[aprssig] Displaying Operating Frequency

Thu Aug 2 05:13:11 EDT 2007

Nice idea, but it does rely on the rig's actualy being able to be
interogated as to the operating frequency over some sort of remote
control.  Many (most I'd suspect) cannot do that in any way shape or
form, except with extensive hardware modification.

As someone else said, do you want HF, VHF, mode, power, etc etc.   The
"Status" packet could grow and cause congestion of it's own if not
carefull.

Also, please appreciate that many (most?) ham's don't go and buy the
latest and greatest radio each year, however nice it might be to do so.
They/we just do not have the funds for that.

However...   A version of a tracker, but for home stations, with the
ability to have a keypad stuck on it, or driven from the shack PC (I
think it safe to say the PC or similar device is in a high percentage of
Ham stations, even if not actually hooked up to a radio.)  Then it would
be easy for an operator to tap in whatever frequency or channel they are
monitoring.

Even a dedicated bit of software, with it's soundcard modem and another
VHF radio, and/or net connectivity could do the job?

You could expand on this, and have a PIR sensor in the shack, so that
any "Live" individual in there triggers that, and so updates the
stations presence settings.  So long as you don't end up sending the
status of the family cat jumping up onto a warm radio for a quiet
sleep...

I suspect it's a lot easier in practice to use the Voice Alert facility
that some APRS equipped radios have.  Not that many people use that,
especialy here in the UK.

Cheers.

Dave G0WBX.

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu] 
> Sent: Wednesday, August 01, 2007 4:10 PM
> To: danny at messano.net
> Cc: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List'
> Subject: [aprssig] Displaying Operating Frequency
> 
> > You mentioned "EVERY ham would monitor APRS to see what was 
> going on 
> > locally, and EVERY ham's station would beacon on the APRS channel a 
> > STATUS packet about what he was doing on any other 
> frequency or band 
> > or activity so everyone would know."
> >
> > The $6 word for that is "Presence", and it's a shame we DON'T have 
> > something like that for hams now.
> 
> Actually, after Katrina, the ARRL made it an initiative to 
> come up with a mechanism for determining and distributing the 
> OPERATING frequency of all stations on the air, so that they 
> could easily be found when needed.  It is called WOTA for 
> "Who is On the Air".  Since we have always encouraged the 
> addition of Operating FREQUENCY as a standard field, we tried 
> to make APRS a big part of that initiative.  But I got little 
> support.  But we have now formalized a standard for including 
> FREQUENCY in APRS packets to improve this situation down the road...
> 
> What I want to see are PIC processors connected up to Home 
> stations that will MONITOR the operating frequency of the 
> main RIG in the hamshack and automatically insert that 
> frequency in that station's APRS *local* beacon.
> I do not want to see these beacons all over the state, but 
> simply locally, so that if the need arises, that person can 
> be contacted.
> 
> In fact, I think it would make a nice set of Add-on's to many 
> client software so that that software could monitor the 
> stations other radios and include their operating frequencies 
> in that stations beacon.
> 
> IN fact, a TinyTracker or OT tracker or any PIC device could 
> be made for the major CAT interfaces for Kenwood, Icom and Yeasu.
> Plug this device into the shack radios and plug it into an 
> unused HT on the APRS channel, and there you go...
> 
> Bob, WB4APR
> 
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org
> > [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]
> > On Behalf Of Robert Bruninga
> > Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 3:14 PM
> > To: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List'
> > Subject: RE: [aprssig] D700 Tip. Reading Mail
> > 
> > > > > How do we call CQ locally on APRS?
> > > >
> > > > [ANSWER]... Voice Alert....
> > > 
> > > Ah but here we're on (at least) 4 different frequencies.  
> > > The local CQ has to be per "APRS" level, not local RF
> level..
> > 
> > If I could amplify on that, it should be noted from my perspective, 
> > APRS was always supposed to be the SINGLE clearing house 
> channel for 
> > everything going on in ham radio in a local area (not just APRS 
> > itself).
> > EVERY ham would
> > monitor APRS to see what was going on locally, and EVERY 
> ham's station 
> > would beacon on the APRS channel a STATUS packet about what he was 
> > doing on any other frequency or band or activity so everyone would 
> > know.
> > 
> > APRS was not supposed to be an end-in-itself, but to be just
> the DATA
> > channel for informing everyone about everything happening
> locally.
> > 
> > So much of what casual observers see of APRS, are simply the
> maps and
> > vehicle tracking that too many people have lots sight of the
> original
> > inspiration.  Its like the proverbial dead-band problem.  
> If everyone 
> > is listening and no one is calling CQ, then the band 
> appears dead even 
> > though lots of interested parties are  out there.
> > 
> > People say, but Bob, we don't see any of this activity 
> being beaconed 
> > on APRS.... And I say, its because no one is transmitting what they 
> > are doing (besides APRS) onto APRS.
> > 
> > Anyway, just some thoughts.
> > 
> > Bob, WB4APR
> > 
> > 
> > 
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> > 
> > 
> 
> 
> 
> 
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