[arm-allstar] timed link disconnect from receiving node

[Doug Crompton]

Repeater activity in general is vastly down from what it was 20+ years ago.
The joke is there are three repeaters per ham using them. The fact is most
go unused for sometimes days at a time especially in larger metropolitan
areas where every repeater pair is used up. You used to be able to scan 2
meters and pick up at least 10 active repeaters but not any more. It is
kind of an ego thing to have a repeater and most clubs think they need one
even if it doesn't get used. Why the change I don't know. It could be a
cultural one where everyone texts and talking is a thing of the past.

Allstar was created as a cheap and efficient repeater controller and many
are using it for just that today but the number of simplex nodes has sky
rocketed and like Echolink many like to connect to different places and see
what is going on. As a node operator you do have a choice of allowing
outside connections, or limiting them (whitelist/blacklist) for both
Allstar and Echolink. You also do not have to send your node status
information which would limit someone from just looking at a list and
connecting. Echolink can be a pain in the you know what so the best thing
to do there is whitelist then you won't have driveby's.

I am still not sold on a timed disconnect especially if it was not
selective. There would certainly be some nodes you would not want to
disconnect. It could be a can of worms and make Allstar look less reliable.


*73 Doug*

*WA3DSP*

*http://www.crompton.com/hamradio <http://www.crompton.com/hamradio>*

On Thu, May 16, 2019 at 11:08 PM "Duane Fowler via ARM-allstar" <
arm-allstar at hamvoip.org> wrote:

> At one time, almost every repeater in the state was connected or able to
> be connected together via ASL. They would link our small county repeater
> into the state network and local users would listen to a 45 minute
> one-on-one QSO about some inane difficulty with one's chainsaw. Not like
> you could participate, nothing to add. And over every networked repeater.
> So we added a time-out to unlink us after 30 minutes. The linking craze is
> subdued as of late, but still have Echolinks and sometimes an ASL visit,
> along with RF-RF visitors. The timeout wasn't the best solution, but worked
> to keep the frustration down, until things got optimized.
> Duane KA1LM ASL 42996
>
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