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DX Cluster

The DX Cluster is a worldwide network where operators share what they're hearing on the air. When someone works a rare or interesting station, they post a "spot" so others can tune in. Hamtrax pulls these spots into your Activity tab in near real-time, so you never miss an opening.

[SCREENSHOT: DX Cluster feed showing a list of spots with callsigns, frequencies, and spotter information]

What's in a DX Spot?​

Each spot in the feed includes:

  • DX Callsign -- The station that was heard or worked
  • Frequency -- The exact frequency in kHz (e.g., 14.205)
  • Spotter -- The callsign of the operator who posted the spot
  • Time -- When the spot was posted (in UTC)
  • Comment -- Optional notes from the spotter (e.g., "loud signal," "CQ DX," or a DXCC entity name)

Spots appear on the map at the DX station's location, giving you a visual sense of where activity is concentrated.

Viewing DX Spots​

  1. Open the Activity tab and select DX Spots from the activity mode dropdown.
  2. Spots populate the map and the list view. The most recent spots appear first.
  3. Tap any spot to open a detail popup with the full spot information and a Log QSO button.

Filtering the Feed​

The DX Cluster generates a high volume of spots. Use the Filter button to cut through the noise:

  • Band -- Focus on one or more bands (e.g., 20m, 15m, 10m)
  • Mode -- Filter by CW, SSB, FT8, RTTY, or other modes
  • Continent -- Show only spots from specific continents (useful for targeting a particular propagation path)
tip

When a band opens unexpectedly, the DX Cluster will light up with spots. Watch for clusters of spots on the same band -- that's a sign of good propagation worth investigating.

Logging from a Spot​

When you find a spot you want to chase:

  1. Tap the spot to open the detail popup.
  2. Tap Log QSO to open the logging form, pre-filled with the DX station's callsign, frequency, band, and mode.
  3. Complete the remaining fields and save.
warning

DX spots are time-sensitive. A station spotted 20 minutes ago may have already moved frequency or gone QRT. Check the spot time before tuning.