[aprssig] APRS 1.2 expanded symbol set

[Bob Bruninga]

Your second paragraph is correct.  The new definitions expect the original
symbol in the primary table to always work.  Then a new overlay on an old
system will put the overlay on the old secondary symbol.  But NEW software
should know the difference.  IE, the following guidance to authors:

If the TABLE character is "/" use the old primary symbol
If the table character is "\" use the old secondary symbol
If the table character is any other overlay, use the NEW BASE OVERLAY symbol
for that combo...
AND/OR, if SPECIAL COMBO's have been defined in the
aprs.org/symbols/symbol-new.txt file, then feel free to include additional
unique symbols for each unique combo you feel worth it.

In the case of old non-modifiable software like UIview, the symbol needs to
be updated to indicate it is overlayable, and then the new "BASE SYMBOL for
the overlays" needs to replace the original secondary symbol appearance.

> If you attempt to do an overlay on Portable, existing clients 
> (and even new clients) won't see an overlayed tent, but will 
> be presented with an overlayed picnic table, NOT what you have 
> in mind, but of course I could be mistaken.

Yes, I am accepting the fact that a picnic table and a tent are close enough
to imply something out in the field, and so overlaying a character on either
will convey about the same meaning.  That is why I went ahead  on this one.
And did not mess with the Eyeball as you correctly pointed out.

Hop[e that can work...
Bob, Wb4APR

-----Original Message-----
From: Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr) [mailto:ldeffenb at homeside.to] 
Sent: Monday, September 19, 2011 4:58 PM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
Cc: Bob Bruninga; APRS at yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: [aprssig] APRS 1.2 expanded symbol set

On 9/19/2011 4:14 PM, Bob Bruninga wrote:
>
> Lynn was right to point out how the EYEBALL overlays are already taken.
So
> the PORTABLE symbol is the best one we have for using overlays to indicate
> types of special portable events.

NO, NO, NO!  The Eyeball and Portable (Field Day) symbols are both
PRIMARY table symbols and are NOT backward compatible with overlays!
All of the previously proposed extended overlay definitions were based
on an originally overlayable (read ALTERNATE) table entry.  (And it
wasn't the Eyeball that was previously proposed as an overlay, it was
the (alternate table) smokestack with related specifics of Haze, Smoke,
Blowing Snow/Dust, and Fog as listed at
http://www.aprs.org/symbols/symbols-new.txt).

If you attempt to do an overlay on Portable, existing clients (and even
new clients) won't see an overlayed tent, but will be presented with an
overlayed picnic table, NOT what you have in mind, but of course I could
be mistaken.

> Since the October 2007 APRS1.2 re-alignment of sympbols was proposed,
there
> have been no substantive objections, so I am going to assume everyone
agrees
> and declare it approved.

The hundreds of newly specifiable overlay meanings MUST (IMHO) be based
on originally overlayable symbols from the alternate table.  Otherwise,
please log my strenuous objection to the whole concept of the extended
overlay definitions (which, incidentally are already implemented in the
textual description of the symbols in APRSISCE/32).

Am I the only one seeing this or am I mis-interpreting something here?
Maybe it's just a naming thing, but you're not really overlaying
"Portable" (the tent), but Park/Picknic (the table).  It's a big thing
with respect to what people will see in all existing APRS client
implementations.

Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32