[aprssig] Questions about paths

[Robert Bruninga]

Some good DIGI lessons here maybe:...

>>> "Dave Sloan" <desloan at earthlink.net> 09/05/04 3:51 PM >>>
> My station [runs] 5 watts to a dual band j pole on the roof.
>...our  local digi (wide) kb0uur is only 11 miles NNW of me...
>... All of a sudden he isn't digi-ing 90% of my transmissions. 
>... I changed... to relay, wide2-2 and relay immediately digis me...
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY,WIDE2-2/V:...
N0EOP>APW275,WB0JRG-7*,WIDE2-2/V:=
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY*,WIDE2-2/V:=
N0EOP>APW275,WB0JRG-7*,WIDE2-1/V:=

>WB0JRG-7 (wide on a mountain) is 67 miles SSE of me...
>Why doesn't KB0UUR digi my signal when he is in my path?

Your RELAY path is probably bringing up your neighbors also.
Then these packets collide with the one from KB0UUR.  This
is why you should not use RELAY from a home or fixed site.

>here is an example of where KB0UUR did digi my transmission:
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY,WIDE2-2/V:=
N0EOP>APW275,WB0JRG-7*,WIDE2-2/V:=
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY*,WIDE2-2/V:=
N0EOP>APW275,KB0UUR*,WIDE2-2/V:=

This time RELAY* and KB0UUR did not collide.  So
clearly there is another station out there that is colliding
with your packets.  SO remove the RELAY and put KB0UUR
in by name as your first hop.

>We also have an I-gate 1.1 miles west ...[sending]...

WB0BLV>APU25N,RELAY3-3/V:>
WB0BLV>APU25N,TRACE3-3/V:@

>What does the relay3-3 really do for him? 

Absolutely nothing.  Please inform him to fix his station..

>WB0BLV>APU25N,KB0UUR*,TRACE3-2/V:@

>Why don't I see where my station is digi-ing WB0BLV?  

Because you shouldnt.  You should not be digiing anyone
unless you live on a very high hill and can serve the 
community.  If you are diging otherwise, you are just adding
QRM to everyone else..

>And why don't I see where he is digi-ing me?

Because someone else is running RELAY as an ALIAS and
those packets are colliding with yours most of the time.
Dont use RELAY from fixed locations...

>My idea for a local network (for base stations)is to use the path
>needed to get to your local Wide Digi and then a path (like wide2-2)
that
>ensures that you get to an I-gate...
>Is this the correct way to choose your path?

Yes, you are correct.  But these days we are tring to cut down
on the number of hops.  Since you can apparently hit the digi
that is 67 miles away on one hop, I might suggest that you run
the path of TRACE2-2.  This makes all of your packets completey
traceable and does not add any more QRM or length to the
packet than the original WIDE,WIDE2-2 that you were using.

Or even run TRACE3-3.  Yes a few of the packets will have slightly
longer paths on recipt, but be fully traceable and there will be 
only 1 copy.  WIDE,WIDE2-2 is slightly shorter, but will generate 
some extra copies that are not needed...

de WB4APR, Bob