Hello All, I was having trouble installing D-Rats on Windows 11 because the program could not create the shared folder. This is because the Desktop is being backed up to OneDrive. After a long search I found this video on YouTube (The Comms Channel) which provided the information I needed to solve this problem. It's so simple. https://youtu.be/ZTo63590F0U 73, Alan - KA4LTC

Limited seats are still available for D-STAR InfoCon at Dayton Hamvention for 2024 The class provides an introduction to D-STAR for new users and more advanced topics for more experienced D-STAR users. The class will be held at the Drury Inn Ballroom at 6616 Miller Lane in the heart of hotel row in Dayton. The 3-hour class will be held on Friday, May 17th beginning at 8:00am local time. This year’s topics will include getting on-the-air with D-STAR, how to connect around the world, programming for all models of D-STAR radios and hotspots, using DR Mode, easy updating your radio memories and using hotspots and other D-STAR devices. Basics of digital radio and D-STAR Getting started with your D-STAR radio The D-STAR user registration process explained Programming your D-STAR radios and Hotspots Linking to repeaters and reflectors Helpful hints and tips to get the most from D-STAR Sending pictures, D-STAR Data (D-RATS) and DD Mode Registration and $25 payment are required for the class at DSTAR InfoCon 2024. An Icom ID-52A handheld D-STAR radio will be given away to one lucky student during the class. Also plan to attend the D-STAR Friday Night event at the same location on Friday, May 17th beginning at 6:30. Admission is free, enjoy light snacks, speakers, demos and an Icom ID-52A handheld radio to be given away.

Hello all, I have uploaded some new Debian packages for lzhuf to https://groups.io/g/d-rats/files/D-Rats . Added: Ubuntu 24.04 on x86_64 Debian Bookworm for x86_64 and arm64v8 Debian Buster for armv7l The arm64v8 package is compatible with Raspberry PI 64 bit. The armv7l package is compatible with Raspberry PI 32 bit. Packages already present: Ubuntu 18.04, 20.04, 22.04 on x86_64 Debian bullseye and buster for x86_64 Microsoft Windows v7 and newer Some technical details. All the non-Windows builds were done on an Ubuntu 22.04 x86_64 system using docker containers. The lzhuf repository has instructions on how to build native Microsoft packages and also how to use an 86_64 system to build debian binary packages for x86_64 and two current releases of Rasbian. 73, -John wb8tyw

Hello All, I have started work on a blog post for a future presentation at my local ham radio club. This is intended to be only an overview, not deep details. Any feedback is welcome. https://wb8tyw-projects.blogspot.com/2024/04/d-rats-from-python2-to-python3.html Regards, -John wb8tyw@...

Hello All, I have started work on a blog post for a future presentation at my local ham radio club. This is intended to be only an overview, not deep details. Any feedback is welcome. Regards, -John wb8tyw@...

I just had to switch IP providers and am now on Charter Spectrum. They gave me a new router and I have opened ports 9000 and 9500 in the router. I also had to completely rebuild my Raspberry Pi D-Rats installation and have Version 0.4.1 loaded. I have checked the ports on the target machine with portchecktool.com and that Internet based program indicates the two needed ports are open and listening. However, when I start the D-Rats repeater and try to connect with a client I get the following: StTammany: Unable to connect ([Errno 111] Connection refused). I have refreshed the SD card, tried other versions of the software, but I still get Connection refused, or target actively refused the connection. What am I doing wrong?? The system has been down for a couple of weeks now after the older Pi I was using, still running Buster and version 0.3.9 started messing up. While trying to fix the refusal problem I ended up bricking the SD card and, of course, I can't do a new install of 0.3.9 as the required dependencies are no longer available for the older software. Any ideas. I am getting the same messages from the K5PDR ratflector up in Pennsylvania that has been refusing connections for quite a while.

D-STAR InfoCon is back at Dayton Hamvention for 2024 providing an introduction to D-STAR for new users and more advanced topics for more experienced D-STAR users. The class will be held at the Drury Inn Ballroom at 6616 Miller Lane in the heart of hotel row in Dayton. The 3-hour class will be held on Friday, May 17th beginning at 8:00am local time. This year’s topics will include getting on-the-air with D-STAR, how to connect around the world, programming for all models of D-STAR radios, using DR Mode, easy updating your radio memories and using hotspots and other D-STAR devices. · Basics of digital radio and D-STAR Getting started with your D-STAR radio The D-STAR user registration process explained Programming your D-STAR radios Linking to repeaters and reflectors Helpful hints and tips to get the most from D-STAR D-STAR Data (D-RATS) and DD Mode The class is $25 and advance registration and payment is required. Complete registration and payment at DSTAR InfoCon 2024. An Icom ID-52A handheld D-STAR radio will be given away to one lucky student during the class.

The ticket for RS-MS1A protocol integration is: https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/issues/25 For RS-MS1A and D-Rats integration is that D-Rats needs to know the protocols used for RS-MS1A, and if there is a way to recognize the RS-MS1A frame. Currently the D-Rats protocols have not been completely mapped out, and we do not know anything yet about the RS-MS1A. I do not know if the D-Rats text and file transfer modes can be changes so that they can work with RS-MS1A frames. The serial port on Icom D-Star radios is also use for remote control and programming of the radios via programs like Icom provides or the open source https://chirp.danplanet.com/. Newer Icom radios provide a bluetooth serial port. What ever is used for RS-MS1A has to block the binary codes that put the radio in remote control mode from being sent. D-rats uses y-encoded transmissions to avoid those codes, and then uses a frame structure with binary codes in it. Getting D-Rats to receive text and pictures from RS-MS1A should not be too hard if we get the RS-MS1A protocols worked out. Items needed to be known about RS-MS1A: 1. Does it use any frame format, such as headers or checksums. 2. How does it determine a picture sending from a text sending. 3. How does it do the encoding to avoid sending radio control commands to the radio. Getting D-Rats to be able to send text and pictures to RS-MS1A based on what I have read on this mailing list would require changing the D-Rats protocols that are sent, and those newer packets would only be readable on that newer version of D-Rats. There are several enhancement code cleanup tickets that are ahead of any work by me on RS-MS1A. https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/issues/218 https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/issues/134 https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/issues/132 https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/issues/121

Hi: Looking for feedback about D-Rats RF capabilities, usage. So far have been testing the repeater - client from network connections. Planning to move now into the serial (RF) setup. My radio is a ICOM IC900 Have several questions: 1- Which freqs are used for D-Rats ia RF? 2- Which speed can be expected and how such speed compares with Packet, VARA FM. 3- It is possible to run D-Rats via HF or low bands? Sorry if any of those questions are basic or simple. 73 Edfel KP4AJ

I have bridged radios using the repeater proxy (ratflector) function in the the past. At some point during all the updates to D-Rats, I can no longer use the RF repeater function. Ratflector seems to work for internet, but not as it was intended to be used---as an RF bridge. Anybody have this working in any current version of D-Rats? We need this function for emcomm and relay into the repeater.

Just checking to see if you order from Amazon Thank.

Hi: Please note latest changes in D-Rats code are now included in the news.rst file. Code releases this year are the Python3 - base code. Congratulations to John and developers for the much-appreciated and needed python3 migration. To my best understanding python3 base code is the one that will include new features, and enhancements as determined by developers. The work done by developers lead by John, have been intensive and time-consuming. If you want to follow D - Rats progress, issues and so on I strongly recommend to check https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats. Right now you can run the D - Rats latest (pyhton3 - base) code from Linux, Mac, and Windows. I have been able to run latest code in Windows 10 and Linux environments. For more information and instructions please check https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/wiki D - Rats development is steady, check the link above (github) to see the issues, progress and keep in touch or better contribute! Also check the wiki section. Thank you very very much to John, Maurizio and other developers! Hope to see some new features in D Rats during 2024 development! 73' Edfel KP4AJ Below I am including the changes from 0.4.1. D_Rats.Version 0.4.2 (2023-11-28) ================================= Bugfixes -------- - Changed to use Python csv module for csv file. (#119) - User's default html and text viewer applications will now be used. (#129) - D-Rats Repeater should not try to run a GUI console when not possible. (#176) - Fix version fallback when running from GitHub archive. (#187) - Fixed sound on Linux and enabled it for Mac OS. (#191) - Optional Lookup of longitude and Latitude by address now available in the GPS configuration dialog. (#199) - Add version reporting to d-rats_repeater. (#200) - Fix password validation for Ratflectors. (#201) - Add --version qualifier to d-rats.py (#204) - Fix Shebang on internationalization_test.py #209 (#209) - Fix NMEA to decimal degree conversions. (#211) - Fix Form save/send/print not working. (#215) - Fix loading of translations. Updated About Dialog. Moved icons into images folder for icons and images and moved *.ico into it. (#218) - Fix crash in adding e-mail accounts. (#224) - Fixed crash on removing attachments from a message. (#226) - Fix message attachment extraction (#228) - Fix D-Rats flooding of the console log with invalid DPRS symbol messages. Fix config dialog for selecting APRS and DPRS icons. (#230) - Use the locale environment variables for default locale. (#236) - Added APRS Overlay support. (#237) - Fix d-rats_repeater device entry. (#243) - version.py version lookup fails if git is not installed. (#245) - Fix build_pot.sh to also rebuild the binary message databases. (#249) - Do not run D-rats client or repeater with privileges (#250) - Fix formatting error in d-rats Repater code. (#251) - Use serial driver XON/XOFF Handling (#253) - File transfer was creating directory with remote station name in the current working directory. (#257) - Fix sending image resize dialog. (#265)

A new 0.4.2 release of D-Rats is now available. A new installation script for installing on Microsoft Windows using MobaXterm instead of Msys2 has been prepared. The MobaXterm install has been tested with Windows 7, 10, and 11. https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats/wiki/010.020-Installation-of-D%E2%80%90Rats-on-Microsoft-Windows-with-MobaXterm For other platforms it is available both from cloning and or updating a github checkout from https://github.com/ham-radio-software/D-Rats. The pip installable tarball is at https://groups.io/g/d-rats/files/D-Rats/D-Rats%20Releases This fixes many issues with message and form transfers. This also fixes an issue where on radio links, D-Rats may randomly drop characters resulting in incomplete communications, failed responses and file transfers. All older versions of D-rats are known to have this bug. Similar scripts as used for MobaXterm should be possible for other platforms. MobaXterm is compatible with most Linux commands at the command line level, but not 100% compatible with shell scripts for Linux. 73, -John wb8tyw

iam new to both D-rats and linux based OS but i was able to clone a working vs from github, installed and was working fine until i tried to add a local host, now i cannot add any new radio ports in preferences. i cannot open preferences its giving an error. Traceback (most recent call last): File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/mainwindow.py", line 289, in _activate_prefs saved = self._config.show(parent=self._window) File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/config.py", line 2860, in show drats_ui = DratsConfigUI(self, parent) File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/config.py", line 2670, in __init__ self.build_ui() File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/config.py", 2769, in build_ui add_panel(DratsTCPIncomingPanel, "tcpin", _("TCP Gateway"), network) File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/config.py", line 2731, in add_panel panel = c_arg(self.config, *args) File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/config.py", line 2144, in __init__ list_widget = val.add_list(incols) File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/config.py", line 1042, in add_list list_widget.set_item(key, *tuple(vals)) File "/home/tactpi/D-Rats/d_rats/keyedlistwidget.py", line 185, in set_item self.__store.append(row=(key,) + values) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/overrides/Gtk.py", line 1004, in append return self._do_insert(-1, row) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/overrides/Gtk.py", line 995, in _do_insert row, columns = self._convert_row(row) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/overrides/Gtk.py", line 902, in _convert_row result.append(self._convert_value(cur_col, value)) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/overrides/Gtk.py", line 916, in _convert_value return GObject.Value(self.get_column_type(column), value) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/overrides/GObject.py", line 208, in __init__ self.set_value(py_value) File "/usr/lib/python3/dist-packages/gi/overrides/GObject.py", line 240, in set_value raise TypeError("Expected string but got %s%s" % TypeError: Expected string but got 9000<class 'int'>

Hi: Regarding Nov FCC meeting that might be a big step to remove Symbol Rate Restriction on Amateur Bands. https://www.arrl.org/news/fcc-to-vote-on-removing-symbol-rate-restrictions If removal applies to VHF and UHF bands, How that could potentially benefit D - Rats users? VHF / UHF radios will require a firmware update to be able to function or take advantage of the change? or new radios manufacturing will be required? I am very positive as ARRL was a petitioner of that change and FCC talks about innovation, experimentation, digital modes and EMCOMM. Those are my favorite Ham Radio words. Thanks in Advance!! Edfel KP4AJ

Maurizio and all, Are we ready to mark a 0.4.0 version of D-Rats? Next I think I would want to work on improving the configuration GUI. what I would have in mind is that for some settings like ratflector lists, forms, and mapping services to be able to select updates from online sources when D-Rats has access to the Internet. I also want to add options to the serial port dialog to allow testing and using support for DSR / CTS as options and allow optionally using the driver XON/XOFF protocol. I also want to look at if I can get D-Rats to be able to detect and interoperate with the Icom android application that just does text and pictures. Unfortunately I do not have a specification on how the picture sending/receiving works on that APP. 73, -John wb8tyw

Just got a U-Blox7 GPS USB device. Finding the official signed driver for Microsoft Windows was an adventure as all existing links to the official drivers were dead. For others reference until someone can put it in the D-Rats wiki: https://www.u-blox.com/en/product/u-center Download u-center, and run the install script. For d-rats to use the device, you only need to install the driver, not the entire u-center package. It will show up as a usb serial device. Note: I have not had time to test this device with D-Rats yet. For Linux the device shows up as /dev/ttyACM0. Linux may have a service running that may allocate the device. 73, -John WB8TYW

A point of information for E-mail threads. There is a long standing convention that if you are changing the topic of an e-mail thread, then the person changing the topic should change the subject with the old topic in parenthesis as above. When replying to such a thread, the people replying are supposed to remove the text in the parenthesis including the parenthesis. Most e-mail clients and e-mail archives like the one groups.io uses understand this and when set in threaded mode this allows the reader to follow threads properly. Threads are generally not grouped by the subject text. Threads are grouped by a unique message ID that was generated by the first message in the thread. So even changing the title may not change the thread, and may cause your messages to be harder to find. Which means if you are starting a new topic, you should start a new message, instead of replying to an existing message. This will keep the users who have messages sorted by threads and any public e-mail archive properly organized and easy to look up messages in. 73, -John wb8tyw