RBNHole

While the SOTA MT are waiting to receive the source code for RBNGate from the estate of KU6J, I’ve knocked together a string-and-duct-tape version that should provide a bit more service. As a gate is a nice, refined, well-designed hole in a fence, I’ve called this “RBNHole” because it’s unrefined and lacking a lot of the features that Eric’s tool provided. It will try to spot you within a 2 hour window of your alert.

It will only be online temporarily until RBNGate can be resurrected, and it may be removed in the event it malfunctions (probability somewhere between possible and highly likely). No Service Levels guaranteed and no correspondence entered into :smile:

Hopefully this helps the CW activators a little bit. During my testing phase, I noticed a few times that it picked up activators that weren’t yet spotted.

Cheers,
Andrew
VK3ARR

9 Likes

Thanks for putting it together, Andrew.

This service is much appreciated.

Cheers,
Gerard - VK2IO

2 Likes

Thanks Andrew, it seems to be working! That’s a huge help to all the cw activators.

73, Barry N1EU

1 Like

Andrew,

You are to be commended for a truly selfless effort done for CW ops by somewhat of a CW-phobe. The next time you are in Raleigh, the beers are on me.

73 Rich N4EX

3 Likes

Oh! Good-job!
Thank you.

JJ1SWI Gou

1 Like

Hello,
I am not a CW op but well done on RBNHole - it has been very busy today and you would have made a lot of CW ops very happy :wink:
Cheers
Mike

1 Like

Working very well for me in NS…Cheers de Phil

1 Like

Thanks Andrew, excellent job!

We today’s early birds unfortunately could not yet benefit by RBNHole.
Therefore, a special thanks to all spotting chasers!

1 Like

Well done Andrew, a superb job! We CW guys have been missing RBNGate. I rather like the name RBNHole, very amusing.

73 Andrew G4AFI

Thanks Andrew could I suggest RBNCockiesGate made to suit any size hole.
regards
ian CZ e e

I apologise to the early birds :smile:

I had a problem getting the thing to actually spot, so obviously had to iron that out first. On the plus side, you were great test data! On the negative side, I could see you in the rbn data trigger a spot that just wouldn’t post.

1 Like

Many thanks Andrew!
“It will try to spot you within a 2 hour window of your alert”, does that mean ETA +/- 2 hours or ETA +/- 1 hour?

73, Andy DK7MG

Should be +/- two hours, but there may be bugs :smile:

I’ll ignore that subtle and slightly insulting dig and accept the offer of beers :smile:

/me goes back to his CW training app as he tries to do Rich proud

1 Like

Thanks Andrew, this is a great help and much appreciated.

73’s Nick

Andrew,

Thank you for this incredibly positive piece of work! I can see the spots earlier today, and late in the day (27 Jan).

When I was out activating today, between 1856 and 2042Z, I called CQ for many minutes - I was on 5 bands at a wonderful radio site, with a good setup. I just looked at my RBN spots, and they are really nice on every band I was onI However, I was not spotted at all by RBN Hole. Perhaps the system was down during my time on Horsetooth Mountain? Please tell me if that’s why I wasn’t spotted - or is there another problem,

Thanks to the several chasers who spotted me after finding me - I stuck to the plan of my alert, and several chasers found me where I said I would be!

In any case I plan to be out again tomorrow, so we’ll try it again.

73

George
KX0R

Yeah, sorry, minor glitch - the connection into the RBN dropped while I was asleep. Restarted this morning. I’ll keep an eye on it to see how flaky that aspect is.

Looking at your great job Andrew, it’s just a bit ungrateful/unfair that on SOTAwatch repeatedly incorrect comments such as “RBN wrong” or “RBNHole wrong” be made, if the cause is clearly an incorrect made/managed Alert!

Andrew, going forward I wonder if the code could be designed so that one or more mirror sites could be set up to also be running RBNHole. In case one of them goes dead, the other(s) could take over.

73, Barry N1EU

1 Like

Hi Andrew
Next beer is waiting for you here, thanks for another great job!

Cheers mate
Toru JH0CJH