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

# 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:

📡 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

python3 dx-monitor.py digest

Output:

# 📡 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)

# 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)

# 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:

# 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

1. Use Your Callsign - Some clusters require valid callsigns
2. Check Multiple Clusters - Coverage varies by region
3. Filter by Band - Focus on bands you can work
4. Track Rare Prefixes - Set up alerts for most-wanted
5. 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! 📻🌍