[aprssig] Sky Ccommand...

[Stephen H. Smith]

bruninga at usna.edu wrote:
> New learnings about SKYCOMMAND:  Neat stuff!
>
> I have a TS-2000 radio at work on HF set to skycomand
> TRANSPORTER mode.
>
> I can have my HT and my D700 and a Laptop running APRSdos all
> acting as COMMANDERS and all display on their screen's the same
> HF radio info no matter who is controlling.  I can even use DUMB
> terminal on the APRS packet station and control the HF radio
> too, and my COMMANDER radios are all updated to the new HF radio
> settings.  

You're running this on the APRS channel??  I presume the laptop running 
APRS is doing it on the APRS channel.


> The packets are simply UI packets sent to the TOCALL
> of SC2.
>
>   

Is this changeable?   What happens if there are TWO TS-2000s in Sky 
Command mode within earshot?   (This could very easily happen here where 
my 2M simplex range from Pasadena overlooks a line-of-sight population 
of over 6 million people.)

> Thus we can have GROUP operations of a REMOTE HF transceiver and
> all can see on the front panels of their radios what is going
> on!  Neat!  And anyone can listen to the VHF link to hear what
> we are all hearing.
>
>   


>
> By using the APRS UHF channel of 445.925 (if avaliable in your
> area) and setting a TRANSPORTER callsign of TPTR and mobile
> skycommand calls of CMDR, then any and all mobiles in the area
> can see/command any local SKYCOMMND systems.  
>   

I assume you mean any and all D7s and D700s, or are you proposing that 
some other kind of dual-band mobile equipped with an external TNC and 
terminal program try to emulate Sky Command (perhaps from macros stored 
in a terminal program)?  

If the latter, the MixW all-mode soundcard programs operating as a PC 
soundcard soft TNC would be ideal for this.  Connect the radio's 6-pin 
MIni-DIN "data/packet" connector to the computer's sound card.   In 
"Packet" mode, MixW is both a soundcard "soft TNC"  AND a basic 
send/receive ASCII terminal with separate send and receive windows all 
in one.   Further, you can define and store a nearly unlimited number of 
pre-defined macros that can be sent  with chorded keystrokes (i.e.  
Alt-Shift-FnX, Alt-Ctrl-FnX, etc). Typically these are used to call CQ, 
send canned exchanges during contests, etc, but they could be defined to 
send Sky Command sequences instead.

> We willuse PL of
> 67 to CONTROL the HF rig and PL100 for chatting on the UHF
> backchannel.  This way, all an APRS mobile has to do to see if
> anything is going on on SKYcommand is simply QSY his 144.39
> Voice Alert channel to 445.925 and call out.  PL is arelady set
> for backchannel voice.  And if anyone is listening, they will
> hear it. Etc...

With the D700 at least, does this mean you could set a couple of PMs, 
one with Skycommand mode enabled with one PL in one, and another PM with 
normal (non Sky Command) mode and a different PL?    

Or can you switch memories on the remote radio while it is in Sky 
Command mode (so that you could could store the same frequency with 
different PL tones selected in two adjacent memories for fast switching)?






--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node:      14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.com  --OR--   http://wa8lmf.net

NEW!   TNC Test CD
  http://wa8lmf.net/TNCtest

JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
  http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm

"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
  http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths

Updated "Rev G" APRS            http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
UIpoint and APRSplus: