Version 9.1 added EmComm mode! Thanks Irad! and I see that templates for forms can be added to an .ini file. I did a test with a friend where I used Flmsg to create an ICS-213 (formatted) form and saved to a file with Flmsg and then sent that tiny file during a VarAC connected session. It worked well, but was a bit clunky to save and find the file. It would seem to me that since the forms library in Flmsg is maintained by others, that interfacing VarAC with Flmsg would un-burden the VarAC team from maintaining a library of templates as well as presenting a way to send fully formatted forms. Thanks for your focus on EmComm, Irad! 73... Rick KJ7ROX

Something strange happened today. I was in a broadcast-only QSO with K6NLX and he let me know that comments that were appearing with his callsign were not his. Then we connected and again the comments were not entered by 'the real K6NLX'. We ended the qso and had a phone call. I guess that someone who sees traffic simply has to eroneously add another's callsign and then can join in on a qso??? I didn't think a connection could be more than 2 VarAC stations. We were using a non-standard calling frequency (7.085) that my local EmComm group uses for a VarAC net in the morning. Does this make sense? It actually happened. Are there any files/logs that would yield any useful evidence? Rick KJ7ROX

I realize that there are a couple of posts on this subject - I would like to add another use-case in addition to EmComm (for which I think this would be VERY useful): Sailors on yachts that rely on HF for communications could use VarAC if it gave them the easy ability to send a position report without transcribing GPS coordinates into a message. Some yachters are using JS8Call for this currently, but if VarAC had a GPS connection, it would be a much more useful tool.

My purpose: to add an additional VarAC frequency choice which could be used for EMComm or other local purpose without 'hogging' the standard VarAC freq. - I tried adding 7.050.000 to VarAC_frequencies.conf at the bottom of the list - as did my test buddy - We both selected 7.050.000 and I started beacons. I also sent a broadcast text. - My test buddy received the beacon and test, but I did not receive his and I did not see his transmission on either the VarAC waterfall or on my radio's waterfall. ( I am using FT-991A). It seemed to work only in one direction. I suspected something on his end, but we could find nothing strange and when we returned to the standard 7.105.000 VarAC freq everything worked normally. My test buddy was using a Kenwood TS-2000 with SignaLink. - I tried again with another friend, this time using 7.085.000 ( avoiding some other common digital modes). Different test buddy and similar one-way results. Is there something else I need to change in settings in order to use a custom frequency in VarAC_frequencies.conf ? Thanks for producing such a useful tool! Rick Lovdahl KJ7ROX

I can see that I can broadcast to 'ALL' or to a specific callsign. Is it possible to send a broadcast message to a set of defined callsigns? That would seem to be a great EMComm feature! Thanks for an amazing tool!