Anyone familiar with FDigi

[WSGL775]

Has anyone had any exposure to this product? I think you can use it to send data through your radio but I'm unsure. Don't want to waste time if it's something that has no value!

[WSGL775]

I misspelled the title. It's actually called FlDigi

[SteveShannon]

I’ve used it as the CAT control layer for some ham radio applications. What do you want to know about it?

It requires a radio that is designed for CAT control.  I don’t know of any GMRS radios that are. 

[WSGL775]

Thank You Steve for saving me going down a rabbit hole! It looked complicated and I was thinking that maybe it could be using for sharing text messages when the grid goes down. I haven't spent a whole lot of time looking at it, just watched some video's that peaked my curiosity. I don't even know what CAT layer control is. Just a fleeting thought.....

Thanks for keeping me grounded and realize it's not what I thought!

[SteveShannon]

3 minutes ago, WSGL775 said:

Thank You Steve for saving me going down a rabbit hole! It looked complicated and I was thinking that maybe it could be using for sharing text messages when the grid goes down. I haven't spent a whole lot of time looking at it, just watched some video's that peaked my curiosity. I don't even know what CAT layer control is. Just a fleeting thought.....

Thanks for keeping me grounded and realize it's not what I thought!

Sending text messages from one radio to another can be done easily using Rattlegram. It’s an app that resides on your phone, converts text to sounds which you play into your radio microphone. Another person with Rattlegram places their phone near the speaker of their radio and the app decodes the text. 

[tweiss3]

FlDigi is way more than just text messages. It's used by our ARES group for a weekly digital net using MT63-2000L with a 1500 passband, and at the end all the announcements are sent back via the same mode.

[tcp2525]

1 hour ago, tweiss3 said:

FlDigi is way more than just text messages. It's used by our ARES group for a weekly digital net using MT63-2000L with a 1500 passband, and at the end all the announcements are sent back via the same mode.

Yep, one our local 2m repeater does this as well. They even send basic messages. I monitored it a few times and quickly got bored with it. It's definitely neat stuff.

[tweiss3]

6 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

Yep, one our local 2m repeater does this as well. They even send basic messages. I monitored it a few times and quickly got bored with it. It's definitely neat stuff.

It's an excellent tool. There is a version for android phones, but it's too old. They published the source code, I just don't know what I'm doing when it comes to recompiling it to the current android, otherwise I would have done it already. It's nice to be able to decode announcements on the go.

[SteveShannon]

10 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

I’ve used it as the CAT control layer for some ham radio applications. What do you want to know about it?

It requires a radio that is designed for CAT control.  I don’t know of any GMRS radios that are. 

After seeing the posts by @tweiss3 and @tcp2525, I realized I’m wrong.  Flrig is the component for CAT control that I used.  Fldigi was not.  I apologize.  

[tweiss3]

16 minutes ago, SteveShannon said:

After seeing the posts by @tweiss3 and @tcp2525, I realized I’m wrong.  Flrig is the component for CAT control that I used.  Fldigi was not.  I apologize.  

They are packaged in the same installer, we will let it slide.....

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, tweiss3 said:

They are packaged in the same installer, we will let it slide.....

Thanks!

[WRXB215]

ribbitradio.org

[BoxCar]

1 hour ago, tweiss3 said:

They are packaged in the same installer, we will let it slide.....

 

1 hour ago, SteveShannon said:

Thanks!

 

Like my memory - slip sliding away

[Borage257]

Check out ANDFLMSG too

[tweiss3]

6 minutes ago, Borage257 said:

Check out ANDFLMSG too

That's what I was talking about earlier. On version 1.5, I get this message:

I'm on Android 15 with the January security patches. If anyone can repackage it for android 15, let me know. 

 

[tcp2525]

2 hours ago, SteveShannon said:

After seeing the posts by @tweiss3 and @tcp2525, I realized I’m wrong.  Flrig is the component for CAT control that I used.  Fldigi was not.  I apologize.  

I don't think you are wrong as, if I remember correctly, it is a component of the FlDigi suite. I don't think FlDigi could run without it. It's been years since I played with and I think I have a mild case of old timers disease.

[SteveShannon]

7 minutes ago, tcp2525 said:

I don't think you are wrong as, if I remember correctly, it is a component of the FlDigi suite. I don't think FlDigi could run without it. It's been years since I played with and I think I have a mild case of old timers disease.

You’re correct.  Fldigi is the virtual modem software for various digital modes in ham radio and flrig is the CAT control layer that interfaces between Fldigi and the radio.

[Borage257]

Go to the website or GitHub to get the older releases 

[tweiss3]

Anyone interested, I found an updated version with the revision date 2023 that works on current android versions: https://bitbucket.org/VK2ETA/andflmsg/downloads/

[Davichko5650]

17 hours ago, WSGL775 said:

Has anyone had any exposure to this product? I think you can use it to send data through your radio but I'm unsure. Don't want to waste time if it's something that has no value!

I use Fldigi quite often, but only on HF and 6 meters. I use it for RTTY, PSK31 and a slug of the other digital modes, as well as copying Naxtex and SITOR transmissions around the HF dial.  I do not use CAT control on the FT-450D, I've never gotten it to work correctly. Not an issue as I'm more of a hands on manual guy anyway.  When operating from the truck (not while mobile) on my FT-891 it works very well, both the program for TX/RX as well as the CAT control working.

I don't see it really having a GMRS application, per se, but I guess it could be configured for short digital messaging with an HT?

[WSGL775]

2 hours ago, Davichko5650 said:

I use Fldigi quite often, but only on HF and 6 meters. I use it for RTTY, PSK31 and a slug of the other digital modes, as well as copying Naxtex and SITOR transmissions around the HF dial.  I do not use CAT control on the FT-450D, I've never gotten it to work correctly. Not an issue as I'm more of a hands on manual guy anyway.  When operating from the truck (not while mobile) on my FT-891 it works very well, both the program for TX/RX as well as the CAT control working.

I don't see it really having a GMRS application, per se, but I guess it could be configured for short digital messaging with an HT?

This is way over my paygrade! Right now I'm just learning about radio waves, antennas, and how things work. That being said, I'm not adverse to getting a tech license in the ham radio world. However, I have so much more to learn before I open that can of worms!

[Davichko5650]

Just now, WSGL775 said:

This is way over my paygrade! Right now I'm just learning about radio waves, antennas, and how things work. That being said, I'm not adverse to getting a tech license in the ham radio world. However, I have so much more to learn before I open that can of worms!

Hey, once you start down the rabbit hole that is RF, you never know where it'll lead ya!

[tcp2525]

2 hours ago, Davichko5650 said:

I use Fldigi quite often, but only on HF and 6 meters. I use it for RTTY, PSK31 and a slug of the other digital modes, as well as copying Naxtex and SITOR transmissions around the HF dial.  I do not use CAT control on the FT-450D, I've never gotten it to work correctly. Not an issue as I'm more of a hands on manual guy anyway.  When operating from the truck (not while mobile) on my FT-891 it works very well, both the program for TX/RX as well as the CAT control working.

I don't see it really having a GMRS application, per se, but I guess it could be configured for short digital messaging with an HT?

Did I read somebody mentioning 6m? I used to love 6m before digital came along. Nobody talks on 6m anymore. I did a grand total of 15-minutes of FT8 on it and moved on. Lets get back to using phone again.

[tcp2525]

25 minutes ago, WSGL775 said:

This is way over my paygrade! Right now I'm just learning about radio waves, antennas, and how things work. That being said, I'm not adverse to getting a tech license in the ham radio world. However, I have so much more to learn before I open that can of worms!

Nothing is over your paygrade, it's about finding what you enjoy the most. Do some research and ask questions and you would be amazed at how much you can do with little money and effort. Buy used gear and learn how to make your own antennas and you'll get addicted to learning more and more. There's way too many avenues to take within ham and GMRS.

[SteveShannon]

1 minute ago, tcp2525 said:

Nothing is over your paygrade, it's about finding what you enjoy the most. Do some research and ask questions and you would be amazed at how much you can do with little money and effort. Buy used gear and learn how to make your own antennas and you'll get addicted to learning more and more. There's way too many avenues to take within ham and GMRS.

Perfectly stated!