[Xastir] Using time field data in Xastir objects

[Curt, WE7U]

On Sun, 30 Jan 2005, Tom Tessier wrote:

> Yes, I see how this would cause time confusion. At least what I'm looking at
> in volunteers conducting SAR, it's (supposed!) to be a more controlled
> situation. If people are participating in a search, some attempt would be
> made to ensure each person's timestamp generating device is set within a few
> seconds of one another!

Do you always have time/energy to do that?  We always seem to be in
hyperspeed mode at the beginning of each shift.  Little things like
this are likely to be missed.  Checklists might help, but then you
have to remember to go through the checklist.  ;-)


> Each code can be identified, as long as the building application follows the
> protocol. Knowing the possible combinations of time formats, a test can be
> made to ID the format, then the conversion continue once the format is
> picked. I can see where confusion would exist if the sender used local
> time...then the receiver may choose to accept it, or hit a config choice
> button to ignore times. Of course, this also depends on whether you can
> tolerate the minutes of difference that usually comes with many different HT
> and PDA clocks all churning out thier vision of current time....but for what
> I'm looking at with SAR, we could check each user's timestamping device
> before they go out. Devices using GPS time would solve the problem
> automatically.

We could certaily see what the users prefer.  Looks like we have
three votes for the tracker's version of time so far.

Maybe we'll come up with a scheme that works for all.

Only two issues so far?

1) Whether to use time received or tracker's transmitted time.
2) Use original timestamp for log files, modify expiration code so
   that they won't expire immediately.

Perhaps we could make #1 quite simple:  If the transmitted time is
within XX seconds of Xastir's time, use the transmitted time.  If
not, use the time received and mark the packet or station to show
this.  As long as the PC time was reasonably close to real-time, or
the "XX" was sufficiently wide, you'd get the transmitted time most
of the time.  The exception would be trackers that are way off, and
they would get "normalized".

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
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