hamnets

CLI tool for managing rigctl capable amateur radios and chat ('Nets) favorites

INSTALL

hamnets requires a basic perl instance, and hamlib with rigctl.

You'll also need to install some additional modules: DateTime, Date::Parse, Date::Format, Time::Local

clone the repository onto your computer

Either place a copy of the script into a directory in your PATH (~/bin, /usr/local/bin, etc.) or create a symlink from the repository script into one of those directories.

Create the application config directory:

$ mkdir ~/.config/hamnets

Copy one of the example rigs config files into that directory as 'rigs.cfg'

Copy one of the example nets config files into that directory as 'nets.cfg'

Run the script!

USAGE

The application will display any configured 'Nets, sorted by their rig, then by the day, followed by the time.

$ hamnets
  net for today can be:
    [ ] time passed
    [*] Currently in progress
    [!] starting within 15m
    [>] starting within 90m
    [L] starting much later

    FT-817:
       morning (145.5000 MHz  FM) - 10:00 (UMTWRFS) - Alaska Morning Net
         south (146.5200 MHz  FM) - 19:00 (...W...) - SouthCentral simplex

    FTdx10:
*     maritime ( 14.3000 MHz USB) - 08:00 (UMTWRFS) - Maritime Mobile Service Net (12:00 - 21:00 EST)
L      snipers (  3.9200 MHz LSB) - 18:00 (UMTWRFS) - Alaska Snipers Net
L       pacsea ( 14.3000 MHz USB) - 18:00 (UMTWRFS) - Pacific Seafarers Net
L         bush (  7.0930 MHz LSB) - 20:00 (UMTWRFS) - Alaska Bush Net
L       motley (  3.9330 MHz LSB) - 21:00 (UMTWRFS) - Alaska Motley Net, by KL7G
         akerc ( 14.2920 MHz USB) - 08:30 (.MTWRF.) - Alaska Pacific Emergency Preparedness Net
          noon (  3.9200 MHz LSB) - 12:00 (.MTWRF.) - Old Timers Noontime net


$ hamnets noon
  Selected noon

  F 3920000 
  M LSB 0 
  F 3920000 
  L ROOFINGFILTER 2 
  L PREAMP 10 
  L NB 0 
  L NB 0.1 
  U NR 1

Configuration

hamnets is a perl script, and the configuration file it uses is also pure perl code. Example configuration files are supplied in under the net-cfgs and rigs-cfgs directories.

Feel free to send your customizations back to me for distribution as a pull request.

Config -> rigs

Each rig is defined by its name, model number, device, and optional arguments for rigctl to use for this particular rig. An example rig looks like this

%{$rigs{"FT-817"}} = ( "model" => 1020, "dev" => "/dev/digirig", "opts" => "-P RTS", "default" => 1 );

The rig name "FT-817" is also used in the 'nets' section to define which rig to send configuration parameters to.

'model' is the rigctl model number, found by "rigctl -L | grep (my rig name)"
'dev' is the unix device name to use. Use udev rules to make your life easier and the names consistent!
'opts' are any additional rig-specific configurations that rigctl needs
'default' sets this rig as the default fallback rig. Only one should be defined as the default

config -> nets

This is perhaps the most critical part of the configuration, and has the most optional parameters. If your rig doesn't require or support the optional parameter, it's best that you remove it from the config stanza, or your rig may generate errors. Each of the options is documented below.

%{$nets{"akerc"}} = ( "rig" => "FT-817",    # Req: The name of the rig that can use this 'Net
             "freq" => 14292000,            # Req: The Frequency of the 'Net
             "mode" => "USB",               # Req: Which modulation mode to use
              "pbf" => 0,                   # Opt: the passband filter width for the mode, 0 uses mode default
               "nb" => 0,                   # Opt: Noise Blanker depth (0=off, range dependent on rig)
               "nr" => 0.1,                 # Opt: (Digital) Noise Reduction depth (0=off, range dependent on rig)
             "rfil" => 2,                   # Opt: Roofing filter width to use (values rig dependent)
           "preamp" => 10,                  # Opt: What preamp level to use (values rig dependent)
           "starts" => "08:30",             # Req: 24h clock, aka military time; in *local* time
         "duration" => "30",                # Opt: duration in minutes, default is 60m
             "days" => "MTWRF",             # Req: s'U'nday, M, T, W, thu'R'sday, F, S
               "tz" => "America/Chicago"    # Opt: for setting the default timezone of a 'Net
     "desc" => "Alaska Pacific Emergency Preparedness Net",  # Req: The description of the 'Net
             );

Options

Color

-c|--color allows the application to provide the information above in color, providing better visual information to distinguish between upcoming, in progress, and past Nets for today.

Alternatively, create a symlink to the main application with a trailing 'c', or 'color', i.e., "hamnetsc", "hamnets-c", "hamnets-color", etc.

Verbose

-v|--verbose enables viewing of all configured nets, instead of just those scheduled for today.

List Rigs

-l|--list will display the currently configured rigs

Force a rig

-r|--rig [rigname] will allow you to temporarily force a different rig for the specified 'Net. It's useful if you have two different rigs with similar band capabilities, and you want to use the alternate rig for monitoring.

This may generate errors or warnings, so YMMV. hamlib/rigctl is usually forgiving though.

Force a device

-d|--dev [device path] will allow you to temporarily force a different device in case your system renumbers things on you and you can't be arsed to edit your config file.

RIGs config file

-R|--rigcfg [path to config file]

loads as many specified RIG config files as provided, along with ${HOME}/.config/hamnets/rigs.cfg

NETs config file

-N|--netcfg [path to config file]

loads as many specified NET config files as provided, along with ${HOME}/.config/hamnets/nets.cfg

akhepcat / hamnets