[aprssig] APRS Status Quo

[Andre PE1RDW]

Curt, WE7U schreef:

>I changed the subject line to better reflect the current thread.  It
>was "APRS routing strategies".
>
>
>On Thu, 17 Feb 2005, Robert Bruninga wrote:
>
>  
>
>>But it violates the KISS principle and wont be worth anything
>>unless the ENTIRE NETORK completey adopts it "everywhere"
>>and 13 years of history with APRS PROVES that that will
>>never happen...
>>    
>>
>
>There are those of us that will never be satisfied with the status
>quo, continuing to look for a better way no matter how unpopular it
>is to do so at the time.
>
>There's the way it's always been done, and then there's the vision
>of what the future _could_ be.
>
>Just because we have years of history with APRS/things are slow to
>move doesn't mean that they will never move, never adopt new
>hardware/software/methodologies.
>
>
>  
>
>>>We've limped along with this manual transmission long enough and
>>>need to upgrade to one of these whiz-bang new automatic
>>>transmissions.  Keep the manual tranny around for advanced users/for
>>>special circumstances, but relegate it to only those uses.
>>>      
>>>
>>Like I say.  Such an "automatic plan to work everywhere"
>>by definition is USLESS unless *** adopted everywhere***.
>>So think  about it.   YOu have a real problem with how to
>>get from "here" to "there".  In the meantime.  Switch to
>>the New n-N paradigm and yuou dont even have to leave
>>your shack...
>>    
>>
>
>Strange comment.  I have no idea what you're getting at with that
>last bit.
>
>So because you can't see a migration path yourself, that's enough
>reason to throw out the idea altogether and not work towards better
>networks in the future?
>
>We've been running WIDE2-2 as a recommendation in the western
>Washington area for quite a while now.  We also have a few digi_ned
>digi's in the area and do some advanced experiments with them from
>time to time.  We also have a few UHF digi's that are tied into the
>VHF system, and an alternate low-power 2m frequency that's tied in
>the same way.  I'd say we're not at the lower rungs of the ladder
>when it comes to APRS methodologies...
>
>With respect to getting from here to there:
>
>*) We've added OpenTrac decode support to Xastir.
>*) We'll be adding more SAR support to Xastir, plus we have added
>   another developer that is also an active SAR person.
>*) We've added checks for long paths into Xastir that annoy the user
>   immensely until they change their paths to socially acceptable
>   ones.  Better for the network.
>*) We've converted our messaging and object/item transmit intervals
>   to the exponentional decay algorithm.  Better for the network.
>*) I'm sure we've done other changes to Xastir in the last few years
>   to become better network neighbors.  Can't think of them all 'cuz
>   we're constanly changing it and I can only manage to keep a small
>   set of the recent achievements/bug-fixes in my head.  CVS keeps
>   track of that stuff anyway so that I don't have to!
>*) I'm working on hardware for APRS (did I mention I'm a hardware
>   guy too?) which most likely will support OpenTrac as well
>   eventually.  I see OpenTrac as a useful adjunct to SAR
>   operations, particularly if some of Scott's advanced networking
>   ideas can be put into practice.  I'll do my best to help that
>   along.
>
>If new ideas are brought forth for APRS networking in our area which
>need client support, I'll be willing to tweak Xastir in order to
>support experimentation.
>
>So, progress is not dead, but it is slowed down by the attitudes of
>those that say:  The APRS network is working, has always been
>working, and will continue to work as-is.  Come on, support progress
>and it'll support you!
>
>If I'd have taken to heart all of the negative comments I heard when
>I brought up new ideas for Xastir, I'd be off doing something else
>by now, not APRS.  Instead, I've implemented a good portion of them
>anyway and the program and the users are better off for it.
>
>I get weary of all the squashing of ideas that goes on around here.
>Henk, Scott, and MANY others here have done incredible things for
>APRS through their unique ideas and hard work.  Let's support them,
>not silence them.  People like that are the future of ham radio.
>  
>
I think it is time to split the way netwerk planning works once again
like we did in the beginning when aprs came to europe and we banned dumb
digis as soon the network developed (thanks to kenk´s digi_ned it went
very easy as an old pc with a baycom was more comon then a tnc-2, a
kpc-3 was even more rare.

I want to sugest migrating our dutch uhf frequenties to 9k6 and move all
base stations including igates and wx stations there giving us 8 times
the aloha range and leaving the mobiles and portable stations on 2
meters, additionaly only the first hops should be picked up on 2 meters
and messages gated back with reverse paths (most programs in use suport
this) setting this up with digi_ned is not hard, only ui-view digi´s
need to switch from internal digipeater to an external digipeater,
untill henk can find the time to get agwpe suport in digi_ned (he is a
very bussy man with a job next to his hobby) it can be done using
agwuidigi, it suports gating on special calls per port so with a bit of
tinkering it can be set up to do almost the same thing except that it
can´t do the neat thing like preemptive digi or route replacement but it
can gate but not digi widen-n on the 2 meter port, so a mobile can use
widen-n get gated to 70cm without causing qrm on 2meters, only he won´t
see that he is gated, something that digi_ned can do.
At the same time digi_ned can be configured with igate local region
world nogate etc aliases.

Remember, this recomendation from me is ment for the Netherlands where
there are 99,9% pc based digis and this can be implemented relative easy.

73 de Andre PE1RDW
-if you can´t change the people change the system-(poldermodel)