[aprssig] Path Confusion and old TNC's

[A.J. Farmer (AJ3U)]

When the new APRS paradigm was being proposed, one of the goals was a
universal path of WIDE2-2 that would work anywhere.  This was because
different areas were using different setups, requiring you to know and
change your path depending on where you traveled.  Having to change
your path while mobile on a long distance trip continues to be one of
the biggest complaints about APRS.  A single, universal path of
WIDE2-2 was supposed to fix that.

Now we are getting back to multiple paths and confusion again.  This
is from the relayFIX document:

>WIDE2-2                   General mobile recommendation and metro areas
>WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1     New TWO hop path which is safe to use everywhere
>WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2     New 3 hop path that may be used in remote areas

I understand what is going on, but when you try to explain this to a
totally new APRS user, you can almost see their eyes glaze over in
confusion.  It just doesn't make sense to have to change your path
when operating a mobile station.

After moving forward, haven't we moved backwards again?  Do we really
still need RELAY only or "WIDE1-1" digi's which are causing this path
confusion?  With the new paradigm, shouldn't a former RELAY digi just
become a fully functional WIDEn-n digi?  I'm under the belief that at
this point in the game, if you don't have an up-to-date TNC that can
fully support the new paradigm, you should not have it on the air as a
digi, RELAY, or otherwise.  Doing so keeps us from moving forward.

-- 
A.J. Farmer, AJ3U
http://www.aj3u.com