[aprssig] Text Messaging Radios now

[Steve Noskowicz]

RE: www.aprs.org/FT51-TH78.html   AND:
> The format is #NNN#MMMMMMMMMMMM# where NNN is the group number
> callsign, and MMMMMMMMMMM is the numbers reppresenting the
> alphabetic letters.

 OOPS! On that document, the second "MMMMMMMMMMM" is missing an "M" - should have 12.

  Also I went there, and poked around a bit further, hoping to see the DTMF key algorithm used by these radios, but it fell short just a bit.   I recall an extended discussion, here, about this not too long ago.
  "2-Key" ok. I got that, but it doesn't say which sub-algorithm is used for Q & Z.   One must infer that it is QZ1 rather than PQRS7/WXYZ9 , no??  (since it makes no mention of the fourth letter used in the PQRS7/WXYZ9 algorithm.  i.e.

>> "...press the desired letter key, ABC, DEF, GHI, etc 
>> and then press the "A" key if the letter was the first 
>> one listed on the key.  Or press "B" key if it was the 
>> second letter, or press the "C" key if it was the third 
>> or press the "D" key if it was the numeral for that key."

  I also must assume that by "A" key, "B", key etc, is refers to the fourth column keys.  Might be better to explicitly state that as well.

- - - 
  Long thought observation for which this is a good example/segway...  While this is indeed interesting, and perhaps, arguably totally cool, it is another complication to APRS.  I think one of the significant reasons APRS is not correctly 'catching on' is that; as I have found over the last 5-7 years I have been playing with it; there are increasingly more and more things that have to be remembered and understlld.
TNC setup, Good Pathes, E-Mail format, WinAPRS e-mail format, CQ server operation, TTAPRS...  all cool stuff, for us geeks, but geek-fodder none-the-less -- even for a ham.

--
73, Steve, Ham, laserist, photographer, house-builder, writer, Engineer, Manager, teacher, lecturer, husband, Father, Geek, K9DCI
P.S.  Is Segway really a word and where does it come from??