ZL1AMW's UIView Resource

This page provides a modified symbols file, useful for New Zealand operating. If you have any suggestions for further customisation of the symbols, please drop me a note.

In September 2005, a new set of APRS symbols (Rev H) was released.

When the previous issue (Rev G) was issued in January 2005 it added a number of new symbols, plus changed the ARRL/RSGB symbol to a diamond, ready for an overlay letter. New Zealand operators have used this symbol as an NZART club station icon, which creates a conflict. To allow the use of the red diamond for things such as IRLP and Echolink nodes, we inserted a new NZART symbol in a spare position, (the alternate table 'q', position 80). We picked up all of the new symbols from the Rev G set circulated by WA8LMF, but retained the G4IDE icons for most items.

Rev H adds a new tractor symbol, so Ian ZL1VFO has inserted this into the ZL symbol set for us. The new Rev H ZL symbol set provided below therefore contains the NZART symbol and all of the internationally agreed symbols to Rev H.

Modified ZL version of Rev H Symbol file

Modified ZL version of Rev G Symbol file

Pre Rev G updated UI-View Symbol file

Background on Symbol Files:

From the UI-View help:

The Concept Of Symbols (also sometimes called icons)

A station includes in its beacon information one or more characters that identify the type of station. A station receiving the beacon uses that information to decide what graphic to use to represent the station.

The symbols are made up from three files - SYMBOLS.TXT, SYMBOLS.BMP and SYMBOLS2.BMP. Comments in SYMBOLS.TXT explain how it works.

The symbols are fully compatible with APRS.

Background on these changes:

UI-View32, allows two sets of symbol files - the normal SYMBOLS.TXT, SYMBOLS.BMP and SYMBOLS2.BMP, plus a user set called MYSYMB.TXT, MYSYMB.BMP and MYSYMB2.BMP, which, if present in the Ui-View32 directory on start-up, take precedence over the original symbols.

The result of operating with these files in place is that when your station receives an APRS beacon that has the character for the diamond with overlay, your computer will display an NZART logo. If you set up a station or object with the NZART icon, it will display on other people's APRS software as an ARRL or RSGB logo (if they are running pre Rev-G symbol sets) or a blank diamond (if they are running Rev G symbols), unless they have installed these files.

Updating your UI-View32 (see below for those running the share-ware version Ui-View):

Download modified ZL version of Rev H Symbol file, unzip the three files into your Ui-View32 programme directory. Restart Ui-View32, and your symbols are updated.

If you want to revert to the standard setup, just delete the MYSYMB.TXT, MYSYMB.BMP and MYSYMB2.BMP files, restart, and your programme will revert to using the standard SYMBOLS.TXT SYMBOLS.BMP and SYMBOLS2.BMP.

Updating your share-ware version Ui-View:

Ui-View does not recognise MYSYMB files, so you have to replace your symbols files with these updated versions:

Shut down Ui-View.
Download modified ZL version of Rev H Symbol file, unzip the three files into your Ui-View programme directory.
Rename SYMBOLS.TXT, SYMBOLS.BMP and SYMBOLS2.BMP to something different (eg: add the extension .old to them all)
Rename MYSYMB.TXT to SYMBOLS.TXT, MYSYMB.BMP to SYMBOLS.BMP and MYSYMB2.BMP to SYMBOLS2.BMP
Restart Ui-View, and your symbols are updated.

If you want to revert to the standard setup, just delete the SYMBOLS.TXT, SYMBOLS.BMP and SYMBOLS2.BMP files and rename the old versions back (e.g. remove the .old you added), restart, and your programme will revert to using the standard SYMBOLS.TXT SYMBOLS.BMP and SYMBOLS2.BMP.

Updated: 10 Oct 2010