AR-Cluster supports the following callsign lookup
databases: AR-Technology, Buckmaster,
Callbook (Flying Horse) and QRZ. With all four callsign databases installed and enabled for users the
command "SH/HAM N1MM" yields the following:
Ar-Techology DB
updated 12/27/2000
Call:
N1MM Class:E Expires:05/17/2004
Thomas F.
Wagner, 301 Box Mountain Dr, Vernon, CT,
06066
Email:
tomwagner@mindspring.com
Buckmaster:
Call:
N1MM Class:Extra Expires:20040517 Birthday: 10/01/1949
Thomas F
Wagner, 301 Box Mountain Dr, Vernon, CT,
06066
County:Tolland Grid: FN31ST Lat: 41.8
Long:-72.5 Email:
tomwagner@mindspring.com
URL:
http://tomwagner.home.mindspring.com/n1mm.htm
Callbook:
Call:
N1MM Class:E Expires:05/17/2004
Thomas F
Wagner, 301 Box Mountain Dr, Vernon, CT,
06066
County:Tolland Lat: 41.8 Long:72.5
Email: tomwagner@mindspring.com
QRZ:
Call:
N1MM Class:Extra Expires:5/17/04
THOMAS F.
WAGNER, 301 BOX MOUNTAIN DR, VERNON, CT,
06066
You can also create and expose your own database table
using built in custom database options.
Also available are file based data storage. See the Database
section of the User Manual for details on user database options.
AR-Technology Callsign Database
AR-Cluster provides its
own callsign database containing licensed Canadian and US amateur
operators. The AR-Technology callsign
databases are named ArTechCallSign.mdb and ArTechCallSignVe.mdb and should be
placed in the Database folder.
If your node serves US
users, you need the US callsign database and if your node serves VE users you
need the VE callsign database. If your
node serves both VE and US users, you need both databases. ARC uses these databases to determine the
state/province of the spotter, which is used in the filtering. If you do not serve US or VE users
installation of the US and VE callsign databases are optional, however your
users can make use of them using the SH/ARTECH CALL and SH/HAM CALL commands.
Buckmaster Callsign Database
AR-Cluster provides an
interface into the Buckmaster callsign database allowing lookup of over
1,525,000 call signs.
The
Sysop-Database-Buckmaster option prompts for a callsign and them queries the
Buckmaster database and displays all information for that call including call
sign, class, name, address, license issue date, license expiration date, birth
date, (previous call(s), previous class, latitude, longitude, grid square,
county, time zone, area code, e-mail address, QSL manager, and WWW URL. A subset of the data is shown to the users
(see the Show/Buckmaster command).
For performance reasons,
we recommend running the Buckmaster database off the hard drive. To setup Buckmaster for operation on the
hard drive, copy the following Buckmaster files into the
AR-Cluster/Configuration/Buckmaster folder:
Hamcall.DAT, Hamcall.Idx, HCI.DAT and HciIndex.Dat.
In the
Sysop-Database-Buckmaster dialog set the path to the Buckmaster files as
follows: C:\Program Files\Ar-Cluster\Configuration\Buckmaster\. Check the option to share the Buckmaster
files with users if desired.
Callbook Callsign Database
AR-Cluster provides an
interface to the Flying Horse Callbook callsign database. The Sysop-Database-Callbook option prompts
for a callsign and them queries the Callbook database displaying information
for that call.
For performance reasons,
we recommend running the Callbook database off the hard drive. To setup Callbook for operation on the hard
drive, create the following folder:
Program
Files\AR-Cluster\Configuration\Callbook\Data.
Copy the following
Callbook files into the folder: INTLCALL.idx, INTLWORT.idx, INTLWORT.VWS,
QSLMGR.dat, SPUR.TRC, THEDATA.dat, USCALL.idx, USCITY.idx, USCOUNTY.idx,
USNAME.idx, USWORT.idx, USWORT.VWS, and USZIP.idx.
In the
Sysop-Database-Callbook dialog set the path to the Callbook files as
follows: C:\Program Files\Ar-Cluster\Configuration\Callbook\. Here you DO NOT include the
subdirectory Data in the path as the Callbook program API adds the Data
directory to the path. Check the option to share the Callbook files
with users if desired.
If
you experience a issue with the Flying Horse callbook not processing non-US
spots (like sh/ham DJ6SI) then relocate the callsign database to a directory
C:\RAC. We believe the API using to
interface into the Flying Horse callbook does not like the new directory structure
in the Windows environment. Relocating
to C:\RAC works fine.
QRZ Callsign Database
AR-Cluster provides an
interface to the QRZ callsign database CD ROM.
The Sysop-Database-QRZ option prompts for a callsign and them queries
the QRZ database displaying information for that call.
For performance reasons,
we recommend running the QRZ database off the hard drive. To setup QRZ for operation on the hard
drive, copy the following QRZ files 00_index.htm,
00_index.txt, callbkc.dat, callbkc.idx, callbkn.dat, callbkn.idx, callbks.dat,
callbks.idx, callbkz.dat, callbkz.idx, netaddr.QRZ into the C:\QRZ
folder.
In the Sysop-Database-QRZ
dialog set the path to the QRZ files as follows: C:\. Check the option to share the QRZ files with
users if desired.
Custom Databases
AR-Cluster allows the
creation of custom database tables. Two
sample database tables are included: MicPinouts and Telnet. The MicPinouts shows microphone pin-outs for
popular radios and the Telnet table shows cluster node Telnet port
addresses. See the Database – section
of the User Manual for details on user database options. See the Database section of the User Manual
for details on user database options.
The command DB will show
the defined custom tables in the database.
The command as shipped will display the following:
Database command syntax: DB/TABLE
Database tables:
Mic - Shows microphone pinouts for popular radios
Telnet - Shows Telnet address for nodes on the internet
The DB command followed by
the command shows the details for the command.
For example DB/Mic displays the following:
INDEX
To search the following mic plugs for TNC
Connections:
Rev: 4-27-91
Revised June 1996, July 1998 by WU3V
AUTHOR
- Info about me..
HT
- MicPlug Wiring to ALL HT's
HEATH4
- Heath 4 Pin
ICOM3
- 3 Pin ICOM
ICOM4
- 4 Pin ICOM
ICOM8
- 8 Pin ICOM
YAESU4
- 4 Pin Yaesu
YAESU6 - 6
Pin Yaesu
YAESU8 - 8
Pin Yaesu
YAESUF
- FT-208 Wiring for Yaesu
KEN4 -
4 Pin Kenwood
KEN5 -
5 Pin Kenwood
KEN6 -
6 Pin Kenwood
KEN8 -
8 Pin Kenwood
TEN4 -
4 Pin Ten-Tec
TEN1/4 - 1/4" Stereo Ten-Tec
AZDEN12 - 12
Pin Azden
AZDEN8 - 8
Pin Azden
DRAKE4 - 4
Pin Drake
DRAKE1/4 -
1/4" Stereo Drake
KDK4
- 4 Pin KDK
KDK6
- 6 Pin KDK
HENRY4
- 4 Pin Henry Radio
ALINCO8
- Alinco 8 Pin
The DB command followed by
the command name followed by a qualifier will show the information from the
database for that item. For example
DB/MIC YAESU6 displays:
YAESU6
ITEM
RADIO MFJ PK232
PK88 DRSI KAN-VHF
KAN-HF
TX
1 1 2
2 1 1 1
PTT
3 3 5
3 5 3 3
GND
4 2 4
1 7 6/8/9 2
RX
Back 4 1
8 3 4/5 6/7
Adding new custom database
commands to AR-Cluster involves creating the new table and then adding it into
the DbCommands table.
You can use MS-Access 2000
to import data from an existing file into a database table. The steps are as follows:
Import the file:
1. Open MS-Access and select File-Get External
Data-Import
2. Select the file to import
3. The Import Text Wizard will appear. Select
delimited and next
4. Select other and "`". Select Next
5. Select Next
6. Select Next
7. Select No Primary Key and Next
8. Enter the table name and select finish
Modify
the table format:
1.
Highlight the name of the table and select the Design button
2.
Rename the default "field1" to "Data"
3.
Add a second field named "Key" format text length 20
4. Set the key field to Indexed - Yes(Duplicates OK)
4.
Exit the Design mode and save the changes
Edit
the data in the field
1.
Highlight the name of the table and select the open button
2.
Set the keywords in the KEY field and format as needed
3.
See the sample MicPinouts for formatting details
4.
Make sure the values in the Key field are all Caps
Alternately, you can build
your new database table in MS-Access.
Use the two included sample database for examples.
The table DbCommands
contains the command and the name of the table containing the custom data. To add your new command and table do the
following:
1.
Highlight the name of the DbCommands table and select the open button
2.
Add the new command name, table name and description to the table
Note when you create your
own custom database, and the INDEX keyword is not present in the database, the
application will go through the database table and show all KEYs for the
database when you do a "DB/cmd".
Other DOS nodes may wish
to point a remote database command to your AR-Cluster node. Example DOS node remote database commands
might be:
SET/COMMAND
BUCK * * * * * AB5K
SET/COMMAND QSL * * *
* * AB5K
SET/COMMAND WXS * * *
* * AB5K
In addition to storing
bulletins as mail, AR-Cluster also has the capabilities of storing bulletins
and text data in a ASCII file format.
The folders Archive, Bulletin and Files are reserved for storage of data
files. Users can get a listing
(directory) of data in a folder by using the SHOW/ARCHIVE, SHOW/BULLETINS and
SHOW/FILES commands. Users can read the
data by using the TYPE/ARCHIVE filename, TYPE/BULLETINS filename, or TYPE/FILES
filename commands. The contents of the
file will be displayed to the user.
Data placed into the
Archive, Bulletin and Files by the sysop will be viewable by users. Make sure the data is in an ASCII viewable
format.
Items such as ARRL
bulletins are usually send out via bulletin email. They may also be archived into one of the file folders for later
use.
See the Database section of the User Manual
for details on user database options.