APRS Paths And Digipeating 101. This discussion starts by describing the traditional APRS path conventions now considered obsolete.
This makes the reasons behind the "New Paradigm" shift to exclusively WideN-n type paths (that do away with RELAY and plain WIDE), easier to understand. The primary reason for the shift is that stand-alone digipeaters based on Kantronics KPC3+ TNCs effectively suppress duplicate transmissions based on N-n type paths but DON'T duplicate-filter on WIDE or RELAY. The original conventions were established over a decade ago. Today, there is so much traffic on APRS that channel congestion generated by needless duplicate packets generated by stupid digipeaters is a major problem. Jump To Today's Recommended Path Settings (Lower Down On This Page) "Digipeater" is short for "Digital Repeater"; a repeater for packet data rather than voice. The implication of this is profound. With APRS, the problem is even worse than with conventional [connected] packet because it operates in a non-connected mode.
APRS: Automatic Packet Reporting System. AVRS. Universal Connectivity-by-callsign Workshop: This workshop was held 18 Sept 2011 at the ARRL/TAPR Digital Communications Conference and WOW!
Was it an exciting event. AVRS, however, is just part of the overall Ham Radio Initiative for Universal Contact by-callsign Follow other links there. AllStar Network Support: WB6NIL, Jim Dixon, WB6NIL has jumped on board with an APRStt decoder in his AllStar code that will identify his voice users to APRS and the Univeral Contact scheme when they send their DTMF callsign.
He is now in the testing phase. Zoom in on his activities in California and see his DTMF tests near his local AllStar nodes. SCENARIO FROM MOBILE TO ANOTHER MOBILE or EchoLink or IRLP NODE: MOBILE PLACING A CALL: To place a call, a mobile simply sends a message to AVRS and the first word of the message is the callsign of the desired contact (the CALLEE). Mobile/HT Digital Comms via ECHO. ECHO's POTENTIAL for DIGIPEATING: ECHO is ideal for supporting global HAM radio handheld and mobile digital communications at 9600 baud.
We have demonstrated this capability via many previous satellites, but now the new ECHO and the thousands of handheld digital radios in the hands of AMSAT members can make this become a permanent reality. The table below lists the installed capability of the Kenwood D7 and D700 handheld and mobile APRS radios for stand-alone satellite communications. These radios include not only the self-contained 9600 baud TNC, but also an APRS processor and display system so that digital communications can be entered from the keypad and displayed on the multi-line display and even the map of an attached GPS. All without any other connections or PC's or laptops: (*) ECHO's position updated by ground based command stations.
External Message Keyboard for the D700: And you don't even have to use the DTMF pad to enter messages. PACB-1>LSTAT:....... d:0 ........ Satellite Resources. There are two kinds of Satellite Tracking Position Servers.
One transmits moving position reports up VIA each digipeating digital satellite so that all users in the footprint can see the exact location of the satellite live on their APRS displays. There is usually only one of these statiions every 3000 miles across the planet. See the red coverage circles on the map below. They run a special version of APRStk.exe... The other Data Servers serves the same data to all locals on the local APRS data channel in any given local area. HAM RADIO Handheld WEB pages! This web page will show you what you will see on your Kenwood THD7 or D700 radio's front panel when it receives one of these packets.
When satellites come in view (FM birds) then you will see these satellite objects once a minute on your station list. See other related APRS Satellite Pages: GPS Coordinate Converter, Maps and Info. Google Maps APRS.