Suggestion for the next opengd77 release

Discussions related to the firmware code development
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F1RMB
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Re: Suggestion for the next opengd77 release

Post by F1RMB » Fri Mar 25, 2022 11:10 am

Hi,


Just a quick reply.
Scan direction is already mapped to left key.
Scan start won't change, long press Up key is perfect (FYI, it works like this on my Kenwood HTs)
Orange button is super fragile, and many owners have already broken one.

SK2 + numerical key is user definable, as quickkey.

Finally, having this amount of power setttings is just pointless, we don't have enough calibration points, and the 50mW is already inacurate (non linearity problem).


Cheers
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Daniel

VK3KYY
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Re: Suggestion for the next opengd77 release

Post by VK3KYY » Fri Mar 25, 2022 8:33 pm

There is also the User Defined Power Setting value. You can adjust this to any value you like, as long as you have a power May be accurate enough to do this.

However most power meters don't go much below 50mW, or are themselves inaccurate at low power levels.

Also the drive from the RF chip to the PA, radiates out though the plastic case of the radio, so if you want power levels much below 50 mW, you also need to add internal shielding.
See the VK7ZJA modifications website for how to fit shielding

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F1RMB
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Re: Suggestion for the next opengd77 release

Post by F1RMB » Sat Mar 26, 2022 5:37 pm

Hi,

vanguard wrote:
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:25 pm
Hi Roger,
I'm not Roger, but since I replied earlier on this thead, I will continue.

vanguard wrote:
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:25 pm
thank you for the fast reply. Yes, Scan start is ok, bui scan stop and reverse scan direction is not quite intuitiv.
It's a matter of habbit, like everything else you have to learn how to use it.

vanguard wrote:
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:25 pm
What I was pointing to, was that I liked the version of NA7Q quite much, because IMO the using is in some points better.
If the outdated NA7Q forked firmware fits all your needs, why don't you simply use it ?

vanguard wrote:
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:25 pm
While talking about improvements, there are two other things, I am looking for, and maybe somehow might missed.

First thing is "deleting last heard calls". I found no menu, where to delete the list. I know, the list is deleted, when the transceiver is switched off and suspend is set to off. Is there any other way?
There is no LH clearing available, except if you power cycle, or if you change the order of the TA/Ct/DB lookups.

vanguard wrote:
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:25 pm
Second thing is: Anytone Transceivers got a setting, which prevents from transmitting, as long as there is another signal, so that it is not possible, that two people interfere each other, because they send at the same time (first one wins). In opengd77 at GD-77 I did not find an activation button. Maybe it is implemented in the firmware by default? If not, maybe this usefull option could be implemented?
Long ago, it was working like this until it was requested, by a vast majority, to leave the PTT control to the operator. We're Ham, hence we have to know how to operate in a QSO.

vanguard wrote:
Sat Mar 26, 2022 1:25 pm
...
Roger, in earlier times there was an opengd77 CPS made for linux. Is it possible, to make a new one for the actual firmware version? This is real missing.
The CPS never worked (correctly ) on Linux, ever. You can start it, but you cannot communicate with the radio. Mono simply fails, Wine make it running, but serial communition is not functionnal.

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Daniel

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Re: Suggestion for the next opengd77 release

Post by NA7Q » Sun Feb 05, 2023 9:40 pm

vanguard wrote:
Fri Mar 25, 2022 10:22 am
Dear developers,

please allow me, to suggest some changes in the next version of opengd77.

Some time ago I tested the version from NA7Q, and IMO some things, he changed, should be implemented to the next vrsion.

Maybe it is possible to do it, and not much to change.

The things, I liked most are:

----------------------------------------------

VFO Scan Mode
Method 1:
Long Press Green to enter Scan Mode.

Enter Frequency Scan Range limits.
Long Press Green again to start scan.
Left changes scan direction.
Long Press Red to exit VFO Scan Mode.

Method 2:
Double tap Orange to start scanning

Method 3: Blue (SK2) + 1 to start scanning

Channel Scan Mode
Method 1:
Long Press Green to start scanning

Method 2:
Long press 1 to start scanning.

Method 3:
Blue (SK2) + 1 to start scanning.

Method 4:
Double tap Orange to start scanning

Menu Shortcuts:

Blue+1: Start scanning in Channel Mode and VFO Mode
Blue+2: Jump to Battery Screen
Blue+3: Jump to Last Heard Screen
Blue+4: Jump to Channel Details Screen, CC setting
Blue+5: Jump to Options Menu
Blue+6: Jump to Display Options Menu
Blue+7: Decrease Brightness
Blue+8: Increase Brightness
Blue+9: Jump to RSSI Menu
Blue+0: Jump to Sound Menu

-------------------------------------------------

Also very nice:

-------------------------------------------------

Power Levels:
The 1W and 5W power levels may need to be calibrated using the LATEST CPS.

Power levels include 1mW, 5mW, 10mW, 25mW, 50mW, 75mW, 100mW, 250mW, 500mW, 750mW, 1W, 2W, 3W, 4W, 5W, and 5W++
5W++ outputs just over 6 watts on most radios and requires pressing Blue + Long Press Right.


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

Especially the scan buttons in actual opengd77 are not intuitiv. Most people start "scan" (long press up), then want to "scan down" (pressing intuively down or long down,but this shows scan edge frequencies). Also scan stop is not intuitiv at all. I personally think, this should be improved. The solution from NA7Q is IMO much better. Just a suggestion....

Related to the power: I like the idea using power lower than 50mW. I used this codeplug for testing antennas in short range. Hope, this would be implemented again, althouugh it might not be accurate, it is a nice feature, too.

Thanks for reading this, and maybe, and I hope, it might be easy to implement.

Best regards

Hans
I guess it's good to know that someone else enjoyed my tweaked version. I really hope to update things with the latest code eventually. I haven't used or seen anything of the new code or firmware builds since the removal of the project from github. The only reason I hope to upgrade is the battery saver feature. That is the only downside I see of the old outdated firmware, battery life is poor.

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