[aprssig] APRS 1.2 expanded symbol set

[Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr)]

On 9/19/2011 4:14 PM, Bob Bruninga wrote:
>
> Lynn was right to point out how the EYEBALL overlays are already taken.  So
> the PORTABLE symbol is the best one we have for using overlays to indicate
> types of special portable events.

NO, NO, NO!  The Eyeball and Portable (Field Day) symbols are both 
PRIMARY table symbols and are NOT backward compatible with overlays!  
All of the previously proposed extended overlay definitions were based 
on an originally overlayable (read ALTERNATE) table entry.  (And it 
wasn't the Eyeball that was previously proposed as an overlay, it was 
the (alternate table) smokestack with related specifics of Haze, Smoke, 
Blowing Snow/Dust, and Fog as listed at 
http://www.aprs.org/symbols/symbols-new.txt).

If you attempt to do an overlay on Portable, existing clients (and even 
new clients) won't see an overlayed tent, but will be presented with an 
overlayed picnic table, NOT what you have in mind, but of course I could 
be mistaken.

> Since the October 2007 APRS1.2 re-alignment of sympbols was proposed, there
> have been no substantive objections, so I am going to assume everyone agrees
> and declare it approved.

The hundreds of newly specifiable overlay meanings MUST (IMHO) be based 
on originally overlayable symbols from the alternate table.  Otherwise, 
please log my strenuous objection to the whole concept of the extended 
overlay definitions (which, incidentally are already implemented in the 
textual description of the symbols in APRSISCE/32).

Am I the only one seeing this or am I mis-interpreting something here?  
Maybe it's just a naming thing, but you're not really overlaying 
"Portable" (the tent), but Park/Picknic (the table).  It's a big thing 
with respect to what people will see in all existing APRS client 
implementations.

Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32