1. 3. Configuration

1.1. 3.1. Application Settings

Prior to using D-RATS there are a number of preferences that must be configured. These can be accessed by selecting File > Preferences:

A list of configurable item groups will appear in the left hand column. The following subsections describe the options contained in each group.

1.1.1. 3.1.1. User Settings

The options are:

• Callsign: This should be your exact callsign, nothing else. This is prefixed to outgoing messages for identification. Whatever you put in this field is the identifier that all other stations must use to address you. Do not include any trailing whitespace and note that "A<space>B" is a different call than "A<space><space>B".

• Name: This is your familiar name

• Sign-on Message: If enabled, the message in the box will be transmitted upon starting D-RATS.

• Sign-off Message: If enabled, the message in the box will be transmitted upon exiting D-RATS.

• Units: Select between Imperial (default) and Metric.

• Show time in UTC: If enabled, displays time in UTC, rather than local time.

• Ping Reply: This message will be sent to any D-RATS station that pings your callsign.

• Language: Select between English (default), Italian and Dutch.

• Blink tray on:

  • Incoming Messages: If enabled, this will cause the D-RATS icon in the task bar to blink on receipt of an incoming message.

  • New Chat Messages: If enabled, this will cause the D-RATS icon in the task bar to blink on receipt of new chat messages.

  • Incoming Files: If enabled, this will cause the D-RATS icon in the task bar to blink during receipt of an incoming file.

  • Received Events: If enabled, this will cause the D-RATS icon in the task bar to blink when an event is received.

1.1.2. 3.1.2. Path Settings

The options are:

• File Transfer Path: Set to the desired location as to where downloaded files and files available for upload are to be stored. Note that all files within this directory will be made available to any station that can reach you.

• Map Storage Path: Set to the desired location as to where downloaded map files, from the internet, are to be stored. This can be a shared directory, if multiple computers running D-RATS wish to share map files. (NOTE: Most users should not change this path)

1.1.3. 3.1.3. GPS Settings

The options are:

• Latitude: This should be the latitude coordinates of your station. It should be in decimal degrees or Degrees-Minutes-Seconds format (use the space bar to substitute for the degree, minute, and second symbols). Use (-) for latitudes south of the equator.

• Longitude: This should be the longitude coordinates of your station. It must be in decimal degrees or Degrees-Minutes-Seconds.

• Lookup by address: This option allows you to determine your approximate coordinates from your street address if the computer is connected to the internet.

• Altitude: This should be your station's altitude above sea level.

• External GPS: If an external GPS is to be used instead of static coordinates, select the serial port and speed of an externally connected NMEA-compliant GPS. (NOTE: Most all NMEA GPS devices use 4800 baud).

• Use External GPS: If enabled, instructs D-RATS to use coordinates provided by an external GPS.

• Table: Table sent as part of a GPS-A message.

• Symbol: Symbol sent as part of a GPS-A message.

• Freshen Map After: Determines how frequently D-RATS should check the internet for updated maps (default = 720 hours).

Note: The position shown in the User Manual is in Australia and has negative latitudes and positive longitudes. Positions in the U.S. have positive latitudes and negative longitudes. For example, the center of the U.S. is 37.7500 latitude and -99.5000 longitude.

1.1.4. 3.1.4. Appearance Settings

The options are:

• Notice RegEx: A regular expression describing strings to highlight (See RexEx explanation below).

• Ignore RegEx: A regular expression describing strings to "dim".

• Incoming Color: This controls the color of the text received from other stations.

• Outgoing Color: This controls the color of messages you send.

• Notices Color: This is the highlight color for strings matching the Notice RegEx.

• Ignore Color: This is the dim color for strings matching the Ignore RegEx.

• Broken Color: This is the color used to highlight raw text received that can't be checked for validity (if enabled)

1.1.5. 3.1.5. Chat Settings

The options are:

• Log chat traffic: If enabled, D-RATS will log all chat traffic (accessible from the View menu)

• Chat font: The font for the main window chat display.

• Scrollback lines: Defines the number of lines available for scrollback in the chat display (default = 1024).

• Show status updates in chat: If enabled, displays any status updates in the chat display.

• Timestamp chat messages: When enabled, includes a timestamp on chat messages sent and received.

1.1.6. 3.1.6. Sounds Settings

The options are:

• Chat activity: If enabled, the location and filename of sound to play if any chat messages are received.

• Message activity: If enabled, the location and filename of sound to play if any messages are received.

• File activity: If enabled, the location and filename of sound to play if any files are received.

1.1.7. 3.1.7. Message Settings

The options are:

• Automatically forward messages: If enabled, messages in the Outbox will be automatically sent to the prescribed recipient on the last port where the station was heard, or according to the static message-routing rules

• Queue flush interval: The number of seconds between scans of the Outbox to initiate automatic message transfers

1.1.8. 3.1.8. Radio Settings

D-RATS can be configured to operate simultaneously across multiple communication links, eg: 2m, 70cm, 23cm and the internet.

The options are:

• Enabled: If enabled, this port is active and available for use with D-RATS.

• Port: The device to open. Enter the desired port to operate across (i.e. "COM14", "/dev/cua0", or "net:ref.d-rats.com:9000").

• Rate: The data speed used to connect D-RATS to your radio. This must match your radio (see table below.), but has no bearing on "net:" type connections such as the Ratflector.

• Ratflector password: Optional password to send if required to access a Ratflector (default = no password).

• Sniff packets: If enabled, log some information about packets seen that are destined for other stations.

• Receive raw text: If enabled, displays all text received in the chat window.

• Name: A descriptive name for this entry. It will be displayed in other parts of the program.

1.1.9. 3.1.9. Transfers Settings

Be aware that with TCP or Email settings you may be sending account names and passwords over the radio.

The options are:

• Block size: The largest amount of data that is covered by a single checksum. The larger this is, the more efficient the transfer is on a good connection. On a bad connection, setting this to be smaller reduces the amount of data that must be re-sent in the event of a bit of corruption. Revert resets value to default settings.

• Pipeline blocks: The number of blocks (of Block size bytes) that are sent each round. Revert resets value to default settings.

Be aware that ‘Block size’ times ‘Pipeline blocks’ can cause a transmission time long enough to time out radios and/or repeaters. Larger is not always better.

• Remote form transfers: If enabled, allow remote users to retrieve forms from this station

• Remote file transfers: If enabled, allow remote users to retrieve files from this station's File Transfer Path directory.

• Warmup Length: The number of bytes to prefix to each packet after a period of idle. This may help to "warm up" a handheld radio on the receiving end that is in power save mode. Revert resets value to default settings.

• Warmup timeout: The number of seconds between transmissions that is considered to be "idle", thus causing the next transmission to include the prefix pad, as described above. Revert resets value to default settings.

• Force transmission delay: Always wait this many seconds before transmitting a packet. Revert resets value to default settings.

1.1.10. 3.1.10. TCP Gateway Settings

The TCP gateway function of D-RATS provides a mechanism to forward TCP traffic over the radio.  This could be used to bridge SMTP or POP3 traffic over the radio channel between two locations that need to use something like a regular email client accessing a special server.  It is an advanced feature recommended for users who need this functionality and for whom the regular email forwarding function does not suffice.

The options are:

• Port: Receive traffic on this port from stations over the radio link (i.e: port 25).

• Host: Send traffic to the designated port at the host address (i.e: mail.foo.com).

1.1.11. 3.1.11. TCP Forwarding Settings

The options are:

• Local Port: Listen for connections to a designated port on the local machine (i.e: port 2525).

• Remote Port: Send data received on that port (i.e port 2525) to the designated port on the remote machine (i.e: port 25).

• Station: Address this data to the callsign entered across the radio link.

1.1.12. 3.1.12. Outgoing Email Settings

The options are:

• SMTP Server: Address of the remote SMTP server to send outgoing email (i.e smtp.gmail.com).

• Port and Mode: Port that the remote SMTP server expects to receive email on (i.e gmail uses port 587 and TLS enabled).

• Source address: Default email address to use on outgoing email.

• SMTP Username: Username to log into the remote SMTP server.

• SMTP Password: Password to log into the remote SMTP server.

• Gateway: If enabled, allows email received from D-RATS to be sent to the internet.

1.1.13. 3.1.13. Incoming Email Settings

The options are:

• Server: Address of the remote POP server to receive incoming email (i.e pop.gmail.com).

• Username: Username to receive incoming email.

• Password: Password to receive incoming email.

• Poll Interval: Frequency (in minutes) to see if new email is waiting on the remote POP server.

• Port: Set to the port that the remote POP server expects to receive email on (i.e 110. pop.gmail.com uses port 995).

• Use SSL: If enabled, connect to the remote POP server with SSL.

• Action: Treat the email as a Form or as a Chat message (default = Form).

1.1.14. 3.1.14. Email Access Settings

The options are:

• Callsign: Enter the callsign of a D-RATS user that you wish to process email for.

• Access: Determine how email will be handled for the nominated callsign, eg: None, Both, Incoming, or Outgoing.

• Email filter: Looks for a string matching this field in the message, so that it can direct the message to the nominated callsign.

1.2. 3.2. QST Settings

D-RATS allows an automatic message to be broadcast at a specified interval. The message can be text specified by the user, the output of a program, a text file, or GPS coordinates.

1.2.1. 3.2.1. Viewing existing QST beacons

1. Go to the Chat tab and select QST.

2. QSTs that are currently being used have the On box ticked.

3. The time remaining until the next QST is displayed for each message.

1.2.1.1. 3.2.1.1. Adding / Editing a text QST beacon

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Make sure the message type is set to Text.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box (the default is 60 minutes). Preset intervals include 1, 5, 10, 20, 30, or 60 minutes, and 15, 30 and 45 minutes past the hour. Use a preset interval, or manually type one in the box (i.e., 15 for every 15 minutes, or :25 for 25 minutes past the hour).

4. Type your message in the bottom box.

5. Click OK.

1.2.1.2. 3.2.1.2. Adding / Editing a QST beacon containing GPS coordinates

Note: Your GPS coordinates must already be configured in D-RATS. See GPS Tracking.

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to GPS.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.
4. Type a short message in the bottom box.

5. Click OK.

1.2.1.3. 3.2.1.3. Adding / Editing a QST beacon in GPS-A format

Note: Your GPS coordinates must already be configured in D-RATS. See GPS Tracking.

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to GPS-A.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.
4. Type a short message in the bottom box.

5. Click OK.

1.2.1.4. 3.2.1.4. Adding / Editing a QST beacon from Weather Underground

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to Weather (WU) and then browse to the file.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.
4. Select whether the WU source is from an airport or a personal weather station.
5. Enter the WU station identification.

6. Click OK.

1.2.1.5. 3.2.1.5. Adding / Editing a QST beacon from a RSS feed

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to RSS and then browse to the file.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.
4. Enter the URL of an RSS feed in the botton box.

5. Click OK.

1.2.1.6. 3.2.1.6. Adding / Editing a QST beacon from a CAP feed

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to CAP and then browse to the file.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.
4. Enter the URL of a CAP feed in the botton box.

5. Click OK.

1.2.1.7. 3.2.1.7. Adding / Editing a QST beacon from a text file

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to File and then browse to the file.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.

4. Click OK.

1.2.1.8. 3.2.1.8. Adding / Editing a QST beacon from the output of an executable file

1. Click on the Add or Edit button as appropriate.

2. Set the message type to Exec and then browse to the executable.

3. Set the interval in the drop-down box.

4. Click OK.

1.2.2. 3.2.2. Deleting a QST beacon

To delete a QST beacon:

1. Go to the Chat tab and select QST.

2. Click on the QST that you wish to delete, so that it is highlighted.

3. Click the Remove button.

4. Confirm whether you really wish to delete the QST.

1.3. 3.3. Quick Message Settings

Quick messages are pre-canned messages that can be sent with (almost) a single-click.

1.3.1. 3.3.1. Setting a Quick Message

1. Go to the Chat tab and select Quick Messages.

2. Enter a message in the text box.

3. Click OK.

1.3.2. 3.3.2. Deleting a Quick Message

1. Go to the Chat tab and select Quick Messages.

2. Click on the Quick Message that you wish to delete, so that it is highlighted.

3. Click the Remove button.

4. Confirm whether you really wish to delete the Quick Message.