[aprssig] how do we designate alternate igate / digipeaters

[Stephen H. Smith]

On 10/9/2012 12:50 PM, Tom Hayward wrote:
> On Tue, Oct 9, 2012 at 10:46 AM, Stephen H. Smith <wa8lmf2 at aol.com> wrote:
>> Except that for the majority of programs using the standard symbol set,
>> overlaying most of the icons in the secondary set (except for the simple
>> solid outlines like circles, triangles and diamonds) will result in an
>> unreadable mess.
> What programs do this? I'll avoid them.
>
>

Virtually ALL currently in-use APRS software including APRSpoint, UIview, 
APRS+SA, APRSice, Win/MacAPRS, AGW Tracker, etc, and the websites  
http://findu.com  and http://APRS.fi use this standard symbol set:

     <http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/APRS_symbols.htm>

This set is evolved from the original set created by K4HG for the original 
findu.com. It was later adopted by Mac/WinAPRS, and then copied by nearly all 
following software.

It consists of a mere  16x16-pixel square to contain the entire symbol plus any 
overlay character.    (This is the same size as the small icons on the Windows 
Start Menu and Taskbar, before Windows 7.)

Due to the limited resolution, there is no way to successfully (i.e. readably) 
overlay a text character  on top of most of these symbols.  You get an 
illegible mess, when the character blends into the busy multi-colored background.

If you use some of the limited supply of pixels to place a white halo around 
the strokes of the letter or number to make the text more readable, it will 
almost completely obscure the symbol underneath it.

The overlays only work usably on the simple solid outlines that were designated 
originally to receive overlays.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
Skype:        WA8LMF
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.net


High-Performance Software-Only Packet TNC
http://wa8lmf.net/miscinfo/UZ7HO-Soundmodem-Install-Ver-0.44-Beta.exe

High Quality Calibrated Static Maps for Any APRS App
    http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/PM9_StaticMap_Export.htm

  Vista & Win7 Install Issues for UI-View and Precision Mapping
     http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/UIview_Notes.htm#VistaWin7


"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
   http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths






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