[aprssig] MGATES for IS-Mobiles

[Eric Lorenz K9LGE]

I have been watching this discussion, and holding my tongue for a long, 
long time. I can do that no longer. (And I apologize in advance to Bob, 
and others...I will not be nearly as civil as Bob was in his last 
response to Pete)...

Pete, it is people with attitudes like yours that are going to drive 
people OUT and AWAY from Ham Radio. Weither you like it or 
not...technology is here to stay. Deal with it! As we move into the 
future, I believe that those with attitudes like yours will (hopefully) 
find themselves left on the sidelines. I happen to be a licensed Ham 
operator who uses one of those smartphone apps. I cannot afford an RF- 
mobile APRS solution right now, other than a 'dumb tracker' which out of 
respect for Bob's vision for APRS I try to only use when I feel it is 
appropriate ( in my case, SAG tracking at PS events). According to you, 
I should just go pound sand and not play in someone elses sandbox if I 
don't like it. Maybe you should! I am a responsible user of my Android 
APRS app. I set my app up with beaconing rates similar to what I would 
set on an RF mobile. And I use an app that I can send and receive 
messages with.

How about instead of zipping up our little RF-only tent, we embrace the 
technology...how about we concentrate on:

1) educating hams with these devices how to set them up PROPERLY so they 
don't cause 'SPAM into the local RF channel...
and
2) then encourage MORE reverse I-Gating.

That's right, I said MORE. As far as I can tell there is not one I-Gate 
in my area that reverse gates, so my signal is invisible. I am lucky 
that I have a friend and mentor, Pat KC6VVT, that has seen the light and 
setup an I-Gate with IS-to-RF. So I am seen, and can see others when I 
am travelling through his area.

How about we EDUCATE, then WORK TOGETHER towards a solution, instead of 
going RF only! RF only! You probably don't like Echolink, or DSTAR 
either, do you?

Again...Technology is here to stay...DEAL WITH IT.

Eric K9LGE

(Bob, If I am due any slapping for my attitude, I fully accept it, but 
stand behind everything I said).

-- 
Eric Lorenz
Communications Trailer Coordinator
American Red Cross-Chicagoland Region
Disaster Services Technology

Co-Lead, Routes/Communications/Safety
Amaerican Diabetes Association
Tour de Cure/Chicago 2012
630-430-2421 cell


On 12/27/2011 3:45 PM, Pete Loveall AE5PL Lists wrote:
> 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
>
>
>
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