Hi Irad,
Is it possible sometime in the future to introduce a 1 minute delay in the transmission of the "I'm away" message and during this minute if the operator types something to the console of VarAC, then the "I'm away" message should be cancelled and a QSO can take place. Maybe if VarAC sense that the operator starts typing something, the "Welcome message" should be transmitted instead otherwise the "I am away message" should be transmitted.
I think this will save us a lot of grief and save a lot of missed QSOS because many times I am in the radio shack doing something else and I have not touched VarAC for more than the I'm away (Auto) set period, so when someone connects to me he/she sees the "I am away message" immediately and rightly so, he/she thinks that I am really away when I am not away!
I know of another program called APRSIS32 that does this. After APRSIS32 receives an APRS TEXT message, if the operator does not open it to read it whithin 1 minute, the program automatically sends the "AA: QRL, 73" message so the other operator knows we are away!
73 de Demetre M0SUY (SV1UY) ..
Donno.. need to think about it. if someone connected you they will waste a minute to figure out you are not there. 80% of the cases you are not there... so not sure whats is a better price to pay... 10 seconds might make sense. you hear the connect sound. if you start to type within 10 seconds the away wont be sent