Well, IMHO, EasyPal has great potential for sending all file types - text, pictures, etc.. with error-correction/partial-retransmits.
The problem with EasyPal - it seems only people with 500+ watt amplifiers can transmit reliably via NVIS antennas to the majority of users listening in the region. If one tries the more robust Easypal modes meant for bad conditions, then one get lambasted for their transmission taking too long. I am not sure that even using mode E can really get through under lower power and our generally bad current band-conditions because we aren't testing this. Those in charge love to blast their ALS-600 watt amplifiers - amplifiers that probably won't have power during an emergency. It takes at least 2 people to try/practice low power during bad conditions - and I am alone in this regard. Then EasyPal BSRs (partial retransmits) are being skipped because if even one person happens to receive the transmission correctly, he automatically FTPs it to a public web site, and nobody wants to ask for a BSR because they got the image off the internet. So nobody knows any more how well he/she can transmit reliably to the entire region with Easypal. The internet may not be available during an incident, and even if it is, the information may be sensitive and will be automatically blasted onto the internet if even one group member left that FTP feature turned on. I have a suggestion for those who love the Easypal's FTP feature. Turn off your radios and just FTP pictures to each other via the internet. Better yet - Ebay your radios - you don't need them anymore. So, in my opinion, EasyPal is just totally unsuitable. The FTP feature needs to be completely ripped out and removed from the software - it can't even be left in as an option. People need to practice the appropriate transmission mode that will actually work with under 50 watts under bad noisy conditions. If that means 5 minutes to send a picture - so be it. If EasyPal won't work reliably in a FEMA region on 50 watts and a good antenna, then maybe it just isn't suitable? OK, then there is Olivia. Nobody in our group wants to use Fldigi/Flarq because we are forced to use a custom mode. We can't just customize it and leave it alone. Every time we select it - up pops a window to confuse people into diddling with it. We don't need our custom mode embedded in fldigi software, just let us set it up and then have the software leave us alone when we select it. But, there is a worse problem. The fldigi 3.12 is a nightmere that often will not even start - it pops up error messages and fails right and left - an unreliable useless software product. However the fldigi 3.11 has possibilities - but try to get a group to all be using the same version of anything? Especially tell them to not use the latest version? And not the past 3 latest versions? Ok - fldigi is a joke and waste of time - it's taken a global leaps backwards. "This application has requested the Runtime to terminate it in an unusual way. Please contact the application's support team for more information" - uh - no thank you. "fldigi.exe has stopped working. Windows is checking for a solution to the problem" "A problem has caused the program to stop working correctly.. Windows will close the program and notify you if a solution is available". Thus we need a better solution. Next, what do we have? MixW and Ham Radio Deluxe's DM780. They work fine - no ARQ or retransmits in it. Users may need to ask for partial retransmissions and may still have unnoticed errors in the text of messages. These s/w products are excellent and DM780 is free. (I really love DM780 - and I also loved the old VAX780 which inspired its name) We've used Oliva ghost mode at under 5 watts - slow but works reliably. But one needs the error correction like TCP/IP has on the internet. You need to know the messages were delivered error-free. As a minimum the modes need to be able to not print obvious junk from random band noise. So, these sound card modes like Olivia, MT63, MFSK16 are good - but not perfect enough. Then there is the old Pactor 1/2/3 user-to-user connects using software like Alpha, NcWinPtc, XPWare, and WinPack. This will get the message across error free. The only problem is nobody is practicing these anymore. Nothing will work unless you practice it. I haven't seen a Pactor-1 net in some time. Then we have Winlink - it works well. Can it survive a massive internet failure? I don't know. Last I read, the issue is being addressed. But, if Winlink is operational it is the best solution. So, the result is - that no matter what we chose to use - the state of the art is far from perfect - and thus relayed messages will also be far from perfect. We need to take a large step backwards and start practicing Pactor-1 until the state of the art becomes artfully appealing again. OK, that's my pessimistic 2 cents. (Maybe I'll be more optimistic tomorrow?) Howard
