Why just BEACONet?

02/12/2003 tpe
The views here are soley those of Mine, Tim KE3HT and not of anyone mentioned below or implied.

I do not intend to plagiarize any of BEACONet's excelent Web site so I will refer to them as "Quoted" and cite the specific site the info was found on. Its is only incuded here for clarity.

02/13/2003 update on CU2QSO

My example of how to make Any Packet program usable for VHF contesting and stay in what I think are the Spirit and the guide lines of the rules.

I CC:d this e-mail to Dan who I hope has not gotten tired of this subject yet. He may just forward this on.  Thanks Dan!

The can of worms is officially open again. Specifying a single groups (BEACONet) program(s) as "acceptable" when it is just an application run with some protocol layer options turned off is my definition of opening of the can. First, my hope is NOT just to get APRS approved, I want to have ground rules or criteria under which digital modes can be used legitimately. I think BEACONet is better for contesting than APRS but BEACONet (and the ARRL) cites APRS so I will counter with it.

ARRL:
Since the announcement that "BEACONet" is acceptable we have a question or four. Does that mean all of its parts ? For instance: BEACONet's CU2QSO (a close cousin of BEACONet's basic form UI-VIEW). Since BEACONet uses the AX.25 protocol does that mean AX.25 is approved? UI-View (the original BEACONet project) uses PSK31, is that also OK? Since CU2QSO is a AX.25 program can any program that fits its "criteria" also be used?   

My point is that I want to be able to use my TNC/Rigblaster to make digital contacts legally. I want to see more hams involved by making it simpler to get started. What is the ARRL specification to do so?  

Here are my arguments to encourage amateur contest participation by adding ground rules for digital mode usage:

Somehow the BEACONet group convinced the ARRL that BEACONet is different than APRS or other packet programs. They did this by citing basic AX.25 principals. Not that it is bad but so far the ARRL has not been very good at being specific when they make rulings. Its not their fault, the members have to help when it comes to rule making. BEACONet just did a better PR job and the ARRL did not define (publicize yet) the criteria used to make the decision.

Since the ARRL announced no criteria for the decision I have been looking for how BEACONet did this. Tom Mayo clued me into CU2QSO. You can't find this on Yahoo or Google yet. Its too new. There is an almost hidden link from the BEACONet page.

Main CU2QSO site that claims they have ARRL approval.
http://www.rochesterny.org/beaconet/cu2qso/cu2qso-index.htm

Faq site that tries to explain why they got approval.
http://www.rochesterny.org/beaconet/cu2qso/cu2qso-faq.htm

The latter link has some basic AX.25 rules for how to configure any packet program. They specify that APRS does not support these rules. In fact almost ALL AX.25 programs and APRS can be set up properly per their definition and that’s all they have done with CU2QSO (Assuming this is what ARRL approved). It’s the Operator not the program that makes an Illegal operation.

To Quote BEACONet:
"APRS relies on a series of digipeaters (considered 3rd party assistance) and Internet relaying stations called IGates (considered non-Amateur in nature).  CU2QSO (as it is configured in supporting VHF Contest operation) is all-Amateur and fully unassisted (simplex) in operation.  In a nutshell, it is a radically inventive first-person communication system."

Good job of advertising.
APRS only needs to be run on another frequency with digipeting off in order to meet the criteria BEACONet specifies. ONLY when run on 144.39 and ONLY when configured to do so can APRS use digipeters and internet relays. Most APRS'ers do not know how to use the internet relays. They are not "wide" callsign aliases. An example of proper contest type operation of APRS is: if you run APRS on 145.09 simplex and specify in the tnc commands menu (see my attachment showing the check box that needs to be unchecked) Disable Digi you have the same thing! (I would also recommend removing wide,wide as the digi call signs just to be clear about not digi'ing.

You will then have a Non-digi, Non-internet, "simplex" system that does the same thing CU2QSO does. Almost, I will admit that the CU2QSO has an easier talk mode. APRS you have to go into a menu to enter the slightly clunkier conversation mode.

I quote from the web site:
http://www.rochesterny.org/beaconet/cu2qso/cu2qso-VHFnonroversetup.htm
"BEACONet's CU2QSO personality is a first cousin to the APRS service...but it is not APRS.  You must reconfigure your software to operate correctly (and legally for VHF contests).  Do the following:"

If you have to re-configure BEACONet what's wrong with re-configuring APRS?  APRS can be configured to not DIGI also. It uses the same AX.25 packet mode as many packet programs do including CU2QSO. The configuration they talk about is telling BEACONet to not use packet repeaters (or Digi Unproto's) and stuff.

All Rovers All Modes:
I SHOULD Point out that the BEACONet web site makes an important point I almost forgot about. A ROVER may NOT have more than one signal on the air at the same time. It would be an easy mistake for a busy rover to forget to turn off the packet transmitter. Fortunately, and BEACONet forgot this, AX.25 tnc's can be set to turn transmit off. All we need to do is add a button on the program to send the txoff command to the TNC.

Tim




Tim Ertl 02/12/2003