[aprssig] New icon images

[andrewemt]

Bob,

So if I submit a proposal for symbol assignments to you and update the UI-View icon files to match and send them to Steve for posting, would that at least get things rolling?

Andrew, KA2DDO

-------- Original message --------
From: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>
Date:08/28/2014  11:04  (GMT-05:00)
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at tapr.org>
Cc:
Subject: Re: [aprssig] New icon images

Actually, the symbol space has been opened up form the original 100 or so
to thousands (by judicious use of "overlay" characters on a basic set of
symbols.  This is backwards compatible.  Those with older systems see the
base symbol with the overlay character, those with newser systems "can"
see any new specially drawn symbols that matches that unique combination
of base symbol and overlay.  See some of the examples on
http://aprs.org/symbols.html

Follow the link to symbols-new.txt and you will see several of these
expansions.  As many as a dozen different symbol definitions for some of
the basic symbols.

The PROBLEM is that now it takes a massive effort by software developers
to render actual images to match these new definitions.  And to keep
current, which is a daunting task.  But at least the "symbol space" is
available to contain these thousands of new possibilities.  In other
words, I accommodated it in the spec and simply passed the buck to the
code writers...

Bob, WB4APR


-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at tapr.org [mailto:aprssig-bounces at tapr.org] On Behalf
Of Steve Dimse
Sent: Thursday, August 28, 2014 9:08 AM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
Subject: Re: [aprssig] New icon images


On Aug 28, 2014, at 5:57 AM, Andrew P. <andrewemt at hotmail.com> wrote:

> Uh, isn't that why Kenwood makes firmware upgrades available on their
website?
>
The original Kenwoods have to be opened and programming cable soldered
onto the circuit board to update the firmware. The circuit board was a
design that Kenwood had developed but never released for the Japanese
market. It was obsolete even before it was released in the late 90s! After
its release there were so many bugs Kenwood had to issue one, but it was a
headache, you either had to send it to them or go to one of the few
hamfests to which they sent techs, in which case they could flash it while
you waited. I'm sure they are not going to do that again!

> In any case, what is the mechanism for proposing symbol code assignments
for these meanings, and which meanings are important enough to get added?
>
The APRS Working Group, which these days is down to Bob. I suspect he does
not want to open the floodgates as there have been many, many proposals
over the years of individuals that wanted a symbol, and of course there
are only a few unassigned. Unless it is something with widespread ham
appeal I suspect he isn't going to act.

I think a backward compatible extended symbol space is your best bet, then
everyone can add all the symbols they want.

Steve K4HG
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