[aprssig] APRS path in Western PA....

[Dave Baxter]

Strange...

Late last year I was holed up in Kulpsville PA for a week, and the
Newn-N system was very evident, and working well.  In fact, there is
someone there running a WIDEn-N digi that was a stonking great big
signal.  I also had no problem getting to an IGate, as messages went
to/from peep's back here in the UK just fine.  I also received one or
two "welcome to the US" APRS messages from the locals, very nice...

I was using an unblocked D7e on batteries, with a "minimag" antenna
(hotel room window mounted air conditioners make good ground planes!)
with or without UiView, not in KISS mode!

I also drove from there up to New York, and for most of the trip
coverage was good to OK.  UiView and some downloaded maps of the area on
the laptop in the passenger footwell, helped a lot!

A friend recently did a trip to mid Florida, with just a basic D7 and
GPS, again all worked very well, especially for messaging to/from the UK
courtesy of the IGates.

It certainly makes the network here in the UK look sparse by comparison.

As for planning a trip based on the type of APRS digi you may pass by...
Hmmmmm...  We have a phrase over here about people like that, but I wont
repeat it on here!  I go from A to B, by whatever means, if I get
coverage, good, if not..  Oh well...

73.	Dave G0WBX.



> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu] 
> Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2006 7:23 PM
> To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org
> Subject: [aprssig] APRS path in Western PA....
> 
> >...trip to Cincinnati and back ... running WIDE1-1, WIDE2-2. ..
> > FINDU could only see  hits close to the philly area to just east of 
> >Lancaster, PA then nothing until... Cincinnati.
> >it appears that digi's east of Lancaster , along the PA 
> turnpike, along 
> >I 70 through W. VA and Eastern Ohio are NOT up with the new paradigm 
> >WIDEn-n.
> 
> Yes, a big problem area.  In western PA  it is impossible to 
> figure out what's out there because so few are using the 
> New-N paradigm recommendations... Thus, one cannot even tell 
> what they are!  And everyone from the midatlantic states has 
> to go through there on the way to dayton!
> 
> KC8YJJ-2, toronto OH, UIview, no overlay, no user info
> W3YNI-1 Murrsyville, UIview, no PHG, no user info 
> KB3KGP-2,cannonsberg,UIview, no PHG, no Overlay, no user info 
> N0VLR-2, E.Washington, UIview, no PHG, No Overlay N3SH-2, 
> Washington, no type, no overlay, no user data WF8X-4, no 
> type, old-N, no user info WF8X-6, no type, no PHG, no 
> overlay, no user info KB8CVP-7, no type, old-N, no PHG, no 
> user info N3LZX-9, no type, no overlay, no userinfo (Xdigi) 
> W3ND-2, Harrisonburg, old-N, no type, no user info
> 
> Only ONE that I can find  in all of western PA includes the 
> simple New-N  fundamentals:
> 1) An overlay "S" showing it has been upgraded
> 2) PHG info so users can tell the big digis from the useless ones
> 3) User info of the receommended paths (ie,"W3,WPAn")
> 4) Using the APNxxx type indicator to show type of TNC
> 
> Without that info, it is impossible to plan your trip.
> Bob, Wb4APR
> 
> 
> 
>