[aprssig] Re: Tracker Smart Pathing: user types, alternatives

[scott at opentrac.org]

> That would really be great.  I hope the Tiny Track
> makers are watching....

I don't know about Byon, but I'm watching, I'm just not convinced.  When
would I want to run those rotating paths?  Some use cases:

* Around town
There are never more than one or two users in direct range.  And I don't
know them.  I want a single hop, and that's it.  Direct just causes
collisions at the digi, anything more than WIDE1-1 is QRM.

* Road trip when I want family to be able to see where I am
Need to get to an Igate.  A WIDE2-2 path is fine unless I'm going out to
Utah or something, then I might run WIDE3-3.  I can select between two
profiles if I need to.  Again, direct is useless.

* SAR operation with lots of local, tactical traffic
No need for broad paths at all.  One hop max if there's a digi up.  More
likely I'm using timeslotting.

Using the proposed path rotation scheme really gains nothing, and generates
more traffic than I want, compared to just selecting a reasonable fixed
path.  With the AUTO proposal, on the other hand, I can keep using the same
paths I use now, but add AUTO to the end.  If I drive into an area that has
an AUTO setting defined, it drops the static part of my path and substitutes
the recommended path.  If it's not supported, things continue as normal.

Now, one question that probably needs to be answered is what an AUTO-enabled
digi will do if it receives, say, WIDE3-1,AUTO.  I guess I could make the
substitution smarter, so that it applies hop count limits.  It's something
that needs analysis anyway.  Or the simpler solution might be to only do
preemption if it's the first hop.

Digi_Ned should be capable of handling most or all of this now.  I'm sure
UIDIGI could be updated.  Kantronics could probably have a new firmware
version ready by the middle of the next decade.  My T2 hardware should be
ready by Dayton, at under $60 in kit form.  And I know you can't count on
digi operators to upgrade anything in a timely manner, but the bottom line
is that it won't hurt anything to run AUTO even if no one supports it.

Scott
N1VG