[drats_users] Text Message Field vs. GPS Message Field

[Nate Duehr]

Stephen M. Parker wrote:
>> I put some stuff in my ID-800H that looks like gibberish in the Text
>> Msg
>> fields to make it play nicely with other DPRS-equipped rigs (people
>> with
>> 2820's tell me they can see my location information) as well as the
>> JavaARPSd server running on the Gateway, and I get crap for it all the
>> time on the Reflectors... like the text field is MORE useful holding my
>> home city or name or something to them, than in making my GPS
>> coordinates show up on aprs.fi...
> 
> Actually, the "gibberish" you reference (to make your GPS mode data show on
> APRS Internet servers) goes in the GPS Message slot, not in the Text Message
> field. Your text message slot can still be used for name, location, shoe
> size, etc., and the reflector users won't gripe about your text.

I'll be darned.  I didn't even know there WAS a "GPS Message" slot on 
the ID-800H.  Guess I'll have to change that.  :-)  Thanks.

(Interesting that it works from the Text Message slot.  Must be some 
"magic" by Pete Lovall knowing someone out here would be a dummy and use 
the wrong slot, eh?  Hah... I'll have to thank him for that.)

> BTW, it's not necessary to use that "gibberish" in order to show up on other
> D-STAR radios, but it is needed for the D-PRS to APRS translation on the
> gateways.

Yeah, I know.  I like the little green Jeep running around, since it is 
a Jeep, after all...

> Now, back to the topic of this list ... d-rats ...

Yup.  Thanks.

Really I was just using it as an example of "the world's bigger than 
just D-RATS" when we start talking about how to use these fields...

Best thing to do is to generally leave them alone so the users can use 
them for whatever they want... within the D-STAR spec, anyway...

Nate WY0X