Frequently Asked Questions

DX Data (dxdata.io) is an ad-free, modern web-based DX Cluster & Logging application built for amateur radio operators who are passionate about DXing, contesting, or monitoring band activity. It aggregates real-time spots from DXSpider, DXSummit, the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), and PSK Reporter into a single unified view, streamed live via WebSockets so you never have to refresh the page.

Beyond just spotting, DX Data includes a secure cloud logbook with ADIF import/export, QRZ callsign lookups, and built-in LoTW and Club Log integration; advanced filtering by DXCC entity, band, mode, CQ zone, continent, and a custom watchlist; Club Log integration so you only see the band/entity combos you still need; DX email alerts; PSK Reporter tracking with exclusive continent-level SNR you won't find elsewhere; a band-by-band propagation dashboard; and the latest news from DX World — all in a clean, responsive interface that works equally well on desktop and mobile.

A DX cluster is a global network that allows amateur radio operators (hams) to share information about DX stations (distant or rare stations) in real-time. When an operator hears or works a DX station, they can "spot" this station on the cluster, sharing the frequency, callsign, and often additional information. This allows other operators to quickly tune to that frequency to attempt contact with the DX station.

DX Data offers several advantages over other DX cluster websites:

• Ad-Free — No ads, no trackers, no clutter — just the spots and the tools you came for.
• Real-Time Streaming Data — Live DX spots and news delivered via WebSockets, so you never have to refresh the page.
• Comprehensive Data Integration — Spots from DXSpider, DXSummit, the Reverse Beacon Network (RBN), and PSK Reporter combined into a single unified view.
• Advanced Filtering — Filter by DXCC entity, band, mode, CQ zone (both spotter and DX station), continent, spotter zone, and a custom DX watchlist for tracking specific stations of interest.
• Club Log Integration — Filter spots against your personal DXCC chart so you only see the band/entity combos you still need.
• Secure Cloud Logbook — Log QSOs in a secure, cloud-based logbook with ADIF import/export, QRZ callsign lookups, and built-in LoTW and Club Log integration — accessible from any device with nothing to install.
• DX Email Alerts — Receive real-time email notifications for spots matching your filters, even when you're away from the shack.
• PSK Reporter — Stream live PSK Reporter reception reports for any callsign, with exclusive continent-level SNR reports you won't find elsewhere.
• Propagation Dashboard — Band-by-band propagation overview with advanced CQ zone and continent filtering so you'll always know which bands are open where.
• DX World News — The latest articles from DX World streamed live alongside the spot table.
• Modern, Responsive Interface — Clean, intuitive design that works seamlessly across desktop and mobile.
• Security Focused — Built-in protections against abuse to ensure reliable operation for the amateur radio community.

DXSpider is one of the most widely used DX cluster software packages in the amateur radio community. It allows operators to share DX spots via packet radio networks and the internet. DX Data integrates with DXSpider networks to collect and display these manually submitted spots.

The renowned DXSummit, by OH8X of Radio Arcala, is one of the longest-running web-based DX clusters in amateur radio and well known to DXers worldwide by its dxsummit.fi address. Instead of connecting to a traditional telnet or packet cluster node, operators post and view DX spots directly through a web browser, which has made DXSummit especially popular with hams who prefer a web-only workflow.

Because DXSummit's contributor base overlaps only partially with the DXSpider / AR-Cluster / CC-Cluster nodes, DXSummit regularly surfaces unique spots that never reach the traditional cluster network — a meaningful coverage win especially on rare DXpeditions and quieter bands.

DX Data automatically ingests spots from DXSummit, enriches each spot with DXCC entity, CQ zone, continent, and band/mode, and merges only the unique spots from DXSummit into the DX Data unified cluster stream after de-duplication against DXSpider, RBN, and PSK Reporter. The result is a single feed that gives you the best of every major DX spotting resource without the duplicates.

Spots sourced from DXSummit are easy to identify in the DX Data spot table: the spotter's callsign is displayed with a -@ suffix. For example, a spot posted by W1AW via DXSummit appears on DX Data as W1AW-@. The underlying callsign is preserved in watchlist matching and on the QRZ lookup link, so filters behave identically for DXSummit spots and every other source.

The Reverse Beacon Network is an automated system of receivers ("skimmers") that listen to amateur radio bands and automatically report stations they hear transmitting. Unlike traditional DX clusters where spots are manually entered by operators, RBN spots are generated automatically by software listening to the bands, providing objective signal reports and broader coverage.

PSK Reporter is a global automated reception reporting network for amateur radio. Stations running digital-mode software such as WSJT-X, JTDX, and fldigi automatically upload reports of every callsign they decode, along with the frequency, mode, signal-to-noise ratio, and the grid square of the receiving station. These reports are aggregated on pskreporter.info, where operators can see in near real time which of their transmissions are being heard and by whom. Although the name comes from the PSK31 mode it was originally built for, the network now covers virtually every weak-signal digital mode in common use — including FT8, FT4, FT2, JT65, JT9, Q65, MSK144, and PSK variants — making it one of the most comprehensive sources of worldwide propagation data available to amateur radio.

Yes, registration is required to access the DX Data cluster. This helps maintain system security and quality of service.

Visit dxdata.io and click on the registration link. You'll need to provide a valid email address and create a password.

If the email address you register with matches your QRZ.com contact information, your account will be approved automatically. If not, additional verification may be required to confirm your amateur radio status.

Security is a primary focus at DX Data. Unlike most other DX cluster websites, DX Data offers advanced capabilities including a full-featured logging application and direct integration with third-party services such as QRZ.com, Club Log, and Logbook of the World (LoTW). Handling account credentials and QSO data for these services requires us to adhere to more stringent and comprehensive security protocols than a traditional DX cluster. Registration lets us authenticate genuine amateur radio operators, prevent abuse, and keep those credentials and logs protected. It also allows us to provide personalized features such as per-user spot filtering, Club Log integration, and DX Alert e-mails.

DX Data offers multiple filtering options accessible through the interface:

• DXCC Entity: Filter spots by specific DXCC entities (340 in total)
• Band: Filter spots by frequency band (160m, 80m, 40m, etc.)
• Mode: Filter by transmission mode (CW, SSB, DIGI)
• CQ Zone (DX Station): Filter spots by DX stations in specific CQ zones
• CQ Zone (Spotter): Filter spots by spotters in specific CQ zones
• Continent: Filter spots by geographical continent
• Club Log: Use your Club Log DXCC Chart to filter spots for "needed" band/country combinations

When our system receives a DX spot, it processes the spot through two primary filtering stages before displaying it on your live spot page:

1. DX Filter Settings:
   • Criteria Check: The system compares the incoming spot against your customized DX filter settings, which include preferences for specific countries, bands, modes, and other parameters.
   • Watchlist Check: Additionally, the system checks whether either the DX station's callsign or the spotter's callsign is on your watchlist. If either callsign is listed, the spot automatically bypasses this filter stage and is displayed.


2. Club Log Filtering (Optional):
   • Club Log Verification: If you've enabled Club Log filtering in your settings, the system further checks if the spot matches the list of "needed" band and DXCC entity combinations from your personal Club Log chart.
   • Watchlist Override: However, if the DX station or the spotter is on your watchlist, the Club Log filtering is bypassed, ensuring the spot is displayed regardless of Club Log filter status.

Summary:

• A spot must pass the criteria in your DX Filter settings in order to be displayed on the live spot page.
• If Club Log Filtering is enabled, it applies an additional check against your Club Log chart—except when the DX station or spotter is on your watchlist, which overrides this check.
• This design ensures that important spots from your watchlist are never missed, while still filtering out spots that don't meet your broader criteria.

RBN spots contain additional information represented by specific codes:

• dB: The lowest reported signal strength across all reporting skimmers
• Q: The number of RBN skimmers that heard the spot
• Z: Other CQ zones that also heard the same station

An asterisk indicates there was disagreement among skimmers about the exact frequency. The frequency shown represents the majority view from all reporting skimmers.

Yes! DX Data features a responsive, mobile-friendly design that works seamlessly on smartphones and tablets, allowing you to check DX spots while operating portable or away from your shack.

DX Data uses WebSocket technology to stream updates in real-time. New spots appear instantly as they're received from DXSpider, DXSummit, the Reverse Beacon Network, and PSK Reporter without requiring page refreshes.

Yes. DX Data includes its own built-in logging application based on the ADIF 3.1.7 standard, so it's fully compatible with most popular logging programs. Moving your log in or out takes just a few clicks — simply export your DX Data logbook in ADIF format to import it into another program such as N1MM Logger+, Ham Radio Deluxe, N3FJP Amateur Contact Log, or import an ADIF file from your existing logger to bring your history into DX Data.

The Club Log filter checks if the incoming spot matches a "needed" DXCC entity and band combination in your Club Log chart.

Visit How to Setup DX Data with Club Log for complete step-by-step instructions. If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to reach out to us at admin@dxdata.io. We're always happy to help!

If Club Log Filtering is enabled AND the incoming spot passes your DX Filter settings, it applies an additional check to the incoming spot against your Club Log chart for missing band/country combinations.

You can easily enable or disable the Club Log Filter at anytime in your DX Filter Settings

Our DX Email Alert system lets you know, in real-time, about spots that meet your DX filter criteria. We use Amazon AWS for reliable and secure email delivery, ensuring your DX alerts arrive on time, before the pileups do! Most modern phones (Android and iPhone) let you mark DX Data as a "favorite" or priority contact, which means you can enable audible notifications the moment a DX Alert email arrives.

You can easily enable or disable DX Email Alerts at anytime in your DX Filter Settings

DX Email Alerts are sent to the email address listed in your user profile. To update your email, simply log in and access your profile from the top navigation menu and enter a new email address. You'll be prompted to verify it using a One-Time Password (OTP) sent to the new address. Once verified, your updated email will take effect immediately.

There is no hard limit on the number of DX Email Alerts you can receive — we designed the system to be flexible and helpful to active DXers. However, we do ask that users be responsible in how they configure their email alerts.

For example, setting up alerts for every spot that comes through the cluster is not allowed, as it would generate excessive traffic and impact system performance for others. The DX Alert system is intended for targeted, meaningful alerts, such as specific callsigns, DXCC entities, or bands you're actively chasing — not broad monitoring of all activity.

The email alert system is actively monitored, and accounts that abuse the alert functionality (e.g., by generating an unreasonable volume of email traffic) may have this feature temporarily or permanently disabled.

Please use the alerts wisely so we can continue offering this service to all of our users.

PSKReporter is a global automated reception reporting network. When enabled on DXData.io, it streams live spots for a specific DX callsign directly from the PSKReporter MQTT feed, showing you in real-time who is receiving that station around the world.

Click the "PSK" toggle in the navbar, enter the DX callsign you want to track in the popup dialog, and click "Track." PSK spots will stream alongside your regular DX cluster spots. Click the toggle again to turn it off.

PSK Reporter spots use a majority frequency algorithm: over a rolling 15-minute window, all reported frequencies for the same station and band are collected, rounded to the nearest 1 kHz, and the most commonly reported frequency is displayed. For FT8, FT4, and FT2 modes, an automatic 500 Hz correction is applied to normalize the audio offset and display the true dial frequency.

The comment field shows the mode followed by average signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) broken down by continent. For example: FT8 | NA: -12dB | EU: -14dB | SA: -20dB. The continents are sorted from strongest to weakest signal. These averages are computed from all reports received within the last 15 minutes, giving you a real-time picture of where the station is being heard best. These continent-level SNR reports are exclusive to DX Data — you won't find them on any other DX cluster.

The Dashboard is a band-by-band propagation overview that shows all 12 amateur bands (160m, 80m, 60m, 40m, 30m, 20m, 17m, 15m, 12m, 10m, 6m, and VHF/UHF/SHF) at a glance. For each band you'll see a live signal-strength indicator and a table of the most recent spots from the last hour. Updates stream in real time over WebSocket — no refresh needed. It's designed to answer "what's open right now?" without scanning a single firehose feed of spots.

Choose Dashboard from the top navigation menu, or browse directly to /dashboard/. The Dashboard is available to logged-in users only — spots are filtered by your personal DX Filter Settings.

Each band tile shows 1 to 5 vertical bars and a 0 to 100 score, both representing relative activity on that band over the last 60 minutes:

• Red (1 to 2 bars) — low activity.
• Yellow (3 bars) — moderate activity.
• Green (4 to 5 bars) — active.

Activity is normalized so quieter bands stay visible alongside very busy ones — the busiest band is the reference point, and every other band is scored relative to it. The bars are a comparison between bands at a single moment in time, not an absolute count.

The Spotter Region dropdown filters the entire dashboard by where the spotter is located. Choose:

• ALL — spots from every spotter (the default).
• Continent — AS, AF, EU, NA, OC, or SA.
• CQ Zone — any of zones 1 through 40.

This is useful for answering "what are stations in my part of the world hearing right now?"

The continent codes above each band's spot table are per-band clickable filters that limit just that one band's table to spots for DX stations located on a specific continent. Click a continent to filter; click it again to clear. Only continents with activity in the last 60 minutes are shown, so the list updates as the bands change.

They're two different filters, and they stack:

• Spotter Region filters by where the spotter is — the station who reported the DX.
• Continent badges filter by where the DX station is — the station that was spotted.

Apply both at once to answer questions like "what is Europe hearing in South America right now?" (Spotter Region = EU, continent badge = SA on the band of interest).

Spots stream in real time over WebSocket — no manual refresh is needed. New spots appear at the top of each band's table (briefly highlighted in green), and the signal-strength bars and continent badges recalculate automatically as spots arrive. Stale spots (older than 60 minutes) are pruned in real-time so the activity scores stay accurate.

The Dashboard only displays spots received within the last 60 minutes. Quiet bands, or bands that don't pass your DX Filter Settings or the current Spotter Region selection, will show the empty-state message and a broadcast icon.

Times are shown in UTC (denoted by the trailing Z) and as just hours and minutes — everything on the dashboard is within the last hour anyway, so the date would be redundant.

Yes. Your DXCC, band, mode, CQ zone, continent, spotter zone, watchlist, and Club Log filter selections all apply to the Dashboard, exactly the same as the main spots page. The Spotter Region dropdown stacks on top of these filter settings, narrowing the view further.

The DX Data Logbook is a secure, cloud-based QSO logging application built right into your DX Data account. It tracks every contact you make with full ADIF-standard fields, integrates with QRZ for callsign lookups, and connects to ARRL's Logbook of the World (LoTW) and Club Log so you can keep your confirmations and uploads in sync — all from any device, with nothing to install.

Once logged in, your logbook lives at /logbook/<your-callsign>/, or you can click the Logbook link in the navigation menu. Your logbook is private to your account — only you can see, edit, or export your QSOs.

Click the + Add QSO button in the logbook header to open the QSO entry modal. Enter the callsign first — the modal will automatically look it up and prefill the operator name, DXCC entity, continent, CQ zone, grid square, and U.S. state when available. Type or paste a frequency and the band and a sensible default mode are filled in for you (with default RST values for SSB and CW). Fill in any remaining details, then click Save. The modal also shows live local and UTC clocks, plus bearing, distance, sunrise, and sunset once both your grid and the DX grid are entered.

When you tab out of the callsign field, DX Data queries the QRZ XML API for that callsign and prefills name, DXCC entity, continent, CQ zone, grid square, and U.S. state. If QRZ doesn't have a complete record, DX Data falls back to its built-in country-file database to fill in entity-level details based on the callsign's prefix — so even rare or portable calls (like PJ2/W5ABC) get a sensible result. If the callsign isn't valid, you'll see a warning before the lookup runs.

When both your station grid square and the DX station's grid square are filled in, the QSO modal automatically calculates and displays the great-circle bearing (in degrees), the distance to the DX station (miles for U.S. callsigns, kilometers otherwise), and the sunrise and sunset times (UTC) at the DX location. This is handy for picking the best beam heading and figuring out grayline opportunities at a glance.

Each row in the logbook table has Edit and Delete buttons in the Actions column. Edit reopens the same modal you used to log the QSO with all fields prefilled — make your changes and click Save. Delete prompts you to confirm before removing the QSO permanently.

Open the logbook menu and choose Import Log. Drag and drop your .adi file into the modal (or click to browse), and DX Data will parse the file and merge it into your logbook. When the import finishes, you'll see a summary of how many QSOs were imported, enriched, skipped, or returned errors.

Duplicate handling: DX Data identifies duplicate QSOs by matching callsign, date, time, band, and mode. If a duplicate already exists in your logbook, the new record won't overwrite it — instead, any blank fields on the existing QSO are filled in from the imported record (for example, adding a missing name or grid). LoTW and Club Log status flags are only ever upgraded, never downgraded.

Open the logbook menu and choose Export Log. Your entire logbook is downloaded as an ADIF 3.1.7 file named <CALLSIGN>_DXDataLog_<YYYYMMDD>.adi, ready to import into any other logging program or upload elsewhere. All QSO fields are included.

Open the logbook menu and choose Download LoTW. Enter your ARRL LoTW username (not your email) and password, check the consent box, and click Download QSOs from LoTW. DX Data fetches your full QSO history from lotw.arrl.org, then merges it into your logbook: any QSOs not already logged are added, matching QSOs are marked as LoTW-confirmed, and missing fields on existing QSOs are filled in from the LoTW data.

Privacy: DX Data does not store your LoTW username or password. They are used only for the single download request and discarded immediately afterward — you'll need to re-enter them each time you download.

First, save your Club Log credentials in Logbook Settings (see below). Then open the logbook menu and choose Upload Club Log, or use the toolbar's Upload to Club Log button to push a selection. The modal lets you choose between uploading all not-yet-uploaded QSOs (the default) or just the QSOs you've selected in the table. Once uploaded, those QSOs are flagged so they aren't re-sent on the next upload — if you later edit a QSO, you can re-select it and upload again to push the change.

For detailed, step-by-step instructions with screenshots, see the Club Log Setup Guide. The short version:

DX Data uses a Club Log app password rather than your main account password. To create one:

• Sign in at clublog.org and go to Settings → App Passwords.
• Generate a new app password for DX Data — the format looks like 123-AB456-CD789-EF012-GH.
• Copy that password into Logbook Settings → Club Log Credentials in DX Data, along with your Club Log email address.

If your credentials are wrong, the upload button will be disabled and you'll be prompted to fix them. Repeated authentication failures will temporarily block uploads for an hour as a safety measure.

Search: Click the Find button in the logbook table header to open the search dialog. Start typing a callsign and the table filters in real time. Click the Cancel button or press Esc to close the dialog and clear the filter.

Multi-select: Click any row to select it. Hold Shift and click another row to select a range, or hold Ctrl and click to toggle individual rows. Selection is preserved as you scroll, and selected QSOs can be uploaded to Club Log as a batch.

You can also click any column header to sort the table by that column.

Open the logbook menu and choose Logbook Settings. From there you can:

• Station Grid Square — Set your home Maidenhead grid (4- or 6-character). This is auto-filled into the My Grid field on every new QSO and used to calculate bearing and distance to the DX station.
• Show DX Cluster — Toggle whether the live DX cluster spot table appears below your logbook table, so you can spot and log without leaving the page.
• Club Log Credentials — Save the email address and app password used for Club Log uploads.

Your logbook is securely stored in the DX Data database, tied to your user account. Only you can view, edit, export, or upload your QSOs — no one else (including other DX Data users) can see your log.

If you'd like to wipe everything and start over, open the logbook menu and choose Delete Logbook. After confirmation, every QSO in your logbook is permanently deleted. Export an ADIF backup first if you might want the data later.

A packet cluster is the traditional term for a DX cluster that operated over packet radio networks. Modern DX clusters like DX Data operate primarily via the internet but retain much of the terminology and functionality of the original packet clusters. DX Data connects to these networks to gather spots while providing a modern web interface.

CC Cluster and AR Cluster are specific implementations of DX cluster software similar to DXSpider. They are networks that collect and distribute DX spots among amateur radio operators. DX Data aggregates information from multiple cluster networks, including spots that originate from CC Cluster and AR Cluster nodes.

A typical DX spot includes:

• Spotter (who reported the DX)
• Frequency (where the station was heard)
• DX Station (callsign of the DX station)
• Comment (optional additional information | RBN spots include skimmer report)
• Time (when the station was spotted)

Additional information determined by DX Data:

• DXCC Entity (country where DX station is located)
• Continent (continent where DX station is located)
• CQ Zone (CQ Zone where DX station is located)

DX Data uses intelligent algorithms to combine similar spots from different sources, reducing clutter while ensuring you don't miss important information. This is particularly useful when a station is reported by both manual spotters and RBN skimmers.

First, check your spam folder for the confirmation email. If you don't find it, verify that the email address you registered with matches your QRZ.com profile. If problems persist, contact admin@dxdata.io for assistance.

Check your filter settings to ensure they're configured correctly. DX Data allows precise filtering by multiple criteria simultaneously. You can save your preferred filter settings for future sessions.

We welcome feedback! Please email admin@dxdata.io with any questions, comments, bug reports, or feature suggestions.

DXing in amateur radio refers to making contacts with distant stations ("DX" stands for "distance"). DXers often focus on contacting stations in rare or distant countries to increase their country counts for awards like DXCC (DX Century Club).

DX Data helps you find active DX stations in real-time, particularly rare entities you might need for DXCC. By using the DXCC entity filter, you can specifically watch for countries you haven't confirmed yet.

• Manual spots are entered by individual operators who have heard or worked a station
• RBN spots are automatically generated by receiver stations running specialized software
• Both spot types are valuable: manual spots often include operational details in comments, while RBN spots provide objective signal reports and may catch stations that haven't been manually spotted.

During contests, use DX Data's filtering capabilities to spot band and zone openings. Keep track of stations of interest (including your own) using the watchlist. RBN spots can help identify which bands are open to different parts of the world and help you see how your signal stacks up against peers.

Yes, DX Data is free for registered users. We're committed to supporting the amateur radio community.

The best support is to use the service and provide feedback on how we can improve. For specific support inquiries or to report issues, email admin@dxdata.io.

Yes, DX Data respects user privacy and only collects information necessary for account verification and system operation. We do not share your personal information with third parties.