[LCC] DX clusters

Wed Nov 18 23:14:29 EST 2009

The filters work in one of 2 ways.  You either Block something or Allow
something.  The opposite of which you choose is automatically assumed.  That
means if you want to block something, and choose 2 entities, then everything
else is assumed allowed.  Likewise, if you want to allow something and
choose 2 entities, everything else is blocked!  With 300+ entities, the list
could be quite large.  So for example, I find it useless to see DX spots
coming from other countries, ever.  Just because someone in VK can hear a
station does not mean I can hear it from Louisiana.  Therefore the first
setting I make is to the "Spotter Country".

Now, select the country tab.  You'll notice the Filter Type column and
underneath 2 choices, Pass or Reject.  If you were to decide, like me, that
you only want to see spots on the cluster that originate from the US, VE and
XE, there are 2 ways to go about doing this (as noted above).  You could
effectively select REJECT, and click on every single country listed in the
list EXCEPT US, VE, and XE.  This would send a big long string to the
cluster of countries you want to reject.  Much too long and the command is
invalid.  So the opposite also holds true, PASS.  So, in the Filter Type
select PASS, notice all the things turn green.  Select NA under the
continents column, you'll see all of the North American countries.  Click on
K, VE and XE then click on Tell Cluster.  What this does is tells the
cluster to send you spots from the US, Can. And Mex and conversely
(everything else is the total opposite), it rejects spots from everywhere
else in the world.

The same setting works for all other filters.  Announce, Weather, DX
Country, etc etc.  If you choose the REJECT, whatever you selected is
REJECTED and everything else is assumed allowed.  If you choose PASS,
whatever you choose is PASSED and ALL other entities are rejected. 

You can use filters in any combination that you please.  I generally only
have the three above set.  I don't want to see DX spots coming from other
countries, so I select PASS, then NA, then K, VE and XE.  That way, I only
see spots from K stations, XE stations and VE stations.  Likewise, some
station is on the air, you're tired of seeing spots from them.. or you've
worked VK on all bands, all modes.  You'd select DX COUNTRY (meaning reject
these callsigns), select REJECT, select OC, then click VK and click "Tell
Cluster"  This tells the cluster that no matter what, if someone spots a VK,
don't send it to you.  

You can do this for Weather (useless) and Announcements as well to filter
out the non-stop European announcements that flood the cluster constantly.

Hope this helps!

Charlie

Ki5xp

From: Scott Dickson [mailto:w5wz at w5wz.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, November 18, 2009 9:29 PM
To: 'Charles Morrison'
Subject: RE: [LCC] DX clusters

Ok, how do you set them back to full default after screwing them all up?

--sd

  _____  

From: Charles Morrison [mailto:cmorrison at lusfiber.net] 
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 19:53
To: W5WZ at arrl.net; 'Roland Guidry'
Cc: LCC at louisianacontestclub.org
Subject: Re: [LCC] DX clusters

With SS being stateside, I'd leave the filters at default.  That way you see
both stateside and dx spotting US stations.

When you move to a DX contest, then you can filter out the VE, K stations in
the dx window, to avoid the US spots.

Charlie

Ki5xp

From: lcc-bounces at louisianacontestclub.org
[mailto:lcc-bounces at louisianacontestclub.org] On Behalf Of Scott Dickson
Sent: Tuesday, November 17, 2009 7:28 PM
To: 'Roland Guidry'
Cc: LCC at louisianacontestclub.org
Subject: Re: [LCC] DX clusters

Roland et al:

I've got the VE7CC CC Cluster program running, and N1MM communicating with
it.  Any tips on learning to set the filters up?  Specifically, for SS this
weekend.

--Scott, W5WZ

  _____  

From: Roland Guidry [mailto:na5q at w5ddl.org] 
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 06:36
To: W5WZ at arrl.net
Subject: RE: [LCC] DX clusters

Make sure your logging program is setup properly. See
http://www.bcdxc.org/ve7cc/logging.htm and look at attached pic.

Roland

  _____  

From: lcc-bounces at louisianacontestclub.org
[mailto:lcc-bounces at louisianacontestclub.org] On Behalf Of Scott Dickson
Sent: Thursday, November 05, 2009 6:24 AM
To: LCC at louisianacontestclub.org
Subject: Re: [LCC] DX clusters

Roland et al:

I've got the referenced program.  Is there a quick start manual somewhere?
Or a quick reference on how to filter to only see spots by US/VE stations?

--Scott

  _____  

From: Roland Guidry [mailto:na5q at w5ddl.org] 
Sent: Friday, October 23, 2009 10:27
To: W5WZ at arrl.net; LCC at louisianacontestclub.org
Subject: Re: [LCC] DX clusters

Scott, I use the VE7CC CC Cluster program,
http://www.bcdxc.org/ve7cc/default.htm#prog. >From it I usually use one of
three clusters: ve7cc, n5in or ab5k. I have examine how fast the clusters
broadcast spots and I can't tell the minor difference between them. I think
Charlie KI5XP and Pat W5WMU use this program.

Using this cluster program, you can control where your spots come from such
as NA only, or DX only. Nice for Sweepstakes, Roundup and CQWW. 

Your logging program just needs to point to this program after it is setup
for telnet as: 127.0.0.1 :7300 where 7300 is the port.

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