[OZAPRS] Igate to RF

[Jack Chomley]

FWIW
There must be gating to RF for stations with D700, D710, D7, VX-8 and like radios for 2 way messaging etc, but sending beacons by Igates on RF from hundreds of kilometres away, over digis of which many are solar powered does not make sense. The operations of an Igate rests with its operator, he/she knows what the network load is and should tailor it's operation to cater for all users.  Given we are now seeing an increase in the use of APRS ready low power portable radios, maybe we need to think of the network load a little more carefully, when it comes to gating onto RF.
A simple solution IF the traffic level on the national frequency is too high for what ever reason, is to simply set up a local digi on a secondary 2m frequency and Igate it to the Internet, the secondary freq local Igate can then have control over what they send out on RF etc.
Traffic levels on the secondary freq will be far less and give local operators on it, a far better chance of access. It's something I am going to do here in my local area and experiment with.
I don't see a published secondary 2m freq, so I guess I will just have to pick one!
maybe 145.150 or close to it.

73,

Jack. VK4JRC   

Sent from my Apple iPad Tablet PC


On Aug 30, 2010, at 7:54 AM, Ray Wells <vk2tv at exemail.com.au> wrote:

> Howard,
> 
> aprs usage and traffic density varies greatly across this vast country 
> and, a one size fits all just doesn't fit.
> 
> I'm in Kempsey and run both the hf/vhf igate and the local digi. Apart 
> from the digi beacons and my occasional igate beacon there is just one 
> other fixed station (vk2cvr) and my "seldom on" mobile signal. There is 
> the occasional traveller passing through but there is no constant local 
> mobile activity to maintain user interest in aprs.
> 
> The nearest "next" digi to here is 115km away.
> 
> To provide a bit more interest involving a wider geographic area I 
> permit a select few out-of-area stations to be broadcast on RF. This is 
> being constantly reviewed with regard to channel traffic, which is very 
> light, even at the busiest of times.
> 
> It's safe to say that most traffic via the local digi is weather related 
> - warnings and current wx at 9 regional wx stations.
> 
> If you live in a densely populated area the concept of wanting to know 
> about things hundreds of km away is probably foreign to you. For someone 
> in a lightly populated region those other towns are as local as someone 
> in the next suburb in Sydney or Brisbane.
> 
> Armidale, for example, is 125km away from Kempsey, as the radio travels. 
> Kempsey has considerable interest in the wx (rainfall) at Armidale 
> because the Gara River, north of Armidale, flows into the Macleay River. 
> It was melting snow in the Gara River that was largely responsible for 
> the devastating 1949 Kempsey flood. We definitely consider Armidale to 
> be "local".
> 
> It's all very well having guidelines but they don't provide for every 
> situation, nor can they ever. Having "guidelines" permits things to be 
> done a little differently, provided "different" doesn't impact the wider 
> network; the impact of different must be purely local.
> 
> And having guidelines doesn't stop individuals completely misconfiguring 
> in an ad hoc way to cause havoc in densely populated areas.
> 
> It should be more about common sense than strict adherence to rules. If 
> we bend the rules to suit the local environment we should also be 
> prepared to bend them back when circumstances change. One day I will 
> have another digi in range of vk2rmc-1. When that happens I will review 
> my settings. Until that time there is no need and, I suspect Warren 
> feels the same way.
> 
> Ray vk2tv
> 
>