[aprssig] APRS demo

[Keith VE7GDH]

Herb KB7UVC wrote...

> I am not aware of any special settings in an I-Gate to allow more hops
> to get to your location. I run an I-Gate and have not made any
> special settings. It is my understanding that an I-Gate will send the
> message out via the specified path by the originator.

The only APRS client I am familiar with is UI-View. There is a setting
in the "APRS Server Setup" to tell it to "gate local messages" and in
IGATE.INI, there is a setting to tell it how many digi hops away a
station can be and still be considered local. It is up to the IGate
operator to be familiar with the APRS network around him - i.e. where
are the other IGates, where are the digis, what is the topography like
and so on - and determine what is a local station. If the IGate is on a
mountain top, zero hops might be a local station. Most IGates "down in
the valley" will probably want it set to 1 or 2. If it's a "long way"
(more than two hops) to the next IGate, it should be set to a higher
number. The chance of success will go down (more chance of
collisions) but if it really is a long way to the next IGate (more
than 2 digi hops), it's worth setting a higher value to try and reach
mobile stations that are "half way" between there and the next IGate.

The path to be used for messages gated out to RF can't be determined
by the sending station. They can only specify their own path. It's up to
the IGate operator (at least in UI-View) to determine what is an
appropriate path to use. For UI-View, the "default" path is the one
entered in the station setup. In IGATE.INI it can also be set to a
specific path or to use the "reverse digi path" that the station was
last heard via at the IGate.

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