[aprssig] ER-xxxxxx

[Robert Bruninga]

>Who is placing all the EchoLink stations onto the APRS-IS?
>There are reasons that some stations may not be able to 
>have an "open" node for just anyone to use, and this could 
>be troublesome to have to try to explain to potential users as 
>to why it is listed, but not  working and on and on...

To not appear on the map, just enter "0" for your lat/long.

But for now, we have turned the experiment back off because
of all the groussing by internet APRS types who dont like their
maps cluttered.  Though in my opinion, APRS is not designed
for the internet viewer (thats a niagra falls of information that
is of no tactical value until zoomed in to an RF scale to 
an area of interest)...

APRS has as its end-user-objective, the real-time tactical
data comunications in the field on RF for the mobile or 
portable station or participating station in support of local
activities, events and communications needs.

>This should have been discussed before just dumping it 
>out there. 

The EchoLink and IRLP nodes have been doing this for
years.  I first proposed it back at DCC in 2000 and many
nodes have had their objects on the air for a long time.
What we were trying to do here was get the data to the
mobiles in a more consistent manner nor requring separate
radios and TNC's at every node.

>The next thing we have will be someone gating the stuff 
>out onto the RF..

Yes, that is the intent.  That is where the end users are.
That is the APRS HAM radio operator on RF that needs 
to know where his nearest EchoLink or IRLP node is and 
what its Frequency is while he is mobile in a strange area.

APRS is for providing local real-time data to operators on
what is going on on VHF RF around them in their local
area.  EchoLink and IRLP are a big part of today's
HAM radio and they are LOCAL, just like APRS is local.
We are trying to seamlessly provide APRS users in their
vehicles, the info they need to establish comms with 
another APRS operator, including DTMFing up an 
EchoLink or IRLP voice link.

>So much for Aloha or cutting down on unnecessary 
>bandwidth!

Setting the paths for these objects to only cover the
geographic area of a node is the key.  IGates should only
serve these objects to the immediate area of the node.
And IGates should cooperate so that only one is doing
this for each node...

Bob