Dist. Sort

[KA1CM]

Hi All,

I've just got MD-9600 installed in my truck. Everything is working great, but I have small question about the Dist. Sort function.
I live in Bridgeport, CT, and work in Norwalk, CT. In the morning when I turn the radio on after starting the truck, ready to go to work. The first channel in the zone is Bridgeport, but when I'm in Norwalk the sort order never change even though the distance to Norwalk channel is showing less than distance to Bridgeport.

Is this normal? If so, how to force the radio to re-sort?

Thank you so much,
Charlie,

[VK3KYY]

The firmware sorts the channels when you enter the Channel screen.

So if the radio was on the Channel screen, and you turn off the radio, the next time you turn the radio on, it should sort the channels again.

Also switching between the Channel screen and VFO then back to the Channel screen should force it to re-sort.

I presume your radio has GPS and its turned on and working


I'd need to double check things are working OK... But the way the Channel screen works is that it stores the index number in the zone of the channel you are on.
So in theory, if you were on channel index = 0 (first in the list), if you switch in and out of the Channel screen and the channels in the zone have been restorted, then the first in the list should be whatever repeater is closest.

But it sounds like this is not whats happening in your case.

[KA1CM]

The firmware sorts the channels when you enter the Channel screen.

So if the radio was on the Channel screen, and you turn off the radio, the next time you turn the radio on, it should sort the channels again.

Also switching between the Channel screen and VFO then back to the Channel screen should force it to re-sort.

I presume your radio has GPS and its turned on and working


I'd need to double check things are working OK... But the way the Channel screen works is that it stores the index number in the zone of the channel you are on.
So in theory, if you were on channel index = 0 (first in the list), if you switch in and out of the Channel screen and the channels in the zone have been restorted, then the first in the list should be whatever repeater is closest.

But it sounds like this is not whats happening in your case.

Thank you, Roger. I will try this today. What you describe is making a lot of sense. I've just expected it to re-sort constantly, which is GPS roaming.
Switching to VFO mode and back to memory sounds easy enough. What I've been doing is get into quick menu, turn the Dist.Sort off, get out, get back in and turn it on again. Maybe I've been watching IT crowd too much

Charlie,

[VK3KYY]

Constantly changing channel based on distance could be somewhat problematic, because the closest repeater isn't necessarily the best one to use, becuase terrain topology plays a big part in signal strength.

Possibly adding another way to force resorting, would be one option, but going to and from the VFO is only 2 presses of the Red / Esc button, is quite easy

[KA1CM]

I have tried getting out to VFO and get back in Memory mode ,but it doesn’t work. Have I done something wrong?

. Video below.


youtu.be/P4RDGJmnroU

[F1RMB]

I just checked the code, and there is currently no other way to re-execute the distance sorting than turning it off/on.
Some fixes will come.

[VK3KYY]

I just checked the code, and there is currently no other way to re-execute the distance sorting than turning it off/on.
Some fixes will come.

Thanks

I will do some testing today of the fix you sent

[KA1CM]

I just checked the code, and there is currently no other way to re-execute the distance sorting than turning it off/on.
Some fixes will come.

Thank you, Daniel. The IT crowd trick always works, just kidding.

[VK3KYY]

I just checked the code, and there is currently no other way to re-execute the distance sorting than turning it off/on.
Some fixes will come.

Thank you, Daniel. The IT crowd trick always works, just kidding.

We're working another way to do this, but its actually likely to be the same numbr of button presses as simply turning the radio off and on again.

Possibly we could add an option to enable dynamic sorting, but I'm not sure how practical that would be in real world situations. i.e It would need some hysteresis, of perhaps 1 or 2 km , otherwise it could end up re-sorting mutiple times when you are equidistant between 2 repeaters, and if you were in the middle of 3 repeaters in the same zone, things would get even more complicated.

I would have to investigate the algorithms used in this situation etc

So overall, just adding a way that the operator can force a resort, its probably the best option.

[KA1CM]

Automatic sort every x minutes should work just fine for my situation.
manual force re-sort by operator in the menu could also work, Operator can program it to a quick key.

Thank you for a wonderful firmware.
Charlie,