We are not operating radios - we are operating _modes_ (i.e., ssb phone OR cw OR rtty OR psk31 OR ... ).
An all-mode console is great when demonstrating the radio to your SWL friend, but when he goes home you operate your radio mostly on your favorite mode, and you might benefit if your console reflected this. If available, you would probably want several similar consoles, each with specific enhancements for a particular mode. You would use one at a time, of course. In a few years, when SDR has become the dominant type of radio, I think ops will want and have specialized consoles like this. For instance, right now I want a console specific to RTTY contesting operations - it doesn't need the usual ANF button, but it could benefit from a different kind of ANF that only removes a multi-second long constant cw QRM. It doesn't need a CW memory keyer, but a built-in FFT tuning display/waterfall like MMTTY provides would be very useful. It doesn't need an audio equalizer, but real FSK would help. At the present stage of development, the do-it-all console is a handful for any development team, but we will probably evolve more specific consoles as time goes on and more developers come on board. Jerry W4UK At 13:04 8/22/2006, Charles Greene wrote: >John, > >I was engaged in a conversation about SRDs on the Ten Tec reflector a >couple of days ago. Someone stated that SDRs needed to look like >"real" radios in order to get wide acceptance. These consoles >certainly fill that bill. Well done. However, I question the wisdom >of filling up a console with individual "radio" buttons when drop >down menus will do the same thing. Take the Display selection for >example. Most operators don't use all the optional displays, and to >dedicate the real estate for 7 "radio" buttons seems to take >nostalgia a bit too far. I never liked the FT-1K or IC-7800 front >panels for the reason that they too complicated and the learning >curve is too high. On the other hand, there is the Jupiter which >combines real push buttons with drop down menus, although Ten Tec's >choice of menus is not that intuitive. Perhaps a console with more >"radio" buttons but retaining drop down menus for less frequently >selected functions would be a better choice. > >73 Chas W1CG > >At 11:14 AM 8/21/2006, W0UN -- John Brosnahan wrote: > >Dear Beppe-- > > > > > >I LOVE the look of your front panel art for the SDR projects. I > >sure hope that > >someone incorporates the concepts into the console software for both the > >FlexRadio and the SoftRock. > > > >http://www.radioamatore.it/sdr1000/mypowersdr.html > > > >Here is a link to a friend of mine who has a calculator program > with a similar > >appearance. You can go to the VIEW and then SKINS and make changes in > >the appearance of the calculator. It would be very nice to have > >skins to allow > >the colors and general appearance to be easily changed. I can see the > >need for BRIGHT colors to help keep you awake late at night, especially at > >the end of a contest. On the other hand there is a lot to be said for > >soothing colors for general operation. > > > >http://www.dreamcalc.com/ > > > >This software was written by a British friend of mine in about 8 THOUSAND > >hours of effort. So I have some idea of the work involved in some of these > >projects. > > > >Just thought you might like to look at it as an idea of where to take the > >console's appearance. Not only does it do scientific calculations and > >business calculations, it does a lot of very nice graphics presentations > >of the data in an appearance of your choice. > > > > > >73--John W0UN > > > > > >_______________________________________________ > >FlexRadio mailing list > >FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz > >http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz > >Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ > >FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com > > > >_______________________________________________ >FlexRadio mailing list >FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz >http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz >Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ >FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com _______________________________________________ FlexRadio mailing list FlexRadio@flex-radio.biz http://mail.flex-radio.biz/mailman/listinfo/flexradio_flex-radio.biz Archive Link: http://www.mail-archive.com/flexradio%40flex-radio.biz/ FlexRadio Homepage: http://www.flex-radio.com
