[ax25-layer2] General Concept Conglomeration

[nc8q]

James Ewen VE6SRV Wrote (in part):

<snip>
>/I know the APRS group want to continue the inefficient method of
/>/digipeating to cross nodes.
/
This is a very broad stroke of the brush to be making. There may be some 
people with that mindset, but there are others that are open to other 
concepts. Probably the main reason you might come up with that opinion is 
because there is no other option available in the current hardware being used.

  I thought that 'TheNet', 'NetRom', 'G8BPQ code', 'Rose'; were other
  options available in the current hardware being used.  :-|

>/There is no equivalent of digipeating in any of the HDLC-based
/>/protocols except AX.25.  I committed the cardinal
/>/sin of reducing digipeating to 2 hops in the 1994 standard and
/>/suggesting it be eliminated completely and replaced by a proper layer 3
/>/protocol, such as IP.
/
I would suggest as others have that the first order of business is to 
determine a basic framework of what concepts are going to be discussed here.

  Uh, are the concepts that are going to be discussed here 'ax25-layer2'.

It would be a hinderance to narrow the focus of this group to what we think 
others are looking for. This group should work towards coming up with the 
"Next Generation" over the air digital protocol. If that means scrapping 
everything that currently exists to make it work properly, then we should be 
able to do that.

  Then we should change the name of the group to ax25-layer2-ng.

I have heard a number of people over the past few years grumbling about the 
inefficiencies of AX.25, and how it needs to be thrown away. Well folks, here 
we are... the drawing board is a blank canvas! We have the means and combined 
knowledge to define and implement the best over the air digital protocol in 
the world. Software design and implementation tools are available to allow 
extremely low cost proof of concept designs. We have the ability to choose 
modulation techniques that work best, error correction, or what have you...

When the concept is developed and proven, others will start making use of the 
concept, and away it goes. If you make it, they will come.

No matter how poorly designed and implemented you might think APRS is, there 
is one underlying truth that can not be denied. Thousands upon thousands of 
people are using it, and they are enjoying their hobby! No one that I know of 
has been paid to play with APRS, people pay money to get the soft/hardware to 
play with APRS.

  I did not pay money to play with APRS.  I used idle equipment from my
  old 5 radio port packet node and used (free) UIView32.  
  I came to APRS.  I saw APRS.  I left APRS.

  I saw thousands of stations using APRS and zero people using it.

  However, APRS aside, what shall we discuss in this forum and
  what shall we not discuss?

  Regards, Chuck nc8q