SKCC Skimmer is a program that helps find stations you have not yet worked in order to achieve various SKCC award levels (called GOALs) as well as stations that need you in order to achieve theirs (called TARGETs).

2. Quick Start

Get up and running with SKCC Skimmer in just a few steps:

System Requirements:

UV (uv) package manager - required for source installations (can automatically install Python).
Python 3.11 or higher - automatically installed by UV if not present.
Windows, Linux, or Mac OS.
Internet connection for member data and RBN spots.
Your SKCC logfile in ADI format.
Your Maidenhead grid square (4 or 6 characters).

Download Options:

Windows Executable: skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_windows_executable.zip - Ready-to-run executable
Windows Source: skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_windows_source.zip - Python source for Windows
Linux Source: skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_linux_source.tar.gz - Python source for Linux
GitHub: Latest development version

Windows (Executable - Easiest):

Download skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_windows_executable.zip.
Right-click the downloaded file and select "Extract All..." to unzip it.
Open the extracted folder. You'll see two files: skcc_skimmer.exe and skcc_skimmer.cfg.
Right-click on skcc_skimmer.cfg and select "Open with" → "Notepad".
Find the line that says MY_CALLSIGN = '' and put your callsign between the quotes (example: MY_CALLSIGN = 'N7ABC').
Find the line that says MY_GRIDSQUARE = '' and put your 4 or 6 character grid square between the quotes (example: MY_GRIDSQUARE = 'DM43').
Find the line that says ADI_FILE = r'' and put the full path to your log file between the quotes (example: ADI_FILE = r'C:\Users\YourName\Documents\mylog.adi'). Leave the 'r' character; it is important.
Save the file (File → Save) and close Notepad.
Double-click skcc_skimmer.exe to run the program.

Windows (Source Code):

Download and extract skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_windows_source.zip.
Install UV package manager by running this in PowerShell:
powershell -ExecutionPolicy ByPass -c "irm https://astral.sh/uv/install.ps1 | iex"
Note: UV will automatically install Python 3.11 when needed
Navigate to the extracted directory.
Edit skcc_skimmer.cfg with your callsign, grid square, and ADI file.
Run: run to start (automatically installs Python if needed, sets up venv and installs dependencies on first run).

Linux/Mac (Source Code):

Download and extract skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_linux_source.tar.gz.
Run: tar -xzf skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_linux_source.tar.gz.
Install UV package manager:
- Recommended: curl -LsSf https://astral.sh/uv/install.sh | sh - UV will automatically install Python 3.11 when needed
- Via pip (if Python already installed): pip install uv
Navigate to the extracted directory: cd skcc_skimmer_v8.5.3_linux_source.
Edit skcc_skimmer.cfg with your callsign, grid square, and ADI file.
Run: ./run to start (automatically installs Python if needed, sets up venv and dependencies).

For detailed configuration options, see the Configuration section below.

3. Upgrading from Previous Versions

If you're upgrading from an older version of SKCC Skimmer, follow these steps:

For Windows Executable Users:

Backup your configuration: Save a copy of your skcc_skimmer.cfg file.
Download the new version: Extract to a new folder (don't overwrite the old version yet).
Copy your config: Copy skcc_skimmer.cfg from the old folder to the new one.
Test: Run the new version to ensure it works properly.
Clean up: Once confirmed working, delete the old folder.

For Source Code Users (Windows/Linux/Mac):

Backup your configuration: Save a copy of your skcc_skimmer.cfg file.
Download the new version: Extract to a new folder (keep it separate from the old version).
Install UV: If you don't have it, install UV package manager (see Quick Start for instructions).
Copy your config: Copy skcc_skimmer.cfg to the new folder.
Run the new script: Execute run (Windows) or ./run (Linux/Mac).
This automatically handles Python installation, virtual environment, and dependencies.
Clean up: Once working, remove the old installation folder.

Important Notes:

Configuration compatibility: Your skcc_skimmer.cfg file is compatible between versions.
No conflicts: The new version creates its own virtual environment and won't interfere with the old one.
What's changed: The new version uses UV and automated setup scripts instead of manual venv/pip commands.
Keep versions separate: Don't mix files between old and new versions during the transition.

4. Configuration

4.1 Command Line Options

-a, --adi PATH - ADI file path.
-b, --bands BANDS - Comma-separated bands to monitor.
-B, --brag-months MONTHS - Number of months back for bragging.
-c, --callsign CALLSIGN - Your amateur radio callsign.
-d, --distance-units UNITS - Distance units (mi/km).
-g, --goals GOALS - Awards you're working toward.
-i, --interactive - Enable interactive mode.
-l, --logfile PATH - Logfile name.
-m, --maidenhead GRID - Your grid square location.
-n, --notification MODE - Enable notifications (on/off).
-r, --radius MILES - Distance radius in miles.
-s, --sked MODE - Enable scheduled mode (on/off).
-t, --targets TARGETS - Awards you're helping others achieve.
-v, --verbose - Enable verbose mode.
--awards-only - Process ADI file and display awards progress, then exit (useful for testing).
-h, --help - Show help message and exit.

4.2 Goal Values

Goals are awards you are working toward:

C - Centurion award (intelligently handles both initial C and multipliers Cx2, Cx3, etc.).
T - Tribune award (intelligently handles both initial T and multipliers Tx2, Tx3, etc.).
S - Senator award (intelligently handles both initial S and multipliers Sx2, Sx3, etc.).
WAS - Worked All States.
WAS-C - Worked All States Centurion.
WAS-T - Worked All States Tribune.
WAS-S - Worked All States Senator.
P - Prefix award.
DX - DX awards (includes both DXC countries and DXQ member QSOs - levels: 10, 25, 50, then 75, 100, 125, etc.).
QRP - QRP Low Power awards (1xQRP and 2xQRP).
RC - Rag Chew award (30+ minute QSOs, 300 minutes per level).
TKA - Triple Key Award (100 each of SK, BUG, SS from 300 unique members).
BRAG - Monthly brag sheet.
K3Y - K3Y special event.
ALL - All available awards.

4.3 Target Values

Targets are awards where you help others achieve their goals:

C - Help others work toward their Centurion (and multipliers).
T - Help others work toward their Tribune (and multipliers).
S - Help others work toward their Senator (and multipliers).
ALL - Help with all supported targets (C, T, S).

Note: Only C, T, and S can be targets. Other awards like WAS, DX, QRP, etc. are personal achievements and cannot be targets.

4.4 Deprecated Values

Still work but show warnings:

CXN - Use C instead (deprecated).
TXN - Use T instead (deprecated).
SXN - Use S instead (deprecated).

4.5 Configuration File

Edit skcc_skimmer.cfg in the program directory to customize your experience.

4.5.1 Required Configuration

MY_CALLSIGN - Your callsign.
MY_GRIDSQUARE - Your 4 or 6 character Maidenhead grid square.
ADI_FILE - Path to your ADI logfile.
GOALS - Your award goals.
TARGETS - Awards you help others achieve.

4.5.2 Optional Configuration

SPOTTER_RADIUS - Use only spotters within this distance (miles) from your location.
BANDS - Specific bands to monitor (e.g., '20 40 80').
EXCLUSIONS - Callsigns to ignore (useful for beacons).
FRIENDS - Special callsigns that get priority display.
PROGRESS_DOTS - Visual feedback during quiet periods.
SKED - Enable SKCC Sked Page monitoring.
LOG_FILE - Save all spots to a file.
HIGH_WPM - Handle high-speed CW spots (suppress/warn/display).
OFF_FREQUENCY - Handle spots outside SKCC frequencies.
NOTIFICATION - Audio beeps for new spots.
DISTANCE_UNITS - Display distances in miles or kilometers.
K3Y_YEAR - Year for K3Y special event processing.

4.6 Example Usage

Windows:
run -c K1ABC -a mylog.adi -g "C,T,WAS-C,QRP" -t "C,T,S"
run -c K1ABC -a mylog.adi -g "ALL,-BRAG" -t "C,T,S"

Linux/Mac:
./run -c K1ABC -a mylog.adi -g "C,T,WAS-C,QRP" -t "C,T,S"
./run -c K1ABC -a mylog.adi -g "ALL,-BRAG" -t "C,T,S"

4.6.1 Negation Syntax

Use the minus sign (-) with ALL to exclude specific awards:

ALL,-BRAG - All awards except BRAG.
ALL,-BRAG,-K3Y - All awards except BRAG and K3Y.
Note: Negation only works with ALL (e.g., C,T,-BRAG is invalid).

4.6.2 Simplified Approach

Instead of specifying both C,CXN or T,TXN, just use:

C - System automatically handles both initial C and multipliers.
T - System automatically handles both initial T and multipliers.
S - System automatically handles both initial S and multipliers.

4.7 QRP Awards

QRP awards recognize low-power operation (5 watts or less) using straight keys, sideswipers, or bugs.

Award Types:

1xQRP - Your station operates at QRP power levels (≤5W transmit power).
2xQRP - Both stations operate at QRP power levels (≤5W transmit and receive power).

Point System:

160m: 4 points
80m, 10m: 3 points
60m, 40m, 30m: 2 points
20m, 17m, 15m, 12m: 1 point
6m, 2m: 0.5 points

Award Requirements:

1xQRP: 300 points
2xQRP: 150 points

ADI Log Requirements:

1xQRP: Your ADI log must include TX_PWR field with power ≤5W.
2xQRP: Your ADI log must include both TX_PWR and RX_PWR fields with power ≤5W.

Note: Contacts on the same station can be counted on multiple bands, but only once per band.

Award Progress Files:
SKCC Skimmer automatically generates detailed award progress files in the QSOs/ directory:

CALLSIGN-C.txt - Centurion award progress
CALLSIGN-T.txt - Tribune award progress
CALLSIGN-S.txt - Senator award progress
CALLSIGN-P.txt - Prefix award progress
CALLSIGN-DXC.txt - DX Countries award progress
CALLSIGN-DXQ.txt - DX Member QSOs award progress
CALLSIGN-QRP-1x.txt - 1xQRP award progress
CALLSIGN-QRP-2x.txt - 2xQRP award progress
CALLSIGN-RC.txt - Rag Chew award progress
CALLSIGN-TKA.txt - Triple Key Award progress
CALLSIGN-WAS.txt - Worked All States award progress
CALLSIGN-WAS-C.txt - Worked All States Centurion award progress
CALLSIGN-WAS-T.txt - Worked All States Tribune award progress
CALLSIGN-WAS-S.txt - Worked All States Senator award progress
CALLSIGN-Skipped_QSOs.txt - QSOs that were skipped (non-CW, pre-membership, non-SKCC, etc.)

These files contain detailed contact information, progress calculations, and are ready for SKCC award applications. The Skipped QSOs file helps diagnose why certain QSOs don't count toward awards.

4.8 Triple Key Award (TKA)

The Triple Key Award recognizes operators who use all three types of traditional CW keys.

Key Types:

SK - Straight Key
BUG - Semi-automatic Key (Bug)
SS - Sideswiper/Cootie

Award Requirements:

100 contacts using straight key (SK)
100 contacts using bug (BUG)
100 contacts using sideswiper (SS)
Total of 300 unique SKCC members across all key types
Contacts must be made on or after November 10, 2018

Logging Requirements:
To track TKA progress, your ADI log must include the key type in the APP_SKCCLOGGER_KEYTYPE field with values:

<APP_SKCCLOGGER_KEYTYPE:2>SK - for straight key contacts
<APP_SKCCLOGGER_KEYTYPE:3>BUG - for bug contacts
<APP_SKCCLOGGER_KEYTYPE:2>SS - for sideswiper contacts

Progress Tracking:
SKCC Skimmer displays TKA progress in the format:
TKA: SK:285/100 BUG:0/100 SS:375/100. Unique:552/300

This shows individual key type progress and total unique members worked.

5. Features

Cross-Platform - Tested on:
- Windows 10/11 (Python 3.11+).
- Linux (Python 3.11+).
- Raspberry Pi (Python 3.11+).
- Should run on any platform with Python 3.11 or better.
Real-time RBN Integration - Connects to Reverse Beacon Network for live spots.
Award Goal Tracking - Automatically finds stations you need for C, T, S, P, WAS, QRP, DX, and TKA awards.
SKCC Sked Page Integration - Active operators on the Sked Page matching your goals or targets are displayed every 30 seconds.
Live ADI File Monitoring - Automatically detects new entries in your .ADI logfile and updates award calculations without restarting the program.
Interactive Mode - Use -i or --interactive for on-demand award progress reports and statistics.
Extensive Configuration Options - Customize bands, distances, filtering, notifications, and much more through the configuration file.
Privacy Respecting - Inactive SKCC members are not spotted.
Award Progress Files - Automatically generates detailed award progress files in QSOs/ directory for tracking your achievements.

6. The Path to Senator

Understanding the progression through SKCC's major awards - Centurion (C), Tribune (T), and Senator (S):

The Quickest Path to Senator

A compact reference chart perfect for quick lookup:

Full Award Ladder

Complete details with all progression levels:

Award Level	Prerequisite	# Unique Members	Member Types	Criteria
Centurion (C)	None	100	Any SKCC	100 unique SKCC members
Cx2	C achieved	200	Any SKCC	200 unique SKCC members total
Cx3	Cx2 achieved	300	Any SKCC	300 unique SKCC members total
Cx4	Cx3 achieved	400	Any SKCC	400 unique SKCC members total
Cx5	Cx4 achieved	500	Any SKCC	500 unique SKCC members total
Cx6	Cx5 achieved	600	Any SKCC	600 unique SKCC members total
Cx7	Cx6 achieved	700	Any SKCC	700 unique SKCC members total
Cx8	Cx7 achieved	800	Any SKCC	800 unique SKCC members total
Cx9	Cx8 achieved	900	Any SKCC	900 unique SKCC members total
Cx10	Cx9 achieved	1000	Any SKCC	1000 unique SKCC members total
Cx15	Cx10 achieved	1500	Any SKCC	+500 increments after Cx10
Tribune (T)	C achieved	50	C/T/S only	50 unique C/T/S members (can overlap with C contacts)
Tx2	T achieved	100	C/T/S only	100 unique C/T/S members total
Tx3	Tx2 achieved	150	C/T/S only	150 unique C/T/S members total
Tx4	Tx3 achieved	200	C/T/S only	200 unique C/T/S members total
Tx5	Tx4 achieved	250	C/T/S only	250 unique C/T/S members total
Tx6	Tx5 achieved	300	C/T/S only	300 unique C/T/S members total
Tx7	Tx6 achieved	350	C/T/S only	350 unique C/T/S members total
Tx8	Tx7 achieved	400	C/T/S only	400 unique C/T/S members total
Tx9	Tx8 achieved	450	C/T/S only	450 unique C/T/S members total
Tx10	Tx9 achieved	500	C/T/S only	500 unique C/T/S members total
Tx15	Tx10 achieved	750	C/T/S only	+250 increments after Tx10
Senator (S)	Tx8 achieved	200	T/S only	200 unique T/S members (can overlap with T contacts)
Sx2	S achieved	400	T/S only	400 unique T/S members total
Sx3	Sx2 achieved	600	T/S only	600 unique T/S members total
Sx4	Sx3 achieved	800	T/S only	800 unique T/S members total
Sx5	Sx4 achieved	1000	T/S only	1000 unique T/S members total
Sx6	Sx5 achieved	1200	T/S only	1200 unique T/S members total
Sx7	Sx6 achieved	1400	T/S only	1400 unique T/S members total
Sx8	Sx7 achieved	1600	T/S only	1600 unique T/S members total
Sx9	Sx8 achieved	1800	T/S only	1800 unique T/S members total
Sx10	Sx9 achieved	2000	T/S only	Maximum level - pinnacle achievement!

7. Release Notes

Recent user-visible changes and improvements:

Version 8.5.3 (September 2025)

Fixed TKA Roster Recognition - The Triple Key Award (TKA) roster is now correctly parsed. Members who have already earned TKA will no longer see the incorrect message "You qualify for TKA but have not yet applied for it."

Version 8.5.2 (September 2025)

Fixed Prefix Award Calculation - Corrected "more needed" calculation for Prefix award levels. The display now shows the correct number of points needed to reach the next level (e.g., 824,282 instead of 824,283 for Px20), achieving 100% parity with SKCCLogger.

Version 8.5.1 (September 2025)

Fixed QRP Award Calculation - Corrected critical bug where QRP awards were counting duplicate QSOs with the same member on the same band. Now properly counts each member only once per band, matching SKCC rules.
Fixed Band Case Sensitivity - Normalized band names to uppercase to prevent duplicates when bands are logged with different cases (e.g., "20m" vs "20M").

Version 8.5.0 (August 2025)

Optimized Roster Loading - Only downloads award rosters needed for your specific goals, significantly improving startup performance.
New PHP Roster Endpoints - Migrated C/T/S rosters to faster pipe-delimited PHP endpoints, reducing bandwidth usage by 81% and server load.
Improved QSO Warnings - Better warnings when QSOs are missing SKCC numbers, helping identify log issues more clearly.
Python 3.13 Support - Updated to Python 3.13 for better performance (automatic ~5% speed improvement).
Fixed DX Normalization - Resolved DXCC code issues that could cause incorrect DX award calculations.
Fixed RBN Recovery - Better handling of network disconnections and automatic reconnection to RBN.
Fixed Callsign Case - Proper case handling for callsigns throughout the application.
Fixed BRAG Calculations - Correctly handles QSOs without frequency data and WARC band exceptions during sprints.
Run From Anywhere - The run and run.bat scripts now work from any directory location.
Better Error Messages - More informative warnings about skipped QSOs and missing data.
Performance Optimizations - Streaming data processing, cached operations, and reduced network traffic.

Version 8.4.7 (August 2025)

Callsign Case Fix - Fixed issue where lowercase callsigns in the config file would incorrectly show "not a member of SKCC". All callsigns are now properly normalized to uppercase.
Connection Error Clarity - Improved RBN connection error messages. Instead of showing duplicate protocols and repeated error text, now displays clean, concise error information.

Version 8.4.6 (August 2025)

BRAG Fix for Missing Frequency Data - Fixed BRAG calculation to properly count QSOs that lack frequency/band information. These QSOs now count toward BRAG (except during sprints).
Missing SKCC Numbers Detection - Added warning when QSOs with SKCC members can't be counted because multiple members have held that callsign. Creates a new file ({CALLSIGN}-Need_SKCC_Numbers.txt) listing these QSOs so you can add the SKCC numbers to your log.
Run Script Improvements - The ./run and run.bat scripts can now be invoked from any directory. They automatically change to the correct directory.
Performance Enhancement - Removed Python bytecode caching restriction, allowing faster startup times through normal Python optimization.

Version 8.4.5 (August 2025)

BRAG Calculation Fix - Fixed critical bug where QSOs without frequency/band data were incorrectly excluded from BRAG counts. These QSOs are now properly counted (unless during sprints).
BRAG Sprint Warning - Shows periodic reminder during SKCC sprints that QSOs don't count toward BRAG. Warning now explicitly lists WARC band exception (60m, 30m, 17m, 12m).
RBN Spot Detection Fix - Fixed issue where RBN spots (especially when you are spotted) were delayed. Spots now appear instantly.
DXC Award Fix - Fixed DXC output format to include first name and band columns, matching the format of other award files.
DXCC Country List - Updated to use the complete ARRL DXCC entity list.
Prefix Award Fix - Fixed incorrect Prefix (P) award level calculation. The calculation now correctly determines your current qualifying level based on integer division of points by 500,000.
Performance Improvements - Faster startup and response times through various optimizations.

Note: Versions 8.4.2, 8.4.3, and 8.4.4 were internal development versions not released to users.

Version 8.4.1 (August 2025)

Skip Reasons in Log - The Skipped_QSOs.txt file now shows the specific reason why each QSO was skipped (e.g., "Multiple members have had this callsign, SKCC # required", "Not an SKCC member", "QSO before member joined"). This helps identify and fix issues in your ADI file.

Version 8.4.0 (August 2025)

BRAG Month Calculation Fix - Fixed critical issue where BRAG month boundaries were incorrectly calculated, causing QSOs to be counted in the wrong month. The skimmer now correctly determines month boundaries based on UTC time.
TKA Fix - Fixed issue where users who had already earned TKA were still shown as needing it in their goals. The skimmer now correctly recognizes when TKA requirements have been met.
Faster Startup - Optimized roster loading to only download award rosters actually needed based on your goals, reducing startup time.
Cleaner Messages - Improved startup message ordering. The "Downloading award rosters..." message now only appears when additional rosters are actually being downloaded.
Python 3.13 Support - Added support for Python 3.13 while maintaining compatibility with Python 3.11 and 3.12.

Version 8.3.2 (August 2025)

TKA Goal Support - Added TKA (Triple Key Award) to goal hits. When you have TKA as a goal, the skimmer will show "YOU need them for TKA" for members you haven't worked yet.
RC Award Fix - Fixed Rag Chew (RC) award progression to match SKCC rules. After RCx10, levels now correctly increment by 5 (RCx15, RCx20, RCx25, etc.) instead of by 1.
Improved Messages - Clearer QSO processing messages and proper grammar throughout (e.g., "1 QSO was skipped" vs "2 QSOs were skipped").

Version 8.3.0 (August 2025)

TKA Award Support - Added full support for the Triple Key Award (TKA), tracking QSOs with SK, BUG, and SS key types.
FYI Messages - Added helpful notifications when you qualify for higher award levels than you've applied for.

Version 8.2.0 (July 2025)

BRAG Award Support - Added BRAG (monthly activity) award tracking with current and previous month counts.
Rag Chew Award - Added RC (Rag Chew) as a goal and target option for 30+ minute QSOs.
Awards-Only Mode - New --awards-only option to calculate awards without connecting to RBN (useful for testing).

Version 8.1.0 (July 2025)

Performance Improvements - Significantly faster WAS award calculations.
Better Error Handling - Delayed exit on errors to allow reading error messages before window closes.
Improved Award Parity - 100% parity with SKCCLogger for all award calculations.

Version 8.0.0 (July 2025)

UV Package Manager - Switched to UV for faster, more reliable Python package management.
Sensible Goal/Target Ordering - Goals and targets now displayed in logical order.
K3Y Support - Updated for K3Y 2025 and future years.