[aprssig] WIDE2-2,WIDE3-3

[Robert Bruninga]

> Remember that not every station's purpose is to 
> make it to an igate.

Here, here!  APRS was designed to be a local community resource
reflecting everything that is happening in the local area.  It
is a RECEIVING system to collect, gather, and present
information to the operator of what is going on right now with
other local hams at a glance.

Seeing mobiles is an important aspect of it, because mobiles in
many cases, represent the majority of ham radio operators that
are on the air live at any instance.  APRS is about facilitating
these live operator communications...

The APRS-IS is a great overlay, alowing a distant voyer to look
into a local area from afar and also see the live happenings.
That inspires others and lets us all participate to some degree.

But if people who are doing things in HAM radio are not putting
out their local live activities on the APRS channel, then APRS
is a tree falling in a silent woods.  Or if people are only
transmitting to be seen at gramma's, over the internet, then how
does that facilitate local ham radio operator to operator
communications and activity?

Just a thought.
Bob, Wb4APR