[aprssig] Voice Alert

[Ken H>]

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Noskowicz" <noskosteve at yahoo.com>
To: "TAPR APRS Mailing List" <aprssig at lists.tapr.org>
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 9:23 PM
Subject: Re: [aprssig] Voice Alert


> Hi Ken and welcome to APRS --- sometimes a love-hate
> part of the hobby.(;-)
> 1- Your radio has some kind of a Transmit Deviation or
> frequency problem.   If this is a new radio, this is very
> unlikely.

This is a new radio and has not even had the cover off - yet.

> 2- The digipeater is not set up very well.
>     Audio levels and deviation are something not all
> hams are familiar with.  When setting up a digi, this
> is an aspect that should be looked at *very* carefully
> - with a scope and all.  Things that matter include:
> levels into the TNC, where the audio is taken from the
> receiver (before / after the de-emphasis  -

I just read a very good page by N8UR on this exact thing - I was not aware 
of this for FM.  While I have played around with a TNC some in the past, it 
was on HF using SSB for the WinLink system (yes, I know a dirty word, but it 
was nice getting email while away from port).  Heck, I even passed some H&W 
msgs via email while anchored during Ivan for some of the other boats - and 
kept my family aware of my status during the hurricane.  They knew as long 
as I was able to send emails via ham radio, I was still ok and floating.

> Set up properly, a digi will not repeat EVERY beacon
> you send if you sit in one place and repeatedly squawk
> (you can turn BCON off and back on to force an
> immediate beacon - after it hears a clear channel).
> Digis are supposed to limit this to prevent
> Katrina-like conditions on .39.

 Yep, while testing I will beacon manually in that manner, but usually it's 
while riding down the road, so there are changes in position.

>  Then, there's this time this local Radio Guru
> couldn't figure out how Kenwood would let such a bad
> software error through which was allowing random
> beacon "squawks" to be heard in the speaker.    Until,
> that is, he remembered that he had set up voice alert

We ALL do *funny" stuff like that - thanks for sharing {grinning}

>> Be gentle when calling me DUMB!!! After all, I am a
>> newbie here {grinning}
> I'm not aware of that ever happening here.  These
> guys are adults...On the other hand, the Gurus have,

I am VERY happy to say this whole bunch is MUCH more gentle and 
understanding than some of the folks over on the QRZ and eham forums.

As I've said before, you folks keep up the good work so the rest of us 
simple folk can enjoy this interesting aspect of ham radio.  We appreciate 
your work.

73 de Ken H>