Rich - K1HTV
2017-07-14 23:53:28 UTC
Joe and the WSJT-X software development team,
First, congrats on the superb job you all have done in the creation of the new FT8 mode. It works great! In 5 days, while running 50 Watts, a triband yagi and wire antenna, I've managed to work 62 countries using FT8, including some nice catches such as Bahrain, Iraq, Armenia, Japan, Gabon on 20M and multiple VK's on 20M & 40M . I wish that 6 Meter propagation to DX lands would improve so we can exercise the mode under multi-hop conditions on the Magic Band.
Its been fun, but, the main reason for this note is a request for you all to consider.
One of my fellow DXer friends, with 355 countries confirmed and on the DXCC Honor Roll, is interested in using the new FT8 mode but is visually impaired. I wonder if there might be a way to make FT8 available to him and other blind Radio operators?
Some additional features would need to be incorporated, such as:
- Shortcut keys for various required functions (TX Enable, TX disable, TX6-CQ, Monitor ON, etc.)
- If voice output of alpha numeric WAV files is not possible, maybe an ASCII output stream could be fed to a second COM port to feed an external text-to-voice reader.
- UP/Down function keys to control pointing to lines in the "Band Activity" window to be voiced.
- A key to select a chosen line which would then populate the message box and activate TX Enable.
- Voice the characters of the line being transmitted so the blind op would know the progress of the QSO.
- Although an ALT-Q will manually log a QSO, it would be helpful is there was an automatic logging of a completed QSO data into an ADIF file for easy uploading to LOTW.
I know that it is important to get solid WSJT-X code for release. But, once this has been done, it would be
great if the WSJT-X team could make the necessary additions so visually impaired Hams could use the new FT8 mode.
Thanks in advance for your consideration of this request to help our fellow blind Radio Amateurs join in the fun of this new digital mode.
73,
Rich - K1HTV
First, congrats on the superb job you all have done in the creation of the new FT8 mode. It works great! In 5 days, while running 50 Watts, a triband yagi and wire antenna, I've managed to work 62 countries using FT8, including some nice catches such as Bahrain, Iraq, Armenia, Japan, Gabon on 20M and multiple VK's on 20M & 40M . I wish that 6 Meter propagation to DX lands would improve so we can exercise the mode under multi-hop conditions on the Magic Band.
Its been fun, but, the main reason for this note is a request for you all to consider.
One of my fellow DXer friends, with 355 countries confirmed and on the DXCC Honor Roll, is interested in using the new FT8 mode but is visually impaired. I wonder if there might be a way to make FT8 available to him and other blind Radio operators?
Some additional features would need to be incorporated, such as:
- Shortcut keys for various required functions (TX Enable, TX disable, TX6-CQ, Monitor ON, etc.)
- If voice output of alpha numeric WAV files is not possible, maybe an ASCII output stream could be fed to a second COM port to feed an external text-to-voice reader.
- UP/Down function keys to control pointing to lines in the "Band Activity" window to be voiced.
- A key to select a chosen line which would then populate the message box and activate TX Enable.
- Voice the characters of the line being transmitted so the blind op would know the progress of the QSO.
- Although an ALT-Q will manually log a QSO, it would be helpful is there was an automatic logging of a completed QSO data into an ADIF file for easy uploading to LOTW.
I know that it is important to get solid WSJT-X code for release. But, once this has been done, it would be
great if the WSJT-X team could make the necessary additions so visually impaired Hams could use the new FT8 mode.
Thanks in advance for your consideration of this request to help our fellow blind Radio Amateurs join in the fun of this new digital mode.
73,
Rich - K1HTV