Forwarding
An alternative method for forwarding messages is to specify a bounce list in the packet's header. This advanced feature lets you bounce a packet off of one radio and have it forward the message to another radio of your choosing, even though the relaying radio has not been previously designated for use as a relay. This feature is not available in transparent mode.
Example:
Imagine the same layout as in the relay example, with the western radios in group 63 and the eastern radios in group 64. But now, let's disable the relay configuration of the radio on the warehouse's roof. We'll now use this radio as a master radio that needs to collect data from radios in both groups and report it back to a computer in the warehouse. The master radio will stay assigned to location 65:1.
In this example, the master radio 65:1 may communicate with any radio in the system due to its lofty placement. 64:3 can continue to send messages directly to 64:2 as before.
Suppose radio 63:1 needs to send a message to 64:2. Instead of targeting an imaginary radio 63:2 and having a relay bounce the message to 64:2, the user hardware attached to 63:1 would format the message's header with the bounce list 63:1
65:1
64:2. The master radio would receive this message and bounce the message transparently to 64:2. There is no indication on the master radio's serial port that the radio was used to bounce a message.
Note:
It is possible to specify more than a single bounce in a packet's header, but it seems unlikely that you would ever need to bounce a packet more than once or twice. If you are planning a system where packets will be routinely bounced off of many intermediaries, then we strongly recommend that you make sure there is no simpler solution. Such a system could be a pretty inefficient way to transfer data.
In fact, radio performance suffers dramatically whenever packets are forwarded (by either a relay or by bouncing packets off of an intermediate radio). Although this feature will help you reach radios that you could not communicate with otherwise, do not expect the same sort of throughput you would normally get between radios.
