Scanning no matter what speed and how many bands insures one thing. Users must "call" sometimes called a "blind call" for at least the length of the SCAN cycle. If three frequencies were used and scanning at 10 sec per frequency that means all connect requests must be at least 30 seconds in length. The required dead time to (to insure that a call is not skipped is about 2 seconds or so for both Pactor and WINMOR. That dead time is time that no connect is possible so on a 10 second scan rate 8 seconds would be available to "listen". But to also use busy detection blocking (preventing answering a call if the channel appears busy) takes approximately 2-3 seconds of quiet time at the beginning of a new frequency. so on a 10 second scan rate only 5-6 seconds of active time/ channel might be available. That would allow about 2 WINMOR connect requests which is really the minimum that should be used. The real problem I see is if the Server is scanning it is very difficult to be able to use the busy detector effectively. Assuming there is a connect request on going when the Server switches to the new frequency it will appear busy prohibiting the server from answering the connect request. While many people have an oppinion on this I have seen nothing in the way of real analysis and/or simulation (this is a classic resource simulation problem) of how it would work. If this sounds like work ...it probably is but not near the work requried to combine RMS Pactor, RMS WINMOR, simultaneousl scanning and Busy channel blocking. We spent at least 2 man months before working on that (with the initial WINMOR server) with no good results.

I am open to this but I think we need to see real analysis with detailed examples worked out to show how it would work and where the most likly problems are. When you allow only one frequency you dramatically simplify this problem though dual Pactor and WINMOR operation is still a bit of a challenge to insure absolute interlocking.

KN6KB

We have tried in the intial testing of RMS WINMOR to integrate both Pactor and WINMOR into the same server. The results due to scanning requirements and busy channel detection were always unsatisfactory even with much effort. The problme has to do with the time needed for accurate signal type detection and the requirement for channel scanning. Using more stations and having them scan more limited frequencuies (e.g. Time of day scanning etc.) is the only practical solution found to date. The minimal additional cost of RMS WINMOR (no expensive TNC) will in time result in additional WINMOR stations coming on line.

The unattended station is always the Server and the station operator/owner of this server needs to have the ability to set the bandwidth. It is also necessary so that very limited wide band segments (e.g. US autoforward sub bands) are not used by low bandwidth stations making poor use of these limited spectrums. The station INIATING the connection (the client) KNOWS before hand the bandwidth of the station he is calling (e.g. the server is P3 or WINMOR 1600) and if this illegal for his location THE CLIENT is the one responsible for not making the illegal connection.