the field day aspects would be nice for a demo  which is what I am hoping to use it for,  otherwise it wold just be nice t find stations and their pileups, surfing for w1aw for example :)  definitely just one more tool to play with. let me know  what I can do to help if anything. and i will try to get that display here as soon as I can

Michael Thurman
[log in to unmask]



On May 2, 2014, at 6:29 AM, Jim Shaffer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:

> Let me address a couple of things.
> 
> Ron, I thought about using dot 3 or 6 for the noise floor.  The reason I 
> like starting at the top of the cell is that the routing keys for most 
> braille displays are above the cell, and this makes it a little easier to 
> line up the cell with the routing key.  Not a big deal though.
> 
> Michael, yes, it should work for the TS-2000 also.  I have used this program 
> with the TS-2000.  In fact, it will give you access to the 2000's menus.  I 
> do need some other testers of the software though, as I am just one person, 
> and don't have a lot of computers around here to test it with.
> 
> Also, I don't think it would be of a lot of use for something like field 
> day, because there are so many stations on then it would just be a process 
> that gets in the way.
> --
> Jim, KE5AL
> -----Original Message----- 
> From: Michael Thurman
> Sent: Friday, May 02, 2014 4:35 AM
> To: [log in to unmask]
> Subject: Re: Braille Pan Adapter
> 
> wow that is awesome! I have a ts2000, would it work for that rig? I will =
> be getting my hands on a braille display. not rue how many cells yet,but =
> it is from a palmate a friend of one has and no longer uses. this is =
> exciting and just n time for field day
> Michael Thurman
> [log in to unmask]
> 
> 
> 
> On May 1, 2014, at 1:05 PM, Jim Shaffer <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
> 
>> Let's try this message format.  Honestly I'm getting pretty disgusted =
> with=20
>> the way this list can't manage to handle our messages without throwing =
> a lot=20
>> of garbage in them.
>> --------------------------------
>> Well my pan adapter project has born fruit.  It is working pretty =
> well.  I=20
>> specify a frequency range and pan increment, usually 1 KHZ, and it =
> creates a=20
>> braille graph of the band activity.  The braille graph is on my 40 =
> cell=20
>> Pacmate display.
>> =20
>> I use the characters =93a b l p q =3D=94 to show the relative signal =
> strengths.=20
>> Those characters are dot 1, dots 1 and 2, dots 1, 2, and 3, etc.  A =
> single=20
>> dot 1 is the noise floor.
>> =20
>> I put up a new pan graph every 3 band scans, in other words, I scan =
> the band=20
>> 3 times, and then generate the braille, scan another 3 times and =
> generate,=20
>> etc.  I generate the graph using the maximum value I got from those 3 =
> scans.=20
>> This hopefully minimizes missing a CW op whose key just wasn=92t down =
> when I=20
>> scanned the last time.
>> =20
>> Here is a sample display.  Note that if you=92re not using a braille =
> display,=20
>> this won=92t make much sense.
>> =20
>> aaaabbbaaalqap=3Dbaaaaabbbblbaaaalllaaqaaa
>> =20
>> The =93q=94 and =93=3D=94 show strong signals, the =93p=94 less =
> strong, etc.
>> =20
>> With the TS-590 at 115200 baud, I can scan around 40 points per =
> second, or=20
>> 40 khz per second scanning 1 khz at a time.  That seems to be fast =
> enough,=20
>> well for me at least.
>> =20
>> Oh, and perhaps the most important feature of this is that when I see =
> on the=20
>> graph a spot I want to go to, I just click the routing key, the =
> program=20
>> stops panning, and sends the rig to the corresponding frequency.  This=20=
> 
>> frequency is approximate, depending upon how many KHZs are represented =
> by a=20
>> cell, but it=92s in the ball park of the signal I=92ve spotted.
>> --
>> Jim, KE5AL
>> From: Jim Shaffer
>> Sent: Tuesday, April 29, 2014 11:12 PM
>> To: For blind ham radio operators
>> Subject: re: Braille Pan Adapter
>> =20
>> Well, I=92ve done a proof of concept, and it works!  I don=92t have it =
> in any=20
>> shape to really be very useable yet, but I can make my TS-590 scan and=20=
> 
>> return s-meter readings fast enough to do a reasonable job of showing =
> a band=20
>> or band segment.
>> =20
>> Stay tuned.
>> --
>> Jim Shaffer, KE5AL
>> Pflugerville, TX
>> www.jjshaffer.net
>> www.pgramblers.com=20