PFSkimer - What is the possibility for a SmartSDR display that combines: - Panadapter - Waterfall -

DrTeeth

Al, nice mock-up as usual. Is there such a thing as an SSB skimmer?

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Guy,
Adding "live spots" from one of the cluster programs to the SSDR panadapter is possible and listed as an option.   That's not really an SSB skimmer (i.e. language translator or speech to text) but it would be helpful.  

You never know --- someday in the future even speech to text might be possible.

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - HW.................... V 1.6.21.77
SSDR / DAX / CAT...... V 1.6.21.159
Win10

Al_NN4ZZ

Another good idea....add CW decoding also as suggested by VE7ATJ.



Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - HW.................. V 1.8.4.84
SSDR / DAX / CAT...... V 1.8.4.168
Win10

Al_NN4ZZ

Alex said he will be releasing an all new skimmer product in 2017 or 2018. This would be a great opportunity to integrate his decoding server software with SSDR for this PFSkimmer idea. IMO, The key to staying in the SDR lead is to be the system that provides the most integrated product. One that works well and reliably and keep complexity to a minimum. One that doesn't require a collection of auxiallary program to provide the functionality. Some external integration is fine and there are examples like the logging programs. An integrated SSDR display with live cluster spots and/or CW skimmer spots and optionally CW decoding would one example where it makes sense, IMHO. Maybe the timing is right for FRS to implement this. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Martin Monsalvo - LU5DX

Hello Al,
Integration with CW Skimmer is okay.
However, I think that it could be better to actually provide an interface to communicate with logging software, both, general and contest related.

Here is why,
if you connect to Skimmer directly there would be no way for SSDR to filter out DX Spots based on what you need for either DX chasing or contest purposes.

Users may want to see DX spots for what they are missing based on their needs.

Letting the DX and Contest Logging software do the filtering seems to be the natural way of doing it in terms of the data flow and efficiency since those programs already have the filtering capabilities built in and it would be just a matter for them of sending the filtered DX spots data to SSDR.

Since the new models are actually servers I'm pretty sure there should be an easy way to send the data over TCP/IP to the API.

73,

Martin LU5DX

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Martin,
There are clearly some different use cases.  If you are running an SSDR client but not running an integrated logging program having the radio server interacting with the new skimmer server would still provide the spots.  You may be using a client remotely with SmartLink like an iPhone, iPad, etc and not have a logging program in use. 

If SSDR is integrated with the skimmer server, and a logging program you could do the filtering. 

With the remote capabilities of V2.x (i.e. SmartLink) you also have to think about where the logging program is located and now it would interact with the radio server. 

So some good thoughts to consider.  

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
SSDR / DAX / CAT/ 6700 -  V 1.10.16
Win10

N2TU

Martin,

I tend to agree with your approach.  The need for a 'universal' front end for SSDR. 

For the most part, it is already there...and not complex. 

For instance, I currently run Slicemaster and multiple CW skimmers. As the calls are decoded in Skimmer, they are passed off to Slicemaster which has internal aggregation . SliceMaster then hands off these calls to ARusers' Node Connections. Slicemaster simply looks like a node to ARuser. 

ARuser has the ability to combine these local spots with external (packet) spots and deliver them to Logger32. Logger32 gets these calls and looks at my logbook to determine personal DXCC needs, wants, worked. DX spots are colorized accordingly.

For contests, I simply point N1MM+ to ARuser. All CW calls, those generated locally by my Skimmer are combined with the cluster spots. I never look at CWSkimmer...nor look for any spots to be delivered to SSDR.  I simply follow the N1MM+ Mult/ Need and Bandmap windows.

Having a SSDR CW waterfall filled with calls, for me, is simply too distracting and has little value. In fact during CW contests, Skimmer spots actually clutter up SSDR (IMHO). 

In the DX pile-up use case, I simply have SliceMaster running with two instances of CWSkimmer.  (Slice A and . One for the DX station and one for the pile-up. When you see a 599 in the pile (slice , simply click on it and you are there. For me, I really don't need to see callsigns on SSDR. 

As for the need for an internal telnet capability within SSDR, I agree. The are occasions where that would be useful. 

We all have our preferences....some want SSDR to be all encompassing...some want the ability to tailor SSDR to individual tastes...some want SSDR is be the software that simply runs the radio and 3rd party software which fill in the gaps.

Interesting discussion.

73  

Lou N2TU

Al_NN4ZZ

Spots on a Maestro ---  This idea to integrate a spot display within SSDR for Windows was posted 5 years ago.  The Maestro was introduced since that time but there has been some interest in having spots displayed on the Maestro.  The spots and a CW skimmer display would be a nice enhancement.   If this idea is implemented,  SSDR would link directly to both CW Skimmer and a source for the spots such as VE7CC.  There are other spot sources as well.  On the Windows SSDR version, the user could control the spot source.   

The Maestro is basically a PC ( Dell Laptop) where FRS has control of the applications that run on the Maestro.  It seems like integrated spots and CW skimmer could also be a built-in Maestro feature.  FRS could certainly control ( i.e. limit) the number of spot sources but an integrated solution might be less complex (i.e. work out of the box)  if controlled by FRS.    Another advantage of a direct integration is the elimination of the programs that are currently needed to glue spots and skimmer to SSDR. 

The same features could also be implemented on the 6400M  and 6600M models with the attached screen.  

Of course this is one of those ROI considerations:  what would it cost to program, where does it rank in priority, would it help sell radios, how many customers would like to see this as a feature, etc.

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

Mark_WS7M

I have not been following this thread but I LOVE CW Skimmer and use it as my primary spot server.  

I wish however that that author would give it a little love, perhaps some updated versions that offer a few more features.   For example, I have zero need for the skimmer graphic display.  Since I have pans and waterfalls both on PC and Maestro why do I need another?

I would love to have a -nowaterfall mode that simply used the guts and logic in CW Skimmer and did away with the GUI except to allow you some settings.

I also find the interfacing of CW Skimmer to be tricky and difficult.  SliceMaster and others have done a wonderful job of helping to link things but it is yet another link in a chain that must start and work correctly.

I could personally a CW Skimmer "server" as a simple version of CW Skimmer that would listen for incoming connections and do the decoding and sent out in effect SmartSDR spots to the connected radio.   

That to me would be cool.  You could put it on a small separate NUC and always have it running and ready.  Part of the reason I don't use skimmer all that much is the time it takes to get everything connected and running.   It can add a minute or two to the process.

Just my 2c

Mark - WS7M

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Mark, Alex is working on a new version, and sounds like it might do a lot of what you suggested. No release date announced. Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

Frank Kirschner

It looks like not much has been done in the intervening six years, so I guess it isn't on the front burner.

I think it's a great idea. It would reduce the total computational overhead, and it would (I hope) be able to use something like JTAlert to provide alerts and worked-before indications to facilitate contesting.

I would certainly pay for an update to SSDR that incorporated CW Skimmer.

Jonathan-KE0YBL

This silly hobby. So sad to see such good ideas (natively integrating a CW Skimmer into SSDR) get abandoned.

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi @Mike / VA3MW,

I wonder why this idea was just marked completed and voting was turned off. The complete integration of CW Skimmer on the SSDR screen has not been done yet but it would sure be nice.

The idea is to eliminate the need to run CW skimmer as a separate application and goes beyond just dropping spots on the panadapter. It would also provide the CW to TEXT translation that is a major feature of CW Skimmer. That text translation is NOT clearly described or shown in the mockup and probably why it was considered complete. The complete integration is not obvious but would be needed to get away from running the separate CW Skimmer app. It would require SSDR to directly communicate with the CW Skimmer interface provided by Alex/ VE3NEA. It would eliminate the 2 redundant panadapter type displays (i.e. currently both SSDR and CW Skimmer now are displaying the same data) and taking up extra monitor space.

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ

al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

6600 Win10 Pro V2004 -- SSDR V3.3.33

FROM 2017

Neil D Friedman N3DF

And, of course, incorporate it into the screens of M models and Maestros..

Neil D Friedman N3DF

Al_NN4ZZ

Mike / VA3MW

This idea was marked completed and voting was turned off. The complete integration of CW Skimmer on the SSDR screen has not been done yet but it would sure be nice.

The idea is to eliminate the need to run CW skimmer as a separate application and goes beyond just dropping spots on the panadapter. It would also provide the CW to TEXT translation that is a major feature of CW Skimmer. That text translation is NOT clearly described or shown in the mockup and probably why it was considered complete. The complete integration is not obvious but would be needed to get away from running the separate CW Skimmer app. It would require SSDR to directly communicate with the CW Skimmer interface provided by Alex/ VE3NEA. It would eliminate the 2 redundant panadapter type displays (i.e. currently both SSDR and CW Skimmer now are displaying the same data) and taking up extra monitor space. 

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ 

al (at) nn4zz (dot) com

6600 Win10 Pro V2004 -- SSDR V3.3.33

FROM 2017