[aprssig] The best resolution of position from APRS

[Kevin Ratcliff]

I think this is my first time posting to this list, but I have a few 
questions. I'm a user of Xastir, an owner of a Kenwood D7, and a SAR 
team member, so I'm trying to see all possible sides of this issue.

In SAR, we use a wide variety of APRS client software at the command 
post depending on our specific needs for that search. We also have a 
need for high-precision position reports. We haven't done much with 
objects/items yet, but that's in our future plans.

Currently the SAR field crews are using a wide variety of trackers, 
including a TinyTrak3, an OpenTracker, a TigerTrak, and a Kenwood D7. In 
our current implementation not all of the trackers are able to transmit 
high-precision positions, although we'd like to see this work eventually.

Robert Bruninga wrote:
> Further, I think what is detrimental to the future of
> APRS is continuing to insist on your forced 
> obsolescence of the kenwood, when there are
> 3 ways that XASTIR can transmit the precision it wants
> and can still be 100% compatible with the kenwoods.

I must have missed part of this discussion. I understand there is the 
proposed !DAO! format, but what are the other two methods Xastir (or 
other client software) can use to transmit ~1 ft precision and still 
maintain compatibility?

Robert Bruninga wrote:
> The SPEC has kept up with this situation by offering
> a solution for the 1' precision that is 100% backwards
> compatible (the !DAO! format.  I wish other software 
> that can much more easily upgrade than the mobile 
> Kenwood users would do the same.

What software currently does or does not support the !DAO! format? Curt, 
could this be added to the APRS client comparison chart? There are 20+ 
APRS client apps and right now I have no clue as to what percentage of 
them support the proposed format; I do know which programs work with 
Base91. This makes it hard for me to determine whether the !DAO! format 
will work for our local SAR use.

Thanks.

Kevin
KB9MQU