QRZPY - A program for QRZ.com access

Here's an old-fashioned (CLI-based!) but useful Python program that lets you create mailing labels and examine and dump records from the QRZ.com XML database. (Online.qrz.com account required.)

The program is developed for Linux and other Unix-like environments, but could readily be adapted for other operating systems.

For mailing labels, qrzpy supports 3 x 10 standard stick-on label stock for your LaserWriter or other printer. Alas, the QRZ.com address data may sometimes overflow the space available (see photo), but such exceptions are reported to the user.

Like most of my Python adventures, it's about the journey of discovering how to do things and perhaps to help others figure out Python programming -- as much as it is the final product.

See my software page www.aa6e.net/software for further details.

Z100 -> P100!

After a little discussion with Jack Smith about the inner workings of his Z100 Tuning Aid (last post), one thing led to another.

The result is another little Python utility that does much of what the Z100 does, but in software under Linux.

The scoop and download are available here.

Bandpass Controls for HF Digimodes

When working PSK31 or other "digimodes" on HF (high frequency) radio, we commonly use computer soundcards to analyze and transmit data. I like to use the Linux program fldigi for this, along with my Ten-Tec Orion transceiver.

The soundcard takes in the entire audio output from the Orion, typically 100 - 3,000 Hz. Fldigi (and similar software) allows you to point to a transmission of interest on a "waterfall" spectral display. This automatically sets the decoder to analyze data in a small band around the cursor using digital filtering.

This works well when the bands are relatively quiet, but when you have a band crowded with strong signals, the signal of interest can be strongly affected by "out of band" signals (but still in the 3 kHz audio region) that key the receiver's AGC (automatic gain control).

In this case, we need narrower IF (intermediate frequency) filtering than 3 kHz. Fortunately, a DSP (digital signal processing) rig like the Orion provides "infinitely" adjustable IF bandpass characteristics, so it is possible to "zoom in" on the signal of interest, largely rejecting any signals outside the small IF passband.

I have written a small Python/wxPython application "oFilter.py" that puts up a panel to allow Orion bandpass control from the same screen as fldigi. (Since fldigi communicates with the Orion via Hamlib at the same time as oFilter, there is a small potential for I/O conflict, but this is not a serious problem.)

Here are a few screenshots to show what is going on. Ultimately, it would be great to integrate the oFilter functions into fldigi or a similar program, using convenient mouse controls.

The PSK31 band at 14.070 MHz with many Europeans

coming in the 3 kHz default bandpass.

"Zooming in" the IF bandpass to 200 Hz,
more-or-less centered on the signal of interest.

Zooming in to a 100 Hz bandpass (minimum available).

The oFilter.py application.

New Rigserve Project on Sourceforge

Some of you know that I've been working on "Rigserve", which is meant to be a much streamlined server-style application providing much of the functionality of Hamlib. We avoid most of the cross-platform problems by defining our API over an IP connection, which is human-readable and even testable over Telnet. Rigserve is implemented in object-oriented style using Python, which should allow it to run on many platforms. I am not sorry to jettison low-level C, the GNU Automake stuff, SWIG, and all that!

We have talked about the relationship of this development to Hamlib. Should we think of it as a candidate for "V2 Hamlib"? Well, Rigserve is not a library, and there is no backwards compatibility. Rigserve does share some philosophy with Hamlib, but that's about it. I have concluded that it should stand on its own, but we should give full credit to the many folks who have brought us Hamlib as we have it today.

[There are some alternate approaches, too, such as XML rigCAT descriptions at http://w1hkj.com/xmlarchives.html . These may be useful to both Hamlib and Rigserve down the road.]

There is now a project at http://sourceforge.net/projects/rigserve with a slightly updated version 0.21 available for download. The files are managed in the Subversion (SVN) repository.

I would welcome anyone who wants to contribute to rigserve to join this project. There shouldn't be a conflict of interest here, because the intersection of hotshot C and Python programmers is probably limited. Though I am neither(!), I will continue to support the TenTec Orion for Hamlib.

It has been interesting to start a Sourceforge project and to learn Subversion and the other tools. Frustrating, too, because SF's shell server and compile farm chose this week to go into meltdown. The project web page is at rigserve.sf.net.

73, Martin AA6E

Rigserve

Rigserve is a new approach to local and remote control of ham rigs, inspired by work on Hamlib. Rigserve is an IP network server, programmed in Python, that provides a simple text-based interface to control an arbitrarily large number of rigs. The code is compatible with Linux-like OSs and Windows. Rig backends are provided initially for the Ten-Tec Orion (I and II) and the Icom R8500.

See hamlib-developer.blogspot.com and www.aa6e.net/aa6e/software for more information.

A Python tuner for digital modes on Ten-Tec Orion

I've been using this little control panel (opsk) for some time now. Maybe it's time to release it for any other Orion/Linux/Python/PSK addicts out there. This app lets you select the HF band you want to use, tune the antenna if necessary, and control the passband to zero in on a PSK signal you see on your waterfall display.

It uses TKINTER and pySerial technology.

Python Tone Generator

A new Python-based Tone Generator application is available from the AA6E software library at www.aa6e.net/aa6e/software/tone. It was a learning exercise for me to get acquainted with the wxWidgets cross-platform library for software development. We are also using the wxPython library that provides a Python "wrapper".

The present version is for Linux and Unix only, since it makes use of the OSSaudiodev module for sound generation.

Tone will work with dual soundcards, and will provide single or dual tones with sine-, square-, or triangular-waveforms. It can be useful for many kinds of system tests, including intermodulation distortion.