BATC Portsdown Transmitter Support Statement

The Portsdown DATV Transmitter relies on a diverse set of software packages for all its functionality. This statement sets out how the BATC proposes to support the software in the future. All support is provided on a volunteer basis by a loose grouping of enthusiasts known as the BATC Portsdown Development Team.

Support will be provided in 3 phases: Active Development, Sustainment and Archive.

During the Active Development phase, the BATC Portsdown Development Team will maintain an installation script on the BATC GitHub Page, and also provide the facility to update an existing installation to the latest version. In the event of changes to 3rd party software (including the Raspbian operating system) the team will change the scripts as soon as resources allow to maintain the functionality. The team will also answer questions on the BATC Forum, keep the Wiki updated and write articles for CQ-TV and other magazines.

During the Sustainment phase, the team will maintain an SD Card image to be downloaded which will provide Portsdown Transmitter functionality on the reference hardware. This image may not have the latest versions of operating system or applications, and so may not have the latest security patches; caution will need to be observed relating to internet connections. The image will be updated from time-to-time. The BATC Forum will still be available for support questions, but the team might not respond immediately. The Wiki will be maintained.

During the Archive phase, an SD Card image will be published for download and the BATC Forum and Wiki will still be available. The SD Card image is very unlikely to be updated with any security patches. There will be no commitment to any further support from the BATC Portsdown Development Team.

There is no commitment on the part of the development team to support any future changes to the Raspberry Pi hardware. There is no reason why the existing hardware should not continue to work properly for at least 10 years.

It is envisaged that the Active Development Phase will last until mid to late 2018, with the Sustainment phase lasting at least another year. The Archive Phase should last as long as the BATC has the resources to maintain the Website, Forum and Wiki.

In summary, BATC members can be confident that their Portsdown Transmitter hardware will have operating software available for many years to come.

G8GKQ 16 May 2018