[aprssig] How to delete/remove an Object

[Keith VE7GDH]

Bob WB4APR wrote...

> True, but it [UI-View] treats objects and stations differently, and so
> it cannot take over another station (that has a bad position or bad
> data) and correct it or update it or kill it from all displays. This
> function is fundamental for maintaining a correct situation display at
> an event.

And this was written into the APRS spec? No, UI-View can't take over a
station the way it can edit and take ownership of an object. Basically,
use the right tool for the job. If YOU really need to take over a
station, use the correct software. If a Swiss army knife has every tool
you need on it, use it. If another tool is needed to do what you are
describing, then use it.

> We tried to use UI-View (as provided and operated by UI-View experts)
> for a special event and found so many issues and so many things
> missing, that we had to abandon it the week before and I have never
> used it since.  It completely failed at trying to maintain a tactical
> picture with dozens of objects that had to be maintained and moved
> throughout the event.  (I have published the many work-arounds that
> can correct these deficiencies, but they are cumbersome)

I seem to recall some months ago spending a considerable amount of time
documenting observations of objects created and managed by UI-View.
My results didn't shoot down every comment you had about UI-View
and objects, but did shoot down many of them.

> Secondly, it does not provide the RF network display and analysis
> tools and assessments that I routinely use.  My primary interest is
> local RF, not the internet...

Use the right tool for the job. If UI-View and the available RF
analysis tools don't suit your needs, don't use them. Besides, RF
network display and analysis "aren't APRS"... they are just tools to
help make APRS better. APRS is all about situational awareness, showing
positions of stations and objects, WX information and warnings, sending
and receiving APRS messages and more... it is a "packet communications 
protocol for disseminating live data to everyone on a network in real 
time."

> And since Mobile, Special Event and RF Network and topology monitoring
> and optimization are the primary things that I use APRS for, I have
> not found UI-View to meet my needs. I keep hoping that eventually
> someone will come out with a fully functional APRS application, that
> includes all of UI-View's great positive features, but also fill's out
> the stuff that is missing or incomplete. This is not a criticism. It's
> just where we are today.

It has been nearly 4 years since Roger G4IDE became a silent key. Within
days (or was it hours?) there were doom-sayers on the UI-View list
saying "what are we going to replace UI-View with?". Well, in that four
years, we don't seem to be getting snowballed under an avalanche of new
and wonderful APRS clients. This is not a criticism. It's just where we
are today. I use UI-View because of the features and what it does... not
for what it doesn't do. If something doesn't meet your needs, don't use
it. By all means, encourage someone to write the "killer app" that does
everything. Heck... I might even take a look at it.

> I know that there are many UI-View add-ons that fix many of these
> issues, but I just do not have the patience to manage all that just to
> do the basics of APRS in the field.

That should be left to the thousands of UI-View experts - hi! I don't
know where your experts came from, but ours seem to know what
they are doing.

So, where did this start? Oh yes... UI-View can't take over
ownership of another station because it interprets an explanation mark, 
a forward slash or an equal sign for the APRS data type identifier as a 
position report (I erroneously said "colon" yesterday which is of course 
for messages) and both interprets and uses a semi-colon for objects. I'm 
not sure what APRS data type identifier your APRS client uses to 
indicate that it has taken over another station.

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