[aprssig] Pocket Packet / messagae ACKs

Steve Dimse steve at dimse.com
Sun Dec 16 16:17:18 EST 2012


I've never seen any client with the ability to turn off ACKs for messages that request them, there would be no reason to do so that I can imagine. 

Looking at the messages I see another, perhaps related issue

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/msg.cgi?call=VE7GDH-10

Here is one of the messages, and one you sent to another station:

VE7PGE-3	VE7GDH-10	12/16 09:27:29z	Test from iPad using pocket packet
VE7GDH-10	VE7ILM-10	12/16 11:21:31z	I would suggest a one hop path of WIDE2-1.{72

See the difference? Pocket Packet sent its message without a message number (In the second the message number is 72). Sending messages without a message number makes it impossible to ACK the message. This is a legitimate option per the spec, it indicates that the sender does not wish an ACK. If there is a user-selectable option to turn off message numbers this is no big deal.

My guess though is the author of Pocket Packet is either unaware of, or chose to ignore, the ACK mechanism of APRS, which would explain why the program is not sending ACKs along with not requesting them.

Steve K4HG

On Dec 16, 2012, at 3:54 PM, Keith VE7GDH wrote:

> I'm not a Pocket Packet (iPhone, iPad, etc.) user, but exchanged
> some APRS messages with one today. I received messages from
> the user's iPad, and they received my replies, but they did NOT
> send ACKs back to me. The user couldn't find a setting for enabling
> or disabling ACKs. He does of course have a validated connection.
> Any Pocket Packet users that could comment on this? Tnx!
> 
> PS - an iGate 128 km away gated messages from the iPad to
> me on RF (stupidly) with a WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1 path. I sent
> messages to the operator. Hopefully they can whip their iGate
> into shape. I also commented on a digi near the iGate that
> was sending its own beacons with the same two hop path.
> Fixed stations (let alone digis and iGates) should be using
> WIDE1-1 in their path. Hopefully the iGate operator can get
> in touch with the digi operator to get it fixed too.
> 
> 73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
> --
> "I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"
> 
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