[EIDXA] Skimmers

Sat Nov 27 18:45:44 EST 2010

I don't see how it's much different than the packet network now; and thus far they haven't been actively feeding skimmer spots into the cluster network.  Somebody did; for about a day, and they nearly got strung up.  I think the unspoken rule is that it won't happen.

What I really think Skimmer is good for is exactly what Felipe, PY1NB says on the site: "Reverse Beacon Network".  I think that using it to graph propagation from your location over a long period of time is an outstanding usage of the system.  It's also an excellent tool to give a quick check as to who is likely to be hearing you (search for your own call there and see who, and when they heard you--it's very nice to see some relative signal reports from around the skimmer-net; helps you see how well you're getting out--I intend to use it a bit on PJ7 so I can see where I'm being heard so I can optimize my operating time/bands, since it is a family vacation...)

My 2 skimmers: 30 and 160 (and I have 4 more soft rocks, including a 4-band one I haven't gotten around to building), have heard stuff I couldn't; and both of them use pretty compromised antennas.  The 160M uses a coaxial loop that doesn't have a pre-amp anywhere, and, is blown by the wind in various directions.  The 30M has been using a wire I resonated on 30M with a small fixed L-network that at the base.  Both skimmers go into their own PC that's running CW Skimmer.  Having a stack of PC's for each band doesn't scale well, methinks.

I'm too cheap to buy one of the 2 multiband units that SkimmerServer will work with (USRP and QS1R--which are like 500-and 1K, respectively); though that's what I'd really like: a single multiband skimmer tied to a single PC feeding the revers beacon net, and either an active antenna, or, some trap vertical or something.  In all honesty, I keep waiting for somebody to brew up a cheaper solution, and maybe write something that does what CW Skimmer does, only it doesn't need a windows box (automating CW Skimmer is painful: imagine you wanted to maybe have a band-switched SDR and just auto-switch bands at various times of the day).

I've also had my 30M hear stuff at times of the day I wouldn't have expected it.  I have a 17M that I want to build; I'd like to make sure the WARC bands are represented on the RBN.  I'd love to get a 160M unit on a much better antenna system and have it listen.

I, personally, think that skimmer's main use is propagation study.  There are contest stations using it, but they have their own monster category; as long as a small SOAB LOW contester doesn't have to compete with them, I think it's fine.  About the only other thing I've used mine for is a couple of times is like a bandscope to see where the DX is working in a big pileup (and then work them)...then again, if I had the P3 Panadaptor, or an IC7600, I'd already have that functionality.

VKN

On Nov 27, 2010, at 5:07 PM, Richard Haendel wrote:

> Like shooting fish in a barrel.   Doesn't anybody tune and listen any more 
> ??
> 
> Hey, Honor roll in a couple of years, easy.
> 
> Maybe I'm too old for this !!
> 
> Rich W3ACO
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: <eidxa-request at mailman.qth.net>
> To: <eidxa at mailman.qth.net>
> Sent: Saturday, November 27, 2010 11:01 AM
> Subject: EIDXA Digest, Vol 80, Issue 7
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>> Today's Topics:
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>>  1. pj2t skimmer (Tom Vavra)
>>  2. Re: pj2t skimmer (Joe Hetrick)
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>> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 1
>> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 20:04:00 +0000
>> From: Tom Vavra <wb8zrl at inavia.net>
>> Subject: [EIDXA] pj2t skimmer
>> To: EIDXA at mailman.qth.net
>> Message-ID: <201011262004.00607.wb8zrl at inavia.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain;  charset="us-ascii"
>> 
>> TELNET to        dxc.pj2t.org    port 7300
>> 
>> to see a skimmer in action
>> 
>> 
>> ------------------------------
>> 
>> Message: 2
>> Date: Fri, 26 Nov 2010 14:27:58 -0600
>> From: Joe Hetrick <jhetrick at bitjanitor.net>
>> Subject: Re: [EIDXA] pj2t skimmer
>> To: wb8zrl at inavia.net
>> Message-ID: <27966000-1C26-4C76-A5E7-830F16221A16 at bitjanitor.net>
>> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii
>> 
>> They seem to be feeding it into dxwatch: you can see theirs and a whole 
>> lot more here:
>> 
>> http://www.reversebeacon.net/skimmers.php
>> 
>> You can see just their spots this way as well:
>> 
>> http://www.reversebeacon.net/dxsd1.php?f=0&c=PJ2T&t=de
>> 
>> You don't have to telnet in, if you don't wish; there are tools on the 
>> site to let you poke around.  Handy for seeing who is hearing you.
>> 
>> VKN
>> 
>> 
>> On Nov 26, 2010, at 2:04 PM, Tom Vavra wrote:
>> 
>>> TELNET to        dxc.pj2t.org    port 7300
>>> 
>>> to see a skimmer in action
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