[aprssig] information of voice repeaters on APRS

[PE1RDW]

Responded inline
On Sat, 30 Mar 2013 14:22:10 +0100, Kristoff Bonne  
<kristoff.bonne at skypro.be> wrote:

> Hi All,
>
>
>
> Can somebody help me understand what is exactly the possibilities of  
> adding information about voice (FM or DV) repeaters on APRS.
>
> This question is the result of a small discussion I had with a couple of  
> fellow hams on finding a way to feed information about what repeaters  
> into a handheld radio.
>
> What is done now (manual lists or "chirp" images) is not the most handy  
> thing to use, requires additional devices and is not really standardised  
> that can be used on all handhelds.
>
> One idea was to use APRS for that:
> - Some information about Repeaters is already found on APRS (be it  
> limited). This information can be cached in the local APRS node or  
> stored in the APRS-IS archive
>
> - A handheld could send out a query "please provide list of repeaters"  
> on the local APRS frequency; which would be received by the local APRS  
> node
>
> - these can then return that information: frequencies/shift/tone, mode  
> (FM, D-STAR, MotoTbro, ...), echolink/IRLP/... info
>
>
>
> D-STAR repeaters already post their existance on APRS, as does some  
> echolink software (like "thelinkbox").
>
> However, if I am correct:
> - the information send to the APRS node is not really standardised (it  
> seams to be an "object", but information like frequencies, supported  
> modes, ...) are in freeform text.
>
It is very much standardiced, the problem mihgt be that not everyone  
follows that standard: http://www.aprs.org/info/freqspec.txt

> - There does not seams to be a way to query the APRS network "give me a  
> list of repeaters"
>
Because APRS is primary a local RF network you will have to look localy on  
rf for that info, in places where the digipeater is a TNC sitting  
somewhere the prefered way is for that info to be transmitted every 10  
minutes, in places where the local digipeater is on a PC then it is simply  
a matter of activating a QRU server on that, DigiNed has had that for  
years and is very capable and I understand software like aprs-IS/32 can  
give QRU functions as wel, using a centraliced QRU server on internet is  
troublesome for this because you can not send a directed object to someone  
(technicaly you can but no current aprs capable radio I know of handles  
objects in messages correctly)

Some info can be found on http://www.aprs.org/localinfo.html but for some  
reason bob never puts any info on digined on his pages.
>
> There also seams to be a type-of-object "voice repeater", but I cannot  
> find the exact information in the specification on what is exactly in  
> there?
> Does it also contain information like modes; is it extendable towards  
> digital voice (including non-D-STAR systems)
>
>
That would be frequency format it can be used for anything you want  
including irlp echoling dstar voice nets etc. the reason it is not in the  
current specs is because it is an proposed extention, maybe time to go  
over the 1.2 proposals add the non controversial additions to the specs  
and wrap it all up in a complete specs so people don't have to go hunting  
all around for what has changed after the 1.01 specs pdf.
>
> Any help appriciated.
>
> 73
> kristoff - ON1ARF
>
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-- 
73 Andre PE1RDW