I have been asked a user of my APRS2SOTA spotting service if it is possible to suppress the current action of the system in adding /P to the call for all activations spotted by the system.
When I developed the idea of the service I thought that as a SOTA activation is not valid for stations that are not really /P that it made sense to auto-add /P to the call taken from the AX25 header (from which the APRS2SOTA system gets the appropriate call information unless another variant of the call is provided in the APRS data).
It seems to me that as SOTA has become more multinational the auto-addition of /P is becoming increasingly undesirable, however before I take the step of removing the auto-addition of /P does anyone have any opinion as to if adding the /P is really of any benefit.
Removing /P feels more appropriate (to me) than making any change to the format of the APRS data that is accepted by the system, which I kept as simple as I could from the start.
All stations using SOTAwatch should be listening to and logging whatever the activator is using at the time of the contact and not relying on the information posted on the site.
I modified my SMS servers a few months back to offer both when autocompleting a call sign. So the user can have a /P or not depending how they drive the system.
In reply to MM0FMF:
.
That begs a hypothetical question…what if I use /P on a peak and contact my home call via a friend using my home station (so my call gets credit for chasing a sought-after unique summit). How should I self spot?
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Elliott, K6ILM
Troublemaker
Under the UK licensing system this would (I think) be in breach of the licence condition as the licensee was not present when their callsign was being used
I think the interpretation of the SOTA rules means that the points accrue to the Operator not the Callsign which is why you will hear (for example) a club call used on a summit or as a chaser but it is the operator who claims the points.
In reply to G0LGS: I don’t think it is necessary or desirable to append /P to one’s call when activating. (Although it is better than /PM for Pedestrian Mobile!) Most activations are identified by being spotted (self or otherwise). And /P does not identify one as a SOTA activation anyway! “CQ SOTA” usually gets things started… Frandy N1FJ (p/o NE1SJ)
I have decided (for the time being) to change the code to no longer add /P by default to the activators call.
The program will continue to try to insert the correct country Prefix (when necessary) - i.e G0LGS becomes GW0LGS in Wales, ON/G0LGS in ON etc. If anyone notices this doing something that seems odd with this then please let me know by email (I will need at least the Call, Summit Reference and spot date/time).
any opinion as to if adding the /P is really of any benefit.
There are countries (like Kenya, for example) where the use of specific suffixes is required in some situations as a licence condition.
Are there any such countries where APRS use is permitted and associated with SOTA activity?
In reply to N1FJ:
Most activations are identified by being spotted (self or otherwise). And /P does
not identify one as a SOTA activation anyway!
However, it’d be nice if the spots were accurate; if an activator uses /P then, ideally, spots would include the /P, and if an activator is not using /P then spots wouldn’t include it either…
Are there any such countries where APRS use is permitted and associated with SOTA activity?
AX25 does not permit any suffix in the callsign field of the AX25 Header, so this is not really relevant, only an SSID is allowed in the protocol.
However, it’d be nice if the spots were accurate; if an activator uses /P
then, ideally, spots would include the /P, and if an activator is not using
/P then spots wouldn’t include it either…
As far a APRS2SOTA is concerned this is now up to the APRS user - It was until a short time ago always adding /P but I have stopped that.
What really needs to be correct is what is logged by activators and chasers not what is posted to SOTAwatch.
What really needs to be correct is what is logged by activators and
chasers not what is posted to SOTAwatch.
Indeed. Correct information on SOTAwatch is helpful and nice to have, but so long as the chasers are actually listening to the activators and getting all the correct details off the air…
73, Rick M0LEP (occasional spotter of flying pigs )
P.S. I think Tom’s got himself a Transprter beam, or a TARDIS!
Sat 16:52 M1EYP/P on G/SP-015 (Posted by ***) 14.056 cw
Sat 16:45 M1EYP on W4C/CM-040 (Posted by ***) 14.056.1 cw
Sat 16:39 M1EYP/P on G/SP-015 (Posted by ***) 14.056 cw
P.S. I think Tom’s got himself a Transprter beam, or a TARDIS!
Sat 16:52 M1EYP/P on G/SP-015 (Posted by ***) 14.056 cw
Sat 16:45 M1EYP on W4C/CM-040 (Posted by ***) 14.056.1 cw
Sat 16:39 M1EYP/P on G/SP-015 (Posted by ***) 14.056 cw
However, it’d be nice if the spots were accurate; if an activator uses
/P then, ideally, spots would include the /P, and if an activator is
not using /P then spots wouldn’t include it either…
I’ve never understood why the rule making it compulsory to sign /p or /m was dropped. Clearly it was a waste of time as Im unaware of anyone who dosent still use it.
OTOH, when it comes to signing /a the only time I use this is if I work a SOTA activator from an alternative location. It’s bad enough calling 2E0 into some parts of the world, but also being forced to sign /a would have me reaching for the strychnine.
calling 2E0 into some parts of the world, but also being forced to sign /a would have
me reaching for the strychnine
Heh! If two echo zero yankee yankee yankee alternate causes trouble, think how much more trouble five zulu four stroke mike zero lima echo papa portable might cause.
(…and there, unless you’re at the registered station location, you must give the appropriate suffix, and also your location. Thankfully, “registered location” is the location in Kenya known to the licensing authority.)
