Ham Radio DX Monitor 📻

Monitor DX clusters in real-time, get notified of rare DX stations, and track active DX expeditions. Perfect for ham radio operators who want to catch rare contacts!

Features

📡 Live DX Spots - Connect to global DX cluster network
🌍 Rare DX Alerts - Notify when rare stations appear
📊 Daily Digest - Band activity summary
🗺️ DX Expeditions - Track active expeditions
⏰ Automated Monitoring - Run via cron for alerts

Quick Start

Watch Live Spots

bash

# Get latest DX spots
python3 dx-monitor.py watch

# Specific cluster node
python3 dx-monitor.py watch --cluster ea7jxh

# Use your callsign
python3 dx-monitor.py watch --callsign KN4XYZ

# Only show NEW spots (filters duplicates)
python3 dx-monitor.py watch --new-only

Output:

code

📡 Latest DX Spots from EA7JXH

   20m   SSB      14.195   K1ABC        - CQ Contest
   40m   CW        7.015   VP8/G3XYZ    - Falklands
   15m   FT8      21.074   ZL2ABC       - New Zealand

Daily Digest

bash

python3 dx-monitor.py digest

Output:

code

# 📡 DX Digest - 2026-01-27

## Band Activity (last 100 spots)

   20m   ████████████ 24
   40m   ████████ 16
   15m   ██████ 12
   10m   ████ 8

## Rare DX Spotted

   🌍 VP8/G3XYZ    40m      7.015 - Falklands Expedition
   🌍 ZL2ABC       15m     21.074 - New Zealand

DX Cluster Nodes

Available clusters:

•ea7jxh - dx.ea7jxh.eu:7373 (Europe)
•om0rx - cluster.om0rx.com:7300 (Europe)
•oh2aq - oh2aq.kolumbus.fi:7373 (Finland)
•ab5k - ab5k.net:7373 (USA)
•w6rk - telnet.w6rk.com:7373 (USA West Coast)

Automated Monitoring

Real-Time Alerts (Check Every 5 Minutes)

bash

# Add to crontab
*/5 * * * * cd ~/clawd && python3 skills/ham-radio-dx/dx-monitor.py watch --new-only --callsign YOUR_CALL >> /tmp/dx-alerts.log

This checks for new DX spots every 5 minutes and logs them.

Daily Digest (9am Every Day)

bash

# Add to crontab
0 9 * * * cd ~/clawd && python3 skills/ham-radio-dx/dx-monitor.py digest >> ~/dx-digest-$(date +\%Y-\%m-\%d).txt

Telegram Notifications

Integrate with Clawdbot message tool:

bash

# When rare DX appears, send Telegram alert
python3 dx-monitor.py watch --new-only | grep -E "(VP8|ZL|VK|ZS|P5)" && \
  echo "🚨 Rare DX spotted!" | # Send via Clawdbot message tool

Example Prompts for Clawdbot

•"Check the DX cluster for new spots"
•"What's active on 20 meters?"
•"Show me today's DX digest"
•"Any rare DX on the air?"
•"Monitor for VP8 or ZL prefixes"

Rare DX Prefixes to Watch

Most Wanted:

•VP8 - Falkland Islands
•VK0 - Heard Island
•3Y0 - Bouvet Island
•FT5 - Amsterdam & St. Paul Islands
•P5 - North Korea
•BS7 - Scarborough Reef

Other Rare:

•ZL - New Zealand
•VK - Australia
•ZS - South Africa
•9G - Ghana
•S9 - São Tomé and Príncipe

DX Expedition Resources

Track active expeditions:

•NG3K Calendar: https://www.ng3k.com/misc/adxo.html
•DX News: https://www.dx-world.net/
•425 DX News: http://www.425dxn.org/

Band Plans

Common DX frequencies:

•160m: 1.830-1.840 (CW), 1.840-1.850 (Digital)
•80m: 3.500-3.600 (CW), 3.790-3.800 (Digital)
•40m: 7.000-7.040 (CW), 7.070-7.080 (Digital)
•30m: 10.100-10.140 (CW/Digital only)
•20m: 14.000-14.070 (CW), 14.070-14.100 (Digital)
•17m: 18.068-18.100 (CW), 18.100-18.110 (Digital)
•15m: 21.000-21.070 (CW), 21.070-21.120 (Digital)
•12m: 24.890-24.920 (CW), 24.920-24.930 (Digital)
•10m: 28.000-28.070 (CW), 28.070-28.120 (Digital)

Tips

•Use Your Callsign - Some clusters require valid callsigns
•Check Multiple Clusters - Coverage varies by region
•Filter by Band - Focus on bands you can work
•Track Rare Prefixes - Set up alerts for most-wanted
•Morning Check - Best DX often in early morning

Technical Details

•Protocol: Telnet to DX cluster nodes
•Format: Standard PacketCluster/AR-Cluster format
•State Tracking: /tmp/dx-monitor-state.json
•Dependencies: Python 3.6+ (stdlib only)

Future Ideas

•Band-specific filtering
•DXCC entity tracking
•Propagation prediction integration
•Log integration (check if you need that one)
•Contest mode (filter contest stations)
•FT8/FT4 integration via PSKReporter

73 and good DX! 📻🌍