Most of us have a favorite tool when we want to check if a band is alive. For digital ops, it’s often PSK Reporter. CW folks like RBN. Some stick to spotting networks or the DX Cluster. But here’s the thing — no one source sees everything.
Each tool covers a slice of the activity:
- PSK Reporter gives a good overview of FT8/FT4 and other digital modes.
- WSPRnet shows beacon-like conditions with very low power.
- Reverse Beacon Network picks up CW signals (and some FT8 now).
- DX Clusters are more voice-oriented but include rare DX spots.
- APRS-IS, though mostly used for VHF, sometimes tells you about weird band openings at higher altitudes.
Each one has strengths. But none gives the full picture by itself.
That’s why I started pulling them together. Seeing CW and FT8 paths side-by-side — or checking where a beacon is being heard compared to an SSB spot — helps you understand more about why you’re making or missing contacts.
So if you’ve ever had a moment where one tool said “the band’s dead,” but you made a contact anyway… it’s not that the tool was wrong. It was just looking through a narrow window.