[aprssig] IGate wildcards/Telpac data

[A.J. Farmer (AJ3U)]

I don't think we should stray from the AX.25 specs for convenience or
filtering purposes.

Should we start prefixing weather stations with WX- , balloons with BA- ,
Digi's with DI- , etc. ?  Of course not.  So why do it with Winlink Telpac
nodes?

As far as IGate wildcards, I also agree that it should be discouraged.  By
restricting the use of wildcards, it encourages IGate operators to monitor
and attend to their stations which is part of network stewardship.  To many
"set it and forget it" abilities when dealing with the tremendous amount of
data on the APRS-IS combined with an unattended IGate just opens up the
network to potential problems. 

73!

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


-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]
On Behalf Of Steve Dimse
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 11:20 AM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
Subject: RE: [aprssig] IGate wildcards/Telpac data

On 2/15/05 at 9:54 AM AE5PL Lists <HamLists at ametx.com> sent:

>#1 2 users does not make the APRS community (how about 20,000).  
>
The discussion is just starting, hopefully more people will chime in. Most
of
the people that are knowledgeable about APRS are here on this list, and I
think
this is an issue of considerable import. If in the end only two people care,
then fine, I'll make the change and end my objection...

>#2 Whether findu supports them or not has nothing to do with the WinLink
>objects.  Bottom line is findu does not support the generic 9 character
>callsign-ssid which every other client (including RF-only clients) and
>server does.  So, to use your phraseology, "Are you willing to ignore
>the reality of APRS-IS or are you going to have findu support what
>everyone else already does?"
>
Again, who is transmitting such callsigns? When someone sends something on
the
APRS IS and it doesn't appear on findU I have always heard about it pretty
quickly. AFAIK, this proposal to use WL- is the first use of non-AX25
callsigns
in quite a while. 

Still, I'm really not fighting the 9 character issue, that isn't the opinion
I'm
seeking from people. The issue I'm taking up here is using wildcards in
IGates
and relying on filtering to reduce the load to the RF network to reasonable
proportions.

Even if I were to agree that any 9 character callsign is acceptable, that
issue
is quite separate from the issue of usign a wildcard gateable callsign for
the
Telpac nodes. Do not focus on the 9 character issue, even if findU had
always
supported any 9 chars as callsigns, I'd be arguing strongly against the
proposal
to IGate Telpac nodes based on wildcards. This WILL occasionally result in
QRM
to RF networks, and WILL erode the sentiment of APRS users towards internet
originated data. 

Steve K4HG

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