[pskmail] Re: Server improvement strategy?
- From: "Rein Couperus" <rein@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: egmco <egmco@xxxxxxxxxxx>, pskmail@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
- Date: Fri, 23 Sep 2011 09:58:11 +0200 (CEST)
I have tested the new server with PSK250, and it works fine here... so it is
fairly
sure the cause of the mode problem is not a bug...
What I have done:
* Set freqs.txt to PSK250,PSK250,PSK250,PSK250,PSK250 (that causes the sever to
set PSK250 as default mode).
* Load the freqs.txt file by restarting the server (also loaded on top of every
hour...)
* Set mode table on the client to PSK250,PSK250R,PSK125R,THOR22,THOR11
* Set default mode to PSK250 on the client (the combobox will only show the
modes which are in the table)
* Connect.... the client now sends its mode table to the server
* The server answers in PSK250 or PSK250R, depending on the link quality
* The modes are now switched up/down by the server, following the table.
This was with server 1.4.7 and client 1.4b7
With regard to the modes:
THOR is DominoEx with FEC and interleaver, it gives you 5dB coding gain over
DominoEx.
(in general, FEC will give you 5dB gain at 3 dB power loss).
You can take a look at 10.147 and 10.148 in EU using the websdr:
http://websdr.ewi.utwente.nl:8903/
You will not be able to hear PA0R and PI4TUE because the skip is too long...
But SM0RWO and 9A1CRA will be quite strong.
(I can work SM0RWO on PSK500 with 10 Watts, path is 1000 Miles...)
Hope this helps,
Rein Pa0R
================================================================================
Terry & All,
First of all, I am using a relatively new server here (1.4.5 or 1.4.6). 1.3 or
1.3.2 would work with PSK250 and had no problems with modes. Ever since
upgrading and (possibly) adding that option to use "custom mode" lists might
have broke it. What it does is the mode set (PSK250) is "locked" (showing blue
on it) and switches to PSK500R. First of all, Rein, you can answer this for me,
why does it change to PSK500R? This is when the "US" mode is set correctly,
default mode is set to PSK250, FLDIGI is initially set to PSK250 and even
freqs.txt is defined for PSK250R? The server shows the freqs/modes from
(freqs.txt) and remains locked in this mode. When I select THOR22 or PSK250R,
it switches and continues to use the mode. PSK125R doesn't work either but not
sure about anything else...
I don't know what you mean or what can be done about the statement:
"Can we simplify the problem by using very strong, known goodtransmitters and
pskmail servers (other than "ours")? (Beacons, monitor
MARS pskmail?)"
I understand the intent but there isn't anyway to do that...
I will slightly disagree with your statement. I see many signals from KB2PNM
but aren't decoding. Currently, its because I am not using the direct mode but
I was still not able to decode it without using the server. The only thing
could be is the signal, and/or s/n radio no adequate enough at least for
BPSK250. The only case would be is the ability to "tweak" sound card settings.
I have my TX level on sound-card interface in the middle and the MIC gain is
just enough to provide enough the designated output. If set too low, it does
decreases TX power. I would suggest checking this (MIC GAIN) and I recall that
the "general idea (if I have it correctly)" for PSK is to keep it as low as
possible but enough. There may be more tweaks that can be done and understand
that should be considered. At least here, I am not using any DSP (IC-718
doesn't have much and questionable about its effectiveness) at the moment and
don't have RX audio levels (radio/sound card) set at least I think "reasonable"
(not too high that it turns completely yellow or "high level" on the
waterfall). For tweaking, I especially want to put in more filtering,
bandwidth options, etc to improve S/N ratio (get rid of the "packet"/nearby
signals), but I need a BETTER radio for that!
At least the situation with Gil, WB5RFQ, performance is not the best... I don't
know what it is with my overall "path" to TX. HF packet to a station in
southern TX was extremely marginal even with the dipole antenna....
I can possibly say part of it is mode/power. It might actually work better
with sensitive modes that can copy less power (Is the case with Olivia and
other such modes) .... PSK250's s/n ratio required isn't that good as I thought
it would be... That's kind of why I have been dabbling with more sensitive PSK
modes such as PSK250R and even those that might be better for characteristics
of 30m and higher bands such as THOR22. I am posting this to Rein or any
others, but does DominoEX work with PSKMail server and can you tell me the
difference or which of the THOR/DominoEX modes are better. Would any of the
DominoEX modes be worth experimenting out?
When Gil improves his antenna, we may have a better shot and get more
"distance" out on his end. Characteristics 30m and lack of stations is still
reasonably the answer. I can easily move over to the PSK and copy all over with
my vertical. Lastly, my intent is to use 30m for drum up the activity and use
it for PSKMail but to eventually "roam" to other freqs (20, 40 and/or 80, 10?
15?). If there isn't enough roaming, I may leave on 30m full-time. Overall, I
tend to find 30m is unpredictable like 17, and 12 are...
I will say that at least tonight, at 9pm CST, VE7CUS's station was successfully
completely copied twice (some packets were broken) here...
73
Josh, AB9FT
------------------------------------------------------------
From: egmco <egmco@xxxxxxxxxxx>
To: Gilbert Franke <g.a.franke@xxxxxxxxx>
Cc: Josh Housey <kg9bo@xxxxxxxxx>; Robert Krasowski <rkrasowski@xxxxxxxxx>;
Darrel Smith <ve7cus@xxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 22, 2011 9:17 AM
Subject: Server improvement strategy?
I guess I want to suggest some sort of general approach; let's see what
you guys think of this. Please correct/improve my errors....
What is the current status of NA servers?
The four servers are apparently up and running, most of the time, on 30
meters (Darrel's scan includes 30 meters, and he has TXID so you can
decode his PSK500R if you use RXID; he also has RXID on, so you can use
your TXID to send something narrower than 500 Hz to him from USA
transmitters. PSK250 mainly, but Josh cannot use PSK250?
But, the four servers and the few clients cannot hear or decode each
other very well?
Recently my client operated on 30 meters from northeast San Antonio to
Gilbert in Bellville, even though the distance seems just wrong for 30
meters. I see/hear other pskmail signals faintly, probably these are the
other servers and clients, but I cannot decode. It seems that there are
none of "our" station pairs operating well, with the exception of
Darrel, I think, who operates his reliable shorter-distance
client/server pairing(40 meters?)
If the above is true, what are the problems, how can we confirm them,
and how to fix them?
Can we simplify the problem by using very strong, known good
transmitters and pskmail servers (other than "ours")? (Beacons, monitor
MARS pskmail?)
My high level guesses are: 1)- low overall HF circuit performance
between station pairs; and 2) - setup/tweaking problems that are
specific to digital radio and to pskmail.
I better stop here, in case there are mistakes/disagreements to resolve
before trying to trying to confirm what the problems are.
The only other beginning issue I think is important here is to be sure
what server operators and clients are trying to achieve.
Knowing that, we can be sure that we are working on results that are
really wanted and will hold the interests and efforts of server
operators in particular. For example, are most server operators really
after local/regional comms(aprs/email/internet content) for their "own"
marine/mobiles/emcomm clients? If so, does 30 meters really address that?
Hopefully my thinking is not too far off track, but please throw rocks
at it.
Regards, TS
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