Well, at the last minute before tonight's PSAT-2 passes, I finally figured out the correct format for the DTMF QSL messages & answered my own question.
Here's a tweet w/ screen shots & audio URLs from tonight's successful DTMF connections:
https://twitter.com/scott23192/status/1161174309328621573
I found the following page particularly helpful:
http://aprs.org/QIKcom/Q2-DTMF-messages.txt
... in particular, the instruction:
---------------------------------------------
DTMF messages are sent in a 16 key string starting with the "C", ending in #
//
CMMxxCCCCCCkkkk# Where CCCCCCkkkk are your callsign keys and key code and MM is the message number below
---------------------------------------------
.. so, here is how it breaks down if anyone else could use the extra help that I did.
Get your call/grid DTMF from http://aprs.org/PSAT2Translator.html
(important note: if your callsign is less than 6 characters, put a space or 2 at the end to bring your character count to -6- before clicking "Translate")
... so for a CQ, I use that string exactly:
*18175453702201#
However, if I want to QSL someone else's CQ, I only use the call sign portion of that DTMF string. The string that gave me the QSL success was:
C40455453702201#
... let's break that in its parts:
C : message follows 40 : message #40 is a QSL 45 : I am QSL-ing CQ #45 (from KC9ELU as seen on http://www.aprsat.com/dtmf ) [... or heard directly over-the-air!! ] 545370 : the call sign portion of my original DTMF translation 2201 : also from the original DTMF translation - simply put, a converted 'key code' that goes with the previous numbers representing my call sign # : END of message
I won't go into the creation of the DTMF audio file here (I use Audacity); please feel free to contact me if you need help on that. I used audio files transmitted via Signalink at my location, but of course if you have a radio with DTMF memory capability, that's an option, too.
Hope that is helpful to someone else since I was so slow on the pick-up on how to format the QSL type of message.
-Scott, K4KDR
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On Mon, Aug 12, 2019 at 11:46 PM Scott scott23192@gmail.com wrote:
Many thanks to Robert for the time he's put into creating these very informative web pages!
Bob, I have read and re-read the DTMF instructions but even though it reflects poorly on me, I'm not sure what exact string to transmit to QSL someone's previous CQ.
So here is my best guess - please correct as required.
My callsign/grid DTMF (that has worked once) is: *18175453702201#
For me to QSL CQ #45 from KC9ELU, do I transmit the following?:
C4045*18175453702201#
Thanks in advance!
-Scott, K4KDR
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On Mon, Aug 12, 2019 at 9:55 PM Robert Bruninga via AMSAT-BB < amsat-bb@amsat.org> wrote:
Thanks to Robert, KE6BLR, we can now capture the DTMF Grids and Messages data coming down from PSAT2. I have added the DTMF page to the list of links for PSAT2:
Summary: You encode your Grid and callsign into a 16 digit DTMF memory on your radio. Using narrow band FM, send it on 145.98 withi doppler compensation or at the middle of a pass.
PSAT2 assigns a CQ number and acknowledges it by voice and then sends an APRS packet that contains the grid. Robert's web page will capture that packet.
A second station can send their DTMF grid and get the same process but with a new CQ number.
Now, either station can send a DTMF QSL Message for the other guy's CQ number which will also be spoken and recorded on the APRS downlink.
Details on the psat2 page on the above web page. PSAT2 is entering a phase of Apogee in the northern hemisphere for a week or so and so is more workable in the USA and southern Europe.
Bob, WB4APR