[aprssig] Questions about paths

[Dave Sloan]

Hello everyone,
   My station configuration is: WINAPRS 2.7.5 on a PII Windows 98SE, TNC is
a Kantronics cam plus, radio shack HTX202 running about 5 watts to a dual
band j pole on the roof.

We have a local digi (wide) kb0uur that is only 11 miles NNW of my location.
I receive him without any problems and have used him in my path for a couple
of years. All of a sudden he isn't digi-ing 90% of my transmissions. I
changed my path to relay, wide2-2 and relay immediately digs my transmission
and then I see at least one other station digi-ing the wide. Here is an
example of what I send:

N0EOP>APW275,RELAY,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS 2.7.5 -COEL
COLO SPG-275-<530>
N0EOP>APW275,WB0JRG-7*,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS
2.7.5 -COEL COLO SPG-275-<530>
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY*,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS
2.7.5 -COEL COLO SPG-275-<530>
N0EOP>APW275,WB0JRG-7*,WIDE2-1/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS
2.7.5 -COEL COLO SPG-275-<530>

WB0JRG-7 (wide digi located on a mountain) is located 67 miles SSE of my
location. Why doesn't KB0UUR digi my signal when he is in my path?

>From my history here is an example of where KB0UUR did digi my transmission:
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS 2.7.5 -COEL
COLO SPG-275-<530>
N0EOP>APW275,WB0JRG-7*,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS
2.7.5 -COEL COLO SPG-275-<530>
N0EOP>APW275,RELAY*,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS
2.7.5 -COEL COLO SPG-275-<530>
N0EOP>APW275,KB0UUR*,WIDE2-2/V:=3844.08N/10441.03W-PHG2438/WinAPRS
2.7.5 -COEL COLO SPG-275-<530>

We also have an I-gate located 1.1 miles west of my location. Here is what
he is transmitting:

WB0BLV>APU25N,RELAY3-3/V:>051631z-IGATE-WX PAGE
www.users.adelphia.net/~wb0blv  UI-View32 V2.03
WB0BLV>APU25N,RELAY3-3/V:<IGATE,MSG_CNT=0,LOC_CNT=35
WB0BLV>APU25N,RELAY3-3/V:=3843.63N/10442.10W_E-Mail: wb0blv at adelphia.net
{UIV32N}
WB0BLV>APU25N,TRACE3-3/V:@051714z3843.63N/10442.10W_233/000g000t068r000p000P
000b10174h40/WX RPT-WIDEFIELD, CO {UIV32N}

What does the relay3-3 really do for him? I thought that he would use relay,
trace3-3 (or smaller number). When I look at his history this is all that I
see that is digi-ing his transmissions (I don't see where his RELAY3-3
transmissions are being digi'd, just his TRACE3-3 transmissions):

WB0BLV>APU25N,WB0JRG-7*,TRACE3-2/V:@051814z3843.63N/10442.10W_349/006g010t07
0r000p000P000b10178h39/WX RPT-WIDE <LINE TRUNCATED>
WB0BLV>APU25N,KB0UUR*,TRACE3-2/V:@051814z3843.63N/10442.10W_349/006g010t070r
000p000P000b10178h39/WX RPT-WIDEFIELD, CO {UIV32N}

Why don't I see where my station is digi-ing WB0BLV?  And why don't I see
where he is digi-ing me?

I would expect that the local Wide Digi (KB0UUR) would show in the history
file for all of the local stations. Isn't that is the purpose of a Wide
Digi? My idea for a local network (for base stations)is to use the path
needed to get to your local Wide Digi and then a path (like wide2-2) that
ensures that you get to an I-gate (providing that you want to have your
transmission sent to the internet. Is this the correct way to choose your
path? (by the way the reason I send wide2-2 when I have an I-gate just 1
mile away is that his I-gate is new and until I feel that it is reliable and
doing the job I plan on keeping the wide2-2).

Any comments on how we could improve our local setup would be greatly
appreciated.

Thanks and 73,
Dave N0EOP