[aprssig] Building trackers

[Cap Pennell]

Running the 1/4 Watt PocketTrackers on their own frequency may help, but so
far we've had too poor luck with a half dozen of them on 144.39 at a couple
of recent events, the Big Sur International Marathon, and a local bike
event.  _Too_ low powered, even with rooftop 5/8wave mag-mount antennas.  At
the same time, the 5W HT trackers did just fine.
Good luck!  I don't mean to denigrate the PocketTrackers.  I just wish we'd
found decent success with them.  We'll keep trying with the 6 we have.

Based on our experience a current favorite drop-in stand-alone tracker unit
is a 5W HT/OpenTracker/7Ah Gell-cell battery into a 1/4 wave mag-mount 2M
ant.  Also, GPS receivers with no display are less likely to be borrowed for
unrelated uses.

73, Cap KE6AFE

> -----Original Message-----
> From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
> [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]On Behalf Of Robert Bruninga
> Sent: Monday, May 23, 2005 15:24 PM
> To: kkotch at earthlink.net; aprssig at lists.tapr.org
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] Building trackers
>
>
> I think the $89 Pocket Tracker with its built-in 2m
> transmitter is the most efficient way to go
> Just add GPS and go.
>
> And it comes with both the 144.39 and the alt-input
> 144.99 frequency.  TO use these at any event,
> just run a D700 has a .99 to .39 digi and these
> little trackers don't have to compete with anything
> else, since they have their own frequency.  Bob