• FeatureRequest

D-RATS Feature Requests

This page is designed for users to request features for the possible inclusion of Dan Smith's, KK7DS, D-RATS program. Users are encouraged to add their suggestions or add new categories for consideration by Dan. As features are implemented into the D-RATS application they will be removed from this page. Dan makes no guarantee as to if and when various requests will be implemented.

Slated For Release

• Ability to, on the 'Callsigns' tab, select multiple lines (callsigns) and delete them via the 'Remove' button. (vs one by one) (N1KEZ)

• Ability to display mapping for one station, selected stations, or all stations (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

• Add a Scale bar to the map (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

General:

• Ability to synchronize clock with a remote station for working events where time-correlation is important.
• Ability to schedule intervals for QSTs.
• Adjustable keyboard shortcuts.
• Add Quick Launch icons to the Windows Installer script.
• Investigate the possibility of using a compatible encoding scheme with dChat. (KK7DS 6-Sep-2008)
• Ensure all D-RATS features operate through D-STAR Gateways as well as simplex / repeater operation. (KK7DS 6-Sep-2008)

• Add option in Auto QST settings to allow a beacon to be sent at ":00" eg: On the hour. (VK3UR 9-May-2008). You can type in any value you want into that box. :00 should work, let me know if it doesn't

• Add hours capability to auto qst to allow for up to 24 hour intervals. This would relieve network congestion and send files generated daily only once a day rather than hourly WA4DOC 9-17-08

File Transfer:

• Intelligent block-size scaling for DDT to adapt to changing propagation conditions.

• Add File Size column to "Send File" and "Multi Send Files" windows (VK3UR).

• Ability to turn on/off Broadcast Text file announcement (KG4EXA)
• Add an ABORT transfer control function as it may be needed on a gateway. (N5VRP 7-Sep-2008)
• Add ability to customize ping response message from a local text file. WA4DOC 9-17-08

Email:

• Add a notification window to advise when new mail has been retrieved from a POP server. (VK3UR 4-Oct-2008)
• Add the ability to retrieve email from multiple POP servers and be able to distinguish who the intended recipient is. (VK3UR 4-Oct-2008)

Forms:

• Ability to have forms such as the ICS213 form autonumber and / or show the number in the form window in advanced mode.
• Add the new standardised ICS forms when they are released in the next few months and include them in the package. Ensure that the forms are printable. KD7CAO to advise Dan when the new forms are released. (KD7CAO 6-Sep-2008)

• Have the ability of the program to compute the checksum and autopopulate the check field in a radiogram (KG4EXA)

GPS / Mapping:

• Ability to click on a location in a map, while holding down a specific key, and having those coordinates transfered to the Lat / Long fields in Main / User. (VK3UR 5-May-2008).

• Ability to transmit the list of static locations (csv) file as periodic QSTs in GPS or GPS-A format (VK3UR 1-May-2008).

• Ability to remove a list of static locations from the map. Currently when D-RATS is exited / restarted the static locations always reappear. (VK3UR 1-May-2008).

• Ability to play a audible alert when another station comes within "X" distance (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).
• Have a pre-canned message broadcast (or ideally directed to the inbound station) if they come within X distance of your station (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

• Ability to enter a "special event" location and coordinates to be transmitted at periodic intervals (eg: "Hamfest this Saturday") (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

• Have a mouse-over function over the station icon that displays the date/time of the last received beacon (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).
• Have the ability to display a track of a station, or stations, over time. Eg: where did they start, where have they been, where are they now? (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).
• Ability to disable GPS data entirely (VK3UR).

• Ability to have static overlays of different colors and/or with icons

• Convert received GPS positions and forward to APRS network. Useful where no Gateway exists on a given user channel
• Ability for the user to define the storage directory for maps. This also needs to work in conjunction with the Map Download Utility (VK3UR 12-Sep-08)

Graphical User Interface (GUI):

• Tray flashing and sound for notices.
• Ability to save previous locations/size of windows relative to screen. (N1KEZ 05-May-2008)
• Add scroll bar to Auto QST Settings window. Currently need to resize window to see all messages (if there are a lot programmed) (VK3UR 08-Oct-2008).

• Add an option to allow changing the warning color for data received that is not encapsulated in a proper packet (eg: block corruption or data received from a d*chat user). (KK7DS 7-Sep-2008)

• Ability to double click a received form to open / view it. This is in addition to the option to click the 'edit' button. (N1KEZ 07-May-2008)

Messaging:

• Ability to send a short message to a specific station with ACK/NAK confirmation (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

• Implementation of a personal mailbox facility (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

• Ability to send personal mail to a list of users, eg: mailing list (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

• Ability to show all incoming messages on the 'main' tab (too) even when that text is also displayed on a 'filter tab' (N1KEZ) This is already available by doing View->Show All Filter

Form Store and Forward Master:

• Ability to designate an installation (D-Rats station) as a 'FORM store and forward master' that has the capability to PULL and PUSH FORMS to other stations that are set up as 'slaves'. The 'master' would follow a pre-configured list of call signs and PULL messages, at a determined interval, that need to be received -at the master- or forwarded -to other 'slaves'- and PUSH forms that need to be delivered. This setup would allow the ad-hoc 'instant messaging' features of D-Rats but would enhance the coordination of FORMS and prevent confusion about FORMS being received at locations that have no action on that specific form. Dan, please call or mail for more discussion and clarification if needed. (N1KEZ)

Repeater / Network Proxy:

• Add a tick box in repeater.exe to auto-connect on startup of the application (good for when the computer restarts) (VK3UR).
• Ability to see a list of other D-RATS repeaters that can be linked to and be able to click to connect to them (VK3UR 25-Mar-2008).

Callsign Routing:

• Change the Name field to "Station Sub-ID" or something and append that to outgoing chat messages? That way, you would show up as WY0X/Tactical to other users. (KK7DS 9-Sep-2008) (Note: Nate has to provide his own weapons)

• Consider modifying the above so that you could have something like K7VE/John[FEMA] where "FEMA" is a user selected tactical indicator ... The K7VE/John (er K7VE/John) would be the radio ID and the "FEMA" would be the tactical callsign, if present. (K7VE 9-Sep-2008)

Reporting of suspected bugs or problems:

When reporting suspected bugs, or problems, it would be very helpful to send Dan a copy of the D-RATS Debug Log. To enable this, turn on debug logging in the main settings, and *restart* D-RATS. Then reproduce your issue and close D-RATS (to prevent anything other than the actual issue from making its way into the logs. The log file is called "debug.log" and it appears in whatever location you have set as your download directory in the main settings. On Windows, this defaults to your Desktop. (KK7DS 7-Sep-2008)