| Jim Reisert : DX4WIN | DX Cluster Database |
The DX Cluster Node database lists over 300 DX cluster nodes reachable via the Internet. It is derived from the DXCluster.INFO database.
There is a version string embedded at the end of the file which can be found in your dx4w###\SAVE directory:
The version string will be in the format:
VERSION,20.11.02.01
The numerical "address" represents YY.YY.MM.DD (i.e. 2011, February 01). Do not try to connect to this address!
There are two different files in the archive. One file enables the "keep-alive" functionality (see below). The other does not (same as previous releases of DX4WIN.TCP). DX4WIN should not be running when you update this file.
If you used the Update Script, no additional work is necessary, unless you want the "keep-alive" version of the file. In that case, you should edit the UPDATE.BAT file to select the DX4WIN.TCP file you want, then run it again. You will not have to do this the next time, unless the update script is changed/updated.
The DX4WIN.TCP file lists over 450 DX cluster nodes reachable via the Internet. The format of the file is:
NODE, IP address
Each node is on a separate line. Generally, the node name contains the callsign and the location. The IP address can be a domain name or numerical. Here are a couple of examples from the file:
4M5DX>Caracas-VENEZUELA,4m5dx.no-ip.org:7300 VE7CC-1>Maple Ridge-BC,ve7cc.net
DX4WIN uses this database when establishing an Internet packet connection (in Packet1 Preferences, COM Port is set to TCP/IP). The first six entries in the file are special:
25 OH8X,http://www.dxsummit.fi/text/dx25.html|1 100 OH8X,http://www.dxsummit.fi/text/dx100.html 1000 OH8X,http://www.dxsummit.fi/text/dx1000.html 10000 OH8X,http://www.dxsummit.fi/text/dx10000.html LOCAL>CC User,localhost:7300 RBN>Reverse Beacon Network,telnet.reversebeacon.net:7000
After these entries the file is organized in alpha-numeric callsign order. The last entry in the file is the VERSION string.
Since version 7.02, DX4WIN has a keep alive feature (not well documented):
In the dx4win.tcp file, add a vertical bar at the end of the line followed by an integer. The integer field is the number of minutes set for the timer. When the user types a character in the packet window, the timer is reset to start over again.
Take, for example, the following entry from the DX4WIN.TCP file:
25 OH8X,http://www.dxsummit.fi/text/dx25.html|1
This downloads the last 25 spots every 1 minute. This is the same interval at which the DX Summit web page updates.
The same field can be added to Telnet addresses:
VE7CC-1>Maple Ridge-BC,ve7cc.net|3
Instead of downloading the spots every "n" minutes, it will instead send a "keep-alive" message to the cluster node you are connected to, so that it will be less likely to disconnect you.
The VE7CC Cluster (CC) User Program offers filtering, notification and reconnect options that supplement DX4WIN's own DX Cluster interface.
To configure the CC User program for use with DX4WIN, follow the instructions under CC User Setup.
You can connect DX4WIN to the CC User program (that's running on the same computer as DX4WIN) using the "LOCAL" entry in DX4WIN.TCP:
LOCAL>CC User,localhost:7300
If DX4WIN is running on a different computer than CC User (but on the same local area network [LAN]), modify your DX4WIN.TCP (in a plain text editor like notepad) and change "localhost" to the IP address of the computer running CC User, i.e. 192.168.0.100
When the "Select Internet address" window is up, you can type the callsign to navigate to the entry, i.e. N0VD. Then type Enter or click the OK button to connect.
The order of the DX4WIN.TCP file is not important, and most people find it more convenient to put the node(s) they frequently connect to at the top. You can use any plain-text editor like Notepad or Write to do this. Then, to connect to the Internet, just type (press) the Enter key three times while in the Packet Window: