[aprssig] APRS and Scouting National exposure

[Robert Bruninga]

APRS at Scout Camp (global contacts)...

Ham Radio news sources are all  carrying the news story about
"SCCP" which is a protocol to allow scouts at scout camps
to easlily contact each other at known times so that there will 
be easy contacts for working on the Radio Merit badge.

http://www.arrl.org/news/stories/2006/07/06/102/ 

THis procedure also includes a recommendation that they
use APRS.   There are 3 important points about using APRS
to facilitate SCOUT contacts anywhere on the planet in real time:

1)  Use the SCOUTING symbol for your station.  Then all other
scouts can instantly locate you on FINDU using the search by
symbol URL:

http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/symbol.cgi?icon=/,&limit=200

2) Encourage any local IGate that is in the vicinity of any
scout camps to be sure to include the callsign "SCOUTS"
in their pass-to-RF list.  (and set the shortest path to
get there).

3) Have every SCOUT camp add "SCOUTS" to their MESSAGE list.

4) Each time a scout camp gets on the air, have them send a 
message to SCOUTS.   Then via steps #2 and #3 above and
the global APRS internet system, it will go to every scout camp 
on the planet.  Once anyone sees a message to SCOUTS, then they
can reply with a direct message to the camp callsign and
communications is thus established.

Here is my web page about APRS at Scout Camps... and other
scouting ham radio ideas.

http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/shacks4packs.html

de Wb4APR, Bob