POLL: Do you have data modes capabilities in your shack

There are a few polls here where the idea is to see how many people already have the capability now to help with a few ideas for activation events and maybe challenges.

Essentially the polls are the same same but separated into the different operating systems you may be using. You can select multiple answers if you operate multiple modes and if you have computers running say Windows, Android, Linux then you can complete multiple of the polls.

The poll is split into 3 sections,

  • PSK31 / MFSK is for these now mainstream soundcard modes and should include the other modes such as Contestia/Olivia etc.

  • WSJT/WSPR is for those who can run Joe Taylor K1JT’s ultra weak signal modes.

  • RTTY for those who run classic modes.


#Windows (all versions)

  • PSK31/MFSK etc.
  • WSJT/WSPR (ultra weak signal modes)
  • RTTY

0 voters

#Mac (all versions)

  • PSK31/MFSK etc.
  • WSJT/WSPR (ultra weak signal modes)
  • RTTY

0 voters

#Linux (all versions)

  • PSK31/MFSK etc.
  • WSJT/WSPR (ultra weak signal modes)
  • RTTY

0 voters

#Android phone and / or tablets (all versions)

  • PSK31/MFSK etc.
  • WSJT/WSPR (ultra weak signal modes)
  • RTTY

0 voters

#iOS iPhone/iPad (all versions)

  • PSK31/MFSK etc.
  • WSJT/WSPR (ultra weak signal modes)
  • RTTY

0 voters

No option to say “no”?

3 Likes

I don’t want to know how many people don’t have the capability.

2 Likes

But the heading is a yes/no question!

Anyway, I can’t answer, there is no box fir digital SSTV and I don’t have anything else set up.

1 Like

Then I am not interested. Hence the reason that DSSTV is not in the poll.

Nor am I interested in whether you can play Valse Vanity on a baritone Sax whilst wearing nothing but Leopard Skin patterned underpants and simultaneously striking assorted body building poses. If it was I’d be asking.

3 Likes

Ooh, kinky! Would an alto do?

I don’t have a shack - there isn’t a vote option for no shack.

4 Likes

No option for radios with built in data?

KX2 (and KX3?) has RTTY and PSK TX and RX, whilst the ATS4 has PSK TX but need external decoder.

Warren vk3byd

Was going to ask the same question myself. The KX3 has RTTY and PSK31 built in, sending can be either with a paddle or if you have the PX3 Panadaptor a keyboard can be used.

A possibly misleading title for you Boyd and Nick. But fully fleshing out the title to include OS as well would make it unwieldy.

So the KX3 may do PSK itself excellently, it’s the combination of data modes and OS that is of interest.

Strange coincidence as I was just looking at how to get my MTR going on PSK this afternoon.

PocketDigi was easy to install on my laptop, it was soon decoding text via the laptop’s inbuilt microphone when I switched on the DX-394.

PocketDigi is Win OS only, so unless I take my Notebook out, I’m going to need to invest in a Windoze tablet I think.

So to answer the poll, I’m almost QRV on PSK but from my garden, not my shack :slight_smile:

Who is the other mac user?!? We got to form the union heheh

That would not really be meaningful, because it would only be a count of the poll respondents who don’t have the capability for data modes. In reality, it is unlikely that anyone without data mode capability would respond to the poll anyway.

What we would really like to know is what proportion of the entire community of SOTA chasers is equipped with data modes, but there is no way of finding this out, is there?

73,
Walt

1 Like

This assumes that all with the capability would respond. In reality there are plenty of people who ignore polls anyway! As I see it, the non-data equipped population may be a source of recruits (a negative response is itself an expression of interest!), but it is those such as myself equipped for data modes, but not the data modes that the pollster is interested in, that may be a better source of recruits and they are the ones that I would be interested in and ready to persuade. However, it seems that the pollster is more interested in a snapshot of current activity in the modes that interest him than in wider matters, which is fair enough.

IHave recently purchased K5INZ Easy Digi and have got it up and running on my shack bench and intend to get it out in the field on my SOTA outings so keep an out for G7OEM/ p psk 31 or 65.
Been a bit cold lately for old crows like me but the urg is fireing me up.

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY HEALTHY NEW YEAR TO ALL

TONY G7OEM…

Is the next poll “Do you have datamode capabilities in your backpack?”… If not, then I don’t really see any real relevance of this poll to SOTA unless it is to establish a potential chaser pool. Thankfully there are people like Joao CT1BHG running data from summits. I have really enjoyed the PSK contacts that I have made with him - far far better than most PSK contacts which are based on long established macros churning out repetitive details ad infinitum. I often ask, “what is the point?.”

1 Like

Exactly - I did get going on PSK several years ago but quickly got fed up with it for just that reason.

We SOTA data activators are still churning out macros - but much shorter snappier ones from our phones! Well I will be once I get my system working again!

Anyway, it strikes me the poll is a bit of a misnomer. Would lots of shack datamode capability inspire SOTA Data events? Or would not a lot of datamode capability inspire a Challenge (to exploit a previously underused aspect of AR - like the first Challenge did for 12m?)

Thing is, IF we ran a SOTA Challenge, and then reran this poll, the results would be markedly different. Shall we not do it because no-one is interested, or shall we do it to stimulate the interest?

A tough one to get one’s head around!

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner.

If you know the level of data modes capabilities in the chasing community, you can guestimate whether there is enough capabilty to make data modes event likely to be a big success or not. I was not particularly thinking about a data modes challenge but more about how successful data modes activations would be in extreme conditions. Hence the addition of the JT modes capabilities.

I can see from the reflector software how many people looked at the poll and I can see how many people visited the reflector site and I can see from the poll how many voted. From those figures I can get a feel for the extent of data modes capabilities extrapolated across the whole SOTA community.

As alluded to already, data modes QSOs can quickly become tedious as you just end up hitting the buttons to send pre-recorded chunks of text about you, your station, your inside leg measurement and hat size etc. Rag chewing is much more rewarding in my opinion (which is what matters!). Where the data modes have an advantage for all of us is in real weak signal working beating CW and SSB by a massive margin.

First thing before inventing a new mousetrap… find out how much of a market for mousetraps already exists!

I do think for data modes you need to be in a comfortable spot plus cold fingers are hard work for typing! When I eventually take my data thing with me all my replies will be macro based if I had to type it, I would an hour to just qualify the activation! I am very rubbish at key board operating constantly missing words out ect.

But it will be fun and another string to my fiddle! of course that depends on getting to the summit with all the bit’s and bobs I often forget to pack!

Bye fer now - Tony macaroni - G7OEM