[aprssig] Tracker Smart Pathing

[Stan - N0YXV]

> -----Original Message-----
> From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
> [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Jason Rausch
> Don't get me wrong, the internet tool are awesome and
> a neat addition to the scheme of things, but they are
> not my main objective.  I just think alot make that
> their main objective and it doesn't really feel like
> radio anymore.  I'll get off my soap box now, I'm done
> with the subject.

I guess that would depend on what you want to do. If you want others to
track you, i.e. non hams without UI-VIEW programs, then the APRS-IS
(Findu.com) would be the objective. If you want to have a QSO with a close
HAM a couple of digi's away then RF would be your goal. If you live in a
sparsely covered digi area like I do than you might want your packet to make
it to the internet so that it can even make it to the next digi. Don't
forget that in a lot of areas without the internet these digi's couldn't
even communicate. So while your correct I think it's important for _all_ of
us to remember that a one size fits all solution probably won't work. It
_is_ however important from the standpoint of mobiles that _any_ mobile
traveling _anywhere_ in the US should not have to change settings just
because they've traveled into a different area.

More on the topic of Smart Pathing I'm reluctant to jump in and say "yes"
lets do it because as we all know we still haven't gotten everybody to
implement or understand WIDEn-N. I guess what I'm trying to say is can you
imagine the Digi operator that comes on board today with WIDEn-N and then we
tell them ok now you have to add Smart Pathing to your digi. While us
experimenters and avid APRSers love playing with "How can we make this
better" there are some digi owners that just want to put the thing up and
leave it alone. The more often we come to them with another request to
change the less likely (I believe) they will be to entertain notions of make
yet one more change. I guess it's kind of like the boy that cried wolf.
Wouldn't it be better if a few people played with a new idea first before it
gets launched everywhere? Maybe I'm just missing something and that's not
what's being proposed but it sure sounds like we might be headed from the
idea stage to the real world without going through the testing phase. Please
correct me if I'm miss reading these posts.