[Dx4win] Is there a blacklist feature for Cluster spots?

Thu Jul 25 09:57:59 EDT 2013

I for one don't care if LPL exists, I would just like to block it in DX4WIN or VE7CC.  Has anyone found a way to block in VE7CC that works?  I add it to the block list and they still come through.

Dennis KØEOO

----- Original Message -----
From: "Pete Smith N4ZR" <n4zr at contesting.com>
To: dx4win at mailman.qth.net
Sent: Thursday, July 25, 2013 5:15:47 AM
Subject: Re: [Dx4win] Is there a blacklist feature for Cluster spots?

Hi Barry - I really don't know why Frank does it. It has been running 
for years and you're right, it has caused a lot of controversy.  He 
says, though, that it's been a year since he has received a direct 
complaint, and that he has received a good deal of positive feedback.  
If you want to let him know how you feel, or explore his motivations, 
his e-mail is donovanf at starpower.net.

73, Pete N4ZR
Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
http://reversebeacon.net,
blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
For spots, please go to your favorite
ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.

On 7/24/2013 9:21 PM, Barry wrote:
> So question is why does Frank do this?  Was it requested by some 
> individuals?  Anyone who wants to follow the RBN spots can do so. I 
> have yet to meet anyone sho says, "hey, this LPL software is a great 
> feature,"  however, I've spoken with many who find it very annoying.
>
> Barry W2UP
>
> On 7/24/2013 08:20, Pete Smith N4ZR wrote:
>> I have been corresponding with Frank off and on for a couple of years 
>> about this.  Here's an explanation of how hisspots are generated, 
>> from December 2011.  The only change I know of since then is the 
>> addition of a "heard in [state]" comment earlier this year:
>>
>> "Automated CW DX spots from W3LPL are produced by custom software 
>> that monitors the DX spots from the Reverse Beacon Network, a global 
>> network of CW Skimmers. There are no radios involved except at the 
>> approximately 50 CW Skimmers that originate the DX spots sent to the 
>> RBN.
>>
>> Core to the software is a list of one thousand rare and semi-rare DX 
>> callsigns. Each callsign has an appended DX spotting rule that 
>> specifies the bands that should be spotted for that callsign and the 
>> re-spotting interval (typically one to three hours).
>>
>> When a DX spot is received from the RBN, it is compared to the list 
>> of 1000 calls. If there is an exact match, the software then waits 
>> for a second RBN spot of the same exact callsign. If one or more of 
>> the spots originated from a CW Skimmer in the USA, the DX spot is 
>> sent to the DX Cluster network as specified by the DX spotting rule 
>> appended to that callsign. If neither RBN spot originated from a CW 
>> Skimmer in the USA, the software continues to search for an RBN spot 
>> for that exact callsign from a CW Skimmer in the USA. If within ten 
>> minutes it receives a DX spot for that exact callsign from a USA CW 
>> Skimmer a DX spot is sent to the DX cluster network, otherwise it 
>> times out and no spot is sent.
>>
>> Most CW Skimmers use a Quicksilver QS1R SDR, covering seven ham bands 
>> simultaneously. My QS1R is fed by my transmit monoband phased arrays 
>> on 40 thru 6 meters, and by my Beverage antennas on 160 and 80 
>> meters. Please send me an email whenever you see a bad callsign 
>> spotted by W3LPL. That always means there is a bad callsign in the 
>> list of 1000 calls! tks"
>>
>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>> Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
>> http://reversebeacon.net,
>> blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
>> For spots, please go to your favorite
>> ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
>>
>> On 7/24/2013 8:03 AM, Kurt Zimmerman wrote:
>>> Thanks all for the info. I use DX4WIN and I can see how that could 
>>> be a problem.
>>>
>>> 73;
>>> Kurt -W2MW
>>>
>>> Sent from my iPhone4
>>>
>>> On Jul 23, 2013, at 7:33 PM, Barry <w2up at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Pete - I believe, until recently, they were from around the world, 
>>>> as the band and times made no sense for US stations - even for LPL 
>>>> antennas.
>>>>
>>>> Kurt -  You are missing something.  Many of us keep DX4Win on in 
>>>> the background with an audio alert set for new band-countries.  
>>>> It's very annoying when these spots alert us to something that 
>>>> doesn't exist in our part of the world.
>>>>
>>>> Barry W2UP
>>>>
>>>> On 7/23/2013 15:55, Kurt Zimmerman wrote:
>>>>> What is a skimmer? I've seen W3LPL spots and if I'm on the band 
>>>>> and hear the DX station I work him.
>>>>>
>>>>> Am I missing something?
>>>>> 73
>>>>> Kurt - W2MW
>>>>>
>>>>> Sent from my iPhone4
>>>>>
>>>>> On Jul 23, 2013, at 5:41 PM, Pete Smith N4ZR <n4zr at contesting.com> 
>>>>> wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Not quite right, Jim - they are from NA Skimmers only, and for 
>>>>>> several months now, the location where the station was heard has 
>>>>>> been appearing in the Comment field
>>>>>>
>>>>>> 73, Pete N4ZR
>>>>>> Check out the Reverse Beacon Network at
>>>>>> http://reversebeacon.net,
>>>>>> blog at reversebeacon.blogspot.com.
>>>>>> For spots, please go to your favorite
>>>>>> ARC V6 or VE7CC DX cluster node.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> On 7/23/2013 4:51 PM, Jim Reisert AD1C wrote:
>>>>>>> On Tue, Jul 23, 2013 at 11:57 AM, Andreas Junge N6NU wrote:
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> Use the VE7CC “CC user” cluster filtering tool. There is a 
>>>>>>>> switch to turn on/off Skimmer spots.
>>>>>>> Actually, they do not come in as skimmer spots.  CW Skimmer 
>>>>>>> spots are
>>>>>>> identified by -# at the end of the spotter callsign. I have CW
>>>>>>> Skimmer disabled, but still get the W3LPL spots.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>>> W3LPL has such a great antenna farm, I can't hear his spots 
>>>>>>>> even when they
>>>>>>>> are from MD.
>>>>>>> Spots arriving from W3LPL originate from CW skimmers all over the
>>>>>>> world, not just in MD.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> -- 
>>>>>>> Jim Reisert AD1C, <jjreisert at alum.mit.edu>, http://www.ad1c.us
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