[aprssig] Re: weather filtering,.........

[Al Wolfe]

 > Date: Mon, 26 Jun 2006 19:40:06 -0700 (PDT)
> From: kc9umr at freqradio.com
> Subject: [aprssig] weather filtering, or is this a dead horse, and i'm
> holding a club?
> To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
>
> Came out of the hospital this evening, and noticed there were SIXTEEN
> messages on my D700.
>
> Half of them were for KENTUCKY and OHIO related events (I'm in
> chicagoland)...  others simply said "flood"....
>
> I realize that the generic "FLOOD" warnings are sortof on the sender's end
> as far as "where the #(&@@!! is flooding??" issues....
>
> but is there a way to filter what messages i get to within XX or XXX
> miles??  or is there a way to filter the way they're sent??
>
> i'll go back to sleep now...
>
> thanks
> Ken

Ken,
    As a APRS user for over eleven years this is a sore subject here. I get 
wx alerts from at least eight stations, sometimes thirteen or fourteen 
stations, usually sending out the same useless stuff. Why would someone 
think I would care about wx 150 or more miles away? There is a station up 
near Peoria that sends this stuff out at least once a minute sometimes.  I 
generally don't care about wx 50 miles away and if I did there are much more 
accurate and reliable methods of getting the information. NOAA radio, 
broadcast radio, TV, Internet, cell phone, and of course the old reliable 
windows that I have on the house and vehicles, come to mind. We also have a 
very active ARES group locally.

    I can't think of a single occasion where I checked the APRS screen and 
said "Oh, my! Someone has sent a WX alert and I must change my plans!"

    How about if all wx alert stations used no path or only WIDE1-1. That 
would get it to those in the local area but not bother everyone else.

    The SUPLIST in your TNC is your best friend for the most prolific wx 
alert stations. Unfortunately, mine only holds up to ten callsigns,

Rant mode off. Flame suit on.

73,
Al, K9SI