Hi Rick, At 02:38 PM 8/5/2007, you wrote: >Steve and those interested in the ICOM rigs for ALE: > >I had asked Steve: > > > I am using the default hex address 64 with CAT PTT selected. >And he responded with information on the new Alpha version: > >For the new ALPHA version of PC-ALE you still need to select CAT PTT if >that is your desire, I have coded CAT PTT for all make/model radios >where supported. > >- - - - - > >I must have misinterpreted what he said, but to me, this means that if >you "still need to select CAT PTT" which definitely is my desire, then >it was available earlier as well. Especially since someone else >confirmed this a while back that I needed to check the right box. Sorry >that there was this unfortunate miscommunication or lack of knowledge on >someone's part.
In PC-ALE you actually need to check a box for CAT PTT. In MARS-ALE if RTS or DTR are not checked for PTT then CAT PTT is by default selected, thus you see my mind set in my wording. >With new software coming out my hope is that we will be able to control >the PTT CAT which is a mandatory issue with me as I just will not use >software that can not support this feature since the top digital >software has been doing this for some time and I suppose you get "spoiled." It may be mandatory with you Rick however the bulk of all Amateurs that I have had contact with over the years to include myself do not use CAT PTT for digital ops. >I do consider the fact that the PC-ALE software could not go into split >when you scanned and return to normal operation as a defect or at least >a shortcoming when the new software is going to correct that. Steve, you >must be in marketing in your day job to claim this is not even a fix:). It can't be a fix when it was not designed to do anything other than be in SPLIT VFO all the time if the user selected SPLIT VFO now can it? You may not realize it, but the majority of all radios designed for ALE are basically always in duplex operation as you need to program in both an RX and TX frequency and often a mode for each, although many just use a common mode, this is also true of most Military, Commercial and Marine grade HF SSB transceivers, even many Amateur transceivers are like that when if comes to computer control, e.g. FT-600 and Ten Tec Jupiter and Pegasus. So when G4GUO started to provide SPLIT VFO for ICOM radios as they were at the time the most popular make being used for ALE and it was known that it would hold off the pesky PA relays for a number of models, being in duplex all the time when selected was rather natural. Don't forget, the tool asks you for both RX and TX frequency and mode in setup. >Just as an example of what can happen, if you are using your rig to do >ALE scanning and forget about the split operation, and I have been >doing a lot of this lately, you may be operating illegally when you >switch to another software program, such as Multipsk, if you do not >remember to return the transceiver to normal operation!! This actually >happened to me on Friday so it is not something theoretical:( Well that was an oversight in previous versions of PC-ALE as the GENERIC ICOM selection is not even part of the "radio_de_initialise_module" which would have placed the radio back into simplex. However it is a pretty easy thing for a user to get used to doing and all must as I have never heard anyone complain about it before, I take it that you don't do much DX voice work on 40 meters? >HFlink does not seem to have all the information that I need, nor have I >had much luck in asking, thus I have been asking in the larger digital >group. I have been thinking about the possibility of forming an ALE >related group which does not have an agenda and will be more open to >problems and questions. > >Even then, I have been a bit surprised that almost no one other than the >regular ALE folks, have tried to assist or even have ever mentioned >their experiences with ALE, and nothing yet on the single tone modems. >Maybe over time, there will be a critical mass of operators so some of >these digital modes can be explored? I know that I want to try them out >to see if they really can compete with existing modes. Posturing aside, ask away as I have no agenda's when it comes to ALE and Amateur Radio other than being of assistance when asked and providing to the best of my abilities the correct information on the subject matter that I can. >Most recent ALE scanning from 1617 Z to 1836Z with lowest frequency 40 >meters and highest frequency 12 meters and some stations received >multiple times and bands: > >K7EK >AF6 to KQ6XA >KB3FN to KF4IN >NOCALLSIGN >NJ7C >VE2FXL >KF4IN >KQ6XA >VE2FXL to W9WIS >EA2AFR That station running NOCALLSIGN needs to linked with and informed that they have forgot to change they SELCAL properly. >Maybe try and call some of these or see if anyone is around. I am still >not sure if you see connections when you monitor because thus far I have >only see soundings or someone that appears to be calling "to" someone >but no apparent response. > >Have I got that right? What you see with ALE depends on the system being used and your selection of configuration parameters. With PC-ALE out of the box you will see all Soundings and if configured to do so see and respond to all linking calls. As to monitoring traffic, of the ALE protocols, you will only be able to display the AMD traffic when not a party to the link as the tool is written, the DTM and DBM traffic is not displayed otherwise, this is also true of the MIL-STD-188-110 modem with FS-1052 protocols. This in ability to monitor 3rd party acty that one is not involved in using ALE is due to the way in which the standards are written and most all ALE hardware was designed, it would be true also of AMTOR, GTOR and PACTOR I if it were not for the fact that being Amateurs, a LISTEN mode was incorporated, which I have done for MARS-ALE as to DTM and DBM by the way and which G4GUO has indicated to me he likes the idea of doing for PC-ALE as well. By the way, ALE hardware radios do not even allow you to display AMD data between stations when you are not linked, at least I have not determined that any do! ./s/ Steve, N2CKH >73, > >Rick, KV9U
