Flmsg with integrated Fldigimodems for Android

Norm Goodkin, K-04, K6YXH

(with introductory comments on iOS by Diana Feinberg, Staff 60, AI6DF)

AndFlmsg

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/1

First: When will Flmsg and FLDigi be available for Apple iPads and iPhones?

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/2

First: When will Flmsg and FLDigi be available for Apple iPads and iPhones? Not for long time

• Enormous re-design effort to integrate Flmsg and FLDigiin iOS under Apple App guidelines• 191 iOS developer guidelines span 30 category areas• Apple Apps must adhere to iOS human user interface

• Major Apple App guideline: “10.6 Apple and our customers place a high value on simple, refined, creative, well thought through interfaces. They take more work but are worth it. Apple sets a high bar. If your user interface is complex or less than very good, it may be rejected.”

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/3

When will Flmsg and FLDigi be available for Apple iPads and iPhones? Not for long time

• Some other Apple iOS guidelines that don’t bode well for Flmsg and FLDigi

• 2.1 Apps that crash will be rejected• 2.4 Apps that include undocumented or hidden features

inconsistent with the description of the App will be rejected• 2.6 Apps that read or write data outside its designated container

area will be rejected

• Is someone willing to invest significant time re-developing, testing, maintaining a free App?

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/4

What is AndFlmsg?

• Fldigi + Flmsg for portable devices running Android

• Low Power, Highly Portable

• Use with rigs like • Yaesu FT-817, Icom 703, Elecraft KX3, TH-F6A, Baofeng

• Internet sharing/forwarding allows use as a relay station

• Includes most modes found in Fldigi, but not all – no CW, for example

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/5

Similar to PC/Mac/Linux, but Different

• Customized for smaller sized devices

• Still looks better and is easier to use with a tablet

• Can send and receive forms

• Can use a Bluetooth or USB keyboard

• Data entry forms can be re-modeled independently of the display forms to match screen real-estate

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/6

What Can it Do?

Basically most of what the fully featured version on the PC/Mac/Linux does:

• - Receive Flmsg formatted messages (any Form).

• - Forward any form message as-is over the radio in Flmsg format or over the internet via email, instant messaging (Facebook, Twitter, ...) or cloud services (Dropbox, Google Drive...), print services (E.g. Google Cloud Print).

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/7

What Can it Do? (continued)

• Copy and edit received messages for replying or further forwarding • all custom forms plus the following hard coded forms: Blank form, Radiogram,

IARU message, Plaintext, CSV, all ICS and HICS forms at present, plus the Picture Form.

• Create new messages using any custom forms or the current set of hard coded forms.

• Send created messages over the radio or internet.

• Define and save templates for facilitating the creation of new messages.

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/8

What Can it Do? (Continued)

• Consult the activity log and the messages as-sent.

• The implemented modems are the FLMSG modems (including extra modes), that is,• all PSK/PSKR modes, including multi-carrier modes, some of the 8PSK modes,

THOR, MFSK, OLIVIA, MT-63 and Domino-Ex modes.

• The performance is good as the modems now coded in native C++ code and is heavily based on the Fldigi modems code.

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/9

Coupling the Android Device to the Radio

• Inclusion of MT-63 and long interleave MFSK modes allows audio coupling without the need for an audio interface.• Press PTT before beginning to transmit the message.

• Hold the radio microphone up to the computer and use the radio’s VOX.

• Hold the radio speaker up to the phone/tablet microphone to receive.

• Audio interfaces can be used to connect the radio’s speaker and microphone to the Android device’s TRRS port.• Better in noisy environments

• Tiny “in-line” boards with TRRS and radio cables (see next slides)

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/10

Baofeng UV5R TRRS Adapter

• http://github.com/johnboiles/BaofengUV5R-TRRS

• Tiny board that allows you to connect the Baofeng UV5R radio to a smartphone or other device that uses a TRRS connector for audio. Also useful for connecting the radio to a software TNC app such as APRSDroid or PocketPacket.

• Solder on the (surface mount) components, solder on the cables, then provide some stress relief (use solid-core wire and heat shrink tubing), and you can use your UV5R with your smartphone for APRS on the cheap.

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/11

Baofeng UV5R TRRS Adapter - Images

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/12

Note: TRRS = “Tip-Ring-Ring-Sleeve”

Download and Install AndFlmsg (and docs)

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/• Parent Directory

• .ftpquota

• AndFlmsg - Flmsg with Fldigi Modems on Android - User's Manual V-1.2.0.pdf

• AndFlmsg-1.2.0-src.zip

• AndFlmsg-1.2.0.apk

• INSTALL.TXT

• Old_Executables/

• Old_Manuals/

• Old_Source_Code/

• QuickStart Guide - AndFlmsg - Flmsg with Fldigi Modems on Android - V-1.2.0.pdf

• README_FIRST.TXT

• VOA Listeners - a quick start guide to using AndFlmsg Version 1.2.0 and later.pdf

• temp/

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/13

Download AndFlmsg-1.2.0.apk

• Click on the file name to download the .apk file (might be another version). Save it to the SD card.

• Download the AndFlmsg apk file and save it to the SD card, either from within the phone, tablet or on a PC to which the Android device is connected to and has the USB driver installed for that device to allow access to the SD card content from the PC.*

*Indented text is from /vk2eta/INSTALL.TXT

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/14

Use File Explorer to Install the .apk file

• From there use a file explorer to install the .apk file, or on some devices use the notification of the completed download to install.• You might have a “Files” application that you have to use to locate the .apk

file in the place you downloaded it.

• You have to allow non-Android market applications to be installed for this to work. This is found under Settings / Security / Unknown Sources or Setting / Applications / Unknown Sources, for older versions of Android.*

* text is from INSTALL.TXT

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/15

Initialization (similar to NBEMS)

• You will be asked to accept a series of permissions that are explained below:

a) Your location: to provide GPS location for Picture forms or provide accurate time when out of cellular range (available but not displayed yet).

b) Storage: Read and write to the SD card. For storing and accessing the working files under the "NBEMS.files" directory.

c) Your Personal Information (log data): to allow reporting of the context of an error in case of an application crash (the user can decide to send or not the information after reviewing it). *

* From INSTALL.txt

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/16

Snippets from the User Manual

• You can download the (extensive) User Manual from /vk2eta, the same place you download AndFlmsg. It has pictures of the screens with explanations.

• User Manual has examples of audio interfaces.

• The key difference is the organization by folders like an e-mail system.

• One other difference with a PC environment is the fact that the sound devices cannot be shared between applications. Therefore if AndFlmsg is running and the modem is active (which is the default when the application starts), the microphone will not be available for other applications like Skype.

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/17

Terminal Screen

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/18

Message Screen

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/19

Inbox View

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/20

Compose Views

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/21

More Compose Views

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/22

Outbox View

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/23

Modem Screen

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/24

Modem Screen with Waterfall

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/25

For More, read the User’s Manual

For more screens and information, the User Manual can be downloaded from http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/

Index of /vk2eta

• Parent Directory

• .ftpquota

• AndFlmsg - Flmsg with Fldigi Modems on Android - User's Manual V-1.2.0.pdf

• AndFlmsg-1.2.0-src.zip

• AndFlmsg-1.2.0.apk

• INSTALL.TXT

• Old_Executables/

• Old_Manuals/

• Old_Source_Code/

• QuickStart Guide - AndFlmsg - Flmsg with Fldigi Modems on Android - V-1.2.0.pdf

• README_FIRST.TXT

• VOA Listeners - a quick start guide to using AndFlmsg Version 1.2.0 and later.pdf

• temp/

5/9/2016For LA County DCS, based on documentation at

http://www.w1hkj.com/vk2eta/26