[aprssig] Mobile Displays on FINDU & .FI

[Bob Bruninga]

> When can we move from thinking about how to 
> cleverly twist and turn the specs to make 
> them conform to old radios with fixed firmware, 
> to thinking about how to make the radios 
> (and the spec!) really better? 

Id say the answer to"when" is when the majority of mobile users are no longer using the 20 and 28 byte displays! RIght now, 85% of all mobile operators have that size display window. It make sense to me to use them....

The spec supports relatively unlimted length text. DONE.

The spec recommends that text be limited to something like 43 bytes if the sender wants assurance that it will be displayed by all client software. (i dont have the exact figure here, I am on travel)

The additional recommendation to all users since 1998, has been that if they want their data to be VISIBILE to ALL mobile users, that they consider placing the most important information in the first 20 bytes, and the next most important data in the first 28 bytes so that they have high probability of being seen on 85% of all mobile displays.

THe goal is "communications"  and if 85% of all mobile users have a limited display, then senders who actually intend to convey useful informaion (many dont seem to be such interested) should consider that in their formatting.

Newspapers and Journalists have been writing most-importnat-info-first for a hundred years.  It works.

Bob, WB4APR