KPC3 Version 8.2(early versions) Settings for WIDEn-N 14 Jun 2021 -------------------------------------------------------------------- Update 14 Jun 21 to add note about Problem(0) (long delayed packets) Update 19 Jul 14 to suggest using LOCATION names for DIGI calls Update 31 Aug 11 to add warnings about multiple 8.2's in an area Update 24 Jul 09 to add two LTexts for Echolink and IRLP local info Update 2 sep 08 to include KA-node set up for maintenance update 24 Mar 07 to include TXD 15 and audio level adjust Update 24 Jan 07 to clean up BText recommendation for local repeaters. Hit VER command to see what your TNC ROM version is. PROBLEM(0): There is a random problem with KPC3 digis that at some point hold up and then regurgitate LOTS of packets. Here is a possible fix. Kantronics recommends shorting the RTS and CTS pins together within my serial cable. (PINS 4/5 on DB25 and PINS 7/8 on DB9). Shorting the RTS and CTS together prevents the software from holding the RTS pin low. If the RTS pin is at low voltage the KPC3+ will start buffering and does not get caught back up. PROBLEM(1): The 8.2 version digis do not mark a WIDEn-N or SSn-N path as used up when they reach zero as they should. This BREAKS all WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1 mobile packets because after the 8.2 digi digipeats the first field, then the second field will never get digipeated again. TEH FIX: is to put WIDE1-1 into a UIDIGI ALIAS so that it will get digipeated and callsign inserted AND will be marked as used, so that the second field, the following ...WIDED2-1 will get used. This allows this old version 8.2 digi to be used. But there is a COST. THE COST: But since this first hop did not actually use the true WIDEn-N algorithm with its powerful dupe suppression algorithm, then this digi will not suppress additional copies of this packet that it sees from other digis. In fact, it will digipeat every other copy from all surrounding digis of their first hops too. This is bad enough for one 8.2 digi in an area, but is a nuclear incident in areas with lots of 8.2 digis. WHERE TO USE: So use this fix cautiously and only in aeras where there are few digis and where not more than one digi can usually hear a mobile. ALTERNATE FIX: (NONE) If your version 8.2 digi is in a busy area, and if there is an IGATE in range, then simply do not apply the fix and just let the 8.2 digi digipeat the WIDE1-1 normally recognizing that the packet will only be digipeated once by this digi and the packet will go no farther. But it will get to all locals and to the IGATE. REQUIRED BEACON TEXT: In either case we want the version 8.2 digi to have the following beacon: We receommend instead of the usual 10 character "Wn, SSn-N ..." text that you use "NoW1 SSn-N ..." instead. There are two reasons: - If you do make the fix, then you want to discourage people from using WIDE1-1 in this area because it creates extra dupes.s - If you do not make the fix, then this nomenclature warns users that WIDE1-1 is not supported here and their packet will only go one hop. ACTION: If your KPC-3 version 8.2 is version KPC3-3F427265-8.2 or later you only need to make the TWO command differences than the set-up for a version 8.3 or KPC-3+. That is, add WIDE1-1 to the UIDIGI LIST. and change the BEACON to include the "NoW1...". Then go to the version 8.3 file for all other setups. OF COURSE, make all the other PATH changes to show APN382 instead of APN383. ------------------------------------------------------------------ The remainder of this file APPLIES only to really old Version 8.2 ROMS in old KPC3's (not PLUS+) prior to version KPC3-3F427265-8.2. Digipeaters using these early-8.2 ROMs should be sure to set the APN382 to show they are older TNC's. This is because of a bug in the UITRACE command that requires these old digis to support WIDEn-N only in the UIFLOOD parameter, not UITRACE as is being done under the New-N paradigm. This special file shows the workarounds to allow these older version 8.2 ROMs and old plain KPC-3 TNC's to continue to be used while also supporting most of the New N benefits. Later versions of the Version 8.2 ROM after release xxxx-7265 are OK. You can tell them apart by typing this command: UITRACE WIDE,30 If it doesn't like the presence of the "30" and says "eh?" then it is an old ROM and needs to be set up according to this file. The main anomoly on these earlier 8.2 ROMs was how they handle digipeating: 1) When packets were decremented to n-0, the path was not marked as being used up. No one ever noticed this before, but it prevented these digis from supporting WIDE1-1 for fill-in digis. 2) The UITRACE parameter which supported TRACEn-N did not do proper dupe elimination in some of these 8.2 versions (the ones that don't like the UITRACE WIDE,30 command). The *workarounds* in these early version 8.2 ROMS are to simply add WIDE1-1 as an alias in the UIdigi list so that WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1 for mobiles can be supported, and to only use UITRACE to support SSn-N. There will be some dupes, but they will not be further propogated by any other proper New N digi. Here are the ONLY differences to setting up an old 8.2 digi compared to all the widely published information on the 8.3 digis: Version 8.3: UIDIGI ON, WIDE4-4, WIDE5-5, WIDE6-6, WIDE7-7 UIFLOOD SS,30,ID UITRACE WIDE,30 Version 8.2 (early releases) UNIQUE Settings: UIDIGI ON, WIDE1-1, WIDE6-6, WIDE5-5, WIDE4-4 UIFLOOD WIDE,30,ID UITRACE SS All of the other special New N Paradigm settings for tayloring the DIGI's beacon timing and paths and other settings of the 8.3 will also apply to these 8.2 versions. FIRST: RESET the TNC to factory defaults to get rid of legacy errors. Then set the proper settings for APRS that are not the TNC defaults. Set these as below: MYCALL xxxxxx Set to a geographical name understandable by travelers MYNODE xxxx-7 Set up a KA node callsign NUMNODES 2 - SO SYSOP can use KA nodes to SYSOP other digis INTERFACE - Terminal. So you can enter the remaining parameters HID OFF - These packets are of no value to APRS CD SOFTWARE - For the best collision avoidance method UIDWAIT OFF - To not waste time with multiple slots TXD 18 - To shorten the TX delay by 40% from the 300ms default SECOND, eliminate the settings that are detrimental to the network. 1) UIDWAIT should be OFF. (the default). With it on, your digi is not doing the fundamental APRS fratricide that is the primary mechanism for suppressing multiple dupes. All digis that hear the same packet are supposed to DIGI it at the SAME time so that all those copies only take up one additional time slot. (but outward located digs will hear it without collision (and continue outward propogation) 2) UIFLOOD should remain WIDE,30,ID (this is different from other digis under the New N Paradigm) but avoids the dupe problem of UITRACE in the vesion 8.2 ROM. 3) UITRACE should be SS where SS is your state or SSS ARRL Section abbreviation. This will suport SSn-N routing (or SSSn-N if needed such as WPAn-N for Western PA section, etc)). Only users in the corners or edges of states would normally use this path so that they can use larger N's to communiate in their state without QRM'ing adjacent states. SSn-N can also be used with a first hop of WIDE1-1, SSn-N if needed to help out on the first hop. It also assures that the first hop is identified. 3) Properly set up the DIGI's beacon packet. There are 5 possible beacons u sing the BTEXT and four LTEXTS. Prior to July 09, we used all 4 LTEXTS for proportional pathing of the DIGI's own info. Now we use only 2 of them so that 2 are available along with the BText for pushign local info such as receommended Voice repeater and EchoLink and IRLP frequency objects. This results in a local DIG ID plus these local info objects once every 10 minutes simplex direct and only one 2 hop beacons every 60 minutes. 4) Your TOCALL in both the UNPROTO and the LTP's should use the TOCALL of APN382 where APN identifies it as digipeater firmware. The "3" identifies it as a KPC-3 and the "82" identifies it as ROM version. NOTE, Identifying ROM versions is very important! See the APRS list of TOCALL versions for other ROMS identifications of this naming convention. 5) Your UNPROTO path for the BText should only be DIRECT (APN382 with no VIAs) since it is used for your local BText which should contain information only of *local* value. 6) LOCAL VOICE REPEATER RECOMMENDATION: The BTEXT and two available LTexts should be used to send out local Frequency OBJECTs indicating the best local voice repeater and Echolink or IRLP nodes for travelers passing through your area. See: www.aprs.org/localinfo.html BText: ;146.835-X*111111zDDMM.hhN/DDMM.hhWrT123 R45m Net 9PM Th Mg3rdTh or BText: ;146.835-X*111111zDDMM.hhN/DDMM.hhWrT123 -060 Net 9PM Th Mg3rdTh Where 146.835-X is the frequency (-X makes it unique) T123 R45m - is the Tone (no tenths) and Range in miles T123 -060 - is the Tone and Offset in 10's of KHz Net 9Pm Th - is the weekly net time Mg3rdTh - is the monthly meeting date (Mtg3rdW also) BEACON EVERY 10 UNPROTO APN382 This beacon object is sent DIRECT only to indicate on the front panel Mobile displays of travelers in the area to alert them to the best voice repeater for Travelers or for other APRS operators. This exact format has evolved to make the best use of the 10x10 byte windows on many front panel displays. 7) IMPLEMENT THE New n-N Paradigm changes. A. Set UITRACE SS to support your SS State or SSSS ARRL section instead of the old TRACEn-N. SSn-N paths allow people on the edges of a state to participate in a statewide (or section wide) net with larger values of N than would normally be allowed. But since the geographic area covered by these digis is limited, then the damage for large n-N QRM is also limited. B. Keep UIFLOOD as WIDE,30,ID to continue support for WIDEn-N. Packets through this digi will not be traceable as they will be in other New-N-Paradigm digis, but this avoids the dupe problem in the UITRACE parameter. Be sure ID is set. C. Remove the obsolete "RELAY", "WIDE", "TRACE", and "SS" aliases in the UIDIGI parameter which are obsolete and generate too many dupes. D. Instead use the UIDIGI alias list to support WIDE1-1 first-hops for mobiles and to TRAP the larger N's. Set UIDIGI as follows: UIDIGI ON, WIDE1-1, WIDE4-4, WIDE5-5, WIDE6-6 These specific aliases for the larger N's will act like traps because this digi will digipeat them once and then no farther. The closer you get to a high density area, the smaller N's you should limit. In typical WIDE2-2 areas, set UIDIGI to include WIDE3-3,WIDE4-4, WIDE5-5,WIDE6-6. Also if you are getting lots of W4-1 packets from a distant city that is not trapping 4-4 at the source, you can also trap those specifically by adding WIDE4-1 to the UIDIGI alias list. For more on this be sure to see how we did it in Los Angeles, and prevented anything above two hops from getting into the Los Angeles Basin. http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs/fixingLA.html 8) IMPORTANT! Set up the DIGI POSITION PACKET format to clearly inform users what is supported using the CONSISTENT recommendations below so that users can see from any digi exactly what the network is doing in an area: a) Always start with the PHGXXXX b) Then "W2, SSn-N" shows that only 2 hops are receommended in this area. And it shows what SSn-N path is supported. c) The overlay character between the LAT/LONG in these old 8.2 digis should become an "F" to show that it has been upgraded to the New-N-Paradigm but WIDEN-N support is still in the uiFlood parameter and that packets will not be traceable through this digi. d) If you feel you must use the altitude /A=001377, please add it at the end, not first. Since those first 20 bytes are what the D7 and D700 users see and the other stuff above is more important. In my opinion, Altitude is redundant since the more valuable term of height above average terrain is included in PHG. CONCLUSION: The best way to set up an APRS digi is to FIRST do a RESET or RESTORE to FACTORY DEFAULTS to make sure you dont have any bad settings that have crept into your system. Then the ONLY commmands you have to change are the ones below. For the BText, I assumed a local Voice repeater on 146.940 with a PL of 107 that only goes direct. MYCALL XXXXXX (use a local LOATION name understandable by trvlrs) MYREMOTE XXXXXX MYNODE XXXXXX-7 NUMNODES 2 INTERFACE TERMINAL RTEXT (your secret password string) BText: ;146.835-X*111111zDDMM.hhN/DDDMM.hhWrT123 R45m Net 9PM Th Mg3rdTh BEACON E 10 <== every 10 minutes direct UNPROTO APN382 <== Identifes the KPC-3 ROM and local direct no VIA's HID OFF CD SOFTWARE LT 1 !DDMM.hhNSDDDMM.hhW#PHGphgd W2, SSn-N, new digi in kalamazoo, etc LT 2 !DDMM.hhNSDDDMM.hhW#PHGphgd W2, SSn-N, new digi in kalamazoo, etc LT 3 ;EL-123456*111111zDDMM.hhNEDDDMM.hhW0FFF.FFFMHz Tnnn CALLSIGN-R LT 4 ;IRLP-4040*111111zDDMM.hhNIDDDMM.hhW0FFF.FFFMHz Tnnn oXXX CALLSIGN The first two DIGI LTexts must be identical so the Position Beacon is not always changing and using up the new-posit LOG files on every user's PC... BLT 1 EVERY 01:00:00 START 00:00:03 BLT 2 EVERY 00:10:00 START 00:04:06 BLT 3 EVERY 00:10:00 START 00:06:13 BLT 4 EVERY 00:10:00 START 00:08:17 LTP 1 APN382 VIA WIDE2-2 LTP 2 APN382 LTP 3 APN382 LTP 4 APN382 UIDIGI ON, WIDE1-1,WIDE4-4,WIDE5-5, WIDE6-6 UITRACE SS