[aprssig] Fixing HID problems on APRS!

[Keith - VE7GDH]

Bob WB4APR wrote 26/07/2004 6:03:03

> Apparently UIview does not do this (*** turn HID off)
> and that is why we are seeing this large growth
> in HID QRM.

Original message was in the APRS SIG. I'm CCing my reply to the UI-VIEW list as well.

The recommended configuration in UI-View32 is to run the TNC in KISS mode. For those that don't know, this turns the TNC into just a modem with all the smarts being in the program, with no regard to the parameters that would be in effect if the TNC was being used in terminal mode. Blaming the most popular APRS program (which you probably don't use) for "a large growth in HID QRM" is an unjustified blanket statement.

However, if for some reason the user isn't using the TNC in KISS mode, it's easy to modify the file that sends parameters to the TNC on start-up and add HID OFF, but again, KISS mode is the much preferred mode. I will probably never use a TNC with UI-View32 not in KISS mode, but for what it's worth, I edited all of the "command" files (e.g. KTRONICS.CMD) to add HID OFF to the list of parameters that would be sent to the TNC if the file was ever used. Maybe adding CWID OFF would also be a good idea! (Yes, there is a digi in my area that sends out a CW identification.) I agree that it would be a good idea if the "stock" command file came with HID OFF already in there, but again, KISS mode is the preferred mode. To use the internal digipeater in UI-View32, the program must be set for KISS, BPQ or AGWPE. I'm not familiar with BPQ or AGWPE, so I don't know what the implications are there, but if one of these three modes is not selected, the only way the TNC would digipeat would be if it was commanded to digipeat before the user fires up UI-View32.

If you are seeing "HID QRM" from UI-View users in your area, the real problem is that they enabled digipeating in their TNC without disabling HID before starting UI-View. The simple fix is to get them to run the TNC in KISS mode. There are seldom any good reasons to not run the TNC in KISS mode in UI-View, but it should take someone that is used to editing a text file about 30 seconds to add HID OFF to the command file for their TNC, and changing to KISS mode in UI-View shouldn't take much more than 10-15 seconds.

Don't blame Henry Ford for all of the traffic fatalities. Blame the driver. It's an HID problem, not a UI-View problem. Running the TNC in KISS mode as is recommended, there is no problem.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost but I know exactly where I am"