[aprssig] APRS LAT/LONG standards

[Steve Dimse]

On May 26, 2005, at 6:57 PM, Robert Bruninga wrote:

> But then the programs started taking the easy
> way and displaying easy decimal degrees becasue
> they simply were not familiar with classic navigation
> and other pre-programmer existing systems.

I was very familiar with old style navigation before APRS existed.  
The second time I sailed as crew on the delivery of a small sailboat  
(41 Morgan) from San Diego to Hawaii I navigated by celestial  
navigation, reducing sights with my HP-67. The skipper had a Transit  
satellite unit, but I never used it, he just checked my posits to  
make sure I didn't miss by too much.

Yes, I used DD MM.HHH then, but I consider it just as archaic as a  
sextant or Transit..interesting from an historical perspective, and  
in the case of the sextant, a great tool for learning celestial  
mechanics and convincing yourself the world is round. Not something  
that should be the way it is done all the time. The world has changed  
Bob, you may not want to, but please stop throwing personal attacks  
at people that can accept change.

> But as  you say, programmers rule. But your
> argument that you do it becuse all the other
> progarmmers do it is entirely circular reasoning.
>

I'm done with this discussion Bob, you've conceded the only thing  
that mattered to me, which was your personal attack on me was wrong  
on its face...in fact many people do use decimal degrees, in and out  
of APRS. Your attack seems to be based on the fact that programmers  
annoy you, me most of all. Frankly, I am a programmer and proud of  
it, and happy to do my part to encourage people to use more efficient  
systems of measurement. And the fact that you only think only of me  
when you get mad at programmers is, I suppose, a compliment! Still,  
it gets old, lay off the personal attacks please.

Steve K4HG