spots almost immediately!  You can check on recent
  postings in either a general manner or on a particular band or mode.
  You can even check DX by callsign or a fragment of a callsign.  Of
  course, once you get the hang of things, it is expected that you start
  posting some yourself!  After all, there would be no clusters if
  people did not post DX and you get the added thrill of the hunt!


  4.1.  Receiving DX.

  As we have already said, it is possible just to connect to the cluster
  and you will receive spots automatically.  However, you may wish to
  check on spots just posted.  Maybe you wish to see if a particular
  band is open or if a certain callsign is active, perhaps a DXpedition.
  The command to do this is SHOW/DX.  Without any other arguments, this
  command will output the last 10 spots posted.  It is possible to look
  at more than this, for example the last 20 or 50 spots, by adding the
  number to the command.  You can make it even more specific by adding a
  band in either wavelength or frequency, and/or any additional
  information such as QSL details.

  Examples:



       show/dx
       show/dx 5
       show/dx 20



  will show the last 10, 5 and 20 spots received by the cluster
  respectively.

  Examples



       show/dx on 20m
       show/dx 10 on 20m
       show/dx 20 on 20m



  will show the last 5, 10 or 20 spots on 20 metres only.

  It is also possible to check for certain callsigns, or fragments of
  callsigns in the same way.

  Examples:



       show/dx g0vgs
       show/dx 10 g0vgs



  would show the last 5 or 10 dx spots containing the callsign g0vgs.


  You can check for DX by offset and also by specifying a comment to
  search for.

  Examples:



       show/dx 30-40
       show/dx 14000-14033
       show/dx iota



  would show the spots that arrived between 30 and 40 spots ago and any
  spots with the word iota in the comment field.  The case of the
  comment is not important.

  Checking DX posted on a certain day is possible too.  All you have to
  do here is to specify how many days ago it was like this ...

  Example:



       show/dx day 30



  It is of course possible to specify multiple arguments.

  Example:

       show/dx 20 prefix 9a on vhf day 30



  This would show the last 20 spots posted by or about calls with the
  prefix 9a on vhf 30 days ago.

  As you can see the SHOW/DX command is very flexible, so if you are not
  sure whether something will work or not, try it and see!  More
  information can be found in the Command Set section.


  4.2.  Posting DX.

  To post DX you use the DX command.  The syntax is shown below.

  Example:



       dx (frequency) (callsign) (remarks)



  Where frequency is in kilohertz and the callsign is the callsign of
  the station you have worked or heard, (ie not your own callsign!).
  The remarks section allows you to add information like the operators
  name or perhaps a location.  Actually DXSpider will allow the
  frequency and callsign fields to be entered in any order.

  Example:



       dx 14004 pa3ezl OP Aurelio 599



  In fact, all the following will give the same result...



       dx 14004 pa3ezl OP Aurelio 599
       dx pa3ezl 14004 OP Aurelio 599
       dx pa3ezl 14.004 OP Aurelio 599



  This posting, or callout as it is known, will be forwarded to all
  other connected stations both at the cluster you are connected to and
  other active clusters in the network.  The callout will also be sent
  to you as proof of receipt.


  5.  Headings and propagation

  There are three commands in DXSpider to help you get the best DX
  possible.  These are SHOW/SUN, SHOW/MOON and SHOW/HEADING.  These
  commands will only work for you if you have entered your personal
  details.  They use your entered location as a reference, so if you
  have not entered it or have entered it incorrectly they will not
  return the correct information.
  5.1.  Sun

  The SHOW/SUN command can be used in three different ways.  It can be
  used to show sunrise and sunset times for your own station, a
  particular callsign or a prefix.

  Example:



       show/sun



  The output from this would look something like this ..



       sh/sun
       Location                              Rise   Set      Azim   Elev
       G0VGS  Morecambe, Lancashire          07:08Z 17:39Z  205.3   24.1



       sh/sun 5b4



  would look like this ...



       sh/sun 5b4
       Location                              Rise   Set      Azim   Elev
       5B     Cyprus-5B                      04:23Z 15:40Z  244.0   18.8



  You can also specify multiple arguments like this ...



       sh/sun gw4veq 5b4ab zs



  and then the output would look like this ...



       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
       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


  5.2.  Moon

  The SHOW/MOON command works in the same way as the SHOW/SUN command.
  This program however, calculates the rise and set times of the moon
  for a prefix or callsign, together with the current azimuth and
  elevation of the sun at these locations.

  Example:



       show/moon ea



  The output from this command would look like this ..



       sh/moon ea
       Location                              Rise   Set      Azim   Elev  RGain dB
       EA     Spain-EA                       08:15Z 20:09Z  257.2    9.5      -0.6



  You can see that the output is similar to the SHOW/SUN command, with
  slightly different fields.


  5.3.  Heading

  The SHOW/HEADING command works in the same way as the SHOW/SUN and
  SHOW/MOON commands but outputs beam headings for a specified callsign
  or prefix.  Reciprocal beam headings are also calculated.

  Example



       show/heading zl



  The output from this command would look like this ..



       sh/heading zl
       ZL New-Zealand-ZL1-ZL: 7 degs - dist: 11238 mi, 18087 km Reciprocal heading: 355 degs
       ZL New-Zealand-ZL2-ZL: 9 degs - dist: 11540 mi, 18574 km Reciprocal heading: 353 degs
       ZL New-Zealand-ZL3-ZL: 19 degs - dist: 11634 mi, 18724 km Reciprocal heading: 345 degs
       ZL New-Zealand-ZL4-ZL: 34 degs - dist: 11783 mi, 18963 km Reciprocal heading: 332 degs



  6.  Announcements.

  6.1.  Making announcements.

  Occasionally, you may wish to post something that does not fall into
  the normal parameters for a DX callout.  You may wish to tell
  everybody connected that 10 FM is open for example, or ask if anyone
  knows the QSL manager for a certain callsign etc.  You can do this
  using the ANNOUNCE command.

  Example:



       announce 10 FM is open in IO84NB to europe.



  That would let everyone know locally that this was the case, however
  it would not be forwarded to other nodes connected.  To send
  announcements to other connected nodes as well, you would use the FULL
  extension.

  Example:



       announce full Anyone seen EA7WA today?



  Be cautious in your use of announce full.  There are many other tools
  available to get the information you require and the judicious use of
  this command is frowned upon as it creates a great deal of traffic
  across the network.


  6.2.  Listing announcements.

  You can list previous announcements in the standard format with the
  SHOW command.  As before you can list just the last 5 or as many as
  you wish.

  Example:



       show/announcements
       show/announcements 10



  7.  Nodes and users.

  You can check which nodes are connected in the network, who is logged
  on locally, who is logged on at all the nodes or even just one node in
  particular. This is handy if you wish to see whether a friend is
  connected at the node they use.  To see who is connected to the nodes,
  the SHOW/CONFIGURATION command is used.

  Example:



  show/configuration
  show/configuration/nodes
  show/configuration (node_call)
  show/configuration (prefix)



  The first of our three examples would output something like this,



       sh/c
       Node         Callsigns
       EI5TCR       (7 users)
       GB7ADX
       GB7BAA       G4FPV        G8TIC
       GB7BIG       (GD0TEP)     GD3UMW
       GB7BPQ       (G0INA)      G0RCI        G3AKU        G3OCA
       (GB7CDX)     G3JNB        G4ALR
       GB7DJK       G0FYD        G0REK        G1TLH        G4PEL        G4SOZ
                    G4TVR        G7SQW        K8AZ         M0CTQ-1      MM1CXE-10
                    ON7WP
       GB7DXA       G0RDI        G8SJP
       GB7DXC       (G0HDB)      G0WFK        (G1FYC)      G3KWK        G3LME
                    G3OIL        G4BGW        G4FUJ        (G4PDQ)      GW7SMV
       GB7DXE       G1NNB
       (GB7DXG)     GU6EFB       GU7DHI
       GB7DXK       G1NTW        G3IBI        G3NSM        G3XAQ        G4CUS
                    G4XQY        G7GAN
       GB7DXM       G1EUC        G3GAF        G3LAS        G4ZTR        G8WXU
                    M0BCT        M1EMF



  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 protocol of some kind, probably because of a contest situation
  where slow radio links can block up and fail if too much information
  is sent between nodes.

  The second example would just show the nodes connected in the network,
  like this,



       sh/c/n
       Node         Callsigns
       GB7BAA       GB7BAA       GB7BPQ       (GB7CDX)     GB7DJK       GB7DXA
                    GB7DXC       GB7DXE       (GB7DXG)     GB7DXK       GB7DXL
                    GB7DXM       GB7DXS       GB7IPT       GB7MRS       GB7UJS
                    GB7YDX       KL7G         N2TLY        (ON0DXK)
       GB7BIG       EI5TCR       GB7ADX       GB7BIG       GB7UDX
       GB7MBC
       PA4AB-14     PA4AB-14
       PI4TUE-8     PI4TUE-8



  If we insert the node_call pi4tue-8 into the third example, then this
  would be the output,



  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



  As you can see, only the users of the requested node are shown.

  You can also use a prefix to show only a group of nodes.  For example
  you may only wish to see who is connected to the nodes in the UK.  To
  do this simply use a prefix like this ...


  show/configuration gb7



  To show the locally connected users, the SHOW/USERS command is used

  Example:



       show/users



  The output of this command would look like this,



       Callsigns connected to GB7MBC
       G0JHC        G0NEI        G0VGS        G0VGS-2      G0YLM
       G3JAG        G3OWO        G3UEU



  8.  Talk mode.

  You can send a single comment or start a dedicated talk session to
  another user by using the TALK command.


  Talk mode is used to send a one line comment or greeting to a specific
  user connected either at your node or another in the network.  You can
  also enter into a dedicated talk session with another user.  Talks
  will be automatically forwarded to other nodes if the station you are
  talking to is not connected locally.  You can find out who is
  connected by using the SHOW/CONFIGURATION command, (described
  earlier).

  Examples:



       talk g0rdi Having a good day Iain?


  This example would send the line "Having a good day Iain?" to the user
  g0rdi but would leave you in normal mode.



       talk g0rdi
       Entering Talkmode, /EX to end, /<cmd> to run a command
       Talk (G0RDI)>



  As you can see, you can still run commands whilst in talk mode.
  Simply prefix the command with a / like /sh/dx and you will get the
  expected output.  If the user is connected to another node, you may
  have to use a slightly extended version of the TALK command.



       talk g0rdi > gb7djk



  To exit talk mode, you issue the command /ex.

  Whilst in talk mode you will still receive DX spots.  This means that
  you can chat to a friend whilst working DX.


  9.  Mail.

  You can send and receive both personal mail and bulletins with
  DXSpider quite easily.


  9.1.  The "directory" command.

  To list mail you would use the DIRECTORY command.  On its own, this
  command will output the last ten messages received by the node, either
  to or from yourself or bulletins such as "DX" and "ALL".  As with
  other commands you can display more by specifying a number with the
  command.  You should be aware that Spider will accept these commands
  by separating with either a slash or a space, so dir new and dir/new
  work in the same way.

  Example:



       directory
       directory/20
       directory 20



  Of course most of the time you will only want to list new mail sent to
  you personally since your last login.  However you might also like to
  check for general mail received by the node.  In fact if there is new
  mail for you, the cluster will tell you when you login. You will also
  be informed if new mail arrives for you during the time you are logged
  in.  Mail is not only sent to callsigns though.  Mail can also be sent
  to subjects like "all" or "local" or "dx" etc.  You can treat these
  bulletins in the same way as personal mail with the directory command.

  Examples:



       directory/new
       directory/own
       directory/own/10
       directory/all
       directory/from <call>



  The last option will only show mail from a callsign if it was sent to
  you personally or was sent as a bulletin.  There are some additional
  commands and these can be found in the DXSpider Command Reference
  section.


  9.2.  Reading mail.

  The output of the DIRECTORY command could be something like this.



       dir
        20735      2      ALL   GW7SMV 21-Feb 1204Z REC 9E1S QSL TDY 50Mhz....
        20823    308       UK    G0HDB 22-Feb 2334Z Help - which district code?
        20824    105      ALL     W9AE 23-Feb 0349Z S0NY QSL address?
        20825      2       UK    G0LRJ 23-Feb 0806Z QSL REC LZ2CJ/1.CARD NO-750.
        20858      2      ALL   GW7SMV 24-Feb 0905Z REC S92DX QSL CARD TDY 50Mhz
        20921    200      ALL   GM4FDM 27-Feb 2203Z Trip to VP8
        20949    375      ALL     K0MN 27-Feb 0428Z ST0P cards are gd @ ARRL
        20950      2       UK    G0LRJ 28-Feb 0835Z QSL REC SV9/IZ0CKJ/P EU-187.
        20987    569      ALL   GD0TEP  1-Mar 1733Z Portable contests
        21076      2      ALL    G4AFJ  3-Mar 1743Z kh6nd/kh5 qsl received
        21184-p  599   GW4HAT    G0VGS  4-Mar 1518Z Re: Time



  The first column is the actual message number.  If the message is a
  personal one to you, you will see a letter 'p' after this number.  If
  the message has been read, there will be a '-' between the message
  number and the 'p'.  This only works for personal messages.  The next
  column shows the file size of the message.  The third column shows the
  address the message was sent to and the next column shows who sent it.
  The rest is fairly self-explanatory.

  Reading a message is as simple as typing read, followed by the message
  number that you wish to read.

  Example:



       read 25



  will read message number 25.  However the mail will be displayed in
  it's entirety unless you specify a page length. You can set your page
  length to any number you like and when the message reaches that number
  of lines you will get a prompt giving you options.
  Example:



       set/page 20



  9.3.  Sending mail.

  Sending mail is done in the time honoured way.  First you specify a
  recipient for the message, then you will be prompted for a subject.
  Once you have done this you will be asked to type your message.
  Please remember that there is no automatic word wrap, so unless you
  are using a client that wraps lines automatically, remember to hit
  return at the end of each line.

  Example:



       send m0azm
       Enter Subject (30 characters):
       See you Thursday
       Enter Message /EX to send or /ABORT to exit
       Hi Ian,
       Just a quick note to say that I can make Thursday after all.  The
       appointment I had has cancelled so we are go!
       Cheers
       Ian



  At this point you can either hit return and enter /ex to send the
  message or use /abort at any time to abort it.  You can now display
  the message in the normal way.  There are several send options and
  these are listed in the Command Set section.  These include sending
  mail to several recipients and asking for a return receipt.



  9.4.  Replying to mail.

  If mail is addressed to you or to a bulletin address, you can use the
  REPLY command to reply to it.  Using this command, the subject will be
  automatically set for you as "Re: subject", whatever the subject was.

  Example:



       reply 2500



  9.5.  Deleting mail

  To delete a message, you use the delete command.  You can only delete
  messages sent to or received by yourself.  Bulletins are dealt with
  automatically or by the sysop.
  10.  Filtering (From version 1.45)

  10.1.  General filter rules

  Upto v1.44 it was not possible for the user to set their own filters.
  From v1.45 though that has all changed.  It is now possible to set
  filters for just about anything you wish.  If you have just updated
  from an older version of DXSpider you will need to update your new
  filters.  You do not need to do anything with your old filters, they
  will be renamed as you update.


  There are 3 basic commands involved in setting and manipulating
  filters.  These are accept, reject and clear.  First we will look
  generally at filtering. There are a number of things you can filter in
  the DXSpider system. They all use the same general mechanism.


  In general terms you can create a 'reject' or an 'accept' filter which
  can have up to 10 lines in it. You do this using, for example ...



       accept/spots .....
       reject/spots .....



  where ..... are the specific commands for that type of filter. There
  are filters for spots, wwv, announce, wcy and (for sysops) connects.
  See each different accept or reject command reference for more
  details.

  There is also a command to clear out one or more lines in a filter.
  They are ...



       clear/spots 1
       clear/spots all



  There is clear/xxxx command for each type of filter.


  and you can check that your filters have worked by the command ...



       show/filter



  For now we are going to use spots for the examples, but you can apply
  the same principles to all types of filter.



  10.2.  Types of filter

  There are two main types of filter, accept or reject.  You can use
  either to achieve the result you want dependent on your own preference
  and which is more simple to do.  It is pointless writing 8 lines of
  reject filters when 1 accept filter would do the same thing!  Each
  filter has 10 lines (of any length) which are tried in order.  If a
  line matches then the action you have specified is taken (ie reject
  means ignore it and accept means take it)


  If you specify reject filters, then any lines that arrive that match
  the filter will be dumped but all else will be accepted.  If you use
  an accept filter, then ONLY the lines in the filter will be accepted
  and all else will be dumped.  For example if you have a single line
  accept filter ...



       accept/spots on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  then you will ONLY get VHF spots from or to CQ zones 14, 15 and 16.


  If you set a reject filter like this ...



       reject/spots on hf/cw



  Then you will get everything EXCEPT HF CW spots.  You could make this
  single filter even more flexible.  For example, if you are interested
  in IOTA and will work it even on CW even though normally you are not
  interested in CW, then you could say ...



       reject/spots on hf/cw and not info iota



  But in that case you might only be interested in iota and say:-



       accept/spots not on hf/cw or info iota



  which achieves exactly the same thing. You should choose one or the
  other until you are comfortable with the way it works. You can mix
  them if you wish (actually you can have an accept AND a reject on the
  same line) but don't attempt this until you are sure you know what you
  are doing!


  You can arrange your filter lines into logical units, either for your
  own understanding or simply convenience. Here is an example ...
       reject/spots 1 on hf/cw
       reject/spots 2 on 50000/1400000 not (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  What this does is to ignore all HF CW spots and also rejects any spots
  on VHF which don't either originate or spot someone in Europe.


  This is an example where you would use a line number (1 and 2 in this
  case), if you leave the digit out, the system assumes '1'. Digits
  '0'-'9' are available.  This make it easier to see just what filters
  you have set.  It also makes it more simple to remove individual
  filters, during a contest for example.


  You will notice in the above example that the second line has
  brackets.  Look at the line logically.  You can see there are 2
  separate sections to it.  We are saying reject spots that are VHF or
  above APART from those in zones 14, 15 and 16 (either spotted there or
  originated there).  If you did not have the brackets to separate the 2
  sections, then Spider would read it logically from the front and see a
  different expression entirely ...



       (on 50000/1400000 and by_zone 14,15,16) or call_zone 14,15,16



  The simple way to remember this is, if you use OR - use brackets.
  Whilst we are here CASE is not important. 'And BY_Zone' is just the
  same as 'and by_zone'.

  As mentioned earlier, setting several filters can be more flexible
  than simply setting one complex one.  Doing it in this way means that
  if you want to alter your filter you can just redefine or remove one
  or more lines of it or one line. For example ...



       reject/spots 1 on hf/ssb



  would redefine our earlier example, or



       clear/spots 1



  To remove all the filter lines in the spot filter ...



       clear/spots all



  10.3.  Filter options

  You can filter in several different ways.  The options are listed in
  the various helpfiles for accept, reject and filter.


  10.4.  Advanced filtering

  Once you are happy with the results you get, you may like to
  experiment.


  The previous example that filters hf/cw spots and accepts vhf/uhf
  spots from EU can be written with a mixed filter, for example ...



       rej/spot on hf/cw
       acc/spot on 0/30000
       acc/spot 2 on 50000/1400000 and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  Note that the first filter has not been specified with a number.  This
  will automatically be assumed to be number 1.  In this case, we have
  said reject all HF spots in the CW section of the bands but accept all
  others at HF.  Also accept anything in VHF and above spotted in or by
  operators in the zones 14, 15 and 16.  Each filter slot actually has a
  'reject' slot and an 'accept' slot. The reject slot is executed BEFORE
  the accept slot.


  It was mentioned earlier that after a reject test that doesn't match,
  the default for following tests is 'accept', the reverse is true for
  'accept'.  In the example what happens is that the reject is executed
  first, any non hf/cw spot is passed to the accept line, which lets
  through everything else on HF.  The next filter line lets through just
  VHF/UHF spots from EU.



  11.  Hints, tips and common questions.

  Q.These commands seem very long!  Can I shorten them?

  A.Of course you can and the usual abbreviations work.  If you are
  unsure, try it.

  Q.I am not sure if this command is correct.  Can I cause any harm if I
  try it?

  A.Do not be afraid to try a command to see if it will work, at the
  worst you will get an error message.  If you require any help on a
  command, just type help followed by the command you want help on.
  Look at the "DXSpider Command Reference" section to see what help can
  be found.

  Q.How should I use the announce command?

  A.With respect.  Use the command by all means, but please only use the
  "full" extension if absolutely necessary.  It can create a LOT of
  messages passing between clusters.

  Q.I like to be working in the shack while logged into the cluster but
  I can't be looking at the screen all the time. How can I be alerted
  when anything happens?

  A.Use the SET/BEEP command.  You can find information on this in the
  "DXSpider Command Reference" section.

  Q.I got disconnected from the cluster and now I can't log back in
  again.  What is wrong?

  A.Probably the cluster thinks you are still logged on and will not let
  you reconnect using the same call to prevent loops.  Try logging on
  again adding an ssid to your callsign as DXSpider treats G0YLM and
  G0YLM-1 as different users.

  Q.How do I know if I have got the latest version of this user manual?

  A.The latest and greatest will always be on the Website.  It will also
  be included with every release of DXSpider.  As always, if unsure, ask
  your sysop what version number is the latest.



  11.1.  accept

  accept Set a filter to accept something


  Create a filter to accept something

  There are 2 types of filter, accept and reject.  See HELP FILTERING
  for more info.

  11.2.  accept/announce [0-9] <pattern>

  accept/announce [0-9] <pattern> Set an 'accept' filter line for
  announce


  Create an 'accept this announce' line for a filter.

  An accept filter line means that if the announce matches this filter
  it is passed onto the user. See HELP FILTERING for more info. Please
  read this to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief
  later on.

  You can use any of the following things in this line:-



         info <string>            eg: iota or qsl
         by <prefixes>            eg: G,M,2
         origin <prefixes>
         origin_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
         origin_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
         origin_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         origin_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,NH
         by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
         by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
         by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         by_state <states>
         channel <prefixes>
         wx 1                     filter WX announces
         dest <prefixes>          eg: 6MUK,WDX      (distros)



  some examples:-



         acc/ann dest 6MUK
         acc/ann 2 by_zone 14,15,16
         (this could be all on one line: acc/ann dest 6MUK or by_zone 14,15,16)



  or


         acc/ann by G,M,2



  for american states



         acc/ann by_state va,nh,ri,nh



  You can use the tag 'all' to accept everything eg:



         acc/ann all



  but this probably for advanced users...

  11.3.  accept/spots [0-9] <pattern>

  accept/spots [0-9] <pattern> Set an 'accept' filter line for spots


  Create an 'accept this spot' line for a filter.

  An accept filter line means that if the spot matches this filter it is
  passed onto the user. See HELP FILTERING for more info. Please read
  this to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief
  later on.

  You can use any of the following things in this line:-



    freq <range>           eg: 0/30000 or hf or hf/cw or 6m,4m,2m
    on <range>             same as 'freq'
    call <prefixes>        eg: G,PA,HB9
    info <string>          eg: iota or qsl
    by <prefixes>
    call_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
    call_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
    call_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    call_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,ME
    by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
    by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
    by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    by_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,ME
    origin <prefixes>
    channel <prefixes>



  For frequencies, you can use any of the band names defined in
  SHOW/BANDS and you can use a subband name like: cw, rtty, data, ssb -
  thus: hf/ssb. You can also just have a simple range like: 0/30000 -
  this is more efficient than saying simply: freq HF (but don't get too
  hung up about that)

  some examples:-



         acc/spot 1 on hf/cw
         acc/spot 2 on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  You can use the tag 'all' to accept everything, eg:



         acc/spot 3 all



  for US states



         acc/spots by_state VA,NH,RI,MA,ME



  but this probably for advanced users...

  11.4.  accept/wcy [0-9] <pattern>

  accept/wcy [0-9] <pattern> set an 'accept' WCY filter


  It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you
  can filter on the following fields:-



    by <prefixes>            eg: G,M,2
    origin <prefixes>
    origin_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
    origin_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
    origin_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
    by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
    by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    channel <prefixes>



  There are no examples because WCY Broadcasts only come from one place
  and you either want them or not (see UNSET/WCY if you don't want
  them).

  This command is really provided for future use.

  See HELP FILTER for information.

  11.5.  accept/wwv [0-9] <pattern>

  accept/wwv [0-9] <pattern> set an 'accept' WWV filter


  It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you
  can filter on the following fields:-



         by <prefixes>            eg: G,M,2
         origin <prefixes>
         origin_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
         origin_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
         origin_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
         by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
         by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         channel <prefixes>



  for example



         accept/wwv by_zone 4



  is probably the only useful thing to do (which will only show WWV
  broadcasts by stations in the US).

  See HELP FILTER for information.

  11.6.  announce <text>

  announce <text> Send an announcement to LOCAL users only


  <text> is the text of the announcement you wish to broadcast


  11.7.  announce full <text>

  announce full <text> Send an announcement cluster wide


  This will send your announcement cluster wide

  11.8.  apropos <string>

  apropos <string> Search help database for <string>


  Search the help database for <string> (it isn't case sensitive), and
  print the names of all the commands that may be relevant.

  11.9.  blank [<string>] [<nn>]

  blank [<string>] [<nn>] Print nn (default 1) blank lines (or strings)


  In its basic form this command prints one or more blank lines. However
  if you pass it a string it will replicate the string for the width of
  the screen (default 80) and then print that one or more times, so:



         blank 2



  prints two blank lines



         blank -



  prints a row of - characters once.



         blank abc



  prints 'abcabcabcabcabcabc....'

  This is really only of any use in a script file and you can print a
  maximum of 9 lines.

  11.10.  bye

  bye Exit from the cluster


  This will disconnect you from the cluster

  11.11.  chat <group> <text>

  chat <group> <text> Chat or Conference to a group


  It is now possible to JOIN a group and have network wide conferencing
  to that group. DXSpider does not (and probably will not) implement the
  AK1A conference mode as this seems very limiting, is hardly used and
  doesn't seem to work too well anyway.

  This system uses the existing ANN system and is compatible with both
  other DXSpider nodes and AK1A clusters (they use ANN/<group>).

  You can be a member of as many "groups" as you want. To join a group
  type:-



         JOIN FOC    (where FOC is the group name)



  To leave a group type:-



         LEAVE FOC



  You can see which groups you are in by typing:-



         STAT/USER



  and you can see whether your mate is in the group, if he connects to
  the same node as you, by typing:-



         STAT/USER g1tlh



  To send a message to a group type:-



         CHAT FOC hello everyone



  or



         CH #9000 hello I am back



  See also JOIN, LEAVE, SHOW/CHAT

  11.12.  clear/announce [1|all]

  clear/announce [1|all] Clear a announce filter line


  This command allows you to clear (remove) a line in a annouce filter
  or to remove the whole filter.

  see CLEAR/SPOTS for a more detailed explanation.

  11.13.  clear/route [1|all]

  clear/route [1|all] Clear a route filter line


  This command allows you to clear (remove) a line in a route filter or
  to remove the whole filter.

  see CLEAR/SPOTS for a more detailed explanation.

  11.14.  clear/spots [0-9|all]

  clear/spots [0-9|all] Clear a spot filter line


  This command allows you to clear (remove) a line in a spot filter or
  to remove the whole filter.

  If you have a filter:-



         acc/spot 1 on hf/cw
         acc/spot 2 on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  and you say:-



         clear/spot 1



  you will be left with:-



         acc/spot 2 on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  If you do:



         clear/spot all



  the filter will be completely removed.

  11.15.  clear/wcy [1|all]

  clear/wcy [1|all] Clear a WCY filter line


  This command allows you to clear (remove) a line in a WCY filter or to
  remove the whole filter.

  see CLEAR/SPOTS for a more detailed explanation.

  11.16.  clear/wwv [1|all]

  clear/wwv [1|all] Clear a WWV filter line


  This command allows you to clear (remove) a line in a WWV filter or to
  remove the whole filter.

  see CLEAR/SPOTS for a more detailed explanation.

  11.17.  dbavail

  dbavail Show a list of all the Databases in the system


  Title says it all really, this command lists all the databases defined
  in the system. It is also aliased to SHOW/COMMAND.

  11.18.  dbshow <dbname> <key>

  dbshow <dbname> <key> Display an entry, if it exists, in a database


  This is the generic user interface to the database to the database
  system.  It is expected that the sysop will add an entry to the local
  Aliases file so that users can use the more familiar AK1A style of
  enquiry such as:



         SH/BUCK G1TLH



  but if he hasn't and the database really does exist (use DBAVAIL or
  SHOW/COMMAND to find out) you can do the same thing with:



         DBSHOW buck G1TLH



  11.19.  directory

  directory List messages



  11.20.  directory <from>-<to>

  directory <from>-<to> List messages <from> message <to> message


  List the messages in the messages directory.

  If there is a 'p' one space after the message number then it is a
  personal message. If there is a '-' between the message number and the

  You can use shell escape characters such as '*' and '?' in the <call>
  fields.

  You can combine some of the various directory commands together eg:-



          DIR TO G1TLH 5



  or


          DIR SUBJECT IOTA 200-250



  You can abbreviate all the commands to one letter and use ak1a
  syntax:-



          DIR/T G1* 10
          DIR/S QSL 10-100 5



  11.21.  directory <nn>

  directory <nn> List last <nn> messages



  11.22.  directory all

  directory all List all messages



  11.23.  directory from <call>

  directory from <call> List all messages from <call>



  11.24.  directory new

  directory new List all new messages



  11.25.  directory own

  directory own List your own messages



  11.26.  directory subject <string>

  directory subject <string> List all messages with <string> in subject



  11.27.  directory to <call>

  directory to <call> List all messages to <call>



  11.28.  dx [by <call>] <freq> <call> <remarks>

  dx [by <call>] <freq> <call> <remarks> Send a DX spot


  This is how you send a DX Spot to other users. You can, in fact, now
  enter the <freq> and the <call> either way round.



          DX FR0G 144.600
          DX 144.600 FR0G
          DX 144600 FR0G



  will all give the same result. You can add some remarks to the end of
  the command and they will be added to the spot.



          DX FR0G 144600 this is a test



  You can credit someone else by saying:-



          DX by G1TLH FR0G 144.600 he isn't on the cluster



  The <freq> is compared against the available bands set up in the
  cluster.  See SHOW/BANDS for more information.

  11.29.  echo <line>

  echo <line> Echo the line to the output


  This command is useful in scripts and so forth for printing the line
  that you give to the command to the output. You can use this in
  user_default scripts and the SAVE command for titling and so forth

  The script will interpret certain standard "escape" sequences as
  follows:-



         \t - becomes a TAB character (0x09 in ascii)
         \a - becomes a BEEP character (0x07 in ascii)
         \n - prints a new line



  So the following example:-



         echo GB7DJK is a dxcluster



  produces:-



         GB7DJK is a dxcluster



  on the output. You don't need a \n on the end of the line you want to
  send.

  A more complex example:-



         echo GB7DJK\n\tg1tlh\tDirk\n\tg3xvf\tRichard



  produces:-



         GB7DJK
                 g1tlh   Dirk
                 g3xvf   Richard



  on the output.


  11.30.  filtering...

  filtering... Filtering things in DXSpider


  There are a number of things you can filter in the DXSpider system.
  They all use the same general mechanism.

  In general terms you can create a 'reject' or an 'accept' filter which
  can have up to 10 lines in it. You do this using, for example:-
         accept/spots .....
         reject/spots .....



  where ..... are the specific commands for that type of filter. There
  are filters for spots, wwv, announce, wcy and (for sysops) connects.
  See each different accept or reject command reference for more
  details.

  There is also a command to clear out one or more lines in a filter and
  one to show you what you have set. They are:-



         clear/spots 1
         clear/spots all



  and



         show/filter



  There is clear/xxxx command for each type of filter.

  For now we are going to use spots for the examples, but you can apply
  the principles to all types of filter.

  There are two main types of filter 'accept' or 'reject'; which you use
  depends entirely on how you look at the world and what is least
  writing to achieve what you want. Each filter has 10 lines (of any
  length) which are tried in order. If a line matches then the action
  you have specified is taken (ie reject means ignore it and accept
  means gimme it).

  The important thing to remember is that if you specify a 'reject'
  filter (all the lines in it say 'reject/spots' (for instance)) then if
  a spot comes in that doesn't match any of the lines then you will get
  it BUT if you specify an 'accept' filter then any spots that don't
  match are dumped. For example if I have a one line accept filter:-



         accept/spots on vhf and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  then automatically you will ONLY get VHF spots from or to CQ zones 14
  15 and 16.  If you set a reject filter like:



         reject/spots on hf/cw



  Then you will get everything EXCEPT HF CW spots, If you am interested
  in IOTA and will work it even on CW then you could say:-



         reject/spots on hf/cw and not info iota



  But in that case you might only be interested in iota and say:-



         accept/spots not on hf/cw or info iota



  which is exactly the same. You should choose one or the other until
  you are confortable with the way it works. Yes, you can mix them
  (actually you can have an accept AND a reject on the same line) but
  don't try this at home until you can analyse the results that you get
  without ringing up the sysop for help.

  Another useful addition now is filtering by US state



         accept/spots by_state VA,NH,RI,ME



  You can arrange your filter lines into logical units, either for your
  own understanding or simply convenience. I have one set frequently:-



         reject/spots 1 on hf/cw
         reject/spots 2 on 50000/1400000 not (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  What this does is to ignore all HF CW spots (being a class B I can't
  read any CW and couldn't possibly be interested in HF :-) and also
  rejects any spots on VHF which don't either originate or spot someone
  in Europe.

  This is an exmaple where you would use the line number (1 and 2 in
  this case), if you leave the digit out, the system assumes '1'. Digits

  You can leave the word 'and' out if you want, it is implied. You can
  use any number of brackets to make the 'expression' as you want it.
  There are things called precedence rules working here which mean that
  you will NEED brackets in a situation like line 2 because, without it,
  will assume:-



         (on 50000/1400000 and by_zone 14,15,16) or call_zone 14,15,16



  annoying, but that is the way it is. If you use OR - use brackets.
  Whilst we are here CASE is not important. 'And BY_Zone' is just 'and
  by_zone'.

  If you want to alter your filter you can just redefine one or more
  lines of it or clear out one line. For example:-



         reject/spots 1 on hf/ssb



  or



         clear/spots 1



  To remove the filter in its entirty:-



         clear/spots all



  There are similar CLEAR commands for the other filters:-



         clear/announce
         clear/wcy
         clear/wwv



  ADVANCED USERS:-

  Once you are happy with the results you get, you may like to
  experiment.

  my example that filters hf/cw spots and accepts vhf/uhf spots from EU
  can be written with a mixed filter, eg:



         rej/spot on hf/cw
         acc/spot on 0/30000
         acc/spot 2 on 50000/1400000 and (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  each filter slot actually has a 'reject' slot and an 'accept' slot.
  The reject slot is executed BEFORE the accept slot.

  It was mentioned earlier that after a reject test that doesn't match,
  the default for following tests is 'accept', the reverse is true for
  first, any non hf/cw spot is passed to the accept line, which lets
  thru everything else on HF.

  The next filter line lets through just VHF/UHF spots from EU.

  11.31.  help

  help The HELP Command


  HELP is available for a number of commands. The syntax is:-



         HELP <cmd>



  Where <cmd> is the name of the command you want help on.

  All commands can be abbreviated, so SHOW/DX can be abbreviated to
  SH/DX, ANNOUNCE can be shortened to AN and so on.

  Look at the APROPOS <string> command which will search the help
  database for the <string> you specify and give you a list of likely
  commands to look at with HELP.

  11.32.  join <group>

  join <group> Join a chat or conference group


  JOIN allows you to join a network wide conference group. To join a
  group (called FOC in this case) type:-



         JOIN FOC



  See also CHAT, LEAVE, SHOW/CHAT

  11.33.  kill <from msgno>-<to msgno>

  kill <from msgno>-<to msgno> Delete a range of messages



  11.34.  kill <msgno> [<msgno..]

  kill <msgno> [<msgno..] Delete a message from the local system



  11.35.  kill <msgno> [<msgno> ...]

  kill <msgno> [<msgno> ...] Remove or erase a message from the system


  You can get rid of any message to or originating from your callsign
  using this command. You can remove more than one message at a time.



  11.36.  kill from <regex>

  kill from <regex> Delete messages FROM a callsign or pattern



  11.37.  kill to <regex>

  kill to <regex> Delete messages TO a callsign or pattern



  11.38.  leave <group>

  leave <group> Leave a chat or conference group


  LEAVE allows you to leave a network wide conference group. To leave a
  group (called FOC in this case) type:-



         LEAVE FOC



  See also CHAT, JOIN, SHOW/CHAT

  11.39.  links

  links Show which nodes is physically connected


  This is a quick listing that shows which links are connected and some
  information about them. See WHO for a list of all connections.

  11.40.  read

  read Read the next unread personal message addressed to you



  11.41.  read <msgno>

  read <msgno> Read the specified message


  You can read any messages that are sent as 'non-personal' and also any
  message either sent by or sent to your callsign.

  11.42.  reject

  reject Set a filter to reject something


  Create a filter to reject something

  There are 2 types of filter, accept and reject.  See HELP FILTERING
  for more info.

  11.43.  reject/announce [0-9] <pattern>

  reject/announce [0-9] <pattern> Set a 'reject' filter line for
  announce

  Create an 'reject this announce' line for a filter.

  A reject filter line means that if the announce matches this filter it
  is passed onto the user. See HELP FILTERING for more info. Please read
  this to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief
  later on.

  You can use any of the following things in this line:-



         info <string>            eg: iota or qsl
         by <prefixes>            eg: G,M,2
         origin <prefixes>
         origin_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
         origin_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
         origin_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         origin_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,ME
         by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
         by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
         by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         by_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,ME
         channel <prefixes>
         wx 1                     filter WX announces
         dest <prefixes>          eg: 6MUK,WDX      (distros)



  some examples:-



         rej/ann by_zone 14,15,16 and not by G,M,2



  You can use the tag 'all' to reject everything eg:



         rej/ann all



  but this probably for advanced users...

  11.44.  reject/spots [0-9] <pattern>

  reject/spots [0-9] <pattern> Set a 'reject' filter line for spots


  Create a 'reject this spot' line for a filter.

  A reject filter line means that if the spot matches this filter it is
  dumped (not passed on). See HELP FILTERING for more info. Please read
  this to understand how filters work - it will save a lot of grief
  later on.

  You can use any of the following things in this line:-



    freq <range>           eg: 0/30000 or hf or hf/cw or 6m,4m,2m
    on <range>             same as 'freq'
    call <prefixes>        eg: G,PA,HB9
    info <string>          eg: iota or qsl
    by <prefixes>
    call_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
    call_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
    call_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    call_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,ME
    by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
    by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
    by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    by_state <states>                eg: VA,NH,RI,ME
    origin <prefixes>
    channel <prefixes>



  For frequencies, you can use any of the band names defined in
  SHOW/BANDS and you can use a subband name like: cw, rtty, data, ssb -
  thus: hf/ssb. You can also just have a simple range like: 0/30000 -
  this is more efficient than saying simply: on HF (but don't get too
  hung up about that)

  some examples:-



         rej/spot 1 on hf
         rej/spot 2 on vhf and not (by_zone 14,15,16 or call_zone 14,15,16)



  You can use the tag 'all' to reject everything eg:



         rej/spot 3 all



  but this probably for advanced users...

  11.45.  reject/wcy [0-9] <pattern>

  reject/wcy [0-9] <pattern> set a 'reject' WCY filter


  It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you
  can filter on the following fields:-



    by <prefixes>            eg: G,M,2
    origin <prefixes>
    origin_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
    origin_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
    origin_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
    by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
    by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
    channel <prefixes>



  There are no examples because WCY Broadcasts only come from one place
  and you either want them or not (see UNSET/WCY if you don't want
  them).

  This command is really provided for future use.

  See HELP FILTER for information.

  11.46.  reject/wwv [0-9] <pattern>

  reject/wwv [0-9] <pattern> set a 'reject' WWV filter


  It is unlikely that you will want to do this, but if you do then you
  can filter on the following fields:-



         by <prefixes>            eg: G,M,2
         origin <prefixes>
         origin_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>    eg: 61,62 (from eg: sh/pre G)
         origin_itu <prefixes or numbers>     or: G,GM,GW
         origin_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         by_dxcc <prefixes or numbers>
         by_itu <prefixes or numbers>
         by_zone <prefixes or numbers>
         channel <prefixes>



  for example



         reject/wwv by_zone 14,15,16



  is probably the only useful thing to do (which will only show WWV
  broadcasts by stations in the US).

  See HELP FILTER for information.

  11.47.  reply

  reply Reply (privately) to the last message that you have read



  11.48.  reply <msgno>

  reply <msgno> Reply (privately) to the specified message



  11.49.  reply b <msgno>

  reply b <msgno> Reply as a Bulletin to the specified message



  11.50.  reply noprivate <msgno>

  reply noprivate <msgno> Reply as a Bulletin to the specified message



  11.51.  reply rr <msgno>

  reply rr <msgno> Reply to the specified message with read receipt


  You can reply to a message and the subject will automatically have
  "Re:" inserted in front of it, if it isn't already present.

  You can also use all the extra qualifiers such as RR, PRIVATE,
  NOPRIVATE, B that you can use with the SEND command (see SEND for
  further details)

  11.52.  send <call> [<call> ...]

  send <call> [<call> ...] Send a message to one or more callsigns



  11.53.  send copy <msgno> <call>

  send copy <msgno> <call> Send a copy of a  message to someone



  11.54.  send noprivate <call>

  send noprivate <call> Send a message to all stations


  All the SEND commands will create a message which will be sent either
  to an individual callsign or to one of the 'bulletin' addresses.

  SEND <call> on its own acts as though you had typed SEND PRIVATE, that
  is it will mark the message as personal and send it to the cluster
  node that that callsign is connected to. If the <call> you have
  specified is in fact a known bulletin category on your node (eg: ALL)
  then the message should automatically become a bulletin.

  You can have more than one callsign in all of the SEND commands.

  You can have multiple qualifiers so that you can have for example:-



         SEND RR COPY 123 PRIVATE G1TLH G0RDI



  which should send a copy of message 123 to G1TLH and G0RDI and you
  will receive a read receipt when they have read the message.

  SB is an alias for SEND NOPRIVATE (or send a bulletin in BBS speak) SP
  is an alias for SEND PRIVATE

  The system will ask you for a subject. Conventionally this should be
  no longer than 29 characters for compatibility. Most modern cluster
  software should accept more.

  You will now be prompted to start entering your text.

  You finish the message by entering '/EX' on a new line. For instance:



         ...
         bye then Jim
         73 Dirk
         /ex



  If you have started a message and you don't want to keep it then you
  can abandon the message with '/ABORT' on a new line, like:-



         line 1
         line 2
         oh I just can't be bothered with this
         /abort



  If you abort the message it will NOT be sent.

  When you are entering the text of your message, most normal output
  (such as DX announcements and so on are suppressed and stored for
  latter display (upto 20 such lines are stored, as new ones come along,
  so the oldest lines are dropped).

  Also, you can enter normal commands commands (and get the output
  immediately) whilst in the middle of a message. You do this by typing
  the command preceeded by a '/' character on a new line, so:-



         /dx g1tlh 144010 strong signal



  Will issue a dx annoucement to the rest of the cluster.

  Also, you can add the output of a command to your message by
  preceeding the command with '//', thus :-



         //sh/vhftable



  This will show YOU the output from SH/VHFTABLE and also store it in
  the message.

  You can carry on with the message until you are ready to send it.

  11.55.  send private <call>

  send private <call> Send a personal message



  11.56.  send rr <call>

  send rr <call> Send a message and ask for a read receipt



  11.57.  set/address <your address>

  set/address <your address> Record your postal address



  11.58.  set/announce

  set/announce Allow announce messages to come out on your terminal



  11.59.  set/anntalk

  set/anntalk Allow talk like announce messages on your terminal



  11.60.  set/beep

  set/beep Add a beep to DX and other messages on your terminal



  11.61.  set/dx

  set/dx Allow DX messages to come out on your terminal



  11.62.  set/dxcq

  set/dxcq Show CQ Zones on the end of DX announcements



  11.63.  set/dxgrid

  set/dxgrid Allow QRA Grid Squares on the end of DX announcements



  11.64.  set/dxitu

  set/dxitu Show ITU Zones on the end of DX announcements



  11.65.  set/echo

  set/echo Make the cluster echo your input



  11.66.  set/email <email> ...

  set/email <email> ... Set email address(es) and forward your personals



  11.67.  set/here

  set/here Tell the system you are present at your terminal



  11.68.  set/homenode <node>

  set/homenode <node>  Set your normal cluster callsign


  Tell the cluster system where you normally connect to. Any Messages
  sent to you will normally find their way there should you not be
  connected.  eg:-


         SET/HOMENODE gb7djk



  11.69.  set/language <lang>

  set/language <lang> Set the language you want to use


  You can select the language that you want the cluster to use.
  Currently the languages available are en (English), de (German), es
  (Spanish) and nl (Dutch).

  11.70.  set/location <lat & long>

  set/location <lat & long> Set your latitude and longitude



  11.71.  set/logininfo

  set/logininfo Inform when a station logs in locally



  11.72.  set/name <your name>

  set/name <your name> Set your name


  Tell the system what your name is eg:-


         SET/NAME Dirk


  11.73.  set/page <lines per page>

  set/page <lines per page> Set the lines per page


  Tell the system how many lines you wish on a page when the number of
  line of output from a command is more than this. The default is 20.
  Setting it explicitly to 0 will disable paging.


         SET/PAGE 30
         SET/PAGE 0



  The setting is stored in your user profile.

  11.74.  set/password

  set/password Set your own password


  This command only works for a 'telnet' user (currently). It will only
  work if you have a password already set. This initial password can
  only be set by the sysop.

  When you execute this command it will ask you for your old password,
  then ask you to type in your new password twice (to make sure you get
  it right). You may or may not see the data echoed on the screen as you
  type, depending on the type of telnet client you have.

  11.75.  set/prompt <string>

  set/prompt <string> Set your prompt to <string>



  11.76.  set/qra <locator>

  set/qra <locator> Set your QRA Grid locator


  Tell the system what your QRA (or Maidenhead) locator is. If you have
  not done a SET/LOCATION then your latitude and longitude will be set
  roughly correctly (assuming your locator is correct ;-). For example:-


         SET/QRA JO02LQ



  11.77.  set/qth <your qth>

  set/qth <your qth> Set your QTH


  Tell the system where you are. For example:-


         SET/QTH East Dereham, Norfolk



  11.78.  set/talk

  set/talk Allow TALK messages to come out on your terminal



  11.79.  set/usstate

  set/usstate Allow US State info on the end of DX announcements



  11.80.  set/wcy

  set/wcy Allow WCY messages to come out on your terminal



  11.81.  set/wwv

  set/wwv Allow WWV messages to come out on your terminal



  11.82.  set/wx

  set/wx Allow WX messages to come out on your terminal



  11.83.  show/chat [<group>] [<lines>]

  show/chat [<group>] [<lines>] Show any chat or conferencing


  This command allows you to see any chat or conferencing that has
  occurred whilst you were away. SHOW/CHAT on its own will show data for
  all groups. If you use a group name then it will show only chat for
  that group.

  11.84.  show/configuration [<node>]

  show/configuration [<node>] Show all the nodes and users visible


  This command allows you to see all the users that can be seen and the
  nodes to which they are connected.

  This command is normally abbreviated to: sh/c

  Normally, the list returned will be just for the nodes from your
  country (because the list otherwise will be very long).



         SH/C ALL



  will produce a complete list of all nodes.

  BE WARNED: the list that is returned can be VERY long

  It is possible to supply a node or part of a prefix and you will get a
  list of the users for that node or list of nodes starting with that
  prefix.



         SH/C GB7DJK



         SH/C SK



  11.85.  show/configuration/node

  show/configuration/node Show all the nodes connected locally


  Show all the nodes connected to this node.

  11.86.  show/contest <year and month>

  show/contest <year and month> Show all the contests for a month


  Show all known contests which are maintained at
  http://www.sk3bg.se/contest/ for a particular month or year. The
  format is reasonably flexible.  For example:-



         SH/CONTEST sep2003
         SH/CONTEST 03 march



  11.87.  show/date [<prefix>|<callsign>]

  show/date [<prefix>|<callsign>] Show the local time


  This is very nearly the same as SHOW/TIME, the only difference the
  format of the date string if no arguments are given.

  If no prefixes or callsigns are given then this command returns the
  local time and UTC as the computer has it right now. If you give some
  prefixes then it will show UTC and UTC + the local offset (not
  including DST) at the prefixes or callsigns that you specify.

  11.88.  show/db0sdx <callsign>

  show/db0sdx <callsign> Show QSL infomation from DB0SDX database


  This command queries the DB0SDX QSL server on the internet and returns
  any information available for that callsign. This service is provided
  for users of this software by http://www.qslinfo.de.

  See also SHOW/QRZ, SHOW/WM7D.

  11.89.  show/dx

  show/dx Interrogate the spot database


  If you just type SHOW/DX you will get the last so many spots (sysop
  configurable, but usually 10).

  In addition you can add any number of these commands in very nearly
  any order to the basic SHOW/DX command, they are:-



        on <band>       - eg 160m 20m 2m 23cm 6mm
        on <region>     - eg hf vhf uhf shf      (see SHOW/BANDS)
        on <from>/<to>  - eg 1000/4000 14000-30000  (in Khz)
           <from>-<to>



        <number>        - the number of spots you want
        <from>-<to>     - <from> spot no <to> spot no in the selected list
        <from>/<to>



        <prefix>        - for a spotted callsign beginning with <prefix>
        *<suffix>       - for a spotted callsign ending in <suffix>
        *<string>*      - for a spotted callsign containing <string>



        day <number>    - starting <number> days ago
        day <from>-<to> - <from> days <to> days ago
            <from>/<to>



        info <text>     - any spots containing <text> in the info or remarks



        by <call>       - any spots spotted by <call> (spotter <call> is the
                          same).



   qsl             - this automatically looks for any qsl info on the call
                     held in the spot database.



        iota [<iota>]   - If the iota island number is missing it will look for
                         the string iota and anything which looks like an iota
                         island number. If you specify then it will look for
                         that island.



        qra [<locator>] - this will look for the specific locator if you specify
                          one or else anything that looks like a locator.



        dxcc            - treat the prefix as a 'country' and look for spots
                          from that country regardless of actual prefix.
                          eg dxcc oq2



                          You can also use this with the 'by' keyword so
                          eg by W dxcc



        e.g.



          SH/DX 9m0
          SH/DX on 20m info iota
          SH/DX 9a on vhf day 30
          SH/DX rf1p qsl
          SH/DX iota
          SH/DX iota eu-064
          SH/DX qra jn86
          SH/DX dxcc oq2
          SH/DX dxcc oq2 by w dxcc



  11.90.  show/dxcc <prefix>

  show/dxcc <prefix> Interrogate the spot database by country


  This command takes the <prefix> (which can be a full or partial
  callsign if desired), looks up which internal country number it is and
  then displays all the spots as per SH/DX for that country.

  This is now an alias for 'SHOW/DX DXCC'

  The options for SHOW/DX also apply to this command.  e.g.



          SH/DXCC G
          SH/DXCC W on 20m iota



  This can be done with the SHOW/DX command like this:-



          SH/DX dxcc g
          SH/DX dxcc w on 20m iota



  11.91.  show/dxqsl <callsign>

  show/dxqsl <callsign> Show any QSL info gathered from spots


  The node collects information from the comment fields in spots (things
  like 'VIA EA7WA' or 'QSL-G1TLH') and stores these in a database.

  This command allows you to interrogate that database and if the
  callsign is found will display the manager(s) that people have
  spotted. This information is NOT reliable, but it is normally
  reasonably accurate if it is spotted enough times.

  For example:-



         sh/dxqsl 4k9w



  You can check the raw input spots yourself with:-



         sh/dx 4k9w qsl



  This gives you more background information.


  11.92.  show/dxstats [days] [date]

  show/dxstats [days] [date] Show the DX Statistics


  Show the total DX spots for the last <days> no of days (default is
  31), starting from a <date> (default: today).

  11.93.  show/files [<filearea> [<string>]]

  show/files [<filearea> [<string>]] List the contents of a filearea


  SHOW/FILES on its own will show you a list of the various fileareas
  available on the system. To see the contents of a particular file area
  type:-


          SH/FILES <filearea>



  where <filearea> is the name of the filearea you want to see the con-
  tents of.

  You can also use shell globbing characters like '*' and '?' in a
  string to see a selection of files in a filearea eg:-


          SH/FILES bulletins arld*



  See also TYPE - to see the contents of a file.

  11.94.  show/filter

  show/filter Show the contents of all the filters you have set


  Show the contents of all the filters that are set. This command
  displays all the filters set - for all the various categories.

  11.95.  show/hfstats [days] [date]

  show/hfstats [days] [date] Show the HF DX Statistics


  Show the HF DX spots breakdown by band for the last <days> no of days
  (default is 31), starting from a <date> (default: today).

  11.96.  show/hftable [days] [date] [prefix ...]

  show/hftable [days] [date] [prefix ...] Show the HF DX Spotter Table


  Show the HF DX Spotter table for the list of prefixes for the last
  <days> no of days (default is 31), starting from a <date> (default:
  today).

  If there are no prefixes then it will show the table for your country.

  Remember that some countries have more than one "DXCC country" in them
  (eg G :-), to show them (assuming you are not in G already which is
  specially treated in the code) you must list all the relevant prefixes



         sh/hftable g gm gd gi gj gw gu



  Note that the prefixes are converted into country codes so you don't
  have to list all possible prefixes for each country.

  If you want more or less days than the default simply include the
  number you require:-



         sh/hftable 20 pa



  If you want to start at a different day, simply add the date in some
  recognizable form:-



         sh/hftable 2 25nov02
         sh/hftable 2 25-nov-02
         sh/hftable 2 021125
         sh/hftable 2 25/11/02



  This will show the stats for your DXCC for that CQWW contest weekend.

  You can specify either prefixes or full callsigns (so you can see how
  you did against all your mates). You can also say 'all' which will
  then print the worldwide statistics.



         sh/hftable all



  11.97.  show/moon [ndays] [<prefix>|<callsign>]

  show/moon [ndays] [<prefix>|<callsign>] Show Moon rise and set times


  Show the Moon rise and set times for a (list of) prefixes or
  callsigns, together with the azimuth and elevation of the sun
  currently at those locations.

  If you don't specify any prefixes or callsigns, it will show the times
  for your QTH (assuming you have set it with either SET/LOCATION or
  SET/QRA), together with the current azimuth and elevation.

  In addition, it will show the illuminated fraction of the moons disk.

  If all else fails it will show the Moonrise and set times for the node
  that you are connected to.
  For example:-



         SH/MOON
         SH/MOON G1TLH W5UN



  You can also use this command to see into the past or the future, so
  if you want to see yesterday's times then do:-



         SH/MOON -1



  or in three days time:-



         SH/MOON +3 W9



  Upto 366 days can be checked both in the past and in the future.

  Please note that the rise and set times are given as the UT times of
  rise and set on the requested UT day.

  11.98.  show/muf <prefix> [<hours>][long]

  show/muf <prefix> [<hours>][long] Show the likely propagation to a
  prefix


  This command allow you to estimate the likelihood of you contacting a
  station with the prefix you have specified. The output assumes a
  modest power of 20dBW and receiver sensitivity of -123dBm (about
  0.15muV/10dB SINAD)

  The result predicts the most likely operating frequencies and signal
  levels for high frequency (shortwave) radio propagation paths on
  specified days of the year and hours of the day. It is most useful for
  paths between 250 km and 6000 km, but can be used with reduced
  accuracy for paths shorter or longer than this.

  The command uses a routine MINIMUF 3.5 developed by the U.S. Navy and
  used to predict the MUF given the predicted flux, day of the year,
  hour of the day and geographic coordinates of the transmitter and
  receiver. This routine is reasonably accurate for the purposes here,
  with a claimed RMS error of 3.8 MHz, but much smaller and less complex
  than the programs used by major shortwave broadcasting organizations,
  such as the Voice of America.

  The command will display some header information detailing its
  assumptions, together with the locations, latitude and longitudes and
  bearings. It will then show UTC (UT), local time at the other end
  (LT), calculate the MUFs, Sun zenith angle at the midpoint of the path
  (Zen) and the likely signal strengths. Then for each frequency for
  which the system thinks there is a likelihood of a circuit it prints a
  value.
  The value is currently a likely S meter reading based on the
  conventional 6dB / S point scale. If the value has a '+' appended it
  means that it is 1/2 an S point stronger. If the value is preceeded by
  an 'm' it means that there is likely to be much fading and by an 's'
  that the signal is likely to be noisy.

  By default SHOW/MUF will show the next two hours worth of data. You
  can specify anything up to 24 hours worth of data by appending the no
  of hours required after the prefix. For example:-



         SH/MUF W



  produces:



         RxSens: -123 dBM SFI: 159   R: 193   Month: 10   Day: 21
         Power :   20 dBW    Distance:  6283 km    Delay: 22.4 ms
         Location                       Lat / Long           Azim
         East Dereham, Norfolk          52 41 N 0 57 E         47
         United-States-W                43 0 N 87 54 W        299
         UT LT  MUF Zen  1.8  3.5  7.0 10.1 14.0 18.1 21.0 24.9 28.0 50.0
         18 23 11.5 -35  mS0+ mS2   S3
         19  0 11.2 -41  mS0+ mS2   S3



  indicating that you will have weak, fading circuits on top band and
  80m but usable signals on 40m (about S3).

  inputing:-



         SH/MUF W 24



  will get you the above display, but with the next 24 hours worth of
  propagation data.



         SH/MUF W L 24
         SH/MUF W 24 Long



  Gives you an estimate of the long path propagation characterics. It
  should be noted that the figures will probably not be very useful, nor
  terrible accurate, but it is included for completeness.

  11.99.  show/newconfiguration [<node>]

  show/newconfiguration [<node>] Show all the nodes and users visible



  This command allows you to see all the users that can be seen and the
  nodes to which they are connected.

  This command produces essentially the same information as
  SHOW/CONFIGURATION except that it shows all the duplication of any
  routes that might be present It also uses a different format which may
  not take up quite as much space if you don't have any loops.

  BE WARNED: the list that is returned can be VERY long

  11.100.  show/newconfiguration/node

  show/newconfiguration/node Show all the nodes connected locally


  Show all the nodes connected to this node in the new format.

  11.101.  show/prefix <callsign>

  show/prefix <callsign> Interrogate the prefix database


  This command takes the <callsign> (which can be a full or partial
  callsign or a prefix), looks up which internal country number it is
  and then displays all the relevant prefixes for that country together
  with the internal country no, the CQ and ITU regions.

  See also SHOW/DXCC

  11.102.  show/qra <lat> <long>

  show/qra <lat> <long> Convert lat/long to a QRA Grid locator


  This is a multipurpose command that allows you either to calculate the
  distance and bearing between two locators or (if only one locator is
  given on the command line) the distance and beraing from your station
  to the locator. For example:-



        SH/QRA IO92QL
        SH/QRA JN06 IN73



  The first example will show the distance and bearing to the locator
  from yourself, the second example will calculate the distance and
  bearing from the first locator to the second. You can use 4 or 6
  character locators.

  It is also possible to convert a latitude and longitude to a locator
  by using this command with a latitude and longitude as an argument,
  for example:-



        SH/QRA 52 41 N 0 58 E



  11.103.  show/qra <locator> [<locator>]

  show/qra <locator> [<locator>] Show distance between QRA Grid locators



  11.104.  show/qrz <callsign>

  show/qrz <callsign> Show any callbook details on a callsign


  This command queries the QRZ callbook server on the internet and
  returns any information available for that callsign. This service is
  provided for users of this software by http://www.qrz.com

  See also SHOW/WM7D for an alternative.

  11.105.  show/route <callsign> ...

  show/route <callsign> ... Show the route to the callsign


  This command allows you to see to which node the callsigns specified
  are connected. It is a sort of inverse sh/config.



        sh/route n2tly



  11.106.  show/satellite <name> [<hours> <interval>]

  show/satellite <name> [<hours> <interval>] Show tracking data


  Show the tracking data from your location to the satellite of your
  choice from now on for the next few hours.

  If you use this command without a satellite name it will display a
  list of all the satellites known currently to the system.

  If you give a name then you can obtain tracking data of all the passes
  that start and finish 5 degrees below the horizon. As default it will
  give information for the next three hours for every five minute
  period.

  You can alter the number of hours and the step size, within certain
  limits.

  Each pass in a period is separated with a row of '-----' characters

  So for example:-



        SH/SAT AO-10
        SH/SAT FENGYUN1 12 2



  11.107.  show/station [<callsign> ..]

  show/station [<callsign> ..] Show information about a callsign


  Show the information known about a callsign and whether (and where)
  that callsign is connected to the cluster.



         SH/ST G1TLH



  If no callsign is given then show the information for yourself.

  11.108.  show/sun [ndays] [<prefix>|<callsign>]

  show/sun [ndays] [<prefix>|<callsign>] Show sun rise and set times


  Show the sun rise and set times for a (list of) prefixes or callsigns,
  together with the azimuth and elevation of the sun currently at those
  locations.

  If you don't specify any prefixes or callsigns, it will show the times
  for your QTH (assuming you have set it with either SET/LOCATION or
  SET/QRA), together with the current azimuth and elevation.

  If all else fails it will show the sunrise and set times for the node
  that you are connected to.

  For example:-



         SH/SUN
         SH/SUN G1TLH K9CW ZS



  You can also use this command to see into the past or the future, so
  if you want to see yesterday's times then do:-



         SH/SUN -1



  or in three days time:-



         SH/SUN +3 W9



  Upto 366 days can be checked both in the past and in the future.

  Please note that the rise and set times are given as the UT times of
  rise and set on the requested UT day.
  11.109.  show/time [<prefix>|<callsign>]

  show/time [<prefix>|<callsign>] Show the local time


  If no prefixes or callsigns are given then this command returns the
  local time and UTC as the computer has it right now. If you give some
  prefixes then it will show UTC and UTC + the local offset (not
  including DST) at the prefixes or callsigns that you specify.

  11.110.  show/usdb [call ..]

  show/usdb [call ..] Show information held on the FCC Call database


  Show the City and State of a Callsign held on the FCC database if his
  is being run on this system, eg:-



         sh/usdb k1xx



  11.111.  show/vhfstats [days] [date]

  show/vhfstats [days] [date] Show the VHF DX Statistics


  Show the VHF DX spots breakdown by band for the last <days> no of days
  (default is 31), starting from a date (default: today).

  11.112.  show/vhftable [days] [date] [prefix ...]

  show/vhftable [days] [date] [prefix ...] Show the VHF DX Spotter Table


  Show the VHF DX Spotter table for the list of prefixes for the last
  <days> no of days (default is 31), starting from a date (default:
  today).

  If there are no prefixes then it will show the table for your country.

  Remember that some countries have more than one "DXCC country" in them
  (eg G :-), to show them (assuming you are not in G already which is
  specially treated in the code) you must list all the relevant prefixes



         sh/vhftable g gm gd gi gj gw gu



  Note that the prefixes are converted into country codes so you don't
  have to list all possible prefixes for each country.

  If you want more or less days than the default simply include the
  number you require:-



         sh/vhftable 20 pa

  If you want to start at a different day, simply add the date in some
  recognizable form:-



         sh/vhftable 2 25nov02
         sh/vhftable 2 25-nov-02
         sh/vhftable 2 021125
         sh/vhftable 2 25/11/02



  This will show the stats for your DXCC for that CQWW contest weekend.

  You can specify either prefixes or full callsigns (so you can see how
  you did against all your mates). You can also say 'all' which will
  then print the worldwide statistics.



         sh/vhftable all



  11.113.  show/wcy

  show/wcy Show last 10 WCY broadcasts



  11.114.  show/wcy <n>

  show/wcy <n> Show last <n> WCY broadcasts


  Display the most recent WCY information that has been received by the
  system


  11.115.  show/wm7d <callsign>

  show/wm7d <callsign> Show callbook details on a US callsigns


  This command queries the WM7D callbook server on the internet and
  returns any information available for that US callsign. This service
  is provided for users of this software by http://www.wm7d.net.

  See also SHOW/QRZ.

  11.116.  show/wwv

  show/wwv Show last 10 WWV broadcasts



  11.117.  show/wwv <n>

  show/wwv <n> Show last <n> WWV broadcasts


  Display the most recent WWV information that has been received by the
  system
  11.118.  sysop

  sysop Regain your privileges if you login remotely


  The system automatically reduces your privilege level to that of a
  normal user if you login in remotely. This command allows you to
  regain your normal privilege level. It uses the normal system: five
  numbers are returned that are indexes into the character array that is
  your assigned password (see SET/PASSWORD). The indexes start from
  zero.

  You are expected to return a string which contains the characters
  required in the correct order. You may intersperse those characters
  with others to obscure your reply for any watchers. For example (and
  these values are for explanation :-):



         password = 012345678901234567890123456789
         > sysop
         22 10 15 17 3



  you type:-


        aa2bbbb0ccc5ddd7xxx3n
        or 2 0 5 7 3
        or 20573



  They will all match. If there is no password you will still be offered
  numbers but nothing will happen when you input a string. Any match is
  case sensitive.

  11.119.  talk <call> > <node> [<text>]

  talk <call> > <node> [<text>] Send a text message to another station
  via a node


  Send a short message to any other station that is visible on the
  cluster system. You can send it to anyone you can see with a
  SHOW/CONFIGURATION command, they don't have to be connected locally.

  The second form of TALK is used when other cluster nodes are connected
  with restricted information. This usually means that they don't send
  the user information usually associated with logging on and off the
  cluster.

  If you know that G3JNB is likely to be present on GB7TLH, but you can
  only see GB7TLH in the SH/C list but with no users, then you would use
  the second form of the talk message.

  If you want to have a ragchew with someone you can leave the text
  message out and the system will go into 'Talk' mode. What this means
  is that a short message is sent to the recipient telling them that you
  are in a go to the station that you asked for.

  All the usual announcements, spots and so on will still come out on
  your terminal.
  If you want to do something (such as send a spot) you preceed the
  normal command with a '/' character, eg:-



          /DX 14001 G1TLH What's a B class licensee doing on 20m CW?
          /HELP talk



  To leave talk mode type:



          /EX



  If you are in 'Talk' mode, there is an extention to the '/' command
  which allows you to send the output to all the people you are talking
  to. You do with the '//' command. For example:-



         //sh/hftable



  will send the hftable as you have it to all the people you are
  currently talking to.

  11.120.  talk <call> [<text>]

  talk <call> [<text>] Send a text message to another station



  11.121.  type <filearea>/<name>

  type <filearea>/<name> Look at the contents of a file in one of the
  fileareas


  Type out the contents of a file in a filearea. So, for example, in
  filearea 'bulletins' you want to look at file 'arld051' you would
  enter:-


          TYPE bulletins/arld051



  See also SHOW/FILES to see what fileareas are available and a list of
  content.

  11.122.  unset/announce

  unset/announce Stop announce messages coming out on your terminal



  11.123.  unset/anntalk

  unset/anntalk Stop talk like announce messages on your terminal


  The announce system on legacy cluster nodes is used as a talk
  substitute because the network is so poorly connected. If you:



         unset/anntalk



  you will suppress several of these announces, you may miss the odd
  useful one as well, but you would probably miss them anyway in the
  welter of useless ones.



         set/anntalk



  allows you to see them again. This is the default.

  11.124.  unset/beep

  unset/beep Stop beeps for DX and other messages on your terminal



  11.125.  unset/dx

  unset/dx Stop DX messages coming out on your terminal



  11.126.  unset/dxcq

  unset/dxcq Stop CQ Zones on the end of DX announcements


  Display both the Spotter's and the Spotted's CQ Zone on the end of a
  DX announcement (there is just enough room). Some user programs cannot
  cope with this. The Spotter's CQ is on the RHS of the time, the
  Spotted's CQ is on the LHS.

  Conflicts with: SET/DXGRID, SET/DXITU, SHOW/USSTATE

  Do a STAT/USER to see which flags you have set if you are confused.

  11.127.  unset/dxgrid

  unset/dxgrid Stop QRA Grid Squares on the end of DX announcements


  A standard feature which is enabled in version 1.43 and above is that
  if the spotter's grid square is known it is output on the end of a DX
  announcement (there is just enough room). Some user programs cannot
  cope with this. You can use this command to reset (or set) this
  feature.


  Conflicts with: SET/DXCQ, SET/DXITU

  Do a STAT/USER to see which flags you have set if you are confused.

  11.128.  unset/dxitu

  unset/dxitu Stop ITU Zones on the end of DX announcements


  Display both the Spotter's and the Spotted's ITU Zone on the end of a
  DX announcement (there is just enough room). Some user programs cannot
  cope with this. The Spotter's ITU is on the RHS of the time, the
  Spotted's ITU is on the LHS.

  Conflicts with: SET/DXGRID, SET/DXCQ, SHOW/USSTATE

  Do a STAT/USER to see which flags you have set if you are confused.

  11.129.  unset/echo

  unset/echo Stop the cluster echoing your input


  If you are connected via a telnet session, different implimentations
  of telnet handle echo differently depending on whether you are
  connected via port 23 or some other port. You can use this command to
  change the setting appropriately.

  The setting is stored in your user profile.

  YOU DO NOT NEED TO USE THIS COMMAND IF YOU ARE CONNECTED VIA AX25.

  11.130.  unset/email

  unset/email Stop personal msgs being forwarded by email


  If any personal messages come in for your callsign then you can use
  these commands to control whether they are forwarded onto your email
  address. To enable the forwarding do something like:-



         SET/EMAIL mike.tubby@somewhere.com



  You can have more than one email address (each one separated by a
  space).  Emails are forwarded to all the email addresses you specify.

  You can disable forwarding by:-



         UNSET/EMAIL



  11.131.  unset/here

  unset/here Tell the system you are absent from your terminal


  11.132.  unset/logininfo

  unset/logininfo Inform when a station logs out locally



  11.133.  unset/privilege

  unset/privilege Remove any privilege for this session


  You can use this command to 'protect' this session from unauthorised
  use. If you want to get your normal privilege back you will need to
  either logout and login again (if you are on a console) or use the
  SYSOP command.

  11.134.  unset/prompt

  unset/prompt Set your prompt back to default


  This command will set your user prompt to exactly the string that you
  say. The point of this command to enable a user to interface to
  programs that are looking for a specific prompt (or else you just want
  a different fixed prompt).



         SET/PROMPT clx >



  UNSET/PROMPT will undo the SET/PROMPT command and set you prompt back
  to normal.

  11.135.  unset/talk

  unset/talk Stop TALK messages coming out on your terminal



  11.136.  unset/usstate

  unset/usstate Stop US State info on the end of DX announcements


  If the spotter's or spotted's US State is known it is output on the
  end of a DX announcement (there is just enough room).

  A spotter's state will appear on the RHS of the time (like SET/DXGRID)
  and the spotted's State will appear on the LHS of the time field. Any
  information found will override any locator information from
  SET/DXGRID.

  Some user programs cannot cope with this. You can use this command to
  reset (or set) this feature.

  Conflicts with: SET/DXCQ, SET/DXITU

  Do a STAT/USER to see which flags you have set if you are confused.

  11.137.  unset/wcy

  unset/wcy Stop WCY messages coming out on your terminal

  11.138.  unset/wwv

  unset/wwv Stop WWV messages coming out on your terminal



  11.139.  unset/wx

  unset/wx Stop WX messages coming out on your terminal



  11.140.  who

  who Show who is physically connected


  This is a quick listing that shows which callsigns are connected and
  what sort of connection they have

  11.141.  wx <text>

  wx <text> Send a weather message to local users



  11.142.  wx full <text>

  wx full <text> Send a weather message to all cluster users