[aprssig] APRS Field Events

[Robert Bruninga]

We just took Amateur Radio and APRS to our local
big Camporee that also did Jamboree on the Air (JOTA).
Several hundred scouts.  Two lessons re-learned:

1) Within seconds of placing our Maryland APRS station 
on the air and sending an APRS CQ message to SCOUTS, 
we got a reply from half-the-country away (Missouri).  
This showed that at least one IGate had placed the 
"SCOUTS" callsign in its permanent PASS-TO-RF list.

Unfortuntely, that is the only one we got too.  So 
apparently the concept of having SCOUTS as a 
permanent (among other national groups) callsign
in the pass-to-RF list in IGates all across the country
has not taken hold.  I wish we could get more
participation in this concept of universal APRS
connectivity for typical groups that HAM radio 
supports.  Other callsign ideas I have posted in
the past  are:
   SCOUTS,    SATERN,     KIDS,       REDCROSS
   FOUR-H,    YOUTH,       GUARD,   MARS
   JOTA,  ????, ????, ????

Notice that the Nuclear Option of CQFD should
never be on that llist or we would have melt-down.

Are there any other national interest group
calls we want to add?   Then lets make a concerted
effort to get them supported or at least turned
on during national events like JOTA, etc...

2)  I dont understand why many hams are content
to listen to the drone of a generator for 12 hours
next to their operating position while taking no
obvious measures to mitigate the sound.  Examples
a) just putting the gen on the ground outside the
car with 25' of the 100' cord just coiled up at the
gen (could have moved it 25' more away).
b) Could have put it on the other side of the car!
c) COuld have put it on the other side of a wall
d) Could have put it behind the dumster
e) Could have brought a "sound baffle"
    (cardboard or wood shield in the direction of
    (the operating position.
f) another 100' cord!  FOr the load of a few laptops
    and a few rigs, the voltage drop in another 100'
    of cord is insignificant, compared to the 6 dB
    drop in noise plus the ability to really find a hidden 
    spot for the generator..

My ears are usually ringing after fielday and other
similar events.

Soap Box off.

Bob