[aprssig] Setting up APRS Voice QSO's (was pointless status text)

[A.J. Farmer (AJ3U)]

In all of this discussion about difficultly in contacting mobile APRS
users because they aren't running Voice Alert or announcing their
voice frequency, I hope we aren't forgetting the obvious #1 choice for
making contact with an APRS user - sending an APRS text message!!!

Short and simple like "QSY 146.52" or "Tune 146.64 repeater" does the
trick.  As Ron Burgundy would say, "60 percent of the time, it works
every time!" ;-)

Case in point:
I was driving back to Maryland from South Carolina three weeks ago and
received an APRS text message on my D700 that read, "147.150
repeater".  I immediately tuned over to 147.150 and heard N4UED
calling me.  He saw me mobile on I-95 and wanted to warn me of tornado
activity in the area.  We had a nice chat and he gave me the frequency
of a local Skywarn net that I monitored for a while.  This was all
thanks to APRS.

You can see the APRS message exchange here:
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/msg.cgi?call=AJ3U-9

-- 
A.J. Farmer, AJ3U
http://www.aj3u.com