Are we calling our Flex-6000s incorrectly? (Mine are Flex-6700-1.4.16 and Flex-6300-1.4.16 as I writ

Steve K9ZW

Problem:  Articles and Posts live on where our radios are being updated.  While the Hardware is Static the SmartSDR software is redefining our radio (the SDR promise) enough that an old review is irrelevant to current operations.

Suggestion:  Add the software version to the way we identify our radios when writing about them, adding more description if additional clarity is needed for non-standard software.

Examples: 

Today (September 4th 2015) I would describe my two radios as a Flex-6700-1.4.16 and a Flex-6300-1.4.16 

If a hypothetical SmartSDR version 1.5.9 launch next week I would write about my Flex-6700-1.5.9 and Flex-6300-1.5.9 once I've upgraded.

If I were running Don's dogparkSDR 0.88 (from a few days ago) and was current to the SmartSDR 1.4.16 updates I could describe what I am reviewing as a Flex-6700-1.4.16-DP0.88 or a Flex-6300-1.4.16-DP0.88 respectively.

Similar informal suffixes could be used to identify significant ad-in modules when they are offered and Alpha/Beta versions.

Sure would reduce confusion, but at the expense of a longer clunky naming convention.

Thoughts?

73

Steve K9ZW

Blog:  http://k9zw.wordpress.com

James Del Principe

I don't see it as long and clunky at all. I spent many decades in cardio x-ray and as long as we had SW we HAD to call out the name (model) of machine and the SW it ran. It can make a big difference in what you are working on.

I'm in favor!        73, Jim

George KF2T

The user software is different than the firmware revision, so you could be running a 6700 1.5.9 (for example) with SSDR 1.5.9, DPSDR 1.01, K6TU, or whatever client you like without affecting the radio definition. Identifying by make and firmware rev makes sense. Adding the client version is also helpful, for sure. Just happens that SSDR versions and firmware have tracked so far. No reason they have to (AFAIK).

Steve K9ZW

As users I don't think we can control the firmware level to be used, with each SmartSDR level requiring a minimum firmware level or asking us to update?

As you point out if we gain control over firmware levels we should not it IF the different levels affect the performance and feature set independently of the SmartSDR level.

Would you think than otherwise we could just use the SmartSDR release version number?

73

Steve

K9ZW

Tim - W4TME

I am more than OK listing the software version number, as a matter of fact I ask for this a lot.  For the radio model, when posting, make sure you select the proper category tag for your radio.  This way you can shorten your version string.

Steve K9ZW

Was there a requested data set of posts when the community started?  Something like asking the model, software level, and operating system with some computer details?

Outside of this community, and arguably for the benefit of search engines (both community and external), using a consistent format might help?

Obviously in writing outside of the community the longer version would be helpful.

73

Steve K9ZW

Ned K1NJ

    Or, maybe when it gets released it gets a release series number and
a letter.   1A, 1B....  2A.... etc.

Ned,  K1NJ   

Ken - NM9P

In the early days (2 years ago) I was in the habit of having a tag line that included my rig, software version, and computer OS version with every major post.  Many others did the same.  But I have gotten a bit lazy and have ceased the habit.  (I have noticed that others have as well.)

I think it would be very helpful to include this information if for no other reason than to reduce confusion when reading older posts.  (I have seen people responding to problem posts that were two years old when the problems were long-past solved by subsequent software releases.)

Perhaps we should give it a try.

Ken - NM9P
6500 V.1.4.16.63
Win 10

Ben Laws

Great idea!

Al_NN4ZZ

Just updated my tag line in "My Function Keys" program.   Great little program for automating text entry.    




Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - SSDR V1.4.16.63
Win10

Larry Loen WO7R

The world doesn't work this way. Yes, when filling out a problem report.  But in routine conversation, no.  This includes going to the community and seeing if the problem is simple or easily worked around. We need simple, easy to understand naming.  We need to streamline the conversation.  If you know it is relevant (like, discussing many slices or the front end filtering) then it's nice to say 6700 instead of 6000.  If you know it is software, then it is nice to add the version.  If you don't, just get started with "the 6000 series" and see what happens. If people need to know more, they'll ask for it.  But, they'll ask for the relevant bit.  Sometimes, they won't ask for both.

George KF2T

Quite so. I can see a day (not to far off) that I have a firmware version loaded but don't use SSDR. That software may or may not require a particular version of the firmware to run, so I think it's a good idea to share both data.

Steve K9ZW

The distinction between casual conversation and posting/reviews/podcasts is important - thank you!

Where the improvement would be most useful is anything that lives on in print or on the internet. 

I think we have all seen questions asked here that come from the earliest months of the Signature Series, but somehow were refreshed or lost their date stamp - which left someone thinking it was current information.

We're leaving a legacy on the net that is unclear and in some cases will bring up answered questions and imagined current but actually long resolved questions over and over.

We need to make things clear or risk compounding this problem over time (not to mention ambiguity feeds trolls and sock puppets).

73

Steve K9ZW

Jay Nation

The previous Flexradio email mail list provided timestamps, but we could just add a time stamp into a tagline, which might help.
73, Jay - NO5J 
posted 09/04/15 19:24:45 UTC

Al_NN4ZZ

Jay,
Is there a way to include a tag (html. etc) to automatically include the timestamp or did you enter it manually?  If there is a tag, I can add it to my Fkey setup.  I just press one key to get all 5 lines of the tag below and wouldn't want to have to manually type the timestamp. 

Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - HW V 1.4.16.63
SSDR V 1.4.16.142
Win10

Jay Nation

Al 
No i just looked at the clock and typed it in but I'll look for some sort of hot-key macro that can paste it.
It should be possible I've just never tried to set it up before. When I get it working I'll email you the solution, and post it here if it's appropriate.

Just realized the system clock in my bios is set to local time not UTC So I'll need to script in the timezone conversions, I'd like to see if its possible to compile this to a standalone executable that can be run from a desktop shortcut, so that starting it will copy a user editable signature/tagline and the current timestamp in UTC to the clipboard for pasting into community posts. So add the rest of the weekend to to the creation time frame, while I rediscover how win10 API returns system time to a script. I'll admit any failure in doing this, sometime tuesday. I also hope it doesn't end being Win10 compatible only. I know there are other apps and programs that already do this. Some might even be free. Mine if it works will be free too.


 
73, Jay - NO5J
Last edited: 2015-09-05 - 02:32:58 UTC

Jay Nation

As of Sunday evening I've made very little progress, what seemed like it ought to be an easy Autoit script got a lot more difficult than I expected. I still want to do something like this, but I don't know how to do it yet.

Call it a fail on my part for now. When I get something that will load the clipboard with a timestamped signature tagline, I'll find this bookmarked thread and share whatever it turns out to be. But it won't be ready in the next 2 days. 

Sorry if i've wasted anyones time waiting for it.

73, Jay - NO5J

Al_NN4ZZ

Hi Jay,
No problem.  When entering comments there is a feature that lets you embed various HTML tags including one for inline code.   (see snapshot below) Some of the supported tags are clear but not any info on the "code tag" that seems promising.   I posted a question on the GetSat community but no replies so far.  



Regards, Al / NN4ZZ  
al (at) nn4zz (dot) com
6700 - HW V 1.4.16.63
SSDR V 1.4.16.142
Win10

Steve K9ZW

Is there an OSX widget something like this? Think formipad use. 73 Steve K9ZW

Jay Nation

Al 
I've done the taglines using embedded html tags, in the past that i just copy pasted in. but i don't know of an html tag that will insert system time. I'd expect you could script in that function into the pasted html but that's another "don't know how" at the present time. AutoIt can generate the the entire tag and timestamp and place it in the clipboard with the click of shortcut then just right click and paste. but I'm after a standalone that would allow you to enter and format the tagline/signature, store that and then add the current timestamp to it. I don't want anyone to have to edit the tag/sig in an .ini file, in order to use it. I discovered this morning that a lot of the trouble I was having was caused by what Windows 10 did to my existing AutoIt installation. I've got that fixed now, but there's still some more re-education required.

I'll keep slugging away at it.

73, Jay - NO5J