[Xastir] Useful without TNC/tracker?

[Jeremy McDermond]

On May 12, 2011, at 4:08 AM, Jason KG4WSV wrote:

> On Thu, May 12, 2011 at 5:59 AM, Lynn W. Deffenbaugh (Mr)
> <ldeffenb at homeside.to> wrote:
>> Did you set up any filters?  Without filters, APRS-IS won't send you
>> anything at all except the periodic heartbeat comments.
> 
> Sorry Lynn, but that's wrong.  Without any filters, APRS-IS sends you
> the full unfiltered global feed.

On a port set up as a filtered port in javAPRSSrvr, you get no data unless you send a filter of some kind.  Certain ports are set up on servers with default filters which will give you data.  On Tier2 servers, 10152 actually has a default filter applied of m/100.  Also remember that if you have a m/ filter you won't start getting data until your first posit goes through the server because that's how it knows where to center the filter.  You can always check what filter you're getting by checking the servers's status page.  Your filter shows up in the "SA Setting" column.

> Hans, you must authenticate to receive data from APRS-IS, which means
> you must supply a callsign and corresponding passcode.  xastir has a
> tool to generate your passcode from your callsign  Just run "callpass
> BX2ABT" and it will generate the passcode which you then enter on the
> APRS-IS server configuration dialog.

You do not have to authenticate to *receive* data from APRS-IS.  Tier2 servers *are* set up so that you have to authenticate ("be verified") to *send* any data through the servers.  You can check to see if you're logged in by looking on the server's status page under the "verified" column.  This doesn't prevent you sending a posit packet to show where you are for the m/ filter, but it won't be propagated to anywhere, and again you have to send a posit to make an m/ filter work.

We (Tier2) recommend that everyone connects to port 14580 and provide some sort of filter.  If you want a full feed you can always do something ridiculous like provide m/100000.  The Earth isn't 100,000 miles big, so you'll get everything.

> -Jason
> kg4wsv

--
Jeremy McDermond (NH6Z)
T2OREGON Operator
Tier2 Assistant Coordinator
mcdermj at xenotropic.com