[aprssig] Why APRS mobile?

[Robert Bruninga]

> That said, the newest and upcoming generation of trackers 
> will have receive capability.  Just how that will be 
> utilized is to be seen. 

Yes, the HamHUD is a great exammple since it gives anyone with a
TNC the ability to SEE APRS while mobile without needing to have
a laptop or a D7 or D700.  Since the statistics show that about
85% of ALL APRS mobiles that -receive and display- APRS data use
the D7 and D700, this shows that there is such a demand.

It should be noted that since EVERYONE owns a laptop, and so
potentially anyone can operate APRS (2-way), the fact that 85%
choose to operate a radio or HAMHUD with a 10xX character
display  shows how viable this market is.

We have made great effort to try to make sure that such heads-up
displays as the HAMHUD, D7 and D700 and any future products give
consistent and easy to display information.  I woiuld hope that
anyone developing such a product would not do so in a vacuum and
would coordinate their efforts to make sure there is cross
platform compatibility.

We now have two local digipeaters providing these mobiles with
locally recommended voice fequencies and only have 10 more to
go.  Then anyone driving though maryland will always be able to
see what best voice repeater is available to them and where they
can most probably raise an APRS QSO.

Bob, Wb4APR