[aprssig] MGATES for IS-Mobiles

[Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists]

Bob, HAM radio is not people, it is people AND RADIO.  A smartphone is NOT an amateur radio as it does not transmit on amateur radio frequencies.  Amateur radio operators ARE people but they are the ones to communicate.  As I pointed out earlier, there is NO difference between someone running their smartphone app in their phone holder and someone running an Internet client that is unattended.  If someone wants to get seen on RF, communicate with someone who is on RF; otherwise, don't expect your packets to be gated just because you want them to.  This is amateur RADIO, not amateur apps.  There is NOTHING special about smartphone app users over any other non-amateur radio station user (read "any other Internet-only client owned and run by an amateur radio operator").  You cannot make assumptions about presence with any of them just as you cannot make any assumptions about presence at RF stations.  There is no RF station that is any more important than another and there is no Internet client that is more important than another.  Most importantly, there is zero reason why anyone should expect to be gated to any RF area just because they want to be.  If they want to communicate, fine, communicate.  They will be seen (just because you miss their posit doesn't mean it didn't go out and is no reason to cause multiple retransmissions).

Feel free to come up with other ways to break APRS-IS for no good reason (this is not a good reason).  If someone wants to be seen on RF, transmit on RF.  If they make the conscious decision to go Internet only, they make the conscious decision that they will only be seen on RF if they communicate with someone on RF.  It is a simple concept and one that should be grasped by any licensed amateur radio operator.

73,

Pete Loveall AE5PL
pete at ae5pl dot net