Description

Monitor DX clusters for rare station spots, track active DX expeditions, and get daily band activity digests for amateur radio operators.

README (SKILL.md)

Ham Radio DX Monitor 📻

Name: Amateur Radio DX Monitor
Author: capt-marbles

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! 📻🌍

Usage Guidance

This skill is functionally coherent with its DX-monitoring purpose and does not ask for secrets, but review and fix a few things before you run it automatically: 1) Documentation vs code mismatch — SKILL.md says state is saved in your home dir, but the code saves to /tmp/dx-monitor-state.json; decide which you want and update the code/docs so you know where persistent state will live. 2) Privacy — the included dx-ai-config.json contains specific lat/lon and a callsign; edit or remove that before use. 3) The AI-enhanced script invokes the local dx-monitor.py and parses its human-readable output; this is brittle and may miss spots or behave unexpectedly if output format changes — test interactively first. 4) The tool connects to public DX cluster telnet nodes (plain-text telnet); run it as a non-privileged user and do not expose sensitive data. 5) If you plan to schedule automated cron jobs or integrate notifications (Telegram/Discord), review and test those integrations locally first. If you want higher assurance, ask the author to: (a) correct the state-file/docs mismatch, (b) add structured output (JSON) mode for dx-monitor.py so the AI-enhanced watcher can reliably parse spots, and (c) remove/obfuscate any default personal location data.

Capability Analysis

Type: OpenClaw Skill Name: amateur-radio-dx Version: 1.0.0 The skill bundle is benign. It connects to predefined ham radio DX cluster nodes via telnet for monitoring, saves state to `/tmp/dx-monitor-state.json`, and uses a local configuration file `dx-ai-config.json`. The `dx-ai-enhanced.py` script executes `dx-monitor.py` via `subprocess.run` with hardcoded, safe arguments. There is no evidence of data exfiltration, malicious execution, persistence mechanisms, or prompt injection attempts against the OpenClaw agent. All network and file operations are aligned with the stated purpose of a ham radio DX monitor.

Capability Assessment

ℹ Purpose & Capability

The name/description match the shipped Python scripts: dx-monitor.py and dx-ai-enhanced.py implement telnet DX-cluster monitoring, digest generation, and a local AI-like scoring feature. The presence of package.json (Node-style metadata) is unnecessary but not dangerous; it appears to be registry metadata only. Overall capabilities align with the stated purpose.

⚠ Instruction Scope

The SKILL.md instructs the agent/user to run the included Python scripts and to schedule cron jobs for monitoring — that scope is appropriate. However there are contradictory details: SKILL.md claims state is saved to ~/dx-monitor-state.json (home directory), while the actual code uses STATE_FILE = '/tmp/dx-monitor-state.json'. The AI-enhanced watcher relies on invoking dx-monitor.py via subprocess and then parses human-readable output (fragile/inconsistent parsing). These documentation/code mismatches could cause unexpected behavior (lost state, failed parsing) and should be fixed before automated scheduling.

✓ Install Mechanism

No install spec is provided (instruction-only skill with code files). That is low-risk: nothing is downloaded at install time and no external installers are invoked.

ℹ Credentials

The skill requests no environment variables or external credentials and only uses standard Python stdlib operations. Two items to note: a default dx-ai-config.json shipped with the skill includes a real-looking latitude/longitude (privacy concern — change before use), and the code writes a state file to /tmp (or is documented to use home dir). No unrelated credentials are requested.

✓ Persistence & Privilege

The skill is not force-included (always: false) and does not request special platform privileges. It writes local state (state file) and reads/writes the included dx-ai-config.json in the skill directory — expected for this functionality. The SKILL.md recommends cron jobs; scheduling these is user-controlled.

Version History

v1.0.0

Initial release: Real-time DX cluster monitoring and personalized alerts for ham radio operators. - Monitor global DX clusters for live and rare station spots. - Track active DX expeditions and get daily band activity digests. - Automated email/SMS alerts and digest summaries with cron support. - Use AI-enhanced mode for propagation prediction and DXCC filtering. - Personalized scoring and high-priority alerts based on your station/QTH. - Includes common band plans, rare prefix lists, and prompt examples for Clawdbot.

Metadata

Slug amateur-radio-dx

Version 1.0.0

License —

All-time Installs 0

Active Installs 0

Total Versions 1

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Amateur Radio DX Monitor?

Monitor DX clusters for rare station spots, track active DX expeditions, and get daily band activity digests for amateur radio operators. It is an AI Agent Skill for Claude Code / OpenClaw, with 614 downloads so far.

How do I install Amateur Radio DX Monitor?

Run "/install amateur-radio-dx" in the OpenClaw or Claude Code chat to install it in one step — no extra setup required.

Is Amateur Radio DX Monitor free?

Yes, Amateur Radio DX Monitor is completely free (open-source). You can download, install and use it at no cost.

Which platforms does Amateur Radio DX Monitor support?

Amateur Radio DX Monitor is cross-platform and runs anywhere OpenClaw / Claude Code is available (cross-platform).

Who created Amateur Radio DX Monitor?

It is built and maintained by captmarbles (@capt-marbles); the current version is v1.0.0.

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