SOTA Cluster

[G4POP]

Release 1.21 includes a facility to use the SOTA cluster to view SOTA only spots

The current SOTA Cluster address is elgur.dtdns.net, port 7300 (elgur.dtdns.net:7300). - Check that in the Log4om cluster connection screen (Utilities/cluster) the check box “Cluster heartbeat enabled” is not checked. The SOTA MT do not want the 'Keep alive" system used by all regular logging software to be used with their cluster. The drawback is that should the cluster become disconnected there will be no Log4OM warning prompt, the cluster spots will just stop appearing.

There is a minimal login, after some blurb about the system users get a "login: " prompt where they type their callsign (This is automatically completed by the Log4om login script) This will timeout after 30secs with no response from the user and close the connection. After a callsign is sent, the cluster responds with the last 25 spots it has seen.

After that the system will send cluster spots like an ordinary cluster. However there is no input facility, it is a read-only cluster, i.e. you can see what is being spotted but you cannot send spots to the SOTA cluster.

If you have enabled "Automatic cluster recognition" in the Log4om Options/Cat & Cluster" tab then if you click a SOTA cluster spot the SOTA association, region, summit ref. and summit name are automatically entered into the input fields together with of course all of the regular QSO data like call sign etc. This makes SOTA logging, as either and activator or chaser, extremely easy.
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[VK2YW]

Hi Terry,

What a great feature ...have just downloaded the latest version ...well done! I have just set the sota spots feature up and can see the sota spots. However when I double click an entry all of the information except the summit populates the fields. In other words I still have to go back and add the summit reference into the sota search box. Perhaps I have done something wrong?

John 2YW

[G4POP]

John,
You must check the "Automatic cluster analysis" box in the Options/Cat & Cluster tab as below

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This also provides autofill of other data from a cluster like some awards etc

[VK2YW]

Thanks Terry ...that fixed it. Great feature.

John VK2YW

[VK2YW]

Hi Terry,

I have now had time to play with the feature a bit. When it works ...it is brilliant. But at best it only seems to connect for a short period and then drop out. I am assuming that it is because of the SOTA side and not the Log4 side of things. Anyway, I have set it up in the Clusters group so I can at least connect and disconnect and reconnect as required ..otherwise I stay on the dxfun cluster. I also like the Award functionality in particular the ability to easily add both a SOTA summit and a WWFF or other parks award info to the contact.

Later in the year (October) I am going to present on Log4 at a Parks and Peaks get together and so have been trying the various bits and pieces out ...also have watched most of your videos and if you don't mind, I might add some of your videos to my presentation.

Well done on the help material available....I just think this is the best logging software out there at the moment.

All the best John VK2YW

[G4POP]

Hi John,
After the initial load of cluster spots on refresh we only retain spots received in the last 30 min or an hour, I can't remember which.

Because sometimes there can be vast gaps between SOTA spots being spotted you can get occasions when no spots have been received during the last 30 or 60 mins, hence the dwindling list.

This can happen with normal clusters if the user applies stringent filtering, for example I only accept spots that were spotted by English stations so the incoming spots from the cluster are very limited in number and frequency

Plus of course SOTA MT don't like repeat interrogation of their cluster just the same as they don't like the stay alive (Heartbeat) query.

Hope this helps?

[G4POP]

Later in the year (October) I am going to present on Log4 at a Parks and Peaks get together and so have been trying the various bits and pieces out ...also have watched most of your videos and if you don't mind, I might add some of your videos to my presentation.

John VK2YW

Yes I am happy for you to include my YouTube videos, if you want a copy of our PowerPoint presentation just ask

[VK2YW]

Thanks Terry,

The PP presentation would be great thanks ...I am sure it would help me immensely.

With the Spots ...I have been comparing it to what is received off the SOTA Spots site so I can see whether LOG4 has lost its connection and so far it seems it gets the initial ones but then doesn't get anymore until I disconnect and re-connect. Shame they wont allow the heartbeatOf course its real quiet at the moment so its a bit hard to do any testing but I will persevere over the next little while to see what I can report back on.

John VK2YW

[G4POP]

Thanks Terry,

The PP presentation would be great thanks ...I am sure it would help me immensely.

Download link has been sent to you by email

With the Spots ...I have been comparing it to what is received off the SOTA Spots site so I can see whether LOG4 has lost its connection and so far it seems it gets the initial ones but then doesn't get anymore until I disconnect and re-connect. Shame they wont allow the heartbeatOf course its real quiet at the moment so its a bit hard to do any testing but I will persevere over the next little while to see what I can report back on.

John VK2YW

I have checked and the spots match the SOTA cluster spots but a couple of things to bear in mind

1. To see all of the spots in Log4OM you need to set the Options/Cat & Cluster to "Show cluster ungrouped"

2. Make sure that you have all bands checked in the Log4om Options/Cat & Cluster - Cluster filters because there are many SOTA spots on VHF/UHF being displayed on the SOTA cluster

[VK2YW]

Hi Terry,

We have just had the Parks and Peaks get together and other than the event being down on numbers it was very good. I didn't get a chance to use the videos or the presentation you had but I used all those resources in making my own which was tailored to the SOTA and Parks side of things..also only had 30 minutes. Anyway it was well received. I had at least one person tell me after that he had the Log4OM software but didn't realise it would do all I showed ...and I really only showed the CAT control and the SOTA and Parks features....so I think I have another convert.

One comment that was made by the group was that the WFF is no longer known as WFF but as WWFF. Small point but significant in as much as the WFF program was re-hashed and re-named to WWFF so it might be worth updating in the future ...I note that the expanded name next to WFF in the Awards section is correct - just the heading is still WFF. The main difference now between the two as I understand it is that there was a cost to get a certificate with the old WFF but is free now for WWFF and there are country co-ordinators now instead of one person running the program.

The other comment is (and this came from the weekend event) that if one is in VK then we have a cluster that is taking all the VK SOTA and the VKFF spots plus all the general DX spots. I have to check with the owner as to whether he wants it publicly published or not but suffice to say it works better than elgur for SOTA spots with the added advantage of the parks spots as well ...but is filtered just for VK. It does the complete logging of a park too when CAT connected ..same as SOTA. And since using it, I have to say that having it and for that matter any of the clusters available I have been far more active in playing HF as a double click on the cluster spot gets my radio onto frequency and mode. An excellent feature.

John VK2YW