[aprssig] APRS Network viewing

[Robert Bruninga]

I gave a talk at the RIchmond VA Hamfest this weekend
and was amazed that other softweare does not really give
their users many live analysis tools for looking at the use
of the APRS network in their area.  So I summarized all the
Network displays built into APRSdos in the following
guide:    APRS/README/OPS-NET.TXT

Its in the new APRS873.ZIP on the tapr.org site. 

This file summarizes all the special commands and
displays that let you analyze the network around you.
Apparently, many other APRS programs do not include
all these kinds of tools for quickly looking at the network:

ALOHA CIrcle calculator and display
MAPS-PLOT-HOPS:  Displays the HOP count and Range
           circle coverage area from every digipeater 
MAPS-PLOT-USERS:  Same as HOPS above, but for users.
MAPS-OVERLAY-HOPS: Overlays recommended hop values 
MAPS-OVERLAY-DIGIS: Shows All digis in the country
TRACE PATHS:  New: SELECT-TRACE will display a line 
   tracing the path of a station's packet through all digis in the 
   path.  Also the PHG circle is displayed
   
GROUP SELECTIONS:  On the map select:
      JUST-DIGIS      - Very useful for analyzing the network
      JUST-MOBILES    - Useful for seeing what is happening
      JUST-WX         - WX at a glance. Use WX cmd to change CALL
display
      JUST-LOCAL      - See your true DIRECT stations
      JUST-1-SYMBOL   - Find just one type

MAPS-PLOTS-TRAFFIC draws lines between stations in QSO

MAPS-PLOTS-POWER -  shows the range of all stations to a mobile
MAPS-PLOTS-FIXED - twice as large circles for fixed station RF range

MILE-MARKERS:  Hit MILE-MARKS and enter SS## to display milemarks
   for interstate ## in State SS.  Very useful for plotting non APRS
mobiles.
   Put them on map with CSE and SPD and watch them move with time.

HEARD PAGE:  Shows the number of packets per station per 
hour for the last 23 hours.  Any station with large numbers of 
packets per hour for many hours are either very active APRS users 
or could be using a bad path....

DIGIPEATER PATH PAGE: See who is using what paths:
   JUST WIDE7 or JUST WIDE5 etc  shows who uses them
   JUST RELAY will show users with RELAY in their paths
   JUST WB4APR-15 will show all stations using that digi
   JUST ID> will show people who have not turned of HID, etc
   JUST APRX  will show everyone using APRSmax
   JUST APR8  will show evetyone using APRSdos
   etc

de WB4APR, Bob