DX Spider Guide
Solar Forecast
DX Clusters
To understand DX Clusters we first need to understand 'spots', what they are and why we use them.
Spots are quite simply a message to our fellow radio amateurs around the world telling them that a particular station is currently operating on a particular frequency. We can also add a comment to the spot with some further information.
We send a spot by logging onto a 'node' ie a remote computer and sending a message. In modern parlance you could liken it to sending a 'tweet' on X or your favourite social media platform. So why don’t we just send a tweet?
The answer to that question lies in the history of the system. The network was developed in the early 1990s long before the internet so the links were made using packet radio protocols on the 2m or 70cm bands. It is those same protocols which are passed mainly over the internet now – but some RF links are used in remote locations. Thus, the beauty of this network is that it is available worldwide – even in remote countries without internet access.
A node is simply a computer, connected to the internet, running the correct software. There are a few software programs available for node operators including ‘DX Spider’ and ‘CCluster – also known as VE7CC’. But that does not matter to the user. Because historically all links used RF to communicate with each other, nodes use an Amateur Radio Callsign to identify themselves. That is still the case today.
Each node is connected to a number of ‘partner’ nodes with bi-directional links. So if I log on to my local node, say MX0NCA-2, and send a spot, that spot is immediately forwarded to all its partner nodes. Then each of those partner nodes will forward the spot to each of their partner nodes.
This spiders’ web of connected nodes is called the DX Cluster Network.
Within about 100mS all 500 or so nodes around the world will have received the spot.
In reverse, MX0NCA-2 will receive, via its partner nodes, all of the spots sent by others around the world. These are then forwarded to the local users connected to MX0NCA-2 who can display the spots in the ‘Cluster window’ of their logging software.
There is one last fact about the node software. It adds information to the spot. So the end user will receive additional information such as the location of the station, country, grid squares etc.
Further more detailed explanatory articles are available under the 'DX Spider Guide' menu to the left.
Lastly, a fully interactive map of the whole DX Cluster system, developed by Kin EA3CV, can be found here:
https://clustermap.cronux.net/map.html
Remember, all of the individual cluster nodes are provided free of charge for the benefit of fellow Hams.
Please do not abuse the network