Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
At 12:47 AM 7/12/2008, Ray T. Mahorney wrote: live in Clinton Ohio and use an ID800 Have been totally blind from Day one. The radios need much work in terms of accessibility particularly on the digital side. Will be back in the US Wednesday morning and can be found on KD8DRG B if you want to have a chat about this some time next week. Ray T. Mahorney WA4WGA It'll likely be on land-line since we are just testing and have no gateway (yet) Could do it on IRLP! Repeater is testing in Lima, OH on 443.625 I'm encouraged that you've been able to do something anyway I can call you when it is convenient for you Pass along a number if that is OK send to ve3gyq at amsat dot orgOR ve3gyq at tapr dot org Dave
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
On Jul 12, 2008, at 12:30 AM, David B. Toth wrote: At 12:47 AM 7/12/2008, Ray T. Mahorney wrote: live in Clinton Ohio and use an ID800 Have been totally blind from Day one. The radios need much work in terms of accessibility particularly on the digital side. Will be back in the US Wednesday morning and can be found on KD8DRG B if you want to have a chat about this some time next week. Ray T. Mahorney WA4WGA It'll likely be on land-line since we are just testing and have no gateway (yet) Could do it on IRLP! Since Dave didn't mention it, Ray -- He is on IRLP node 4370 in Lima. (W8HDU) http://status.irlp.net/IRLPnodedetail.php?nodeid=4370 They're old-timers on the network, since they have a zero in the last digit of their node number... that's a vestige of the old three- digit node numbering scheme... renumbering made them 4370 from 437. Sorry, off-topic a bit -- just wanted to help you guys get in touch with each other. Ray -- I haven't forgotten about talking to you about the same topic (operating D-STAR blind) for the ham out here who is interested, he just hasn't been around much on-air (probably busy) lately so when the topic comes up again here locally, perhaps you and Dave and other folks talking on this thread will have come to some consensus on how best to get a complete newcomer who's blind, started operating on D- STAR. (Sounds like a great article for publication somewhere, doesn't it?) -- Nate Duehr, WY0X [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
https://me.vonage.com/rtmahorney that link will let you reach me here in the UK Ray T. Mahorney WA4WGA - Original Message - From: David B. Toth [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 7:30 AM Subject: Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams At 12:47 AM 7/12/2008, Ray T. Mahorney wrote: live in Clinton Ohio and use an ID800 Have been totally blind from Day one. The radios need much work in terms of accessibility particularly on the digital side. Will be back in the US Wednesday morning and can be found on KD8DRG B if you want to have a chat about this some time next week. Ray T. Mahorney WA4WGA It'll likely be on land-line since we are just testing and have no gateway (yet) Could do it on IRLP! Repeater is testing in Lima, OH on 443.625 I'm encouraged that you've been able to do something anyway I can call you when it is convenient for you Pass along a number if that is OK send to ve3gyq at amsat dot orgOR ve3gyq at tapr dot org Dave Please TRIM your replies or set your email program not to include the original message in reply unless needed for clarity. ThanksYahoo! Groups Links
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
Let me carry this a few more bits further to anyone who has a blind friend expressing an interest in DSTAR the software is a must. The other items concern programming. My analog channels are in group 1 to 100 and my digital channels start at 101 for the UHF and 201 for VHF. 301 to 400 are reflector channels and 401 to 500 are link control channels EG KI4SBABL andu. Only one channel in both the VHF and UHF DSTAR channel groups is scanned all the others are skipped E.G 101 KD8DRGB and 201 KD8DRGC All digital channels have names in case I lose myself and I have calibrated eyeballs ready to hand EG 309 might be REF005A. Another thing I do which lets me differentiate analog and digital channels is not to decode PL from the analog machines in my area which transmit tone. It's in no way elegant and I wouldn't be surprised if someone came up with a more neat way of doing things but those who have talked with me and seen me operate the radio can attest that I very seldom get lost when I am operating on the digital side of the radio. One thing we cant read at least with the 800 is any error messages which might be displayed like the message you might get if your call doesn't go through or if the remote machine is in use. Perhaps there might be some control software for the 800 which could send those messages back to a PC? Hope some of this helps. Ray T. Mahorney WA4WGA - Original Message - From: Justin Mann [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 6:16 AM Subject: Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams Hi there, I am totally blind, and i have a 91ad, and so far I've not had much difficulty getting the rig to work. The key to making any of these radios work is that you have to program them using the software. Then, you have to set each memory location to a speciffic call sign, and/or repeater. so forinstance this is how I have my setup starting with channel 1 mem 1: 440.8125 urcall :cqcqcqcq rpt1 w7mot b rpt2 w7mot g mem2: urcall: /w7mot a rpt1 w7mot b rpt2: w7mot g I hope that makes some sense. Each memory has the same freq/offset, but just different urcalls, and the repeater1, and repeater2
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
At 01:16 AM 7/12/2008, Justin Mann wrote: Hi there, I am totally blind, and i have a 91ad, and so far I've not had much difficulty getting the rig to work. Justin, thank you also for your timely response ... I've not played with a 91, and in fact I've not had a chance to play with MY 92AD since I lent it to ANOTHER friend while we are testing the repeater. Being sighted, I have the disadvantage of relying on seeing when I am on channel 1 for example. If I recall correctly, there isn't a hard stop to tell you when you are on the first channel for reference, so how do YOU know where you are starting from? I DO program with the software, and have perhaps 10 entries for a given repeater, with each entry having a different URCALL, from CQCQCQ to WY0X, depending on who I want to reach. Thanks for the tips, Dave
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
The bottom line is that you don't use the dial. If you are in memory mode, then you can use 001, 002, 010-100 to access various memory locations. It would be nice if the radio had a beep at channel 1 like the kenwood thf6... - Original Message - From: David B. Toth To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 6:04 AM Subject: Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams At 01:16 AM 7/12/2008, Justin Mann wrote: Hi there, I am totally blind, and i have a 91ad, and so far I've not had much difficulty getting the rig to work. Justin, thank you also for your timely response ... I've not played with a 91, and in fact I've not had a chance to play with MY 92AD since I lent it to ANOTHER friend while we are testing the repeater. Being sighted, I have the disadvantage of relying on seeing when I am on channel 1 for example. If I recall correctly, there isn't a hard stop to tell you when you are on the first channel for reference, so how do YOU know where you are starting from? I DO program with the software, and have perhaps 10 entries for a given repeater, with each entry having a different URCALL, from CQCQCQ to WY0X, depending on who I want to reach. Thanks for the tips, Dave [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
At 10:41 AM 7/12/2008, Justin Mann wrote: The bottom line is that you don't use the dial. If you are in memory mode, then you can use 001, 002, 010-100 to access various memory locations. It would be nice if the radio had a beep at channel 1 like the kenwood thf6... Doh ... of course, staying in memory mode and entering the memory channels from the keypad would do it. I told you I was handicapped by my vision. Kelly is a smart guy and I'm sure HE would have figured this out by himself ... I guess I have the sighted prejudice of trying to be TOO helpful. I learn something new every day. Dave
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
It taikes some getting used to... The one thing that could be implemented is a hard fast way of knowing whether you are hitting a d-star repeater when you are transmitting. possibly a curtisy beep or something... - Original Message - From: David B. Toth To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:52 AM Subject: Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams At 10:41 AM 7/12/2008, Justin Mann wrote: The bottom line is that you don't use the dial. If you are in memory mode, then you can use 001, 002, 010-100 to access various memory locations. It would be nice if the radio had a beep at channel 1 like the kenwood thf6... Doh ... of course, staying in memory mode and entering the memory channels from the keypad would do it. I told you I was handicapped by my vision. Kelly is a smart guy and I'm sure HE would have figured this out by himself ... I guess I have the sighted prejudice of trying to be TOO helpful. I learn something new every day. Dave [Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
At 08:18 AM 7/12/2008, Ray T. Mahorney wrote: Let me carry this a few more bits further to anyone who has a blind friend expressing an interest in DSTAR the software is a must. The other items concern programming. Ray, those programming guidelines make good logic sense for anyone. Thanks Dave
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
On Jul 12, 2008, at 10:41 AM, Justin Mann wrote: It taikes some getting used to... The one thing that could be implemented is a hard fast way of knowing whether you are hitting a d-star repeater when you are transmitting. possibly a curtisy beep or something... No offense but maybe I'm misunderstanding. The user-rigs is half- duplex, so you can't listen (to see if you're hitting the repeater) at the same time as you are transmitting. If you meant after you stop transmitting, on almost every un-key (especially on a Gateway-equipped system) the repeater transmits back either an RPT or a UR indication as a separate transmission. In the default sound modes for both my IC-91AD and the ID-800H this almost always sounds like this... Beep, after I unkey the radio and the repeater stops repeating my signal (since it's slightly delayed). Beep, when the repeater transmits back the RPT or UR response for the last transmission. There can be a big gap between the two if you're using Icom-style routing, too. I don't know why, but when callsign routing the UR response can take 3-4 seconds from here, anyway. Never used anyone else's system to see if that's normal. And the calls done that way work (you reach who you were calling, anywhere in the world), so I've never worried about it from a system admin perspective. It's not consistent that you always get double-beeps on a repeater, but you almost always will if you're routing to the Gateway (Gateway callsign in RPT2 field of the rig.) So just trying to imagine operating the rigs from audio only, the indication in audio is that one beep consistently for a three or four transmissions would mean that you're NOT hitting the repeater. (On simplex you don't ever get a double-beep on un-key.) Don't worry, even all us sighted folks get -- beyond that -- is a very twitchy RF S-meter on an ultra-hot receiver prone to inter-mod and IF mixes, and that information doesn't really mean a whole lot in a digital system. :-) -- Nate Duehr, WY0X [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
the closest you get is the radios standby beep and that's no good if the first few frames are mangled. - Original Message - From: Justin Mann [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 5:41 PM Subject: Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams It taikes some getting used to... The one thing that could be implemented is a hard fast way of knowing whether you are hitting a d-star repeater when you are transmitting. possibly a curtisy beep or something... - Original Message - From: David B. Toth To: dstar_digital@yahoogroups.com Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2008 8:52 AM Subject: Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams At 10:41 AM 7/12/2008, Justin Mann wrote: The bottom line is that you don't use the dial. If you are in memory mode, then you can use 001, 002, 010-100 to access various memory locations. It would be nice if the radio had a beep at channel 1 like the kenwood thf6... Doh ... of course, staying in memory mode and entering the memory channels from the keypad would do it. I told you I was handicapped by my vision. Kelly is a smart guy and I'm sure HE would have figured this out by himself ... I guess I have the sighted prejudice of trying to be TOO helpful. I learn something new every day. Dave [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] Please TRIM your replies or set your email program not to include the original message in reply unless needed for clarity. ThanksYahoo! Groups Links
[dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
I have a very Linux-savvy friend who is a network geek for a local ISP ... I was going to lend him my 92AD ... I can lock it onto the 450 module here in town that we are testing, but I was wondering if anyone out there has experience operating these rigs without vision. I'd like to infect him with the D-STAR bug and he IS enthusiastic after checking out some of the web-sites, but I'd also like to help him enjoy some of the advantages of this mode once we get a gateway up. Thoughts? Thanks, Dave VE3GYQ/W8 Spencerville, OH
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
live in Clinton Ohio and use an ID800 Have been totally blind from Day one. The radios need much work in terms of accessibility particularly on the digital side. Will be back in the US Wednesday morning and can be found on KD8DRG B if you want to have a chat about this some time next week. Ray T. Mahorney WA4WGA
Re: [dstar_digital] D-STAR and blind hams
Hi there, I am totally blind, and i have a 91ad, and so far I've not had much difficulty getting the rig to work. The key to making any of these radios work is that you have to program them using the software. Then, you have to set each memory location to a speciffic call sign, and/or repeater. so forinstance this is how I have my setup starting with channel 1 mem 1: 440.8125 urcall :cqcqcqcq rpt1 w7mot b rpt2 w7mot g mem2: urcall: /w7mot a rpt1 w7mot b rpt2: w7mot g I hope that makes some sense. Each memory has the same freq/offset, but just different urcalls, and the repeater1, and repeater2 - Original Message - From: David B. Toth I have a very Linux-savvy friend who is a network geek for a local ISP ... I was going to lend him my 92AD ... I can lock it onto the 450 module here in town that we are testing, but I was wondering if anyone out there has experience operating these rigs without vision.
