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HamSCI Contesting Dashboard - Operator Quick Reference

Station: KD3ALD Personal Space Weather Station Location: FN21ni (Northern New Jersey) Dashboard: http://dash.kd3ald.com

Quick Start

What This Dashboard Shows

This dashboard displays real-time HF propagation conditions by showing decoded WSPR, FT8, and FT4 spots from the KD3ALD receiver. Each spot represents a successful digital mode reception, indicating that a particular band is open to that location.

Use this dashboard to answer:

  • ✅ What bands are currently open?
  • ✅ Where are they open to (which countries/continents)?
  • ✅ Which band has the most activity right now?
  • ✅ Is 20m open to Europe? Is 40m open to the Pacific?
  • ✅ Should I try 80m or 40m for the next contest contact?

Dashboard Views

1. Map View (/map)

Interactive world map showing propagation paths with colored markers.

What You See:

  • Colored stars = Transmitter locations (color = band)
  • Grey lines = Propagation path from TX to RX (your station)
  • Blue markers = Receiver location (KD3ALD)
  • Spot counter (bottom-right) = How many spots on each band

Color Guide:

Band Color Contest Band?
160m ⚫ Black ✅ Yes
80m 🔴 Red ✅ Yes
60m 🟠 Orange-dark No (shared)
40m 🟠 Orange ✅ Yes
30m 🟡 Yellow No (WARC)
20m 🟢 Green ✅ Yes
17m 🟢 Green-light No (WARC)
15m 🔵 Cyan ✅ Yes
12m 🔵 Blue-dark No (WARC)
10m 🔵 Blue-dark ✅ Yes
6m 🟣 Purple No (VHF)

How to Use:

  1. Check band openings: Look for clusters of colored stars in target regions
  2. Click on markers: See details (callsign, SNR, time, frequency)
  3. Click on lines: See propagation path details
  4. Use filters: Narrow down to specific bands or regions (see below)

2. Table View (/table)

Tabular display showing spot counts by region and band.

What You See:

  • Rows: Geographic regions (Europe, North America, Asia, etc.)
  • Columns: Contest bands (160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m)
  • Numbers: How many spots received from that region on that band
  • Green cells: Active bands (1+ spots received)

How to Use:

  1. Quick band scan: See at a glance which bands are open to which regions
  2. Compare activity: Higher numbers = more activity/better propagation
  3. Plan next QSO: Choose band with most spots to your target region

Example:

Region        | 160 | 80 | 40 | 20 | 15 | 10 |
Europe        |     | 3  | 12 | 45 | 8  | 2  |
North America |  1  | 15 | 32 | 18 |    |    |

Translation: 20m is HOT to Europe (45 spots)! 40m good to North America (32 spots).

3. Combined View (/ or root)

Side-by-side display of map and table in iframes. Best for multi-monitor setups or large screens.

Using the Filters

Time Filter

Control: "Last Interval" (minutes) Options: Any number (default: 15 minutes)

What it does: Shows only spots received in the last N minutes.

Recommendations:

  • Contesting: Use 5-15 minutes for real-time band conditions
  • Casual DXing: Use 30-60 minutes to see trends
  • Solar events: Use 2-5 minutes during flares or aurora

Band Filter

Control: "Band" dropdown Options: All bands, individual bands (160m-2m), or "Contest Bands"

Contest Bands Mode: Filters to only the 6 traditional HF contest bands: 160m, 80m, 40m, 20m, 15m, 10m. Excludes WARC bands (30m, 17m, 12m) where contesting is not allowed.

When to use:

  • ✅ During contests → Select "Contest Bands"
  • ✅ Looking for specific band → Select individual band (e.g., "20m")
  • ✅ General monitoring → Leave on "All Bands"

Country Filter

Control: "Country" dropdown Options: All countries, specific country, or "Non-US"

Special Options:

  • "Non-US": Shows only DX (non-USA) spots - useful for USA operators seeking DX contacts
  • Specific country: Filter to one country (e.g., "Japan", "Germany")

Contest Use: During DX contests (e.g., CQWW, ARRL DX), use "Non-US" to see only DX propagation.

Continent Filter

Control: "Continent" dropdown Options: All, Africa, Asia, Europe, North America, Oceania, South America

When to use:

  • Working specific continent multipliers in contests
  • Checking propagation to target region
  • Example: "Is 40m open to Europe right now?"

CQ Zone Filter

Control: "CQ Zone" dropdown Options: All zones, zones 1-40

What are CQ Zones? Amateur radio contest zones (1-40) defined by CQ Magazine. Used for zone multipliers in contests like CQWW.

Example Zones:

  • Zone 3: West Coast USA
  • Zone 4: Central USA
  • Zone 5: East Coast USA (includes KD3ALD receiver)
  • Zone 14-16, 20: Europe
  • Zone 25: Japan

Contest Use: Select specific zone you need for multiplier in CQWW or zone-based contests.

ITU Zone Filter

Control: "ITU Zone" dropdown Options: All zones, zones 1-90

What are ITU Zones? International Telecommunication Union zones (1-90). Used for ITU multipliers in some contests.

When to use: Less common than CQ zones, but useful for ITU-based contests or awards.

Mode Filter

Controls: WSPR, FT8, FT4 checkboxes Default: All modes selected (show everything)

What the modes mean:

  • WSPR: Weak Signal Propagation Reporter (2-minute cycles)
    • Good for: Long-distance propagation testing, band monitoring
    • Typical SNR: -30 to +10 dB
  • FT8: Fast 8FSK mode (15-second transmissions)
    • Good for: Quick contacts, weak signal DX, contests
    • Most popular digital mode currently
  • FT4: Fast 4FSK mode (7.5-second transmissions)
    • Good for: Contests requiring speed
    • Less common than FT8

When to filter by mode:

  • Contesting with FT8 → Uncheck WSPR and FT4
  • Propagation research → Check only WSPR
  • General use → Leave all checked

CQ Zone Outline Toggle

Control: "Show CQ Outlines" checkbox What it does: Draws CQ zone boundaries on the map with zone numbers

When to use:

  • Learning CQ zone geography
  • Visually identifying which zones are being spotted
  • Planning mult strategy in CQWW contest

Auto-Reload Interval

Control: "Auto Reload" dropdown Options: Off, 2 min, 5 min, 10 min, 15 min, 30 min

What it does: Automatically refreshes the page every N minutes to show new spots.

Recommendations:

  • Active contesting: 2-5 minutes
  • Casual monitoring: 15-30 minutes
  • Battery-powered device: Off or 30 minutes
  • Important: Page reloads can interrupt interactions, turn off if actively clicking around

Interpreting the Data

Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR)

When you click a marker, you'll see SNR in dB (decibels).

What SNR means:

  • -20 dB or below: Very weak signal (WSPR can decode this!)
  • -10 to 0 dB: Weak but solid copy
  • 0 to +10 dB: Good signal
  • +10 dB or higher: Strong signal

For contesting: Higher SNR = easier to make contact. But even -10 dB can work with FT8!

Spot Density

Many spots to a region = good propagation!

If you see 50 spots on 20m to Europe but only 2 spots on 15m, work 20m to Europe.

Why spot count matters:

  • More spots = more stations active = better propagation
  • Few spots might mean:
    • Band just opening (check again in 10-15 minutes)
    • Band closing
    • Low activity time (middle of night in target region)
    • Propagation is poor

Time of Day Effects

HF propagation changes throughout the day:

Low Bands (160m, 80m):

  • Best: Nighttime (local and target region)
  • Poor: Daytime (D-layer absorption)
  • Peak: 2-3 hours before sunrise (grey line)

Mid Bands (40m, 30m):

  • Good: 24 hours, but changes character
  • Daytime: Shorter skip (regional)
  • Nighttime: Longer skip (DX)

High Bands (20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m):

  • Best: Daytime
  • Poor: Nighttime (especially 10m)
  • Peak: Solar maximum years (we're currently in solar cycle 25 rise!)

6m:

  • Sporadic E in summer
  • F2 propagation during high solar activity

Contest Strategy Tips

Before the Contest

  1. Monitor for 24-48 hours: Learn propagation patterns
  2. Note opening times: When does 20m open to EU from your QTH?
  3. Check solar indices: High SFI (>150) = good high band conditions

During the Contest

  1. Check dashboard every 10-15 minutes
  2. Compare bands: Which has most spots to target region?
  3. Look for openings: New spots appearing = band opening
  4. Watch for closings: Spots disappearing = move to another band
  5. Use table view: Quick scan of all bands at once

Example Contest Scenario

Situation: CQWW SSB Contest, Saturday afternoon, you need European multipliers

Dashboard Check:

Europe spots (last 15 min):
20m: 45 spots, SNR avg -5 dB
15m: 12 spots, SNR avg +8 dB
10m: 2 spots, SNR avg +12 dB

Strategy:

  1. ✅ Call CQ on 20m - most activity, good SNR
  2. ✅ Monitor 15m - good signals, might have less competition
  3. ❌ Skip 10m - too few spots, not worth it yet
  4. ✅ Check again in 30 minutes - 10m might improve as sun angle changes

Understanding Your Receiver (KD3ALD PSWS)

What the Receiver Does

The Personal Space Weather Station at KD3ALD continuously monitors all HF bands using:

  • RX-888 MkII SDR (software defined radio)
  • 30 MHz bandwidth (covers 0.3-30 MHz simultaneously!)
  • KA9Q-radio software (multichannel receiver)
  • WSPRDaemon (decodes WSPR, FT8, FT4)
  • GPS-disciplined oscillator (precision timing)

Data Collection

Receiver location: FN21ni grid square (Northern New Jersey)

What it decodes:

  • WSPR on all amateur bands (2200m through 6m)
  • FT8 on popular frequencies
  • FT4 on contest frequencies

Update cycle:

  • WSPR: Every 2 minutes (even minutes)
  • FT8: Every 15 seconds
  • FT4: Every 7.5 seconds

Data flow:

  1. Receiver decodes spots
  2. Uploaded to MongoDB database server
  3. Dashboard queries database
  4. You see spots on map/table!

Receiver Limitations

Important to know:

  • ⚠️ One receiver only: Dashboard shows propagation TO KD3ALD (FN21ni)
  • ⚠️ Not transmitting: KD3ALD receiver is RX-only (doesn't transmit)
  • ⚠️ Local noise: Urban QTH may have higher noise floor
  • ⚠️ Antenna limitations: Small active antenna (not a beam or large wire)

What this means for you:

  • Dashboard shows: What stations can hear at KD3ALD location
  • Dashboard doesn't show: What you'll hear at YOUR location
  • But: HF propagation is generally reciprocal, so it's a good indicator!

Best use: Use this dashboard as a guide for band conditions, but always verify with your own equipment. If the dashboard shows 20m open to Europe, there's a good chance it's open from your QTH too!

Troubleshooting

No Spots Showing

Possible causes:

  1. Time filter too narrow: Try increasing "Last Interval" to 30-60 minutes
  2. Band conditions poor: Try different band or different time of day
  3. All filters applied: Reset filters to defaults (click "Update")
  4. Receiver offline: Check if dashboard title shows recent update time

Map Not Loading

Solutions:

  1. Clear browser cache: Ctrl+F5 (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+R (Mac)
  2. Check internet connection: GeoJSON files are large (~18MB)
  3. Try different browser: Chrome, Firefox, or Edge
  4. Disable browser extensions: Some ad blockers interfere with maps

Markers Not Appearing

Solutions:

  1. Zoom out: Try zooming out on the map
  2. Check band filter: Make sure you're not filtering out all spots
  3. Check mode filter: Make sure at least one mode is checked
  4. Wait for spots: Increase "Last Interval" to 30 minutes

Table Shows All Zeros

Solutions:

  1. Increase time interval: Last 5 minutes might not have enough spots
  2. Check mode filters: Make sure modes are selected
  3. Check band conditions: Might be a propagation minimum
  4. Wait for new cycle: WSPR updates every 2 minutes (even minutes UTC)

Advanced Tips

Using Multiple Dashboard Views

Multi-monitor setup:

  • Monitor 1: Logging software (N1MM+, etc.)
  • Monitor 2: Dashboard map view
  • Monitor 3: Dashboard table view

Single monitor:

  • Use combined view (/) for both map and table
  • Or switch between /map and /table as needed

Correlating with Other Tools

Use this dashboard WITH:

  • PSK Reporter (pskreporter.info) - See what others are hearing
  • Reverse Beacon Network (reversebeacon.net) - CW propagation
  • DX Cluster (dxsummit.fi) - Real-time DX spots
  • VOACAP (voacap.com) - Propagation predictions
  • Solar indices (solarham.com) - Space weather data

Dashboard advantage: Shows actual measured propagation from your local region, not predictions or crowdsourced data from distant locations.

Exporting Data

To save spot data:

  1. Open /spots?lastInterval=60 in browser
  2. Copy JSON data
  3. Use for analysis, logging, or archival

To screenshot:

  1. Press PrtScn (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+4 (Mac)
  2. Save image for contest reports or propagation studies

Glossary

Term Definition
CQ Zone Amateur radio contest zones (1-40) defined by CQ Magazine
DX Long-distance communication (typically international)
FT4 Fast 4FSK digital mode, 7.5-second transmissions
FT8 Fast 8FSK digital mode, 15-second transmissions
Grid Square Maidenhead locator system (e.g., FN21ni)
HF High Frequency (3-30 MHz) - shortwave radio bands
ITU Zone Telecommunication zones (1-90) defined by ITU
MUF Maximum Usable Frequency - highest frequency that will refract
PSWS Personal Space Weather Station (HamSCI project)
QTH Amateur radio slang for "location"
SDR Software Defined Radio
SNR Signal-to-Noise Ratio (in decibels)
UTC Coordinated Universal Time (GMT/Zulu time)
WARC World Administrative Radio Conference bands (30m, 17m, 12m) - no contesting
WSPR Weak Signal Propagation Reporter, 2-minute transmissions

Contact and Support

Dashboard Operator: Owen Ruzanski, KD3ALD Email: owen.ruzanski@scranton.edu

Receiver Station: KD3ALD, Grid FN21ni Northern New Jersey, USA

Project Website: University of Scranton W3USR Amateur Radio Club HamSCI Personal Space Weather Station Project

Report Issues:

  • Receiver offline
  • Dashboard errors
  • Feature requests
  • Propagation questions

Version History

Version Date Changes
1.0 Jan 2026 Initial release with WSPR support
2.0 Jan 2026 Added FT8 and FT4 support
2.1 Jan 2026 Added table view and regional aggregation
2.2 Jan 2026 Added contest bands filter

73 de KD3ALD - Good DX!

For technical documentation, see README.md