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

[John Ronan]

On 24 Mar 2006, at 16:34, Robert Bruninga wrote:

>>>> jronan at tssg.org 03/24/06 10:02 AM >>>
>> I like UI-TRACE. I like being able to see what digi
>> the packet  came through.
>
> Yes and the New-N paradigm forces all WIDEn-N's to be traced.
>
Yup, and we have adopted it.

>> I'm not sold on Smart-Pathing.   I  may WANT
>> to see  whats going on three hops away all the
>> time, we may  be forced to have an ICP/Command
>> centre that far away, and re- configuring all the
>> trackers that arrive on site, in that case, may
>> not be an option.
>
> Ah, then you are assuming that all the trackers that
> show up are already doing 3 hop packets all the time.
As I said, Wide1-1,wide2-1 or Wide2-2 are in use in EI, so yes...  
thats  what I'm assuming, and its working for us at the moment.

> Believe me, in most areas of the APRS world, it is
> physically impossible to let all trackers be running
> around all the time at 3 hops.  If on the other hand
> they are all set to 2 hops and show up at a 3 hop
> event, then already you will have to re-configure
> every one of them or you have -nothing- to track.
You are correct and in an ideal world the default should be that no  
one has ANY UI-PATH set, the DIGI's automatically send them on as far  
as the network allows (my ideal world maybe.. dreamworld anyone?).  
You can still go and configure WIDEn-n type hops if you wish.

Say we changed the path to WIDE1-1... and scott gets a working  
codebase for us for AUTO. Over the period of the next few months we  
slowly get everyone to change their paths to WIDE1-1, AUTO .  Time  
moves on... then one day we all get a callout... panic ensues becuase  
its in the Comeragh Mountains and there is no APRS coverage there.  I  
stick an OT2 into a jeep, we drive it up to a high point, switch it  
on.. and instantly everyone's WIDE1-1 trackers, now get a new PATH  
put on by the OT2, and are able to make it a) to the local ICP, b)  
back to the Regional Command Post, and everyone's happy, no  
reconfiguration required.

>
> On the other hand, with Proportional Pathing, most
> of them will probably be set to 2 hop paths with the
> occasional 3 hop.  At least those guys will be still
> SEEN at the IOC without having to reconfigure.
I'd like to try it out to be honest, my dad does a lot of mileage  
around the country, seeing a tracker operating like this in his car  
would give me something to work with.

Cheers
John

--
John Ronan <jronan at tssg.org>, +353-51-302938
Telecommunications Software &  Systems Group,  http://www.tssg.org