[aprssig] APRS in the North East

[Peter Maxfield]

Bob,

Let me know how I can help in  Michigan!

73 de,
 
Peter Maxfield, W1LBR
pete at petemaxfield.com
 
Where's Peter now?
http://www.findu.com/cgi-bin/find.cgi?w1lbr-7
 
 
Now testing W1LBR-5 digi

 

-----Original Message-----
From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]
On Behalf Of Robert Bruninga
Sent: June 18, 2007 2:00 PM
To: aprssig at lists.tapr.org
Subject: [aprssig] APRS in the North East

Driving though NJ, NYC, CT, VT and MA (on a college tour):

Subject: Not what APRS was designed for

Throughtout this entire 1000+ mile trip, I only heard two Voice Alert
packets and raised no one.  I did see one mobile with '52 in his packet and
made a contact as he passed within a mile.  He had a D700, but had never
heard about Voice Alert.

I never made any contacts on 2 meters either over 4 days.  I saw not one
single APRS Voice-Repeater Object the entire trip.  I saw a few repeaters in
digi beacons, but they were coming in from over a hundred miles away, and
not local.  I heard some voice repeaters, but could not get in because I
could not figure out the PL. (PL scan didn't find them either)...  APRS is
supposed to show this ON THE RADIO...

I found two College radio clubs by following the coax from some obvious
antennas, but both appeared "abandoned"...

Bottom line, ham radio on this trip was useless.  Exactly the opposite of
what ham radio with APRS assist is supposed to do.
Here, I had APRS.  It should have showed me on my mobile APRS radio front
panel:
1) the location of *local* voice repeaters
2) The recommended frequency, and PL
3) Their meeting nights or net times
4) possible link to their club page
5) I should have been alerted to every D700 in simplex range
6) I should have been able to voice QSO any of them mobile when in simplex
range.
7) I should not have heard voice alert packets with no one monitoring for a
reverse call.

I was on a marathon college tour with my son to see some colleges in the
Northeast.  Path was Baltimore, through NYC to Connecticut.  Up the middle
to Vermont and NH, then down to New Haven, through RI up to Boston, then
west to upstate NY then down to NYC and home.  Did hear a few voice alert
packets in NNJ, but no one ever answered.

THIS IS NOT WHAT APRS IS SUPPOSED TO DO!

I'd like to sign up volunteers in each state or ARRL section, to take on the
task of FIXING APRS in their area.  APRS is not just a bunch of moving
vehicles with operators oblivious to their surroundings.  This means:
1) New-N Paradigm
2) Education campaign about Voice Alert
3) Getting all digis to transmit the local voice repeater object.

This takes work.  It won't happen by just talking about it. 

Volunteers?

Bob, Wb4APR


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