[aprssig] APRS resolution

Scott Miller scott at opentrac.org
Tue Oct 2 01:05:57 EDT 2007


After the flamewar that the subject started here some time back, it's 
not something I even particularly want to debate right now.

As for how I expect it to be rolled out... well, I've got a decent 
number of commercial customers now, and quite a few amateurs operating 
in closed systems, so I plan to add OpenTRAC support to the Tracker2, 
including some things like crypto support (encryption for commercial 
apps, authentication for amateur) that add some value to the system. 
Beyond that... well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it.  =]

That reminds me, I've still got to go recover the opentrac.org website 
from the old server...

Scott
N1VG

Keith VE7GDH wrote:
> Scott N1VG wrote...
> 
>> The OpenTRAC spec already gives you something like 2 cm
>> resolution using a total of 8 bytes for lat/lon...
> 
> It sounds very efficient and seems to have a lot more flexibility than 
> the APRS spec that we all use. I know you had the advantage of being 
> familiar with the APRS spec and its shortfalls, and all the various ways 
> of tweaking APRS to try and get more out of it within its limitations, 
> but how do you envision OpenTRAC being integrated into the amateur 
> community? Can the two share 144.390 with a gradual changeover? If it 
> can use the same digis and IGates, and if the APRS-IS can interpret it, 
> it would make a lot of sense to use the existing infrastructure instead 
> of developing a parallel network. That eventually leaves a lot of APRS 
> users with hardware (except OpenTrackers - hi!) and software that would 
> become obsolete. It would be a big change, but there could be big 
> advantages. I know there will be a lot of resistance, but how do you see 
> things working out? PS - I see that www.opentrac.org is still down.
> 
> My comments aren't meant to "shoot APRS down". It is very useful and has 
> the can be used for many everyday functions as well as in disasters. I 
> just think that OpenTRAC has the potential to allow us to get more out 
> of it. Case in point... OpenTRAC will have an almost unlimited ability 
> to add more symbols. APRS has only a handful of unused symbols. There 
> was enough room to add a farm tractor, but not a skier. Every mobile 
> APRS user not in a vehicle, aircraft, on horseback or in a wheelchair is 
> a jogger... none are standing still, walking, skiing, hiking or whatever.
> 
> 73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
> -- 
> "I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"
> 
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