[aprssig] Re: Functional path to hit both WIDE and WIDEn-n digis?

[Keith VE7GDH]

Alex KF4LVZ wrote...

> The question has been asked of them before and none of
> them have really changed.  There are a lot of digis
> using RELAY and WIDE and not many using anything else.
> I certainly can't afford to add my own digis
> everywhere and neither can the club station here hence
> the reason for asking about a one-fits-all path.
> There is quite a bit of traffic already (as observed
> by the club digi) but when I'm out mobile, I very
> rarely get digipeated using W1,W2.

It's unfortunate that the digis around there haven't updated their settings. 
All you can do is try and raise the subject with the digi operators and try 
and convince them of the benefits of updating their settings. It's a 
"win-win" situation if they do. If you do make contact with any of the digi 
operators, perhaps you can point them at 
www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs/fix14439.html or www.nwaprs.info/widen-n.htm 
to give them a hand with doing the updates. Without going overboard, do your 
best any time you are in contact with the dig operators to convince them 
that the changes are needed. APRS becomes much more usable if the paths can 
be standardized, and eliminating RELAY and WIDE really does improve the 
chance of success considerably.

In the meantime, your choices are either to make use of RELAY and WIDE or 
put up with having poor results. If you can become really familiar with your 
radio you can make it relatively painless toggling the path back and forth 
while waiting for the digis to update their settings.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
-- 
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"