POLL: Do you have data modes capabilities in your shack

And running Powershell on a 7in 1200x800 display is even less viable than the pig-awful graphical UI! The last thing I want to do is to have to wear my “hi-gain” glasses on a summit. :slight_smile:

Tasos, the model is no longer made but it’s a Citizen Eco-Drive.

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Now it make sence! I still have and use my 1995 citizen divers (before eco) and it very accurate!

Hmmm… it’s not all that long ago that 1200x800 was considered a pretty decent screen size. I have an old Samsung netbook with a 1024x600 screen, and yes, it runs Windows 10. Some spaced out GUIs are unusable on this size of screen, with vital buttons being inconveniently off screen, but most things are OK. Powershell is no problem at all. The default window doesn’t even fill the screen. If your pixels are too small you can increase the font size. You’ll be running a trivial command (or calling a canned script) so a command window with just a handful of lines will do fine - the traditional 80x24 character cell window is far more than you need.

If all you are doing is issuing simple commands like “adjust time 3 seconds forward” there’s nothing you need to read.

I don’t see how it can be any harder than reading the datamode application that you brought the tablet for in the first place.

Martyn M1MAJ

Casio Wave Ceptor WVAM640D-2AER Radio-Controlled Quartz Watch with analogue dial and digital display. (And solar-powered).

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

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It would be difficult to think of anything more user-unfriendly!

73,
Walt (G3NYY)

It’s just different Walt. I don’t use it much though.

That depends on the user.

Martyn

Did we get anywhere with figuring out how a SOTA QSO would work with JT9/JT65 modes (other than slowly)?

Since middle of march I have activated 11 summits using jt65, 7 in Iceland and 4 SV5 summits. Almost all the QSO were using Jt65 on 20 m. The equipment is usually FT-857, 10.5 m long end fed wire, matched using a 1:40 transformer, 9 meter long fiberglass pole, Digimaster miniProSC and ASUS transformerbook computer running WSJT-X under Debian stretch linux. Power used is 5 watts. I have found this to be a very relieable, during daylight I usually get a responce to first CQ and 4 QSO are completed in around half an hour.
73 Einar

Thanks, Einar, glad to hear people are using this actively in the field. What kind of operating procedure do you use to exchange callsigns/summit references? Is it anything like what’s described by M6VAR in this earlier post?

I have been doing it a little differently, using RRR instead of 73, usually it is like this:
CQ TF3EK/P
TF3EK/P othercall
othercall TF3EK -01
TF3EK othercall R-05
RRR TF/SV024
TF3EK othercall 73

The rules say that I should append /P, which prevents sending grid. I do send
summit reference on my 3rd transmission, that could be used to look up the grid.
I only know of one QSO that as been entered into the database by a chaser. I seems to be easy to get 4 QSO without posting an alert or spot. I am hoping to post more alerts and spots in future, but I often go on short notice based on weather or family considerations.
73 Einar

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I use digimodes at home, mobile and portable.
Previously I used a HP iPAQ smartphone(windows) with pocketdigi while /m or /p.
Life happened and I didn’t do much portable ops until this winter the bug bit me again.

I finally upgraded to a proper laptop and digi interface.
12" Intel i5 Win7 with backlit keyboard 6+ hour battery life and Yaesu SCU-17 interface.

So far I’ve tested the JT65 from mobile and it’s amazing.
With PSK there was always some OM sending three minute long macro about his life. sigh
With JT65 it’s impossible, excellent mode for SOTA.

Heads up about cheap interfaces and 0,99c usb soundcards.
The audio quality matters, really.

Is there a good way to send the sota information which includes the text “SOTA”.
It would trigger alerts in JT65 softwares.

Something like this?

CQ OH9FZU KP26
OH9FZU HB9HQX JN49
HB9HQX OH9FZU R-08
OH9FZU HB9HQX R-12
RR SOTA KI083 (that is in free text and has 13 characters)
OH9FZU HB9HQX RR73
HB9HQX OH9FZU 73

SOTA is easily recognized and then it’s easy to find the KI-083 summit from internet and there is no risk of false interpretation from IOTA LOTA etc. databases.
(Are there even duplicates between SOTA IOTA LOTA WFF?)

But most importantly it would notify the chasers and other activators about it.

Post your suggestions, ideas and opinions.
Or if there is already a way how to do this speak up, so we don’t need to reinvent the wheel.

This is ambigious as there could be another summit ??/KI-083 definded in a different association. I have found that omitting callsign in the RR message can by confusing when more than one station has responded to the call. I have considered using the normal exchange, but spotting on sotawatch.org. The chasers would then know from the spot that this callsign is activating this particular summit. This is how it seems to work for a typical SSB QSO. I have never heard chasers ask about the summit, I assume that that is because they get that information from sotawatch.org.

My experience indicates that activation using jt65 can usually been done easily whithout the participation of SOTA chasers. By spotting this way, they would at least get a chance. Even so, JT65 will never be very good for chasing, when each QSO takes around 6 minutes the activators will often not have time for much more then the 4 required QSOs.

If the activator gives their call and locator then you can resolve any ambiguity in the region because you know the locator as well.

The silly thing is that pre- or postfix like /P prevent the locator from beeing included in the standard JT65 exchange.