[aprssig] APRS Monitoring and activity

[Robert Bruninga]

>>> Wes Johnston <aprs at kd4rdb.com> 12/30/04 12:13 PM >>>
>So far as I know, UI-View is the only client that will 
>decode an APRS position in a Net/ROM beacon due to 
>the extra text in the beginning of the packet.

APRSdos will and will also decode ANY packet as a STATUS
packet if no other Status has otherwise been received from 
a station.  This is just for this purpose, since monitoring all
Packet channels was part of the fundamental history of
APRS.

This all started back in 1983 when we first started PACKET
network up the East coast.  I was the "network" map maker.
But I soon realized that every map I made was obsolete the
day after I released it.  That's when I began encouraging
ALL BBS's, nodes, and packet stations to include their
POSITION in their beacons so tha t simply monitoring a 
channel would quickly build up a Network Map.

Thus the importance of PHG circles, Ranges, and the relative
un-importance of street level maps in APRSdos.  APRS
was for Monitoring PACKETS and displayin the NETWORK.
only later did we add GPS and vehichle tracking.  And 
unfortunately, most clones only focus on this aspect and
do not do a good job of displaying the networks...

>Makes it kinda hard to plot the digipeaters on other networks.  
>Maybe it's better to monitor another frequency and use the 
>MHEARD function of your TNC?

Yep, just what I am talking about.  And UIview doesnt
even display PHG circles or ranges so you can see the
network potential connectivity!

Bob

Wes
--



Quoting Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>:

> As I said in an earlier post, APRS is not an end in itself.
> It is just a tool for doing HAM radio things.  One of the
> things it is used for is monitoring ANY or ALL packet
> frequencies to see what is out there.
>
> In our area, there are somthing like 25 packet freqs on
> 2 meters.  And since all active packet systems are
> encouraged to Beacon once every now and then to identify
> their presence,  APRS is an ideal tool for finding out what is out
> there.
>
> And many of those assets with knowledgible owners put
> a position in that beacon.  Thus, APRS will plot these
> networks just like they do APRS.  Also, APRS should
> receive and plot any DX cluster spots if  you run across one
> of those too.
>
> If you use APRSdos, however, you have to toggle the
> CONTROLS-FILTER to OTHER so that APRS will capture any
> packet and not just APRS stations.
>
> Today, I'm home and stepping through all  25 channels about
> 30 minutes on each.  I have alrady found 3 JNOS nodes,
> a local BBS, and a DX cluster and Im only on the 4th channel
> now...
>
> Also, if these sysops include their PHG in their beacon, then
> you can eve see the connectivity of these systems and if
> they have digi enabled, then you can even use thse as an
> alternate RF path in an emergency by hopping from one
> to another to your destination...
>
> de WB4APR, Bob
>
>
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