[aprssig] SSID Standardization

[Robert Bruninga]

> Bob, what mobile radio are you looking at that 
> doesn't display the  APRS symbol? 

The D7, the D700 and the D710 AFTER the first time the station
is heard.

> I know my Kenwood TM-D710 displays the symbols. 
> Not in list view, but certainly in the full 
> display view. And that full display is a lot 
> easier to read than the list.

You only get that the first time that station is heard.  From
then on, all you get is "dP CALL-SSID" in a tiny location on the
screen.  This is a big frustrration of mine, since I want to see
all the info on every packet, not just the first time I hear
that station. 

In a small town, once you have received a single packet from
every station on the air, you will never see that ffull or even
half screen flash data again.  It's even worse in the D710 where
the list is 100 deep.  You will only see the FLASH data the
first time and never again until another 100 stations have been
heard.

> I'm not disputing the value of SSIDs, but, 
> in my opinion, they provide significantly 
> little information compared to the symbols.  

But that is my whole point.  Most of the time you never see the
symbols.  Unless you just happen to see it the first time and
then can REMEMBER what the symbol was for all 100 stations in
the list.

> Standardizing on SSIDs has its merits, but 
> the standards need to be very broad because 
> we only have 16 SSIDs available to us. 

> That's why I brought up -9 for mobile vs. -14 
> for trucks a few days ago--the distinction 
> between the two applications is not great 
> enough to justify a separate SSID.

We have done the best we can to cover the majority of uses while
also providing at least 6 generic uses.  We also have preserved
the last decade's worth of standardization of -14 which has been
trucks since 1993 or so.  There is just no reason to screw up
one of the most well recognized SSID's (-14) to provide a
very-rare few people just one more generic SSID.

Statistically, if they have more than 6 of a single kind of
system, then probability is very high that they have more than 7
and will be using many of the SSIDs to meet their needs.  SO
sacrificing the well established -14 used by hundreds of well
entrenched users for the few people who don't really need it
does not make sense to me.

> I have no problem with your most-recently 
> proposed list (except for -14). I just think 
> your argument regarding the value of SSIDs vs.  
> symbols in a mobile environment is a little weak.

I guess I just like to see what flashes on the screen and have
an idea what is going on on EVERY station, not just the single
one who's symbol is only displayed the first time this radio has
heard it and then never again unless I push buttons, or try to
remember all 100 symbols of all 100 stations currently in my
list.

Bob, WB4APR

> Bob...
> 
> 
> 
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