[aprssig] most packets are transmitted blind

[Heikki Hannikainen]

On Wed, 23 Sep 2009, Robert Bruninga wrote:

>>> there are 350 other user packets flying
>>> around and most of them are blind transmitters
>>> that could care less what they collide with.
>>
>> Do you have data to support this?
>
> Sure, cannot everyone see this?  I can see it any time I look at
> my APRS station.  Just look at the list of all the stations you
> hear DIRECT, and all the ones that you do not hear direct.  I
> just did it now, and I have 241 stations on RF in the last 6
> hours, and only FOUR I can hear direct... And only ONE is
> another APRS user, and the other 3 are digis.
> My antenna is at 80 feet and can see clear horizon out 3 to 10
> miles in all directions.
>
> That ratio is  99.6 % of all active stations I canot hear
> direct, and only one user that I can possibly avoid colliding
> with.

How many of those stations were within the range of the closest digi(s) 
that you can hear? How many had used only one digipeater hop to get to 
you? That would answer the question, and probably drop the percentage very 
significantly. 1%/99% sounds very suspicious.

   - Hessu