[aprssig] [APRS] RE: Identifying TX Igates

[Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr)]

How about an alternate proposal?  Just find contact information for your 
local IGate operator, contact him/her and a) ask if he transmits, b) 
discuss symbol usage, and c) THANK HIM/HER for the time that is being 
contributed to the greater good!

Hams are supposed to be about communications, so let's encourage 
communicating.

Besides, some APRS messaging clients have trouble letting go of messages 
that haven't been acked.  I'd really rather not start a flood of message 
retries over days and days (if not months or years) directed to stations 
that were specifically chosen because they DON'T ack messages.  It'd be 
enough to have me question why I'm running an IGate for the community, 
that's for sure.

Also, not all IGate software generates the IGATE capabilities packet 
that must be behind the findu.com igate.cgi, so not all IGates will 
necessarily show up in this page or might not have statistics 
available.  There's an amazing diversity in the functions of the IGates 
of the world.

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

On 9/19/2011 4:46 PM, Bob Bruninga wrote:
>
> OK, everyone.  START YOUR ENGINES.  DO us all a favor.  Look in your area,
> help identify the unidentified "I" overlayed RX only IGates as follows:
>
> 1) Use the http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/igate.cgi?call=W8JFQ tool for that
> Igate to see if it is reporting any TX packets.  If so, it is OK.  It is a
> TX IGate.
>
> 2) For "I" type IGates that are reporting zero 0 TX messages, then send an
> APRS-IS message to a nearby NON-MESSAGE RF station to that questionable "I"
> overlayed IGate.  Then 10 minutes later check with Steve's
> http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/igate.cgi?call=W8JFQ Igate Report tool for that
> IGate and see if it scored a TX.  If so, it is a TX Igate.  If not, it is RX
> ONLY and make sure to contact the IGate owner and ask him to change his
> symbol to an overlay "R" and report it to us too.
>
> Will that do it?
>
> Bob, WB4APR