FRQCOORD.txt         APRS AS A FREQUENCY COORDINATION TOOL
ver 6.2d

APRS makes an excellent frequency coordination tool.  We are using it in
the Digital Mid-Atlantic Radio Council to display the location of all packet
stations on all frequencies.  Individual APRS.BK files are prepared for each
digital channel.  Loading these backup files gives an instant display of not
only the location of all stations on the frequency, but also their radio
range using the MAPS-POWER rings display.  The interaction of stations and
nodes with each other can visually be seen at a glance.

     To facilitate the organization of these files, we have begun to use the
following naming convention.  The first 5 characters are used to describe the
geographical area, and the remaining characters identify the frequency:

       MDCVA145.01   MDCVA223.15    MDCVA441.05
       MDCVA145.03                  MDCVA445.925
       ....
       MDCVA145.79
       MDCVAVHF.ALL  MDCVA220.ALL   MDCVAUHF.ALL

     These files are distributed to all BBS's so that users can download them
and see the current status of the network.  Providing this database feedback
to users is an important element in good frequency coordination.  If the
users can get quick and convenient access to the network database via these
files, and visually see the topology of the network on all frequencies, then
there will be a lot fewer problems with un-coordinated stations popping up in
strange and often unwanted places.

     TO help users find the shortest and most effecient path to the packet
network and BBS's, the files are also combined together in three summary
files that show all stations on all frequencies in the VHF, 220 and UHF
spectrum.

ID/POSITION BEACONING ON ALL PACKET FREQUENCIES:  To facilitate the
distribution of position data to ALL packet users, all BBS's NODES and
digipeaters are encouraged to beacon at least once PER HOUR.  The beacon
should contain a properly formatted APRS position report including the POWER-
HEIGHT-GAIN data.  The .03 % channel loading penalty for these beacons is
insignificant compared to the advantage gained in network management.  Any
new user can use APRS to monitor any digital channel, and in an evening, gain
full knowledge of the actual propogation of network assets at his location.
The format is shown in README\PROTOCOL.txt.  If you do not want to take the
room for the full report, PLEASE at least include your 6 digit grid square
[FM19dx]..... as the first 8 characters of your NText or QTC beacon.  As long
as it is enclosed in BRACKETS and is the first item in the BText, then APRS
can place you on the map!


DATABASE:  Just monitoring these beacons from a single location cannot build
the complete files needed, since no one station can hear every station.  For
this reason, we have requested that all digital SYSOPS in our area, submit
the necessary position and power-height-gain data via packet message to our
packet frequency coordinator.  He maintains a D-BASE data base for easy
manipulation of this data.  Periodically, he dumps this data into the
necessary APRS file format for distribution as the APRS...BK files.


IMPORTANT NOTE:  Although the above paragraphs give the general idea of how
to use APRS as a general purpose Frequency Coordination display tool, it is
actually better to save the data as HISTORY files vice BACKUP files.  This is
because re-loading BACKUP files wipes out what you already have in your P and
L lists, while replaying a HISTORY file does a ONE-TIME display without
changing anything!  This means you can REPLAY a FREQ-COORD file and see
all of the local BBS's or whatever you want, superimposed over the existing
map display, without messing up what you already have displayed!

     A second advantage of using the HISTORY files for Frequency Cordination
displays is that UNREGISTERED users are NOT limited in their use of REPLAYS.
But they are limited to only one page on their P and L lists.  By using
HISTORY files then for distributing information about the location of stations
for general use, permits casual non-registered users to see the full picture.

