[aprssig] APRS Maps and Setup

[VE7GDH]

David KB3NEU wrote on Feb 22 2006

> I don’t know if this is be best way to get the information I want, but
> I’m having trouble getting consistent information on how to setup my
> APRS infrastructure so thought I would just ask.

Better not ask here! You will get lots of inconsistent answers - hi!

> I’m looking for MD, VA, DC and PA maps I can use with UIView32.

With Precision Mapping & PMapServer you would have street-level scrollable
and zoomable maps for all of the US and Canada, but perhaps someone can
help you out with static maps or links to them.

> Also, any recommendations for settings or infrastructure rolls for my
> area will be helpful. My current settings can be found at the following
> location: www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?call=KB3NEU

It looks like you started out with a destination of APK101. I believe that
is the default destination for the D700. Then you used the 16 bit version of
UI-View for a while... destination of APU16N. Finally changed to
UI-View32... destination of APU25N. Nearly every one of your recent beacons
went via W3GXT-2, followed by WIDE2-1. I didn't come to a conclusion as to
how often you are beacon. I don't know if you were forcing beacons (the
first dozen or so beacons shown on findu.com were close together but they
were sent from the D700) or if you were not always being heard... some later
beacons were spread out a bit. Perhaps by the time you had moved to
UI-View32 you had told it to not beacon so often.

Being a fixed station, you could use a path of W3GXT-1,WIDE2-1 but if
W3GXT-1 ever disappeared, you would not be digipeated. It is possible you
are already using it, but you could try the generic WIDE2-2. However, if
there are a "bunch" of WIDEn-n digis around you, you could cut down on RF
pollution by specifying which digi(s) to use, but if any of them
disappeared, you would not be digipeated past the missing one. Using a
generic WIDE2-2 would get you out "2 hops" via any WIDEn-n digi that heard
you plus one more WIDEn-n if there were others within earshot of the first
digi.

How often to beacon? We keep hearing that if you beacon every 10 mins,
anyone travelling into range of your location would be aware of your
existence within 10 minutes. My personal recommendation would to
beacon less often for a fixed station... perhaps every 20 to 60 minutes.

You could (should) change to compressed beacons. That will shorten the
duration of your beacons considerably, giving you a better chance of being
heard without being clobbered, and with the side benefit of leaving more
time for others to beacon.

Instead of putting "Base Station" or "TM-D700" in the beacon comment and
sending it with every single transmission, you could move whatever you want
to say to the status text instead and have it go out less often than the
beacon comment. However, if you are only beaconing every 30 minutes, maybe
stick with putting it in the beacon comment. If you are going to beacon
every 10 minutes, then perhaps put whatever you want to say in the status
text and send it every 60 mins. There isn't any real need to indicate "base
station" as you can do that with your station symbol. It's up to you, but
there isn't any real need to tell the world you are using a D700 because you
are using it in UI-View32. It's just a radio & a TNC when you aren't using
it in APRS mode. If you were mobile with the D700 (stand-alone) it would be
more important to tell those around you that you were capable of receiving
messages.

So, recommendations: Choose a station symbol that indicates "what" you
are such as a home station if you are a base station. Decide how often
to beacon... every 10 mins if it is necessary for others travelling into
the area to become aware of your existence sooner rather than later, or
less often (30 mins? 60 mins?) if the frequency is busy and there isn't a
pressing need for others to know you are there. Change to a compressed
beacon to shorten your "on-air" time. Edit your beacon comment
appropriately... and/or move it to the status text.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"