SOTAwatch2

Reflector :: SOTA Software Writer's Forum

Post by MM0FMF on 29th December 2011 at 14:52

I've been meaning to do this for sometime...

I think it's time we had a forum for everyone writing software for SOTA. There's myself, Alain F6ENO, Stuart G0LGS, Mario DC7CCC, Andrew K1YMI, Rick M0RCP and I'm sure there are many more authors I've forgotten. Also there are those who are producing data files such as Martyn M1MAJ and his KML files for Google Earth etc.

One of the aims of such a forum is to ensure none of us is wasting our time writing software that already exists. This is especially so when there are so many other things to do! Plus all the usual benefits of discussing bugs, features and their solutions.

I'm not sure where to host this either. I don't think SOTAWATCH is the right place simply as the subject matter will not be of interest to many. I don't want to use Yahoo! Groups as both the web and email interface to it comes complete with a bucket of fail. I can run a majordomo mailing list if needed. So suggestions welcome in this thread.

If you want to take part then send an email to mm0fmf_sota AT intermoose.com saying the email address you would want to use.

Andy, MM0FMF
Database Manager

Post by OH7BF on 29th December 2011 at 17:13

In reply to MM0FMF:

The data standards are important and need general agreement between the users (CSV, ADIF, text file, different databases etc.). Otherwise it is probably better that there is some divergency or even competition between the different software tools and methods. IMHO/IANAL

73, Jaakko OH7BF/F5VGL

Post by G0LGS on 1st January 2012 at 18:43

Andy,

I like the idea of a Forum where we can share thoughts / ideas / code etc.

Several of the web sites that I (and Matt M3WDS) run use the PHP-Fusion CMS which has a Forum system built in, and so I could host such a Forum.

As an example of how it might look I have created a sample Forum on my APRS2SOTA Information site, for the moment I have made the forum publicly visible (but not editable) and posted a sample message with the code from one of the functions in my SOTA CSV Editor shown. The URL to the Forum is:

www.sotaspots.co.uk/forum/index.php

If there is sufficient interest then I can set this up properly and create a proper named forum and accounts for those that want to join in.

Stewart G0LGS

Post by G0NUP on 2nd January 2012 at 08:15

In reply to All:
Hi,
Well I've not published it, but I have written SOTAID4
This is a package that takes the output from Logger32 and others.
Press a button and the SOTA required .CSV file is created for upload and viewing.
Create a Worked Prefix list (associations), View them. Print them.
Create a unique list, View them. Print them.
It will also produce calls list, names list, .CSV's , .ADI's
Filtered by date, and field requirements.
Plus quite a few other functions. It was written for own use, now I'm retired I like to keep my hand in at programming.
Outputs can change date style, freq digits, time style. Variable seperators.
Selection by date, operator or mode.
Currently allows selection of SOTA field from User_1 through3 QTH, Comment, Notes or IOTA. Depends which field you store your SOTA info in. Been waiting to trial with other logging programs.
Earlier versions produced graphs of daily and monthly SOTA activity.
Development sort of idle at the moment but with 2012 just started, I'll probably start making some mods very soon.
I have been converting it from VB6 to VB Studio.
I would welcome joining a group for further development. Glad to have a say should it be useful.
Well thats just a brief overview.
Regards
73 de Kevin G0NUP

Post by F6ENO on 2nd January 2012 at 10:05

In reply to MM0FMF:

Hi all,

If we can share ideas or some other stuff, it's OK for me

Best 73
Alain F6ENO

PS: i'm using Delphi Studio 7

Post by VA3SIE on 2nd January 2012 at 16:43

In reply to MM0FMF:

Hi, Andy.

Great idea.

I'd like to take part also.

My email address is: va3sie@gmail.com

I have some ideas to share.

Thanks
Martin
VA3SIE.

Post by MM0FMF on 7th January 2012 at 13:23

In reply to VA3SIE:

With the holiday season now past us it's time to get this forum moving.

Running through my inbox and on here I have the following people interested in taking part.

G0LGS
M0RCP
G0NUP
MW6SPX
DC7CCC
K1YMI
KK7DS
N7NGO
F6ENO
VA3SIE

If you sent me a mail and your call isn't above then please try again.

Andy
MM0FMF

Post by MM0FMF on 8th January 2012 at 16:50

In reply to MM0FMF:

Stewart G0LGS has kindly offered to host a forum and so I have asked him to set this up and add the interested parties to it. I leave Stewart to do this when he has time and we can see how things develop.

Andy
MM0FMF

Post by G0LGS on 8th January 2012 at 17:58

> Stewart G0LGS has kindly offered to host a forum and so I have asked
> him to set this up and add the interested parties to it. I leave
> Stewart to do this when he has time and we can see how things develop.

I am in the process of creating and configuring accounts for most of those that expressed an interest to Andy in joining in. (I am missing one email address).

When this is done each of you should receive an email from the site with a link to follow, which when opened will send you further email with a password. You can then login to the site and change your password to one of your own choosing and make other changes to your accounts.

If you have any problems with the login or do not receive an email within 24 hours then please use the 'Contact Me' page on the site at www.sotaspots.co.uk to let me know.

Note: There also is a publicly viewable Forum on the site for any announcements, information, links etc (See www.sotaspots.co.uk/forum/viewforum.php?forum_id=4)

Stewart G0LGS

Post by DL1DLF on 11th January 2012 at 19:09

Hello Andy,

no mail in your inbox from (mail at dl1dlf.de) 29/12/2011 and 09/01/2012 ?

Joerg DL1DLF

Post by G3CWI on 11th January 2012 at 19:32

Edward M6NSR mentioned this app he had found:

http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/pocket-sota/id474308793?mt=8

73

Richard
G3CWI

Post by F5LKW on 11th January 2012 at 19:42

In reply to G3CWI:
I download the app. It doesn't work for F/AB and AM.
Th others are right
73 Roger

Post by MM0FMF on 12th January 2012 at 19:33

In reply to DL1DLF:

Sorry Joerg, I missed this message. I can't see any mail from you. I'll ask Stewart to add you now in case he doesn't see this for a while. Also I'm going to grub about in junk mail folders to see if I can find any trace of your mails.

Andy
MM0FMF

Post by DL1DLF on 12th January 2012 at 20:33

Hello Andy,

I recall that Brian ADD sent me a mail which not arrived. I'm not running a spam filter for this adress, also not my provider. A bit mysterious. Is a part of my callsign something that can bring a spam filter wherever to the scene?

Just received an account for APRS2SOTA from Stewart, thanks.

Joerg

Post by F5LKW on 15th January 2012 at 10:05

In reply to F5LKW:
You can add HA5CQZ: http://gyalogradio.ham.hu/spotsms/howto-en.html
Very good website. I use it to send my APRS to SotaWatch spots.

Also I restarted my iPad and now the App. works very well.

73 QRO
Roger

Post by HG4UK on 18th February 2012 at 12:37

Hi All,

does the special software developer's forum work?
How to join the mailing list?

73
Zsolt HG4UK

Post by MM0FMF on 18th February 2012 at 13:55

In reply to HG4UK:

Normally you send myself or Stewart G0LGS a mail and Stewart adds you on. I've been very busy these last 2 weeks and haven't checked the website that hosts the forum so I'm not sure if there are any recent developments. Remiss of me, but not enough hours in the day :-)

Send me a mail (mm0fmf_sota AT intermoose.com) and I'll ask Stewart to add you or you can email Stewart (stewart.g0lgs AT g0lgs.co.uk) directly.

Andy
MM0FMF

Post by E71DX on 4th May 2012 at 11:02

Hello all,

I created a small app for Android to display SOTAwatch spots:

https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.e71dx.sotawatch

It is limited to very basic functionality but I still would appreciate any feedback on the app.

Before writing it, I was not aware of this thread. What the app basically does is it parses spots from the web-page which is not a really good practice.

My question is, is there an direct way to access SOTAwatch spot and also is there a way to send out spots via sotawatch.org besides by logging on and filling out the form (also not via SMS/APRS)? This may be implemented easily with an http client but it is not a nice way to go.

It would be great if sotawatch.org could provide a simple web-service to send and receive spots. Are there any plans to implement this in the future?

All the best,
Sanjin
E71DX

Post by G1INK on 4th May 2012 at 11:05

In reply to E71DX:

Sanjin, I get sotawatch spots direct to my mobile via Twitter. @SOTAwatch

Post by E71DX on 4th May 2012 at 11:09

In reply to G1INK:

Hello, I know you can do this via #SOTAwatch but unfortunately in some countries (like E7) it is not possible to receive twitter messages as SMS.

Post by MM0FMF on 4th May 2012 at 12:27

In reply to E71DX:

>My question is, is there an direct way to access SOTAwatch spot

There is an RSS feed.

>and also is there a way to send out spots via sotawatch.org besides by logging
> on and filling out the form

Spotlite is a lightweight spot/alert interface using http. It's used by the SMS bot as it's so simple to implement.

http://www.sota.org.uk/Spotlite

Andy
MM0FMF

Post by E71DX on 4th May 2012 at 17:07

In reply to MM0FMF:

Hello Andy,

thanks for the info. I knew about the RSS feed, it is great but is limited to 10 spots.

I did not know about Spotlite, thanks once more for pointing it out.

Sanjin
E71DX

Post by KU6J on 5th May 2012 at 15:18

In reply to E71DX:

Hi Sanjin,

I'm working on a MS Windows application to monitor SOTA spots and I am currently using the Twitter Search API to retrieve the spots. The advantage is that it can poll for new spots frequently without loading the SOTA servers, but the disadvantage is that you need to write a parser for the results that come back. Info on the API is here:

https://dev.twitter.com/docs/using-search

This is the URL I use on initialization to grab the most recent spots:

http://search.twitter.com/search.json?q=from:SOTAwatch&include_entities=true&result_type=recent

Once I have the most recent spots, I can then send the Twitter API a different query to return just the new spots added after that.

FYI, the problem I am trying to solve is that I am often busily working at my laptop, forget to check the spots at sotawatch.org, and end up missing an activation. This application will allow me to configure it to play an alert sound when a new spot shows up that meets my criteria (association, band, mode, etc.) and I can then run into the shack and try to work the station.

Hopefully I am not reinventing the wheel, but I wasn't able to find any existing applications that do what I want mine to do.

73,

Eric
KU6J

Post by M1MAJ on 15th May 2012 at 16:30

In reply to KU6J:

> I'm working on a MS Windows application to monitor SOTA spots and I am
> currently using the Twitter Search API to retrieve the spots.

Interesting that the Twitter API is being used to get the spots without having to parse the web page. I originally intended it as nothing more than a cheap way of getting spots sent by SMS.

However do remember that the Twitter feed is very much an "unofficial" facility, and itself works by parsing the web page...

I have every intention of keeping it going, but I'm running it on servers at work and the time may come when I can no longer do this. It's also very vulnerable to changes in the web page format which can happen at any time; I will try to adapt to any changes that do happen but there would most likely be a hiatus, especially if I'm away at the time.

It's fairly amazing to think what is actually going on behind the scenes to achieve all of this!

Martyn M1MAJ

Post by E71DX on 31st May 2012 at 08:32

In reply to KU6J:

Hello Eric,

I was away from home for some time, sorry for not replying.

The twitter feed would be great but unfortunately it has some slight delay so it does not display spots in "real-time" compared to sotawatch.

73, Sanjin
e71dx