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

Using OpenClaw Cron (Recommended)

Use the OpenClaw cron tool to set up monitoring:

# Create a cron job for DX alerts (every 5 minutes)
cron add --name "DX Monitor" --schedule "*/5 * * * *" --payload 'systemEvent:Check DX cluster for rare spots' --sessionTarget main

Manual Cron (Alternative)

If using system cron, run as a non-privileged user:

# Add to crontab (as your user, not root)
crontab -e

# Add these lines:
*/5 * * * * cd ~/clawd && python3 skills/ham-radio-dx/dx-monitor.py watch --new-only --callsign YOUR_CALL >> ~/dx-alerts.log 2>&1

# Daily digest at 9am
0 9 * * * cd ~/clawd && python3 skills/ham-radio-dx/dx-monitor.py digest >> ~/dx-digest-$(date +\%Y-\%m-\%d).txt 2>&1

Note: State is saved to ~/dx-monitor-state.json (in your home directory, not /tmp).

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)

🤖 NEW: AI-Enhanced Mode

Propagation prediction + DXCC filtering now available!

# Setup your station (one time)
python3 dx-ai-enhanced.py setup

# Watch for workable DX with AI scoring
python3 dx-ai-enhanced.py watch

Features:

✨ Propagation workability scoring (0-100%)
🎯 Filters by YOUR needed DXCC
📊 Smart scoring: rarity + workability + your needs
🚨 High-priority alerts for excellent spots
⚙️ Personalized to your QTH, power, antenna

See README-AI.md for full documentation.

Future Ideas

~~DXCC entity tracking~~ ✅ DONE (AI mode)
~~Propagation prediction integration~~ ✅ DONE (AI mode)
Real-time solar data API
ML model trained on historical QSO data
Log integration (auto-populate worked DXCC)
Contest mode (filter contest stations)
FT8/FT4 integration via PSKReporter

73 and good DX! 📻🌍

ham-radio-dx

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