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ZL3AI > APRDIG 12.04.07 06:03l 258 Lines 9267 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
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Subj: [APRSSIG] Vol 34 #9, 2/6
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From: ZL3AI@ZL2BAU.#79.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
Message: 7
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:44:57 -0700
From: "Stephen H. Smith" <wa8lmf2_at_aol.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] SSID for RF only Station with backup power
wa7nwp_at_gmail.com wrote:
>I'm very close to bringing on line a full time RF only APRS station
>with indefinite backup power. It's my belief that a station like
>this is getting back to the core essence of what APRS (and Amateur
>Radio) is all about. As such, I think it would be valuable to
>differentiate these stations either with a unique SSID or map symbol
>... or both.
>
>Suggestions or thoughts?
How about a pink Energizer bunny with a numeric overlay for number of
10's of amp-hours?
--
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node: 14400 [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Home Page: http://wa8lmf.com --OR-- http://wa8lmf.net
NEW! World Digipeater Map
http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps
JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm
"APRS 101" Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths
Updated "Rev H" APRS http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
UIpoint and APRSplus:
------------------------------
Message: 8
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 14:47:36 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga_at_usna.edu>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] SSID for RF only Station with backup power
>>... APRS station with indefinite backup power.
>>... it would be valuable to differentiate these
>>stations either with a unique SSID or map symbol
>
>I'd like to do something like that.... I think I will
>look around for an alternative energy station symbol.
>
>Probably a HOUSE symbol with a slanted solar panel
>and a windmill out back?
Actually, the original APRS allowed OVERLAY characters on -any- symbol for
just this purpose. But by 1996, newer APRS clones just went with fixed
ICONS instead of the original vector symbols, and had to do overlays as
special cases. Those authors did not want to have 36 exceptions for 90
different symbols.
I sure wish all APRS programs supported OVERLAYS on ALL SYMBOLS! Then we
would have over 36 attributes per symbol in addition to the original 8.
But most software displays not even the 8. Just a simplistic fixed color
ICON.
Is there anyway that Windows programs that use only fixed symbols could be
upgraded to display all possible overlays on any symbol?
Bob, WB4APR
------------------------------
Message: 9
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 11:51:47 -0700
From: "'Scott Miller'" <scott_at_opentrac.org>
Subject: [aprssig] Telemetry format
I'm going to be adding some new telemetry capabilities to my devices that
don't fit well in the established telemetry format. The existing format has
a few limitiations, in particular:
- 8-bit resolution. Yeah, you can report values of 0-999, but the spec says
0-255. This could be fixed with a spec revision.
- Too rigid. You get 5 analog values and 8 digital - no more, no less.
- Too verbose. It's good for readability, maybe, but it takes 20 bytes of
text to convey 5 bytes of analog telemetry, and 8 bytes to convey 1 byte of
digital values.
The mechanism of using separate unit and coefficient messages is also kind
of clunky, and I haven't often seen it done right. I'm going to be working
on a new, user-defined format for my own stuff, but I'd like some input from
other telemetry users. Might as well make the format as useful as possible
for everyone.
I'm planning for the new format to support an arbitrary number of analog and
digital values, up to the length allowed in the packet payload. It'll use a
non-decimal encoding, probably Base 64 or plain old hexadecimal. I need
support for at least 10-bit readings, but 16 bits would allow more
flexibility. As an example, a variable-length list of hex values could be
prefixed with a character indicating the sample type - say, 'a' for 8-bit,
'b' for 16-bit, and 'd' for digital. The existing format could be condensed
to:
a1122334455d00 (compare to 111,222,333,444,555,bbbbbbbb)
Not counting the sequence number prefix. This would allow a lot of
expansion, smaller packets, and a decent level of human-readability.
I'm still working on ideas for the coefficient and unit problem. I'd like
to have a solution that works on RF-only systems, but an alternative might
be to have a profile designator that refers to a published set of
coefficients and units. Not an ideal solution, but if it was managed right,
you could have a master list available in a single location that clients
could retrieve as needed. A handful of standard, pre-defined profiles
should take care of the majority of telemetry users anyway. Considering how
unusual it is to actually see the units and coefficients working right now,
it probably wouldn't be any worse.
Comments?
Scott
N1VG
------------------------------
Message: 10
Date: Mon, 09 Apr 2007 11:56:34 -0700
From: "Stephen H. Smith" <wa8lmf2_at_aol.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] SSID for RF only Station with backup power
bruninga_at_usna.edu wrote:
>
>Is there anyway that Windows programs that use only fixed
>symbols could be upgraded to display all possible overlays on
>any symbol?
>
>Bob, WB4APR
Some don't do overlays at all (APRSpoint and the UI-Point add-on for
UIview). UIview can overlay any symbol now, but the results will be
unreadable, since most of the symbols are too complex for an overlaid
alphanumeric to be easily read.
(The standard symbols (originated by K4HG and used by Findu, WinAPRS,
APRSplus and UIview), are a grid of only 16x16 pixels. Only the designated
few that have a very simple outline with solid fill will yield a legible
overlay.)
--
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node: 14400 [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Home Page: http://wa8lmf.com --OR-- http://wa8lmf.net
NEW! World Digipeater Map
http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps
JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm
"APRS 101" Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths
Updated "Rev H" APRS http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
UIpoint and APRSplus:
------------------------------
Message: 11
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 12:19:50 -0700
From: "'Scott Miller'" <scott_at_opentrac.org>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] SSID for RF only Station with backup power
This is why we really need a good set of vector symbols that can be scaled
as needed. It's hard to do vector drawings that look good rendered at 16x16
pixels, though.
I like Xastir's display of icon (rotated to indicate direction), speed,
altitude, and dead-reckoned position with error arc. The point-and-click
interface is a little lacking, though. A single-click really ought to bring
up station details in a separate pane, and in a readable format - the
station information dialog you can bring up from the context menu is really
a pain to sort through.
Scott
N1VG
>-----Original Message-----
>>Is there anyway that Windows programs that use only fixed
>>symbols could be upgraded to display all possible overlays on
>>any symbol?
>>
>>Bob, WB4APR
>>
>
>Some don't do overlays at all (APRSpoint and the UI-Point add-on for
>UIview). UIview can overlay any symbol now, but the results will be
>unreadable, since most of the symbols are too complex for an overlaid
>alphanumeric to be easily read.
>
>(The standard symbols (originated by K4HG and used by Findu, WinAPRS,
>APRSplus and UIview), are a grid of only 16x16 pixels. Only the
>designated few that have a very simple outline with solid fill will
>yield a legible overlay.)
------------------------------
Message: 12
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 15:37:33 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga_at_usna.edu>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] SSID for RF only Station with backup power
>Some don't do overlays at all...
>(The standard symbols...(... Findu, WinAPRS, APRSplus
>and UIview), are a grid of only 16x16 pixels. Only the
>designated few that have a very simple outline with solid
>fill will yield a legible overlay.)
I wonder if they could do it like Kenwood does it, by displaying
the overlay character to the side on those other characters...?
Bob
------------------------------
Message: 13
Date: Mon, 9 Apr 2007 12:46:54 -0700
From: "Bill Vodall WA7NWP" <wa7nwp_at_gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] SSID for RF only Station with backup power
>I'm not sure I understand what you are trying to do. If you only want to
>see stations that are transmitting on RF, don't connect to an APRS server,
>just monitor 144.390 MHz. All the stations that you see on the APRS map
>will be on RF.
I guess an equivalent of what I'm working towards is an APRS station
like the ARRL's Emergency Operation Station.
So the next time we have a multiday power outage, Mt Rainier blows or that
10.5 quake from TV hits town -- I'll have a personal tactical
communications facility for messaging, mapping and fill in digipeating
regardless the state of the local infrastructure.
Given that, I think it would be interesting to pull up on the map (via
Internet or whatever) the other "APRS Emergency Op Stations" either locally
or nationally thus the question about a unique symbol or SSID.
73
Bill - WA7NWP
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