Inconsistent Registrar Informations

I downloaded a JSON file from radioid.net containing a database dump of all repeaters worldwide. With Ron’s CSV Editor I opened it after conversion from JSON to CSV and got a shock. When you look at the column which represents the information which ipsc_network this DMR Repeater belongs to you will find:

  • Question Marks
  • Phone Numbers
  • IP-Numbers
  • Garbage
  • and information to which ipsc_network it MAY belongs to. 

Where it gets funny (if it would not be so sad…) is how i.e. BrandMeister was typed in. Here are some examples:

BM, BandMeister, BradnMeister, BRAINSMATER, Brand Meister, Brand meister, Brand mister, Brandeister, Brandmaiester, Brandmaister, BrandMaister, BRANDMASTER, brandmaster, Brandmaster, BrandMaster, BrandMeirster, BrandMeiste, Brandmeiseter, BRANDMEISTER, brandmesister, Brandmiester, BrandMiester, BRANDMISTER, brandmister, Branmeister, branmister, Bransmeister, BRANSMESITER, BrantMeister, Brewmister, Brndmeister.

Definitely Brewmister will become my all time favoured, but what the hell is going on with the repeater sysops out there. Given the fact, that they are not sendig carrier pigeons, letters or postcards to the registrar, they do it for sure by Internet. What is so difficult, to do some research, cut and paste ?? I know that common sense is the most limited natural resource in the universe, but I did not recognize that common sense is THAT LIMITED !!

On the other hand, it shows me that the repeater registration forms at the registrars websites leave to much room for individual entries, even worse, the admins of the repeater registration databases do not have guidelines how a correct entry must look like. I suppose that they wave the entries through without checking them. RESULT: COMPLETE MESS !

The same can be found for DMRplus, DMR-MARC etc. No consistency

In the repeater list I have identified 621 (!!) registered repeaters without any information which ipsc_network they belong to, which is approx 8% of all entries. A SHAME !! If they are independent repeaters, ok fine, but than have in the drop down list  “no ipsc_network connection” later in the ipsc_network field.

 

Conclusion:

The registration of Users and Repeaters has to be carried out by professionals, not by hobbyists. It should be in the hand of our national clubs (DARC, ARRL etc.) or even a higher instance if possible. Clear forms with drop-down lists, automatic processing (lat, lon calculation by address), checks against other databases and so on, to avoid that individual entries can be made, all entries must be verified, to avoid that the database becomes inconsistent as it is now.