[aprssig] IGate wildcards/Telpac data

[Steve Dimse]

On 2/15/05 at 9:54 AM AE5PL Lists <HamLists at ametx.com> sent:

>#1 2 users does not make the APRS community (how about 20,000).  
>
The discussion is just starting, hopefully more people will chime in. Most of
the people that are knowledgeable about APRS are here on this list, and I think
this is an issue of considerable import. If in the end only two people care,
then fine, I'll make the change and end my objection...

>#2 Whether findu supports them or not has nothing to do with the WinLink
>objects.  Bottom line is findu does not support the generic 9 character
>callsign-ssid which every other client (including RF-only clients) and
>server does.  So, to use your phraseology, "Are you willing to ignore
>the reality of APRS-IS or are you going to have findu support what
>everyone else already does?"
>
Again, who is transmitting such callsigns? When someone sends something on the
APRS IS and it doesn't appear on findU I have always heard about it pretty
quickly. AFAIK, this proposal to use WL- is the first use of non-AX25 callsigns
in quite a while. 

Still, I'm really not fighting the 9 character issue, that isn't the opinion I'm
seeking from people. The issue I'm taking up here is using wildcards in IGates
and relying on filtering to reduce the load to the RF network to reasonable
proportions.

Even if I were to agree that any 9 character callsign is acceptable, that issue
is quite separate from the issue of usign a wildcard gateable callsign for the
Telpac nodes. Do not focus on the 9 character issue, even if findU had always
supported any 9 chars as callsigns, I'd be arguing strongly against the proposal
to IGate Telpac nodes based on wildcards. This WILL occasionally result in QRM
to RF networks, and WILL erode the sentiment of APRS users towards internet
originated data. 

Steve K4HG