This could be really handy for taking a soup-break on a summit. Perhaps.
https://www.ebay.ie/itm/153427578261
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Interesting.
I have been trying to get something similar going by using Log4OM and JTalert on my Windows tablet. I’m not quite there yet; I need to manually click “OK” to log the QSO when it completes, then I need to click the “Enable TX” button to start calling CQ again.
I believe it is possible to get a cheaper app - “Auto Mouse Click” - to manage these actions.
Good operators may use the FT 8 year old kiddies mode, Richard.
Great operators don’t.
Pure snake oil!
This is easily achievable at no cost using certain free ham radio software logging programs, such as Logger 32 which link WSJT-X via UDP in “Cherry Picker” mode. This is assuming the operator has no scruples of course…
Never used it myself in / out of the shack, but yes, take a comfort or soup break (Tom) when on the summit and let the software do all the work!
73 Phil
PS MIke - are you one of the self proclaimed “Great Operators”?
I guess most people don’t really care about being “great operators”, they’re just enjoying the hobby :).
Says you Mickey who refuses to work my dad Tom M1EYP when you calls you for a summit to summit contact. He has tried asking you over the radio, via email and even in person why you refuse to work him, but you won’t answer. You have done nothing to annoy my dad and he doesn’t understand what he’s done to annoy you, and for you to no longer work my dad. I know you will say this is none of my business, however I am the G Association manager and in my Assocation I do not wish for chasers to be excluded from being worked by activators, especially when you call summit to summit, regardless of of whether or not the activators like the chaser. Every chaser has a right to be worked by the SOTA activator and this is the behaviour I would like to see in my Association.
Jimmy M0HGY
This suggests the station would be unattended while operating in a pseudo beacon mode (or perhaps better described as a parrot repeater mode). I believe in some countries this will require a beacon licence, if allowed at all (automated WSPR is not allowed in the US for example).
This product isn’t being realesed for delivery next Monday is it?
73 Ed.
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It would only be unattended operation if you did indeed clear off and leave the system running Ed. Not exactly going to happen by a SOTA activator on a summit is it?
To be recognized as a “Great Operator”, I thought one had to be a member of CDXC!
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
I decide to devote the day to getting the garden ready for summer, and this happens!
Sarcastic comments about modes the operator doesn’t like are against the acceptable use policy. I have stated in previous threads that I will not tolerate this, and I have now decided that any more such sarcastic comments will earn the poster time out in the sin bin. I have initiated and closed a topic about this rule, and I hope that all participants will pay attention to this, because it only takes a couple of clicks of the mouse to silence miscreants.
Please note, Jimmy, that this is also against the AUP. Private disagreements between participants should not be aired in public.
Not as far as I am aware Walt, but maybe you don’t know - I am a member of CDXC, water off a ducks back!
And thanks for the FT8 QSO last April on 60 metres…
73 Phil
Didn’t that little surfboard floating around in the Pacific operate in unattended mode? 
Later,
Todd KH2TJ
No it was actually remote controlled via a sat-phone link.
WSJT-X V 2.1 RC5 released:
Release: WSJT-X 2.1.0-rc5
April 29, 2019
-------------------------
WSJT-X 2.1.0 fifth release candidate is a minor release including the
following.
- Repairs a defect that stopped messages from UDP servers being accepted.
- Improved message sequencing a QSO end for CQing FT4 stations.
- “Best S+P” action times out after two minutes waiting for a candidate.
- Updated macOS Info.plist to comply with latest mic. privacy controls.
- Multi-pass decoding for FT4 inc. prior decode subtraction.
- Fast/Normal/Deep options for the FT4 decoder.
- Proposed suggested working frequencies for the new FT4 mode.
- Repair a defect in RTTY RU where sequencer fails to advance to Tx3.
- Fix a defect where the contest serial # spin box was incorrectly hidden.
- Fix defects in ALL.TXT formatting for JT65 and JT9.
- Reduce timeout for AP decoding with own call from 10 mins to 5 mins
73 Ed.
D’oh!
Much against my better judgement, I installed v.2.1 RC5 64 bit version this morning.
It screwed up my audio level settings and also the dimensions and scaling of the waterfall display. It set the audio input level (receive) to 100%. With the audio output level (transmit) adjusted to maximum, it was still not enough to give any indication on the transceiver ALC.
Worse, when I reinstalled v. 2.0.1, it retained all the wrong settings and it took me almost half an hour to get everything set back to the way it was!
I would caution against installing this rc version unless you really need the small enhancements that it offers!
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Thanks for the useful tip Walt, I will be holding back on updating WSJT-X and will stay with the previous version for now. I had good skip condx to work Roger F5LKW/P this morning on 10137.1 KHz FT8.
73 Phil
Thanks, Phil. I have no interest in the FT4 contest mode, so there is no real need for me to upgrade at the moment.
Well done on working Roger on 10.1 MHz. I have found 18 MHz FT8 quite good lately. I worked several South Americans yesterday afternoon and a few Asian stations this morning. No SOTA activations, though.
73,
Walt (G3NYY)
Noted Walt - I’ve taken part in three of the VHF MGM 55 minute long evening contests promoted by the RSGB VHF Contest Committee using FT8. Its probably unlikely they will change the contest format in the short term so FT4 hopefully will not be needed for some time. If they do move the goalposts I will have to update to the later version then I suppose.
As well as being a radio amateur into pure radio these days, its a fact that to get the best out of the hobby as it develops, you need to know a lot more about aspects of IT such as com ports, soundcards, software and windows. There is always plenty for us old farts to experiment with and learn new things, so I suppose we should look on that as a positive!
73 Phil
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Hi Ed,
I thought it was a 1 April special. I can’t access it now. Yes some people have a version of FT8 for expedition use that is fully automatic. Not my cup of tea.
73
Ron
VK3AFW
Must have been really dreadful Walt. I feel very sorry for you. I guess you have yet to encounter a Windows 10 upgrade?
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