[aprssig] The new N-N paradigm

[William McKeehan]

I am relatively new to APRS and packet and amateur radio for that matter, but
I wonder...

Is this new N-N paradigm working because it is the right answer, or is it
working because end users have not yet adjusted to it?

The WIDEn-n seemed to work for a while, then users began using paths like
WIDE7-7 and it too began to fail.

Seems to me that the idea of a "router" in place of a repeater would be an
appropriate update or even simple RF "gates" that do not digipete stations
that are some number of miles away. For the digipeters that are in software,
it seems that it would be relatively easy to convert to this type of
functionality. I do not know what percentage of the digipeters are software
driven, but that sure seems like it would be a good starting point; if it
works, then perhaps the hardware digipeters could be updated to have the same
logic.

I'm in Memphis this week on business. Last night I setup my scanner on 144.390
(a little hand held scanner) feeding my laptop's soundcard. Overnight, I heard
almost 175 stations; within the first half-hour, I was seeing stations that
were over 500 miles away. Something does not seem right about that, but I
think I have a lot of learning to do before I know all of the right answers.

-- 
William McKeehan
KI4HDU
Internet: mckeehan at mckeehan.homeip.net
http://mckeehan.homeip.net