[aprssig] Beacon rate while travelling (was: Help!! TH-D700 reset)

[Bob Bruninga]

> At 60 MPH, that's one beacon every mile.

AH, let me elaborate on the 1/min rate trip recommendation:
But in a meeting situation it is 120 MPH and so 2 miles difference between meeting someone.  And with a mobile range of only 3 or 6 miles simplex, that means you only get a minimum of 1 or maybe 3 Voice-Alert packets to hear to alert you to someone coming your way.

With Proportional pathing in the new D710, you get a 1 minute rate simplex direct, a 2m rate via one hop and a four minute rate via two hops.  This drastically cuts network level while maintinag the recommended 1/minute rate on the open road for meeting someone.

I agree, it is a high rate if all 1 minute packets go 2 hops.  And I consider that EXCESSIVE for the daily 24/7/365 commuter.  But for someone on the open road, on a long trip carrying HAM radio and wanting to meet other people (APRS is a two-way human-to-human facilitator), then I am all for 1 minute rates on long trips.

And at 60 MPH (on the east coast), this person is only in range of some digipeaters for less than a half hour which is not too much to ask.  Out west, with 10,000 foot digis, I would still keep 1 minute rate but only ONE-HOP.

> it's likely one is driving on a limited-access 
> highway with gradual curves and few opportunities
> to change direction. That being the ase, 
> one beacon per mile really necessary?

APRS is not a vehicle tracking service.  It is a two-way communication exchange system with the intent of exchanging info between human operators.  And the most active humans on APRS are usually behind the wheel of a car.  So the best time for communications live between operators is while mobile.  Hence the 1 minute "CQ" rate (Voice Alert will hear this like a radar-detector alert)...

> The one minute beacon rate would flood the 
> network with beacons that don't add much 
> more information over previous beacons.

They are 1 minute CQ's for a nice local chat.  Maybe I should have recommended a 1 minute rate via ONE hop.  But then cities in front dont see you coming until you get there.

I agree, on arrival in any city or high density area, then it is time to cut back, and especially when parked.  So, yes, I agree that 1 minute is usually excessive for routine operations.  But a once a year big trip is special, and a great opportunity to make some live APRS QSO's....

Bob...