[aprssig] Digipeater Symbol Overlays

[Robert Bruninga]

Excellent feedback.  I added the digipeaters to the symbols-new.txt file

I agree that L and P are mostly obsolete, but we need them in the table
because it will take decades before some people change their symbol.



I did add #W as a new one to cover the generic WIDEn-N, SSn-N with path
limiting as the overall digi we use today if anyone wants to start using it.



http://aprs.org/symbols/symbols-new.txt



Would that meet your suggestions?

Bob, WB4aPR





*From:* aprssig [mailto:aprssig-bounces at tapr.org] *On Behalf Of *Kenneth
Finnegan
*Sent:* Tuesday, October 18, 2016 2:22 AM
*To:* TAPR APRS Mailing List
*Subject:* [aprssig] Digipeater Symbol Overlays



So like usual, based on the previous comments on the sig, I spent a few
hours down the rabbit hole of lining up APRS specifications, articles,
emails, rumors, and ruminations, and have come back with what I think is a
more distilled piece of understanding. (and another file in my APRS_notes
repo: https://github.com/PhirePhly/aprs_notes/blob/master/symbol_links.txt )



Being the maintainer of Aprx, I'm particularly interested in the symbol
overlays used for digipeaters. Unfortunately, digipeaters aren't mentioned
in the overlay document. Digging through all of the "New n-N paradigm"
documents, and reading state working groups + personal third party articles
on digipeater overlays, it seems like the currently expected list of
digipeater overlays is as follows:

 /# - Generic digipeater

 1# - WIDE1-1 digipeater

 A# - Alternate input (i.e. 144.990MHz) digipeater

 I# - I-gate equipped digipeater

 L# - WIDEn-N with path length trapping

 P# - PacComm

 S# - SSn-N digipeater

 X# - eXperimental digipeater



* Why do we include PacComm P#? I assume that's left over from pre-TNC ID
tocall days?

* The I# I-gate digi isn't mentioned anywhere on APRS.org as far as I can
tell, but the classic argument that we don't have Internet access at radio
sites is becoming less true so these I-gate digis are becoming more of a
thing.

* I would vote for excluding the L# overlay since many modern digipeaters
trap long paths, so I don't think that should be the defining feature of
its icon.



My suggestion for a suggested set of Digipeater overlays for us to promote
to users is as follows:

 /# - Generic WIDEn-N digipeater

 1# - WIDE1-1/direct-only digipeater

 A# - Alternate input (i.e. 144.990MHz) digipeater

 I# - I-gate equipped digipeater

 S# - SSn-N local net alias digipeater

 X# - eXperimental digipeater



Thoughts?

--
Kenneth Finnegan, W6KWF

Aprx Maintainer
http://blog.thelifeofkenneth.com/
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