[Ham-Mac] What I don't like?

[Dick Rucker]

on 4/12/04 8:45 AM, Chris Smolinski at csmolinski@blackcatsystems.com wrote:

> 
> To be honest, I am not quite sure how you could havebeen "duped".
> MultiMode is distributed as shareware. You're free to download a copy
> and try it out before buying it. I actually encourage people to try
> it before sending me any money. If you don't like it, you don't pay
> for it, it's that simple!. Some people probably like it and use it,
> but don't pay for it, although I have no control over that. It's the
> most fair system I can think of for evaluating software. I then give
> a year's worth of updates for free. I chose this over the arbitrary
> 'free updates until next release' method since it would be up to me
> as to when a "major release" occurs. Then another year's worth of
> updates is $25, a little more than a quarter of the initial
> registration fee. There is no $89 a year "subscription" to MultiMode.

Though I haven't yet tried MultiMode (too many toys, too little time),
thanks for your explanation of your software update policy.

I assume that the $25 rate for a year's worth of updates is MultiMode
specific, and that the rate would be something else for differently priced
product in keeping with the "little more than a quarter of the initial fee"
policy?


> ACARS is actually one of my special interests as well, which is why I
> implemented the ACARS decoder in MultiMode. It was actually one of
> the first modes implemented, shortly after CW, RTTY, and FAX, as I
> recall. I routinely get greater than a 90% decode rate on ACARS using
> MultiMode. I've run it in parallel with a PC based decoding program
> (RadioRaft in this case) which got similar results.
> 
> In the case of ACARS, the input volume level is the one setting you
> need to worry about (in addition to making sure squelch is off of
> course). Too low or high will cause poor decoding results. I've had
> good results with radios ranging from an Icom R-7000 down to an old
> Bearcat 220 scanner. Curiously I have had very poor results using a
> JRC NRD 545 (with the optional VHF/UHF converter). Some preliminary
> tests show that the DSP filtering in the 545 causes some severe
> distortion to ACARS signals.

ACARS is another mode that I would like to get around to someday. Living not
very far from IAD and DCA and living on a ridge, I should have lots of
opportunities to copy.

 
> I've always been open to suggestions from users, and indeed I can say
> that many of the features in MultiMode, as well as some modes
> themselves, where included at the suggestion of users. Likewise, if
> someone points out a bug, I try my best to replicate it here, and fix
> it.

I like your attitude!  BTW, I'm a happy occasional user of your Atomic Mac.
In that case, you have steadily improved it over the years to be one heck of
a good reference tool.


>> And now, to add insult to injury, we have the ridiculously simple
>> MP3 file, oops no it's really actually an application, Trojan Horse
>> in the community.
> 
> Yes, it's an application that shows the icon of an mp3 file. I'm
> really not sure what all the fuss is about. Frankly I'm surprised
> that no one thought of that sooner.

 I agree with you.  What's out there now is more like a "proof of concept"
and hardly a Trojan Horse.  What it demonstrates is what can happen when
file system designers try to cram the name of a file and and its type into
the same meta-data field and then hide the latter half from the user.

BTW, maybe you can clarify something for me, Chris.  I'm using Panther and
in Finder > Preferences > Advanced, I turned on "show all file extensions."
That works for most files, but not applications, whether classic or Unix.
How come?

The reason that the MP3 file trick works is that, unless the user asks for
File Info on the file, it is not apparent that it is really an application,
even though its file name extension suggests otherwise.  The Finder knows it
is an application, the user can know if he is motivated to ask, but why
should he have to ask?  Just always show the application's type, regardless
of what someone else has typed into its name field and made its icon to look
like.

Dick Rucker, KM4ML,
 who uses a Mac when he can, but a PC when he must.