[aprssig] The best resolution of position from APRS

[Robert Bruninga]

>>> steve.jones at rogers.com 01/04/06 9:30 PM >>>
>Without some way to easily upgrade the Kenwoods, 
>they've pretty much  made themselves obsolete.

I dont understand that way of thinking.
Obsolete to me means something that has
been replaced with something better.

I havent seen anything replace the kenwood
and the fact that 28% of everyone on the air
uses one and 85% of all mobile APRS stations
that receive APRS use one, does not sound like
"obsolete to me".

>These days it's uncommon for a manufacturer 
>not to include some way  for the end user to 
>upload new firmware into a unit.

The D700 was not made "these days".  Its design
probably was begun back in 1997 when FLASH
ROM was not yet the mainstream.  Remember the
D7 came out in 98, but was brought to APRS only
because Kenwood had introduced the NAVITRA
system in Japan a few years earlier.  It was the
modification of that earlier design that we got them
to make into APRS.

So, for sure, "THESE DAYS" manufacturers do invlude
firmware upgrades because it is easy to do with FLASH
ROM technology.  But that was not the case back
when these radios were initially designed.  Also,
that was before the FCC softened its stance on
software radios.  Back then there was concern that
the FCC would not look favorably on a radio whos
main CPU that controlled everything including freqeuncy
for out of band operation could be user modified.

BOb, WB4APR