[drats_users] Using D-Rats on a reflector

[James Deuel]

>Yes, you're correct. Getting the radio keyed up ahead of time and> letting D-RATS slip the data in while you're speaking is probably a> really good way to go. I think that if you take your radio out of auto> tx mode, then a queued bit of data might go out too quickly when you key> up to make it through the reflector in one piece.
 
The folks in Texas played with this a little bit after it was explained to them to send the D-Rats message with voice conversations. It seemed to work. There might not be an issue here with the queued data. In APRS, when not on 143.390, our Kenwoods will send the APRS packet after you let go of the PTT when on a repeater. I understand your concern.
> Let me ask you a question. Even though I think I knew better, I wasn't> always leaving much of a gap between key-down and starting to talk. Was> I being cut off in the beginning of a voice transmission some of the time?
Yes, maybe. I say, maybe because it happens a lot. There is something wrong with gating. I tested my IC91AD listening to the local repeaters' signal in analog. If I keyed down every 2 seconds 30 times with no RPT2 call sign, I got the repeater to respond 30 times. If I did this procedure again with RPT2 set to "W4AES  G" with no connection to another station or reflector, 2-3 out of 30 transmissions would not key up the repeater, even while holding the PTT for 15 seconds. The repeater would not key up until I unkeyed, waited a few seconds and then rekeyed.  Add this bug to not waiting for the courtesy beep of a stopped data tx and it can be difficult to know if you were heard or not.
 
> > I'm not sure if D-Rats can respond> > without some way to hit the call button like on a 91AD.> > I'm not sure what you mean here.
What I was referring to was to have the D-Rats software do the actual commands that an operator would have to do to establish a connection to a specified individual. If I were to put "KK7DS" into my URCALL and using the gateway, when I key down,  D-Star will find your radio at the last repeater your radio registered at and that repeater would open up with my signal with me calling you. You would have to hit the call button on your radio to establish the link back. This automated concept may not be possible to do with D-Star radios and it may be a bad idea to even do it. D-Star linking is really for voice communications. D-Rats is the D-Star answer for simplex use just as is packet and APRS is for analog. If one wants to send a file transfer via repeaters, they should establish a point to point voice connection first and then send the file. It makes no sense to send it like a broadcast over a reflector. As D-Star grows, it may be better to build digital networks just for data and use the repeater feature of D-Rats to extend the range. It seems to be what you were thinking when you designed the program.Regards, James Deuel, N0XIA 



 
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