[Dxspider-support] Adding ^mode^?

Wed Jan 22 16:25:08 GMT 2014

We'll know the mode in the same way (in general) that we know the
frequency.  We'll read the mode from the software that the user is using to
submit the spot.

No one really spots manually anymore (I'm not sure I can remember the
syntax for it).  Most of our users have never seen the telnet console (even
though it's in a dropdown).

But when they're spotting a station, we grab the call and frequency from
the UI (where frequency is either read from the radio or entered by the
user)... and the comment field (which the user gets in a dialog box).

I'm simply suggesting that we offer up Field 21 for the purpose of mode.
In this case, we'll do exactly the same thing there that we do with other
fields... we'll read the mode from the UI and send it in Field 21.  If the
field is blank, we'll pretty much ignore it... as we do the comment field.

This would be a dramatic improvement.

This doesn't prevent folks from putting it in the comment field... if
that's what they're doing now.  But that approach is rather inconsistently
utilized... certainly not universal.

Mike, WA9PIE

On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 3:39 PM, Ian Maude <maudeij at gmail.com> wrote:

> Hi Mike,
> I can’t see how you could know the mode.  If you are expecting the users
> to populate the field, I suspect you are fighting an uphill battle :)
>
> 73 Ian
>
>
> On 21 January 2014 20:40, Michael Carper <mike at wa9pie.net> wrote:
>
>> I agree.  It would be nice to pull everyone onto the same page.  But I
>> suspect that has been tried previously with limited success.
>>
>> I also recognize that you (Lee) and Dirk have done a good job of
>> collaborating and both CC Cluster and DX Spider are very predictable in
>> many ways.
>>
>> But unless the mode is consistently in a specific field, there's almost
>> no way to match it.  (Unless we skim the entire comment field for matching
>> characters.  But I'm not sure that's going to capture very many.)
>>
>> The ADIF standard isn't great in many regards, but modes are defined
>> there.  So a user may type JT in the comment field, but there are 5
>> different JT modes.  Maybe that's trivial.
>>
>> But I'm quite certain of one thing...
>>
>> If the clusters would propagate the spot with MODE in the 21st field, HRD
>> would sure as heck make sure that MODE was sent in each and every spot on a
>> consistent basis, We'd read it right off the radio or from the QSO screen.
>>
>> Mike, WA9PIE
>>
>>
>> On Tue, Jan 21, 2014 at 1:37 PM, Lee Sawkins <ve7cc at shaw.ca> wrote:
>>
>>>  Mike
>>>
>>> The real problem is that there are no "official" standards for DX
>>> Cluster software.  What is needed is a group to get together and agree on
>>> what these standards should be.  Then all the software writers need to
>>> follow these standards.
>>>
>>> You will find there is quite a bit of compatibility between DX Spider
>>> and CC Cluster as Dirk and I have worked together to do this.  AR Cluster
>>> versions 4 and 6 are not even compatible with each other, let alone
>>> anything else.
>>>
>>> Many spotters, especially for data modes, put the mode as the first word
>>> of the comments.  My node software reformats Skimmer spots to put the mode
>>> as the first word in the comments field.  In my opinion this is the best
>>> solution at the present time.  This format is both human and machine
>>> readable.
>>>
>>> Lee
>>>
>>>
>>> ----- Original Message -----
>>> *From:* Michael G. Carper <mike at wa9pie.net>
>>> *To:* 'The DXSpider Support list' <dxspider-support at dxcluster.org>
>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 21, 2014 6:04 AM
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Dxspider-support] Adding ^mode^?
>>>
>>>  Right.  I’m referring to mode.  Here’s what’s happening… and I don’t
>>> think it’s unique to Ham Radio Deluxe (other loggers would have the same
>>> problem).
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Currently, loggers look at the frequency of the spot and try to estimate
>>> “mode”.  This is done by looking up the spotted frequency in the “band
>>> plan”… then displaying a mode as determined by the frequency of the spot
>>> with regards to the band plan.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> For CW and phone, this works pretty well.  There’s nothing but CW at
>>> 7.005 MHz… and you hear phone at 14.200.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> But for digital modes, it’s almost impossible to determine the mode from
>>> the frequency.  We (hams) don’t stick to the band plan very well, and
>>> there’s a pretty broad area where various digital modes are used.  Further,
>>> during a CW contest (for example), the activity often spreads up into the
>>> digital area of the band (above 7.035, let’s say) and the matter gets worse.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> So…
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> I noticed that VE7CC had extended CC11 to add five fields.  While DX
>>> Spider has a 20 field CC11 string… CC Cluster has a 25 field string, with
>>> the 21st one unused.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> My proposal is to use the 21st field for mode.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> The *mode* would be supplied by the user (just as call, frequency,
>>> time, date, and comment; typically via software).  If the 21st field is
>>> blank (user does not supply it), then that’s fine… it can be ignored, as if
>>> the comment field were blank.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> That’s my proposal.
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Mike, WA9PIE
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> *From:* dxspider-support-bounces at dxcluster.org [mailto:
>>> dxspider-support-bounces at dxcluster.org] *On Behalf Of *Lee Sawkins
>>> *Sent:* Tuesday, January 21, 2014 12:17 AM
>>> *To:* The DXSpider Support list
>>> *Subject:* Re: [Dxspider-support] Adding ^mode^?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> By rarely accurate do you mean there is a problem with the mode?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Where is the info required to populate this field going to come from?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Lee
>>>
>>>  ----- Original Message -----
>>>
>>> *From:* Michael Carper <mike at wa9pie.net>
>>>
>>> *To:* The DXSpider Support list <dxspider-support at dxcluster.org>
>>>
>>> *Sent:* Monday, January 20, 2014 10:08 PM
>>>
>>> *Subject:* [Dxspider-support] Adding ^mode^?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> One of the problems that we (at HRD Software) face is that digital modes
>>> are rarely accurate in the spots.  (PSK31, Contestia, Olivia, MFSK... and
>>> so on)
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> My question is...
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Is it possible to extend CC11 by adding a field at the end for "mode"?
>>>
>>>
>>>
>>> Mike, WA9PIE
>>>  ------------------------------
>>>
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