PacComm Settings for New n-N Compatibility                    01 Feb 2012
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01 Feb 2012: Updates to use the second beacon for local FREQ object.

02 Apr 2005: This is the FINAL revision.  Sorry for the changes, but this 
better tunes  the settings for your particular area and needs.

The many old PacComm Tiny-2 Trace-only digis held back WIDEn-N routing in 
some of the early APRS areas because these old 1996 to 1998 digis still 
exist.  Few were installed after that because WIDEn-N came out in 1998 
and they cannot do WIDEn-N.  This file shows how they can still be used
somewhat as a 1-hop digi.

Now with the New n-N Paradigm, we do have a way to accomodate them and 
abandon the multiple-dupe generating old RELAY and WIDE type paths.  Of 
course the ideal solution is to put new UIDIGI-ROMS into these old TNC's, 
or upgrade the TNC's to KPC-3+'s.  But in the mean time here is how to 
make these TNC's locally compatible with the New n-N Paradigm.  Basically 
you have 4 aliases.  These used to be RELAY, WIDE, TRACE and SS for 
your state.  Since all of these are obsolete, now you simply choose the 
four combinations of WIDEn-N that need to be supported:

   Set your four aliases for WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2,WIDE2-1,WIDE3-3

Remember, that this digi will not do WIDEN-N processing.  It does not
digi and then subtract the N.  It simply digipeats once if it sees one
of the above fields, and then it substitutes its own call in place of 
the path element (one of the aliases above).  In otherwords, this digi
will only digipeat a packet the first time it is heard.  But, since it
also supports WIDE2-1, if any other digi does digipeat at 2-2 packet
then this digi will see the resulting WIDE2-1 and digipeat the second
hop.  SO in this manner it does reasnoably well.  Notice it ignores 
all other paths.  This is a good way of ignoring larger N's and their
results from out of area.

NOTE:  These digis will not support SSn-N digipeating.  

USERS IN THE AREA OF A PACCOMM DIGI:  All fixed stations in range of 
this digi need to set their outgoing path of WIDE1-1,WIDEn-N where N is 
the common value in the region minus one.  If this is a 3-3 area, then 
use WIDE1-1,WIDE2-2.  If it is a 2 hop area, then use WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1.

Notice that if someone uses the similar path of WIDE2-2, that that
packet will only be digipeated ONCE by this digi, and then it will go
no farther by any other digi, because the WIDE2-2 is substituted with
this digi's own call.  The packet stops here.

SETUP:

FIRST:  RESET the TNC to factory defaults to get rid of any hacks 
that you may have developed over the years.  And install your MYCALL.

SECOND: Set HID OFF    - These packets are of no value to APRS, just QRM

THIRD:  Set up the four Aliases for the New n-N Paradigm noted above.

FOURTH:  Set up the Digipeater's Beacon PATH and Transmission rate. 

BEACON EVERY 60    <== a local  beacon every 10 minutes (10 sec incs)
UNPROTO APNPxx     <== via direct (no "via" entries)
                (The APNPxx means it is a PacComm TNC with version xx)

FIFTH:  Setting your POSITION TEXT:  Your Position packet should tell
users what they need to know about this digipeater.  It goes into the 
BText.  The "11,22,21 only." is important to show users the limits of
this digi. After that, you may add what you want.  Notice, this digi
will support a one-hoip WIDE3-3, but no reason to advertise that.

BT !DDMM.hhNPDDDMM.hhW#PHGphgd/11,22,21 only.  Kalamazoo, etc


a) After the LAT/LONG# Always include the PHGXXXX  (See DIGIS.TXT)
b) next, a list of the aliases, such as "11,22,21 only." etc
c) The overlay character between the LAT/LONG should now be a "P"
d) There is no need for altitude /A=001377 since this is all included
   in a proper PHG statement.  If you insist, then put it at the end
   so it doesnt take up space on the front panel of the kenwoods.

SIXTH:  Set up the FREQuency Object for the locally recommended voice
Frequency in accordance with http://aprs.org/localinfo.html
 
 LTEXT LT ;FFF.FFxyz*111111zDDMM.hhN/DDDMM.hhWrTnnn Rxxm Netxxxxxx Mtgxxxxx
   or
 LTEXT LT ;FFF.FFxyz*111111zDDMM.hhN/DDDMM.hhWrTnnn oXXX Netxxxxxx Mtgxxxxx
 LOC E 60          <== a one-hop beacon every 31 minutes
 LPATH APNPxx      <== via direct (no "via" entries)

The "xyz" padds the object name to a total of 9 bytes and are used to
make this FREQuency object unique in the world.  FOr 5 KHz digis, you
only get FFF.FFFyz to play with.

- Notice that Tnnn is the tone (no tenths)
- oXXX is offset -XXX or +XXX in 10's of KHz 
- Rxxm is range in miles (xx) (if oXXX is absent cuz of standard offset)
- Netxxxxxx is weekly net times such as Net Tu730 or Net W 8PM
- Mtgxxxxx is monthly meeting times such as Mtg3rdTu
See the localinfo web page for details.
The format is very precisely made to fit on all mobile displays.

SEVENTH:  Set the TXD to 15 or so to shorten the TX delay by 50% from the 
300ms default, and by all means adjust your Transmit audio level well
below the maximum where distortion messes up your signal.


CONCLUSION:

That's all there is to it.  Please don't diddle with any other 
parameters.  The defaults for those are the correct settings.  If you
dink with them you can only make performance worse.

de WB4APR, bob