I have been asked which DX Cluster is the best! Well that will depend on your personal preference. I use “Spot Collector” by AA6YQA because it is part of my logging program from the DX Lab Suite: https://www.dxlabsuite.com/ . There are many other programs available some of which are listed below from information provided by The DX Zone site: https://www.dxzone.com/top-7-free-dx-cluster-clients-for-windows/
Lots of choices…just Google “DX Cluster Software” to find many more programs.
Monitoring the spots
Basically a DX Cluster is a sort of chat room, or BBS into which amateur DX hunters can post about DX either worked or simply heard.
Many DXers monitors web DX clusters just to learn what’s on the air in that particular moment, but many others use the cluster like as a watchdog, to get alarmed when a particular station get spotted on the air.
Here comes the utility to have an always-on PC application that can monitor spots continuously and promptly alert the operator as it happens, by applying filters and rules to address a particular condition. So it’s possible to get a notification when someone from ZD7 is on 20m CW.
Where the Internet is available, these DX Cluster clients can connect using the telnet protocol to DX Cluster servers, but many of them can even connect via serial port to a TNC connected to the packet radio network; there where originally everything started.
Nowadays that radio interfacing is even possible, it become convenient to the operator to connect the DX cluster client directly to the radio, allowing to jump into the spotted frequency with a simple click.
There are several DX Cluster Clients that run on MS Windows, we selected here the top five free programs, but you may be interested also in checking out the full list of DX Cluster Clients that includes additional freeware and even shareware DX Clients that require registration and payment.
Software : DX Cluster
RXClusHB9BZARXCLUS is a free windows amateur radio software especially designed for the DX’ers and SWL’s wanting to receive the informations transmitted by packet radio on the DX-cluster system. It supports also telnet protocol.
SpotCollectorAA6YQA free application that captures DX and WWV spots from up to 5 internet clusters and a local packet cluster. DX Spots are merged and stored in a Spot Database on your PC, enabling you to monitor, sort, and filter them in real time; known LotW participants are highlighted, as are needed stations. WWV spots are plotted to show SFI, A, and K over the last solar revolution.
RDXClusterIK4JPNRDXCluster is a free windows telnet client for worldwide DX packet Cluster,featuring multiple spot windows, Band/Mode DXCC window, DX History window, Top DX window, Find, highlights, filters the spot by Roberto Verrini
DX Fighter – DX Cluster clientIZ0KBA LorenzoDX-Fighter is a ham radio program for DX cluster spot reception. Connect to any DX cluster server and Telnet server. DX Fighter is the first program to receive the DX Cluster with an embedded web browser that allows browsing on any website also integrates the functions of research on search engines or databases such as QRZ.com.
CC UserVE7CCHam Radio DX Cluster Client by VE7CC runs under windows. CCUSer is a free full featured Telnet and TNC program for use with CC Cluster , AR Cluster , DX Spider , CLX, DxNet, or WinCluster Nodes.
Check our list of DX Cluster applications for other operative systems and mobile devices.
Below is a list of Canadian (VE) DX Cluster Telnet sites from DXCluster Info or go to this site for the world wide directory: https://www.dxcluster.info/telnet/index.php
| VE – Canada | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KA0MOS-10 (+RBN) dxcluster.servebeer.com:2323 | Bridgewater, Nova Scotia FN74sh | Web 144.970 | Glenn KA0MOS | AR-Cluster ver. |
| VA2BBS-2 va2bbs.dyndns.org:8000 | Quebec City, QC FN46ju | Web | Mike VE2BAR | DX Spider ver. 1.55 |
| VA3MW-7 va3mw.dxcluster.org:41112 | Thornhill, ON FN03ju | Mike VA3MW | DX Spider ver. 1.55 | |
| VA6AAA-1 ve7cc.net | Lee VE7CC | CC Cluster ver. 3.187 | ||
| VE1CFB sparc.no-ip.info:7300 | Summerside, PEI FN86cj | Web 145.050 | Rodney VY2CGA | Summerside ARC DX Spider ver. 1.55 |
| VE2HEW-5 dx.ve2hew.com:7300 | Montreal, Quebec FN35eo | Anthony VE2HEW | VE2HEW DX Spider ver. 1.55 | |
| VE2PKT-9 ve2pkt.dyndns.org:9000 | Trois-Rivieres, QC FN36qk | 147.435 | Jean VE2PKT | DX Spider ver. 1.55 |
| VE2REA ve2sg.net:7300 | Quebec, QC FN46iv | Stephane VE2SG | DX Spider ver. 1.55 | |
| VE3CGR-5 (+RBN) ve3cgr.dyndns.org:7300 | Aurora, ON FN03gx | Web | Ron VE3CGR | DX Spider ver. 1.57 build 416 |
| VE3EXI-2 ve3exi-dxc.ddns.net:7300 | Mississauga, ON FN03dn | Daniel VE3EXI | DX Spider ver. 1.55 build 0.215 | |
| VE3EY-7 dx.fireroute.com:7300 | Toronto, ON FN03fq | 144.990 | Nick VE3EY | DX Spider ver. 1.57 build 440 |
| VE3ZIN-2 dxc.ve3zin.com:7300 | Windsor, Ontario EN82mh | Web | Warren VA3UG | Home Page DX Spider ver. 1.55 |
| VE4CDX (+RBN) dx.radiosport.ca:7373 | Winnipeg, MB EN19 | Gerry W1VE | CanAm Contest Club AR-Cluster ver. 6.1.5123 | |
| VE5BT-7 ve5bt.no-ip.ca:41112 | Prince Albert, SK DO73ce | Web | Keith VE5XX | CLX ver. 5.04 |
| VE6DXC dxc.middlebrook.ca:8000 | Calgary, AB DO30av | Barry VE6TN | DX Spider ver. 1.51 | |
| VE6TN-7 dxc.middlebrook.ca | Calgary, AB DO30av | 144.950 | Barry VE6TN | CLX ver. 5.04 |
| VE7CC-1 (+RBN) ve7cc.net | Whonnock, BC CN89re | Lee VE7CC | home page CC Cluster ver. 3.185 | |
| VE9EMO-9 ve9emo.gnb.ca | Fredericton, NB FN65qx | Dave VE9AV | Fredericton ARC DX Spider ver. 1.55 | |
| VE9MCC (+RBN) dx.maritimecontestclub.ca:7373 | Dunlop, NB FN77 | Gerry W1VE | Maritime Contest Club AR-Cluster ver. 6.1.5123 | |
| VE9SC ve9sc.no-ip.org:6300 | Moncton, NB FN76nc | Web 147.420 | Stephen VE9SC | Home Page DX Spider ver. 1.55 |
| VE9SC-3 ve9sc.no-ip.org:7373 | Moncton, NB FN76nc | Web 145.010 | Stephen VE9SC | Home Page AR-Cluster ver. 4.4.25 |