[aprssig] Re: TIGER maps what-s the problem?

[Jason Winningham]

On Jun 16, 2006, at 3:44 PM, Robert Bruninga wrote:
>
> That sentence applies to a position placed
> on the map by the location of the *cursor*... that is, by eyeball.

OK, I missed that point.

> If you "enter coordinates" then it takes the number of digits
> you enter.  No more, and no less.

That makes sense.

> 2) The sotware has a very good idea where the station is by
>     simply looking at the first digi in the path.

That's a reasonable theory; I personally have not developed enough  
confidence in the APRS digipeater network to put a lot of stock in it.

> 3) You probably have not see an APRSdos vicinity plot

Correct.   Even so, a report of "somewhere in the reception area of  
this digipeater" is fairly useless when the digi has a coverage  
radius of 30 or 40 miles, assuming we're talking about APRS as an RF  
tool, and not an Internet tool.

> And my BIGGEST reason for putting VIcinity Plotting in the
> original APRS was so that I could track a tiny battery powered
> tracker (with no GPS to run the batteries down) for over a year

Neat application.  If we had smaller "cells" (digis with lower  
antennas, and a corresponding increase in the number of digis to  
maintain coverage), it would be even more useful and more accurate.   
We could even request the digi to insert a position of appropriate  
ambiguity when running such a device.

-Jason
kg4wsv