[aprssig] whatever happened to....

[Dave Baxter]

Hmmmm...

As a D7 owner and user....

Have you actualy ever tried to change ANY of the D7's parameters on the
fly, "quickly"?

As in most competitive rallies, even if they start them minutes apart,
at some point you'll get two or three bunched up together coming past.
Not only that, they would also pass each other at times, so simpley
incrementing/decrementing the ID, is not an option.  And that's assuming
they start in numerical order too.

That's only realy doable with a PC attachced running something like
Link700, and I don't know how successful that would be.   Even using the
messaging facility is dificult enough, I know I've tried it for just
such a purpose.  Forget about a stand alone D7, it's not viable for that
sort of use.   And in a tree infested environment, you'd need several
digi's about just to get the info back to raly control, with all the
time delays that entails.

Someone else some time ago mentioned using bar code readers and trackers
at known fixed locations.   An equivalent would be a numeric pad for an
operator to just key in the competitors number into, as they past.
They'd need a collegue too, to write it down as backup for safety cover.

73

Dave G0WBX.


> -----Original Message-----
> From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu] 
> Sent: Monday, August 20, 2007 5:10 PM
> To: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [aprssig] whatever happened to....
> 
> > I worked the 100 Acre Wood Rally (www.100aw.org)...
> > oftentimes, net control would ask how many vehicles have 
> > entered/exited a stage, and more than once, we lost a 
> vehicle either 
> > in service, or in transit.
> 
> Easy to do.  Just station someone at each check point with a D7 HT.
> 
> Each time a vehicle passes his checkpoint, all that HT user 
> has to do is change his MYCALL to the vehicle ID and send out 
> a few packets.  This will add that vehicle's object to that location.
> Done.
> 
> You preload the D7 with its location, so that all the objects 
> will use that location.  I'd suggest adding position 
> ambiguity so that all these vehicle symbols at each station 
> are spread out a little bit on the map display...
> 
> It should be very easy to quickly dial in vehicle numbers on 
> the HT since all you have to do is inc/decrement the digits 
> from the last one...  Then press the BCON button until you 
> see confirmation that it was digipeated, and then you know 
> all surrounding APRS displays are updated.
> 
> This also lets each D7 Holder SEE on his D7 display where all 
> the vehicles are (in range and bearing from his location)...
> 
> Too few people use these radios to their full potential...
> Bob, WB4APR
> 
> > APRS seems like a logical tool to help aleviate this problem a
> bit...
> > 
> > since it is impossible to expect every entrant to have an APRS
> rig in
> > their car (or be licensed for that matter) and we already have
> radio
> > people at the start and finish lines....
> > 
> > IF the entrant's scorecards could be barcoded, they could 
> be scanned 
> > on the way IN to a stage and on the way OUT of a stage.
> > 
> > they could also be scanned IN to service and OUT of service.
> > 
> > With a GUI of some form that could display data received 
> > (tabulated....so maybe in columns with respect to which 
> callsign has 
> > checked in, and totals for each station...  so under KC9UMR 
> would be 
> > all cars checked into stage X, and under K9FRT would be all cars 
> > checked OUT of stage X, with similar arrangements for 
> service and all 
> > other stages)
> > 
> > The only "issue" might be coming up with a single digi that could 
> > cover the entire race area, though if one or two stations could 
> > digipeat for the event, that might fix tat as well, since 
> only STARTS 
> > FINISHES and SERVICE need to be on the network....
> > 
> > at this point, it would probably be cut off from the APRS
> world, (most
> > stages are well away from APRS coverage anyway), but the 
> main part is 
> > to get the info from point A to point B....
> > 
> > 
> > > seems to me it would be entirely up to you as to whether or
> > not it is
> > > useful.
> > >
> > > If the barcode scanner had an RS232 output and the bar code
> was long
> > > enough, you could print a complete APRS packet on the
> barcode and
> > > connect the scanner straight to a TNC.  Not sure if barcodes
> can be
> > > that long...
> > >
> > > A bit of glue logic on a microcontroller or a laptop could
> map some
> > > sort of code to APRS and assist with generating packets.
> > >
> > > Want to tell us about your application?
> > >
> > > -Jason
> > > kg4wsv
> > >
> > >
> 
> 
> 
> 
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