# FSQCALL Syntax

## Using Active Mode Commands

V0.41, 21.10.2016

The FSQCall Syntax is the 'glue' which holds together the automated and selective calling FSQ system. Each command has a one-character trigger, and a carefully specificed message format. The Trigger Commands, described in detail below, are:

? $ @ & ^ _ < > * # + | ! ~ %

callsign text (Enable print)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print text. No trigger character used except space following callsign. You MUST use a space between callsign and message, or the message will not be recognised.

callsign? text (Is station hearing me?)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print text. When squelch closes, station responds: origin_callsign snr=xxdB

callsign* (Enable Active mode)
Switches station to Active if FSQCALL is Inactive. Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds: callsign:<crc>, whether it was initially Active or not. Frequently used to check that you have contact with a station.

callsign!message (Repeat or relay my message)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds: callsign:message. This is a simple relay mechanism. The message can (and usually does) contain further directions and trigger commands.

callsign~ message (Repeat my message later)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, after a delay of about 15 seconds, station responds: callsign:message This delayed relay is useful when stations mentioned in the message can hear and might respond to the original message. Used mostly for path testing.

callsign#[filename.ext] (Send file to station)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. The originator opens the file from the menu, and file name appended to message before file body text. Or, command, file name and file contents can be typed manually in TX pane. File will be saved at the recipient in, or appended to text file filename.ext in a dedicated message folder. When squelch closes, station responds callsign: ack if the message is stored OK. There is no response if the message was not received.

The file name[filename.ext] can be alpha, numeric or mixed, and can include any appropriate file suffix. The file content must be plain text (.txt, .csv, .html etc). File paths are not permitted. It is possible to send the message to all stations using allcall#[filename.ext], but be prepared for mayhem when many stations 'Ack' the message!

Messages can be sent by remote telemetry devices using this mechanism, for example "target_callsign#[source_callsign.ext]timestamp,sequence_number,data,data,data...". Each subsequent message to the same filename will be appended to the same file (source_callsign.ext) at the target station. The remote source device should include a sequence number and, where possible, a time stamp in the payload. Again, data must be alphanumeric. The MSGRX light will illuminate when a message has been successfully stored, and the file may be read by clicking on the button. If no appropriate file-type association exists on the computer, the file will not open this way, so you will need to find it in the Shared folder.

callsign+[filename.ext] (Receive file from station)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station sends the requested text file, if found. The file name must match an existing file (the file name format is the same as for sending a file). The file name [filename.ext] can be alpha, numeric or mixed, and can include any appropriate file suffix. The file content must be plain text (.txt, .csv, .html etc). File paths are not permitted. Only files in the dedicated message folder can be retrieved.

The requested file will be returned using the callsign#[filename.ext] mechanism (Send file to station) previously described. If the file is not found, a 'nak: file filename.ext doesn't exist' message will be returned. Use of allcall as a target for this command is ignored by all recipients

Stations running V0.34 or later will have two index files available: short.callsign and long.callsign. These list the files that are available for retrieving. Obviously the long.callsign contains more detail. You can retrieve these files the same as any other file, for example 'w1xyz+[short.w1xyz]' will retrieve the short file listing from station W1XYZ.

callsign+[%Ximagefilename.ext] (Receive image from station)
Addressee station sends the requested image, if found. The image file name must match an existing file (the file name format is the same as for sending a file). The file name [filename.ext] can be alpha, numeric or mixed, and can include any appropriate image file suffix. The file content must be an image (.bmp, .jpg, .png etc). File paths are not permitted. Only files in the dedicated "Images" folder can be retrieved. The requested image will be returned as an image at the requested resolution. If the image file is not found, a 'nak: file filename.ext doesn't exist' message will be returned. Use of allcall as a target for this command is ignored by all recipients.

X in this context can be S, L, V, or F, for Small (160x120 colour pixels), Large (320x240 colour pixels), Very large (640x480 colour pixels), and "Fax" (640x480 grey scale pixels).

Stations running V0.35 or later will have an index file available: Images.callsign. This lists the files that are available for retrieval.You can retrieve this file the same as any other file, for example 'w1xyz+[Images.w1xyz]' will retrieve the image file listing from station W1XYZ.

callsign$ (Request station heard list)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds with the current list of stations heard.

callsign@ (Request station position or location information)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds with a pre-recorded sentence, typically containing QTH information. This could be GPS position, locator, or physical address. This is the message stored and retrieved by the QTH button.

callsign& (Request station message)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds with pre-recorded sentence, typically containing station information or an 'Out to Lunch' pre-recorded message. This is the message stored by the QTC button.

callsign_ (Request Squelch Setting)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds with current SNR meter Squelch setting (where the yellow line is).

callsign^ (Request Software Version)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. When squelch closes, station responds with current FSQCALL software version.

callsign% (Send image)
Addressed station receives the command to record an analogue graphic image. The picture appears on a separate RX Pic window, which opens automatically. Images are either 160 x 120 pixels, 320 x 240 pixels, or 640 x 480 pixels, in colour, and 640 x 480 pixels in grey scale. To send, type the direction followed by %, select Lo-res image, Hi-res image, HD image, or FSQ-FAX, on the Image Send tab, right-click on the tab to load the picture, then press SEND PIC.

The same applies to the Webcam Send tab. The HI-RES image takes approximately 2 minutes to send. The HD and FAX images take approximately 8 and 4 minutes respectively.

callsign% w, W, f, and v (Request webcam image) "w" requests the remote webcam to send a 160x120 pixel frame (Lo-res image), "W" requests a 320x240 pixel frame (Hi-res image), "v" requests a 640x480 pixel frame (HD image), and "f" requests a grey scale 640x480 pixel frame (FSQ_FAX). Note the space between the % and the image type letter. The case of the trigger character is important!

callsign|message (Send alert)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Addressee station starts to print. Alert pop-up box containing message is placed on the screen after the squelch closes. There is no immediate acknowledgement. When the operator closes this dialog, a response transmission is made: origin_callsign Alert ack

cqcqcq text (Call for general chat)
Squelch opens if CQ is enabled. SELCAL light comes on. Following text prints.

allcall text (All stations print)
Squelch opens. SELCAL light comes on. Following text prints at all stations.

callsign> or callsign< (Speed change)
> increases speed, < decreases speed at target station. Response is origin_callsign: 4.5 baud (or whatever the new speed is). If speed is already at the requested speed, the response is the same and there is no speed change.

Copyright © Murray Greenman and Con Wassilieff 2013-2016. All rights reserved.