Call sign routing--a very bad operating practice
Aug 21, 2014 11:10:24 GMT -7
Post by W6KD on Aug 21, 2014 11:10:24 GMT -7
One of the capabilities built into DSTAR is call sign routing--the ability to put another ham's call into your radio and then have your call magically appear wherever he/she was last heard anywhere in DSTAR land. Sounds great, right?
Well, it's not great when you understand how call sign routing works. It's actually a horrible, disruptive mode that would be called out as a poor operating practice anywhere else.
The problem with call sign routing is that it routes your call to a place where you can't hear what's going on before you transmit. It's a one-way affair...if you call sign route to W0LID while he's linked into a ginormous linked repeater system that's in the middle of their weekly net, your call will go out right in the middle of the net. You wouldn't do that, of course, if you were able to hear the net in progress before hitting the PTT, but the technical limitations of call sign routing don't allow you to hear what's happening on the other side of the call (heck, you don't even know where the other side of the call will be when you key the mike).
So realize that when you call sign route, you are transmitting in the blind to another repeater...or possibly into a huge linked system with dozens of repeaters. If there is a QSO in progress, you just jumped into the middle of it with both feet. It's not a good way to operate. With luck, this "feature" of DSTAR will go the way of the dodo bird...but until then, it's best not to use it.
If you are using a cellular-based data connection and paying by the GB for bandwidth, if you turn on ircddb in this image, it is passing a lot of housekeeping traffic in the background whose ONLY purpose is to facilitate...you guessed it...call sign routing. Save the bandwidth and be a courteous operator--leave ircddb turned off.
Well, it's not great when you understand how call sign routing works. It's actually a horrible, disruptive mode that would be called out as a poor operating practice anywhere else.
The problem with call sign routing is that it routes your call to a place where you can't hear what's going on before you transmit. It's a one-way affair...if you call sign route to W0LID while he's linked into a ginormous linked repeater system that's in the middle of their weekly net, your call will go out right in the middle of the net. You wouldn't do that, of course, if you were able to hear the net in progress before hitting the PTT, but the technical limitations of call sign routing don't allow you to hear what's happening on the other side of the call (heck, you don't even know where the other side of the call will be when you key the mike).
So realize that when you call sign route, you are transmitting in the blind to another repeater...or possibly into a huge linked system with dozens of repeaters. If there is a QSO in progress, you just jumped into the middle of it with both feet. It's not a good way to operate. With luck, this "feature" of DSTAR will go the way of the dodo bird...but until then, it's best not to use it.
If you are using a cellular-based data connection and paying by the GB for bandwidth, if you turn on ircddb in this image, it is passing a lot of housekeeping traffic in the background whose ONLY purpose is to facilitate...you guessed it...call sign routing. Save the bandwidth and be a courteous operator--leave ircddb turned off.