[aprssig] using beacon text to advertise voice repeaters

[Robert Bruninga]

>>> cak at dimebank.com 07/24/06 8:53 PM >>>
>I'd like to use an XDigi (four beacons) to advertise a voice repeater
>at the same site, as well as show that it's a W11. I recall that
>one of the concerns is having the text show up well on a D7 screen.
>
>W1 W6WGZ/R 147.180+  info: k6dbg at arrl.net 
>441.175+  PL146.2 W1 info: k6dbg at arrl.net 
>W11 Oakhurst Fill-in info: k6dbg at arrl.net 
>W11 Oakhurst Fill-in info: k6dbg at arrl.net 

Sorry, but only one of these can be correct, since in APRS a
station or object can only have one POSITION-COMMENT.
Anything with multiple POSITION COMMENT's just eats
up everyone's LOG files because every single time the
POSITION-COMMENT changes, that is a "change" and is a 
new LOG item.

If you want to advertise a different object, then it needs its OWN
POSITION too so that it also has its own objet name.

>my inclination is to make the first two direct, every 30 minutes, 
>and the others W2-1 and W2-2, as usual. 

If it is a W1 digi, then it should go direct only and every 10 minutes.
So here is my suggestion:

>W1,147.180k6dbg at arrl.net 
>!DDMM.HHN/DDDMM.HHWmW1,441.175+PL146.2   k6dbg at arrl.net 

Set BOTH paths to DIRECT and set both to every 20 minutes.  
Set one to BEGIN at 00:00:00 and the other at 00:10:00

People passing through will see both of them once every 20 mins.

Or IN THIS CASE, rather than having two beacons and the 20
minuete cycle time, I think  better would be best to put it all in
a single packet once every 10 mintes (direct).

>W1,147.180 441.175+  PL146.2 k6dbg at arrl.net 

This will show up nicely on the D700 as:

> W6WGZ:
W1,147.180
 441.175+
PL146.2

Which is just about perfect.
Everything is there, it is well spaced for the
10x10x8 line display of the D7 and D700
(though the D7 will not show the last line)
But most mobiles are D700's...

And it is refereshed every 10 minutes direct for anyone
in view.  Since it is mostly a FILL in and Voice repeater
advertisement, it makes no sense to send the packet anywhere
except direct to minimize QRM.  Since only direct stations can
use either one.

BUT... Since packet only has about half the range of voice
and for mobiles, it might be OK to send this packet via
a single HOP.   There are two ways to do this.  One is to
use WIDE1-1 if there is only one digi that will hear it.  But
if it will hit multiple digis in all directions, then it is better to
select only the one digi that best matches the RF
coverage of this digi/rptr and only hit it.  IE, by digipeating
only via that one digi...

Good luck.
Bob