[aprssig] APRS Google Earth KML and filter

[Keith VE7GDH]

Mike KB8ZGL wrote...

> I am trying to use the APRS Google Earth overlay to track a single
> station. So I connect it into the National APRS via first.aprs.net
> with a filter of b/kb8zgl which should only pass me data from kb8zgl,
> but it keeps saying:
>
> java.net.SocketException: Socket Closed
> and then it disconnects and reconnects to the igate.
> anyone have any ideas?  The java file is running on CentOS.

> It works if I use port 14580.  If I use any other port then it fails.

Perhaps it's because you need to connect to a filtered port (14580) in
order to use a filter. I don't know what port you were connecting to
before. As you are an end user, why don't you connect to a Tier 2 server
instead of FIRST, which by the way was down for a short time for
maintenance today for a HD replacement?

> I see port 14580 is a bi-directional filter port, but I am not sure if
> that will pass me data based on my filter string.  I have not heard of
> a bi-directional port before. Maybe someone could explain that?

Looking at http://first.aprs.net:14501/ you are connected to FIRST on
port 14580 as KB8ZGL-JS with a filter of
r/42.8481666666667/-85.6993333333333/400 t/n. I'm not sure why you have
so much precision when you are requesting data for a 400 km radius - hi!
There are currently 106 incoming connections out of a maximum of 300, so
your connection isn't going to max it out, but if all end users
connected to one of the CORE servers, there wouldn't be much room for
the TIER 2 etc. servers to connect. However, the status page does give
ports that would send you a feed for 350 km... a bit less than the 400
km that you are requesting but that wouldn't give you the "type NWS"
that you are also asking for... or would you get NWS data for within 350
km of you? I'm not sure. To answer your question though, servers with a
filtered port 14580 will allow you to send a filter. Using the Tier 2
servers will spread the load and give us a more balanced APRS-IS.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"