Android App

Walt - KZ1F

I used to watch Nixie Pixel vids on UTube. She left due to some monetary issue with YouTube. That's why I assumed there was $$ involved.

W4WHL

Today I doubled the resolution of the waterfall from 700 pixels per line to 1400 pixels.  This requires 2 frames per line, so it also doubled my lag   LOL.  But the result is great, now fine digital signals look real good.  This resolution should be sufficient  for up to a 10" screen.

Now to figure out how to speed this thing up.  The bands are a bit dead here right now, but will post a video this evening.

William

W4WHL

NM Fixed the lag.  Moved my methods inside the runnable

William

Walt - KZ1F

It's probably something else because that's exactly how events work

W4WHL

not sure what you mean, my surface was being drawn outside may asynctask.  This was causing hangs to UI.  I moved the drawing into the doinbackground, and no more hangs,

Walt - KZ1F

np, "moved my methods inside the runnable" wasn't descriptive.

W4WHL

Here is a HD version of the android panfall display.  Band is weak today, but you get the idea


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eol14KpqRHo

James Whiteway

Looking really good now. Are you going to be releasing beta's anytime soon? Via the Play Store or otherwise?
james
WD5GWY

W4WHL

Not really soon, like I said, I have to redesign the UI.  Currently I don't have enough real estate.  I had to delete a lot of controls to fit the waterfall on the screen.  So I need the redesigned UI to move these controls to another tab.  I also need to build in controls to adjust the waterfall.

Not to mention Audio, which I have not even started. Metering etc etc

My next step is to start a new project to design a workable user interface.  Currently I'm just using the old app as a test platform to develop my code.

Walt will probably beat me to the play store.  But I get the first waterfall outside of SmartSDR award

William

W4WHL

What do yall think of this one?


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EVwaVBaPIiE

W4WHL

And he is talking about flex, cool!  LOL  wonder if this guy is on the forum.

GI4FZD

I prefer the previous display..but congrats on coming so far in such a short time.
Cheers
Paul
gi4fzd

IW7DMH, Enzo

I think it is a really great project.
Please consider to open a part of your code so one can send commands to the rig.
I imagine using your app on a UDOO device and using real knobs connected to the embedded Arduino Due board.
If you plan to migrate your project on UDOO, I'll be glad to send you all my Arduino code.

73' Enzo
iw7dmh

James Whiteway

Oh, you definitely have earned that award! :-)
I realize you have a long way to go. But, it seems you are getting
there pretty fast. My little Windows app, suffers from not enough
attention with me being on the road during the week. But, I have
not given up. If for no other reason than a chance to learn something
new and keep this old brain active for something other than dodging
4 wheelers!
james
WD5GWY



James Whiteway

Enzo, wouldn't using a device like the CMD Micro controller with a tablet work the same? I can use it with my my Nextbook Win 8.1 tablet and SSDR ( using a USB adapter) and have a portable setup with knobs. (wired to the tablet, but, still works)
james
WD5GWY

Edit:  it sounds like your idea is something along the lines of the upcoming Maestro.
But, maybe a bit cheaper to do?

W4WHL

James,

I have thought hard about interfacing the CMD micro to the android.  It would sure solve much of the real estate issues.  But then again, its not exactly portable.

Enzo,

I will look into that.

Paul,

I like the new way better, but the wonderful thing, is I can do both.

William


Gary Robertson - KY5R

Hi William,

I am very impressed with your work on the android app and hope that you will make it available to the ham community someday. I would be willing to pay a reasonable amount (say up to $30) for such an android app.

I am thinking about buying a 7 or 8" android tablet in the near future but have a number of questions about what I should buy. I know your app is unfinished. However, could you give me your best advice on the following desired or required components of such an android tablet:

1.   Minimum android operating system
2.   Speed of processor and number of cores
3.   Mimimum amount of internal ram
4.   Minimum storage capacity

Costco has a good deal on a Samsung Galaxy Tab 4 with Wi-Fi Tablet with android 4.4 operating system, 1.2 GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB storage. Would this Samsung tablet adequately run your future app? Or, is a Sansung tablet overkill and a cheaper android tablet would work just as well?

Any advice that you could provide on the type of tablet that I should buy would be great;y appreciated. 

Gary Robertson
KY5R

W4WHL

I would buy a 10" tablet with android 5+.  That being said, everything I am doing is on a Samsung Galaxy tab 4 10.1.

The Galaxy Tab is planned for an upgrade to android 5.1

That being said, If I ever finish this app LOL

William

W4WHL

Maybe its the 4 shots of tequila I just had, But I love this!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ixVbgZJhQN8

W4WHL

I don't know if I will ever finish this thing, but I'm sure having fun trying

James Whiteway

Sure looks like fun! One idea, in the waterfall, how about showing the strongest portion of a signal in a darker color like dark red? Similar to what SSDR and other SDR programs do. (Vary intensity according to signal strength) This version certainly looks very nice. You are close, if not already there, on getting the panafall done.
james
WD5GWY

W4WHL

James, if the signal is strong enough it is red,  but my gradient I built required a super strong signal for red to appear.  I will tweak the gradient as time goes by.  Currently I'm using 1280 colors from dark blue-blue-green-yellow-red.

There is some red in the video, the cam just does not pick it up well

William

W4WHL

on another note, I have been having fun making so DX QSO's with the Android App

W4WHL

James Whiteway

Tease!!!

W4WHL

lol

IW7DMH, Enzo

James Whiteway wrote
Enzo, wouldn't using a device like the CMD Micro controller with a tablet work the same? I can use it with my my Nextbook Win 8.1 tablet and SSDR ( using a USB adapter) and have a portable setup with knobs. (wired to the tablet, but, still works)
james
WD5GWY

Edit:  it sounds like your idea is something along the lines of the upcoming Maestro.
But, maybe a bit cheaper to do?

James, I like Dxing and contests and using a tablet next to a CMD Micro controller isn't a handy solution (at least for me).
When I started to work on my Arduino controller I had in mind a small box with direct connection to the rig just like the Maestro solution is; of course I didn't aware of Flex future projects, but it seems the idea is the same (actually everybody here had the same idea).
Someone else already asked about some kind of APIs for the Maestro board also, and I think it would be nice having a way to embed a logger/keyer software into Maestro. That is the reason, some time ago, I asked for a pluggable system also in the SSDR GUI. My idea wasn't very appreciated but now I am pretty sure it can be realized at least using a UDOO like board and an ad-hoc suite for Flex rigs. Better of course if it can be using Maestro. While I am waiting it will be available here in Italy, I'll play with my controller that now implements the whole command API. I just started to learn Metering protocol so I can implement meters like SWR, power, and so on. Here is a picture of it: plenty of multifuncion knobs. You can be sure you can use a flex without having to watch the monitor or having to deal with the mouse for fine dsp/bw filter tuning.

73' Enzo
iw7dmh

W4WHL

Thats cool Enzo!

James Whiteway

Certainly is! Well done. james

W4WHL

Just logged a VK3, my first using the Android app.  I only have an indoor 2 element beam in my attic, so Australia is rare.  Strange condition today.

William

W4WHL

Almost full screen waterfall, also added a scale.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b26WeoA25r8