James--- my responses after the dashes:

You can get a lot of information from the scroller. You can get even
more from the raw data. Learning to understand what you are seeing in
the raw data is key in understanding how your local network is
operating.
--- do you mean learning to understand the raw data in the APRSISCE logs?? Which logs do you find the most informative??

From what I can see in your area so far, and the amount of traffic,
you should be fine with WIDE2-2. In areas with a lot of users, WIDE2-1
may be a better choice.

---- I have changed to WIDE2-2. I need to educate kw4b and get him to change also.

 The first step is to put your station on the air 24/7 running as an
 i-gate. With that in place, we can get a view into what is happening
 in Savannah. (Sounds like the serial port is locking up. Any software attempting to
access the serial port will squawk, not just OTWINCFG)

--- I think I have the com port issue solved by changing to a different serial port. Never did find what else was trying to access that port. So the program I believe has been running over 24 hrs.

 Over the past few days it's been meandering around a golf course, then it
 started drifting south quite a bit. Now it looks like it has taken off
 down the interstate!
 --- Strictly operator error on my part, have that squared away.
Oh good! I'd hate to see you homeless! :) Let me guess, dragging the
map around to have a look, and that was moving the house?

-- You are absolutely correct regarding me clicking and dragging; -- think I have cured myself of that

--- So I think I have implemented all your suggestions but am certainly ready for any more that you may have; if you have time to observe the APRS happenings in and around Savannah. I hope others in the Group have learned from this thread as much as I have.

73 Paul

Kc2nyu