[aprssig] Ongoing FreqSpec Desires

Tue May 8 12:21:47 EDT 2012

We agree, Bob.  The primary purpose of the Frequency information is for 
the MOBILE operator.  But not all Mobile Operations is done with 
APRS-native radios like Kenwoods or Yaesus.  We are trying to get the 
Frequency Information to some common-enough and understandable-enough 
level so that we CAN go out and get it FIXED!

My hope is that anyone watching APRS with APRSISCE/32 from ANY radio OR 
Internet connection WHILE MOBILE, will be able to view parsed and 
humanly readable FREQUENCY INFORMATION so that they can tune WHATEVER 
radio they have to the repeater being advertised.  Picture it, QSY/TUNE 
capabilities for the MASSES, not just Kenwood/Yaesu owners.  Those of us 
with Baeofug HTs (which do NOT have automatic offsets, BTW), will be 
able to COMMUNICATE using the information received via APRS.  What a 
concept, UNIVERSAL ACCESS to the communications information instead of 
focusing it solely on certain vendors radios.

No one is proposing elimination of the FREQ OBJECT but we ARE proposing 
that the split definitions of what a FREQ OBJECT and a FREQUENCY COMMENT 
support be merged into one.  Since the FREQUENCY COMMENT seems to be 
more complete, we are proposing that the definition of the FREQUENCY 
COMMENT become the ONE AND ONLY standard with the OPTIONAL use of a 
Frequency in the name of an object.  We are not proposing that the 
frequency NOT be allowed in the object name, but that it BE allowed in 
the comment as well, without the ambiguity of the current double-meaning 
of that frequency (alternate if an object and primary if a comment).

Right now, the only thing I see standing in the way is the single 
statement about the appearance of FFF.FFFMHz in a FREQ OBJECT being the 
alternate frequency which is expressed as FFF.FFFrx in a FREQUENCY COMMENT.

But first, we need to determine if Yaesu's are already requiring the 
primary frequency in the comment.  If so, regardless of whether they CAN 
be upgraded in the field, we can bring the specification quickly and 
easily in line with the popular (and possibly necessary) usage and have 
a bunch of nearly compliant FREQ OBJECTs already on the air.  We want to 
make the spec match what the radios require, not just say "your 
manufacturer is non-compliants, so your radio won't work", when a simple 
shift in the specification may bring them all into working order with 
new-spec-compliant objects.

So someone needs to put together a complete list of good and bad 
frequency objects and comments to feed through the APRS radios that are 
out there to determine what their ACTUAL behavior is.  And these objects 
need to attempt to drive the radios to aribtrary offsets, not just put a 
+060 (or worse, +0600KHz) in the packet and claim the radio "honored" 
it.  We need to KNOW which pieces which radios (and which firmware) are 
and are not using to REDEFINE what is and is not necessary and allowed.

I know this is what you first asked for, but being a non-owner of ANY of 
these radios (which is why I want to nail this down, to make it work on 
MY radios, a D700, Alinco DR-135s, and Baofung HT), I cannot do the 
testing.  But if I sensed some willingness to bring the spec in line 
with required practice, I could be persuaded to help craft the devious 
packets necessary to prove current radio operations.

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

On 5/8/2012 11:08 AM, Bob Bruninga wrote:
>> If you dump the frequency object specification completely,
>> and modify the position comment definition slightly,
>> I believe we could create one unified definition that
>> would allow for the exact same capabilities as we have now,
>> and encompass the non-compliant hardware implementations.
> Sorry, this proposal to abandon the FREQ OBJECT is crazy.  The purpose of
> the FREQ object is not for shack-potatos on the APRS-IS.  The purpose of
> having a FREQ OBJECT is so that the FREQ shows up on the front panel of the
> APRS mobile radio and is VISIBLE in the mobile's STATION LIST and on his
> attached GPS as a frequency.  To do that it must be the NAME of the object.
>
> A secondary function is so that repeaters on all APRS maps show as
> FREQUENCIES and not as useless repeater callsigns.
>
> Please realize that the PRIMARY purpose of the FREQ OBJECT is for the MOBILE
> OPERATOR.  Any abominations and change proposals that undermine this concept
> just to make programming easy will not fly and will obsolete tens of
> thousands of existing user's radios...
>
> Bob, Wb4APR
>
>
>
>
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