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CONKY and Radio amateur radios

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Z34PEC
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 1:31 am

CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#1 Post by Z34PEC »

Hello to everyone.
As you can see I am newbie here. I am not experienced programmer neither understand programming languages anymore.
I am HAM (Radio amateur) operator using my Linux based laptop for logging my contacts and activities through different software and interfaces connected to my radio station.
Couple of months ago I found CONKY very useful and interesting in my area of work. Mainly I used it for weather data and some propagation data to show on my desktop while working with my radio.
Before I start this post I searched on the net but did not find any post, thread or similar regarding using conky in different day activities. Everything is based on showing weather data, disk activities, kernels data, network traffic and similar.
So I decided to ask here one interesting question and I hope someone from you here, as I ca see well experienced conky users, can help about it:

In radio amateur world there is big spotting network around the world which help ham operators to see on the air activities of other people all around the world and based on it to tune their radio to desired frequency and make a contact with chosen ham operator that is spotted on this network. There are lot of sites giving momentary situation of these people working on the air but mostly they are web based ones. Also, there is the same network that use telnet options and allow operators to connect to their site with telnet and see the same results in text oriented environment (for ex. terminal window) and this is more faster option and way of work than web oriented.
My question is : Is there any possibility to add lines of command in conky where it will be given some link to telnet site, make a logging to it (usually loging rules are simple, just your call sign) and after that to show telnet screen on your desktop changing in intervals like it is changed on original site ??? According to this, loging procedure should be automated in conky, entering required login data.
Also, some web sites (like dxwatch site) offers widgets (script) to be used on our blog sites so maybe this option could be used also.

I hope this is a good challenge for you, although I can't help more than this so I can only promise that this solution will be spread free between radio operators because my attitude is that information should be free and available to everyone.

With regards and respect,
Z34PEC
73

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JayM
Qualified MX Guide
Posts: 6793
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:47 am

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#2 Post by JayM »

Your request reminds me of some good times I enjoyed as an SWL (shortwave (radio) listener) back in the 1990s. I belonged to the GEnie Online Service back before Internet access was common except for universities and certain business (i.e. defense contractors.) We'd get together on one particular channel (I think that's what they called it) on Sunday evenings and share what we heard along with SINPO information. Others who wished to could tune in on the same frequency and also give a SINPO report (Signal strength, Interference, Noise, Propagation effects, Overall signal quality) so we could gather some anecdotal propagation data as well as help each other ID the stations. There were several "ears" on different bands at the same time, alerting each other to stations that we might otherwise miss if we were just listening on our own, helping each other to log stations we hadn't heard before. It was sort of like what you're asking for regarding rare DX catches, only done completely manually via a live chatroom, and receiving-only, of course.

I remember well the day of the 1991 coup attempt in the Soviet Union. It happened during one of our Sunday night listening sessions. For a year or two prior, Radio Moscow had gotten much more up-beat with even some rock and roll shows and news programs that actually contained news, not just propaganda. But on that Sunday, RM was back to playing only classical music, just like in the old days, only with no announcers or station identifications. We found out what was going on from the BBC World Service, Deutche Welle and Radio Netherlands, just as President Gorbachev did (he was vacationing at the Black Sea and had a portable shortwave radio with him.)

Anyway, back to your request: I think a Conky isn't the best tool for this job as it's rather Linux-specific, and there are probably hams using Windows and Macs too. It seems as though something like a live chat application, perhaps an IRC channel dedicated to the purpose (and moderated), would work pretty well. Otherwise perhaps some sort of a small program that ran in the background and caused an alert message to pop up? I wonder if any of the existing IRC clients can do that?
Please read the Forum Rules, How To Ask For Help, How to Break Your System and Don't Break Debian. Always include your full Quick System Info (QSI) with each and every new help request.

User avatar
Gordon Cooper
Posts: 965
Joined: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:50 pm

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#3 Post by Gordon Cooper »

Basically it is a good idea, but find myself supporting JayM's comment that Conky is not ideal for this. Most of the hams in this part of the world are
running Windows, in fact the only ham/Linux OP that I know of locally is a guy I met through Linux, he became interested in amateur radio through
my own involvement. However, there are several Linux hams on this forum, could be interesting to see their responses.
73,
Gordon ZL1KL
Backup: Dell9010, MX-19_B2, Win7, 120 SSD, WD 232GIB HD, 4GB RAM
Primary :Homebrew64 bit Intel duo core 2 GB RAM, 120 GB Kingston SSD, Seagate1TB.
MX-18.2 64bit. Also MX17, Kubuntu14.04 & Puppy 6.3.

User avatar
Z34PEC
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 1:31 am

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#4 Post by Z34PEC »

Thank you for your answers friends.
For me conky lloks like good soution for on screen constant monitor of DX stations. Yes, there is programs that are capable of showing telnet dx spotting but it is a program that it has to be started and be positioned on screen, when new program started it is minimised, etc,etc. and conky is right there, on the screen whenever you need it.
I will keep trying to find solution for this idea and I hope somebody with an answer will reply soon :)
73

User avatar
JayM
Qualified MX Guide
Posts: 6793
Joined: Tue Jan 08, 2019 4:47 am

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#5 Post by JayM »

What is the Internet source of the exact data that you want a conky to display?
Please read the Forum Rules, How To Ask For Help, How to Break Your System and Don't Break Debian. Always include your full Quick System Info (QSI) with each and every new help request.

User avatar
Z34PEC
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun May 12, 2019 1:31 am

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#6 Post by Z34PEC »

JayM wrote: Sun May 12, 2019 8:39 pm What is the Internet source of the exact data that you want a conky to display?
I suppose it is some PHP widget. Link to it: https://www.dxwatch.com/widget/

User avatar
Gerryinmkg
Posts: 1
Joined: Mon May 11, 2020 11:24 am

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#7 Post by Gerryinmkg »

I'm also new to mx linux 19.1. I also am a Ham Radio operator used the package manager and installed fldigi, flmsg, linpsk, twclock, wsjtx, chirp. I live in Michigan and don't know if this helps or not. I've not used a conky, just the one on my screen. My call W8BXR 73

SwampRabbit
Posts: 3602
Joined: Tue Jun 14, 2016 2:02 pm

Re: CONKY and Radio amateur radios

#8 Post by SwampRabbit »

Hello amateur radio operators!

I can't help with the Conky request, but I recently packages and updated a bunch of the tools and applications you all want and use, but they are in the Test Repo at the moment.
I wasn't going to post about the updates until I had them all finished, but I will post a thread about it soon since it seems there is a lot more interest than I expected.

If you want to, you can install these updates using the MX Package Installer by selecting the MX Test Repo tab and checking the boxes for all the ones that show there are updates available.
I tested installing and making sure they function to the point of opening and what not, but I am not an amateur radio operator, so I can't really test full functionality... which is why they are in the Test Repo.
NEW USERS START HERE FAQS, MX Manual, and How to Break Your System - Don't use Ubuntu PPAs! Always post your Quick System Info (QSI) when asking for help.

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