[aprssig] The best resolution of position from APRS

[Robert Bruninga]

>>> scott at opentrac.org 01/04/06 7:28 PM >>>
>> It does NOT  hold anyone back except those who lack 
>> the creativity or willingness to use the ample free-fields 
>> provided for future expansion in just about every format.
>
>So do we have a list of 'safe' ratified formats?  Those we 
>can implement without worrying about them being 
>yanked in the future?  

Yes, the APRS spec as updated by the APRS1.1 addendum.  
I try very hard to keep the spec current and compatible.

>Compressed objects are in the  spec, it's not like Xastir 
>came along and decided to do something new.  

No, but since about 2002  when the problem with the
compressed objects began to surface, we continuously
reminded everone not to use them.  I have been asking
XASTIR not to use them since that time.  And this was
included in the very first addendum that came out
after that time. 

>And I've said it before, but if we're going to keep 
>adding extensions, why not come up with a 
>consolidated format? 

Because we want all existing 5000 users of the only
APRS manufactured radio to still see APRS on their
radio.

> We've got !DAO! and /A= and such, with no 
>consistency in delimiters or anything.  If you must 
>tack on more stuff, do it in a uniform manner.

No one said maintainng backwards compatibility
was easy.  It takes work and committment.  No
one liked the NTSC color standard either, but they
all realized that it was best for everyone to have
both NEW color while letting the B/W TV's to still
see the picture.

That is what we are tyring to do with APRS.
Keep things working while adding new things
without breaking the old things.

Bob