SHOW
The SHOW command is used to display information on the PacketCluster. This information may be announcements, DX information, WWV information, database information, or specific information about the node and its operation
/ANNOUNCEMENTS This command displays previous announcements which have been made on the PacketCluster network. You may add an additional qualifier containing the number of announcements you wish to see. You may also include some text in the command, and then only announcements containing that text are displayed.
Syntax SHow/ANNouncements
SHow/ANNouncements/nn
SH/ANNouncements text
/ARCHIVE This command displays the list of files on the PacketCluster which have been moved from the BULLETIN and FILES areas to a special archive area. All files listed in the display may be viewed by using the TYPE/ARCHIVE command.
Syntax SHow/Archive
/BULLETINS This command displays a list of what bulletin files are available on the PacketCluster for viewing. Any may be read by using the TYPE/BULLETIN command.
Syntax SHow/BULLetins
/CLUSTER This command displays a summary of the current PacketCluster configuration. It contains the number of nodes currently connected, as well as the number of local users and the maximum user count achieved to date. An uptime counter is also displayed that gives the number of days, hours, and minutes since the last reboot of the PacketCluster software.
Syntax SHow/Cluster
/COMMANDS This command displays what SHOW commands have been defined on the local Cluster by the sysop. These SHOW commands are used to access databases, and each line of the SHOW/COMMANDS display provides a comment as to the content of the database.
Syntax SHow/COMmands
/CONFIGURATION This command displays a list of the local users along with a list of the other node stations which are also running the PacketCluster software. It also shows how many users are connected to each of the other nodes. You may also specify a PacketCluster node with this command, and the system will return the number of users connected to that particular node. Callsigns of individual users are not shown. A list of the node callsigns is shown in Section 1 -- Introduction.
Syntax SHow/Configuration
SHow/Configuration node-call
/CONFIGURATION/NODES This command displays which nodes are connected directly to the local PacketCluster node in the leftmost column. Callsigns in the other columns are other PacketCluster nodes which are accessible via the directly connected nodes. This is a compact display that allows the user to determine if a particular node he is interested in is connected currently.
Syntax SHow/Configuration/Nodes
/CONTEST This command allows access to an excellent database, compiled and maintained by K6PBT. It contains listings of all major operating events, categorized by month and by contest abbreviation. It also lists a summary of rules for each and tells where to find contest results. A short help file is available by typing SHOW/CONTEST.
Syntax SHow/CONTEST text
Example
SHow/CONTEST JAN
SHow/CONTEST CQWW
SHow/CONTEST RULES
/DATE This command returns the current date.
Syntax SHow/Date
/DEALER This command allows access to an excellent database, compiled and maintained by K6PBT. It contains information on over 900 companies, addresses, product lines, telephone and FAX numbers. It is accessible in several different manners: by the first 3 letters in the company name, by State, by telephone area code.
There is an excellent product category listing, similar to an on-line catalog, available by typing SHOW/DEALER ?. This displays a list of product categories like AMPHF, WIRE, RTTY, TUBES, QSLS, CRYSTALS and you can pick from these to find out "who makes it". This is particularly useful when you need service on a particular item. A short help file is available by typing SH/DEALER.
Syntax SHow/DEALER text
Example
SH/DEALER KEN
SHow/DEALER AL
SHow/DEALER ROTATORS
/DISTRO This command may be used to display a list of the mail distribution lists that exist on the local PacketCluster node. When the name of a specific distribution list is included in the command, a list of the calls contained in that list is shown.
Syntax SHow/Distro
SH/DIstro distrolist-name
/DX This command displays previously logged DX information. There are several qualifiers that may be used -- the amount of information may be specified as well as the band and the prefix. For more detailed information, refer to the section on DX Database Searching in Section 2 -- User Topics.
Syntax SHow/Dx/nn band search-string
Example
SHow/DX (last 5 spots)
SHow/DX/18 (last 18 spots)
SHow/DX 20 (last 5 spots on20m)
SHow/DX/25 14 (last 25 spots on 20m)
SHow/DX 14 VK9 (last 5 spots on 20M of VK9 call)
SHow/DX/D2 (spots for last 2 days)
SHow/DX 28500-28600 (spots between 2 freqs)
/EXCLUDE This command displays the list of users who are excluded from receiving any output from the local PacketCluster node. This is useful in permitting contest operators in the single-op category to input multiplier announcements, but not to receive any spots which would nullify their single-op status.
Syntax SHow/Exclude
/FILES This command displays what files are available in the general files area of the PacketCluster. Any of these files may be viewed using the TYPE/FILES command.
Syntax SHow/Files
/HAM This command accesses the on-line Buckmaster Callbook on the PacketCluster. It contains over 1,000,000 names and addresses of hams in the US and about 75 countries. A list of the countries that are available in the listings may be accessed by viewing a file called HAMCALL.CTY in the FILES database. There are no listings from some of the more populous countries such as G, DL, F, or VK. This database may also be updated by using the UPDATE/BUCKMAST command. It is updated semi-annually as updates become available from BuckMaster.
Syntax SHow/HAM callsign
/HEADING This command calculates a beam heading to the specified DXCC country. If you have previously entered the latitude/longitude information for your station by using the SET/LOCATION command, the beam heading is calculated from your QTH. If no location information is found for your station, the location of the local Sysop is used.
The reciprocal heading which is calculated by this command is NOT the long or short path heading. It is the heading that the station in the specified country should use to optimize the signal back to you.
Syntax SHow/Heading dxcc-pfx
/INFO This command allows access to an excellent database compiled and maintained by K6PBT. It contains a wealth of information that most DXers need ready access to. In particular, this database contains information on postage rates, currency exchange, coax cable loss, SWR curves, IRCs, ARRL QSL Bureaus, Awards, DX Bulletins, W1AW operating schedule, Third Party Traffic Countries, Band Allocations, ARRL telephone numbers, RS-232 pinouts and many more categories. A short help file is available by typing SHOW/INFO that lists 40 categories of useful information to select from.
Syntax SHow/INFO text
/LOCATION This command displays the latitude/longitude information for the PacketCluster user's station specified in the command. If no station is specified, it displays the information for your own station.
Syntax SHow/LOCation user-call
/LOG This command allows the user to inspect previous entries in the PacketCluster log file. The five most recent entries are displayed by default; if more are desired, you may specify the number nn in the command.
If you specify a callsign in the SHOW/LOG command, PacketCluster responds with log entries in which that call exists. Also, you may designate a key to inspect specific types of log entries. The valid keywords are as follows:
OPENCLOSE Startups or shutdowns of the PacketCluster
LOCALCONNECT Connections to local node
REMOTECONNECT Connections to remote nodes
NODECONNECT Connections of nodes
UPLOAD Uploading of files to local node
UPDATE Updating of databases
MISC Any other events
Syntax SHow/LOG
SHow/LOG/nn
SHow/LOG call
SHow/LOG/Type keyword
/LOGON_MESSAGES This command displays the logon messages which have been set up by the Sysop. There are a total of five separate messages which can be displayed if the Sysop chooses.
Syntax SHow/LOGON_messages
/MUF/MUF/FULL This command displays the maximum usable frequency (MUF) to the specified DXCC country. The latitude/longitude information for your station, or that of the PacketCluster Sysop will be used in this calculation. If neither location information exists, an error message will be displayed.
If SHOW/MUF followed by a DXCC prefix is used, the MUF information given represents the current Solar Flux, the number of sunspots, and the radiation angle required to achieve the minimum number of hops (minimum signal attenuation). The distance, in kilometers, is also given to that specified destination, along with the number of hops along with three MUF numbers. These MUF numbers represent a 90% probability MUF (minimum MUF on 90% of the days of the month), a 50% probability MUF (minimum MUF on 50% of the days of the month) and a 10% probability MUF (minimum MUF on 10% of the days of the month). All of these are based on current clock time.
If SHOW/MUF/FULL followed by a prefix is used, a 24 hour table is displayed, with all of the information above given for each hour. This information is useful if you are trying to determine when the propagation is best to a given country.
All of the above calculations are based on the latest value of the solar flux contained in the SH/WWV table.
Syntax SHow/Muf dxcc-pfx
SHOW/MUF/Full dxcc-pfx
/NADXCNEED This command is used to display the North Alabama DX Club Countries Needs List, and may be abbreviated SH/NADX. There are three ways to access this list by DXCC prefix, by member callsign and by NADXC country number.
Accessing this database by DXCC prefix, returns a display of the NADXC members needing the specified country. Accessing it by member callsign displays the DXCC countries that the specified callsign holder needs to complete working all countries. Accessing the database by country number displays the DXCC country associated with that NADXC country number.
Syntax SHow/NADXcneed text
Example
SHow/NADXcneed BY
SHow/NADXcneed KB8DB
SHow/NADXcneed 247
/NEWS This command is used to display the latest DX news and rumors that have been placed in the database. This information is distributed to all the nodes and is updated almost daily. To see a full listing of what information is currently in the database, use the SH/NEWS GUIDE command. This will display a listing of the news by DXCC prefix, along with the last date the information was updated on the Cluster. To read any news item, use the SH/NEWS dxcc-prefix.
Syntax SHow/NEWS text
Example
SHow/NEWS GUIDE
SHow/NEWS ZA
/NOTICE This command displays the NOTICE text which the Sysop has specified. This information is present in the login sign-on banner, but may be displayed at any time with this command. The information is presented to each user only one time on the sign-on banner and not repeated until the Sysop changes the information.
Syntax SHow/NOTice
/PREFIX This command displays the country prefixes which PacketCluster knows about that start with the specified text. This is very useful in determining the correct prefix for use with the SH/HEADING, SH/SUN and SH/MUF commands. This information is contained in a database maintained by NB9C, and is periodically updated when prefixes are added or changed.
Syntax SHow/Prefix text
/QSL This command access the on-line W6GO/K6HHD QSL Manager List (c). This database is a comprehensive listing of QSL managers for about 20,000 stations, both active and inactive. It is updated by users of several other nodes in the network in addition to our local users, who feed in information via the UPDATE/QSLNEW command. This information is available on-line immediately, and is very up-to-date as far as the active DXpeditions are concerned. Once a month, our data for all the new QSL routes is sent via modem to W6GO, who combines it with data from over 100 PacketClusters around the world, and sends us an update two weeks later, also via modem.
There are actually three databases on-line that are linked together. They are all searched when you type SH/QSL. They are the current QSL Manager's Directory, GOLIST, QSLOLD, (an archive containing last known addresses of inactive DX stations and addresses believed to be good) plus QSLNEW which is our own local file of new QSL info collected within the last three months. You may access any of the listings individually, but they are all searched when you request information on QSL managers.
Syntax SHow/QSL callsign
SHow/QSLOLD callsign
SHow/QSLNEW callsign
/ROSTER This command is used to display individual names, addresses and telephone numbers of North Alabama DX Club members. It may also be updated with the UPDATE/ROSTER command, and the Cluster will prompt you for the required information and format it correctly.
Syntax SHow/ROSTER callsign
/STATION This command displays information for the specified PacketCluster user's call. The information includes the user's name, QTH, latitude/longitude information and what their homenode is. The information contained in the Last Connect column, indicates the last date that station connected. This information is valid for local users only, and is no longer updated for users from other nodes.
Syntax SHow/STation callsign
/SUN This command displays the sunrise and sunset times for the specified DXCC country for the current date. These times are in UTC. If the country is large, for example, Australia, different areas or possible call areas will be displayed. If no DXCC country is specified, the sunrise and sunset times for your QTH are displayed, provided that you have previously input your latitude and longitude information with the SET/LOCATION command.
Syntax SHow/Sun
SHow/SUn dxcc-pfx
/TIME This command displays the current time. If, however, you specify a DXCC prefix in the command, the system will display the local standard time in that DXCC country.
Syntax SHow/Time
SHow/Time dxcc-pfx
/USERS This command displays what other stations are connected to the local PacketCluster node. Parentheses around a callsign informs you that a station has done a SET/NOHERE command, indicating that they are connected to the Cluster, but not presently available for conversation, in the shack etc.
If a callsign is specified in the command, the name and QTH of that user is displayed if that information is available. As a minimum, the station's homenode information should be displayed. If the station specified is currently connected to the local Cluster, the display will indicate (at W4NS). Connection information for users connected to other nodes is no longer maintained.
Syntax SHow/Users
SHow/Users callsign
/VERSION This command displays the software version level of the PacketCluster that is currently running on the local node.
Syntax SHow/Version
/WWV This command displays recent WWV propagation information that has been logged through use of the WWV command. If no number of entries is specified, PacketCluster displays the five most recent entries. You may specify the exact number of entries you wish to see.
Syntax SHow/Wwv
SHow/Wwv/nn
/WX This command displays recent weather (WX) announcements that have been logged through the use of the WX command.
Syntax SHow/WX
SHow/WX/nn