Rudy (callsign) wrote... > Have you actually TRIED WIDE1-3? I have.
Yes, but it is poor practice. In WIDEn-N the "n" is the maximum number of hops and the "N" is the remaining number of hops. Using something like WIDE1-3 is kinda like cheating. There's nothing wrong with experimenting, but just because digis will accept WIDE1-3 doesn't mean that it should be used. A better three hop path would be WIDE1-1.WIDE2-2 or even just WIDE3-3. Using APRS isn't about figuring out how to abuse the system. It's more about using it efficiently to communicate. In North America (and increasingly around the world) WIDE is obsolete. Fill-in digis (usually at low elevations, in hilly terrain, in concrete jungles) should respond to WIDE1-1 only. The "high" WIDEn-N digis should respond both to WIDE1-1 and WIDEn-N. In North America, a two hop path is recommended for general use, but there are some areas where longer paths will be needed because of greater distances between IGates, or because of a need to propagate further on RF for some reason. Generally speaking though, your path should keep you within your own ALOHA circle. 73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH -- "I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"
