[drats_users] drats_users Digest, Vol 1, Issue 11

[Nate Duehr]

Dan Smith wrote:

> It's possible, but I'd rather keep the call field consistent so that
> other bits of the code don't make assumptions.  I've never used the
> "Name" field for anything (you all fill that in diligently every time
> right? -- simple pleasures).  Maybe I should change that from Name to
> "Station Sub-ID" or something and append that to outgoing chat messages?
>  That way, you would show up as WY0X/Tactical to other users.

Gee, I always wanted to be "Tactical".  Do I get to play with the guns 
now too?

:-) (Tee hee.)

Okay, sorry -- on a serious note:  I can think of a number of 
"interesting" uses for the "notes" field after that "/", and obviously 
people "out there" all over the place somehow think it's important to 
tell their buddies via that field right now, what kind of rig they're 
running...  (haha... sorry, just poking a little fun at that fad)...

So I dunno... I don't really use the field.  Maybe someone who likes 
using it can explain some of their better uses for it.  Wonder if Icom 
has future plans for it?

I put some stuff in my ID-800H that looks like gibberish in the Text Msg 
fields to make it play nicely with other DPRS-equipped rigs (people with 
2820's tell me they can see my location information) as well as the 
JavaARPSd server running on the Gateway, and I get crap for it all the 
time on the Reflectors... like the text field is MORE useful holding my 
home city or name or something to them, than in making my GPS 
coordinates show up on aprs.fi...

I wonder if that stuff will mess with D-RATS?  Haven't checked yet.

Oh well, who knows what all these extra data spaces (small, but maybe 
useful) could/should be used for?  Choice is good, I guess.

I hear the Brits are very picky about what letters you use for your 
Personal Info page for your rigs, and have some fairly "strict" 
standards for those "Initial" fields.

That seems counterproductive to people coming up with creative 
solutions, but whatever floats their boats... not bothering me any from 
here.  I just put whatever I want into the rigs here!  (GRIN)  Most of 
the time that's just boring old "WY0X", really...

Perhaps someone has a more creative idea.  I'm a system admin for a 
living.  I live and breathe BORING, to have system uptimes measured in 
years... (GRIN).

Nate WY0X