[Xastir] Feature? Or am I just lazy...

[Curt Mills, WE7U]

On Sun, 9 Feb 2003, KC7ZRU - Tate wrote:

> Out of town traveler comes through town. Want to send a "Hi how are ya,
> welcome to our world" kind of thing - you know, ham stuff. Looking at
> the Station Information I see visitor is using a MIC-E type device.
> D-700, ah there it is - in one of his 35+ status comments (yea, 35+!).

The multiple status lines all with just a few characters different
at the end of the line are due to Mic-E expansion that is still done
by some igates.  If you can find an igate that is still doing the
expansion and can very nicely ask them to cease and desist, others
would appreciate it.  Often the igate operators need to be told
specific things to add to their configs in order to turn off that
feature.  Find out what igate software they're using, research the
command, and have your initial contact with them be a prepared one.


> This guy should be able to receive an APRS message. The message type
> identifier (APRS Spec V1.01 Page 17) can indicate if a station can
> receive a message or not. Notably the =, /, `, ' and @ types. Seems the
> KenPRS devices use ` and '. I see the ! type is specifically NOT message
> capable.

The Kenwood devices got the ''' and '`' characters swapped as I
recall.  They blew it on that part of the spec.


> Would it be worth while to have the Station Information
> dialog's "Send Message" function check the targeted station's
> identifier? Idea is if you try to send a message to something like an
> aprsd server or other non-message capable station, xastir won't bother
> to send it out. Instead it comes back with a something says "not a
> message enabled station" or some such.

This is on the feature request list already: "Remember message
capabilities of stations".  What form this will take when finally
implemented is up for debate of course.  I think just a status
line somewhere on the Send Message dialog stating that the station
may not be message capable might be a good start, or perhaps a
Green/Red Send Message button as well?

-- 
Curt Mills, WE7U                    hacker_NO_SPAM_ at tc.fluke.com
Senior Methods Engineer/SysAdmin
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