[aprssig] Re : Re : NWS ON rf

[Steve Dimse]

On May 9, 2009, at 11:12 AM, Leszek Adamiak F4ARO wrote:

> Yes Steve, you are right and thanks for this remember.
>
> But my question was : how to verify a tactical call sign ?

OK, I'll repeat:

You cannot verify ANYTHING that appears on the APRS Internet System.

Ham calls or tactical calls, it makes no difference. Repeat after me...

You cannot verify ANYTHING that appears on the APRS Internet System.

A packet appears on the APRS IS with my call, K4HG, as the originating  
station. There is absolutely no way to know if I sent it or if someone  
else sent it. There is nothing to prevent someone else from sending  
it, it is not even illegal. (If the intent is criminal, that is a  
different matter, but unlike on RF is no law that reserves the name  
K4HG on the internet for my use alone. If I say "This is F4ARO" on RF  
I've broken a law. If I say "This is F4ARO" on the internet I have not  
broken a law. As long as the intent is not fraud, I can use whatever  
alias I want on the internet.) There is no log that can trace the  
packet to a given IP address to prove what computer sent it. It simply  
cannot be verified. If you cannot verify a packet with a ham radio  
callsign, how can you expect to verify a tactical callsign on the APRS  
IS?

Steve K4HG