[aprssig] APRS Network Consistent Operations

[Robert Bruninga]

> Digipeaters should (almost) never beacon more than DIRECT.

This is all part of the New-N paradigm.  Under the New-N
settings, 50% of all digipeater position packets are sent DIRECT
only.  Only 25% of them go out via 1 hop once every 30 minutes.
And only 12% of them go out 2 hops every hour.

This is a HUGE factor reduction from what digi's used to do
going out 3 hops in all directions all the time.

> But, really, I don't need or want to see your digi 
> advertised on my mobile 500 miles away ... and I 
> often see them from even farther away!

Very true.  Those bad apples need to get fixed. We just need
people to get on board the New-N paradigm and get with the
program..  No question about it.

But APRS strives for consistency so that users can anticipate
network performance.  The standard net-cycle time for
information to update on APRS was defined as 10 minutes for
local information in a local or direct situation, and 30 minutes
for data going further out.

Something that beacons only once every hour locally, may as well
not even be on the air.  A traveler passing through the area
would never see it.

WB4APR, Bob