[aprssig] Email addresses in APRS

[John Habbinga]

If you don't want to send your email address over APRS, then don't.
APRS is a form of communication and you can send any information you
want.  This might include an email address, a phone number, an
Internet URL, a weather report, etc.  Because of the limited amount of
data that can be sent in a single APRS packet, certain standards are
developed to increase usability.  That is partly what this forum is
for.

This thread was never about connecting an amateur radio mode to the
World Wide Web.

On Sun, Aug 10, 2008 at 11:23 AM, Gary <n6lrv at cox.net> wrote:
> Why are email addresses needed over APRS anyway? I'm concerned about this seemingly never-ending
> effort in amateur radio to connect more and more radio modes to the World Wide Web. Some
> interconnection is useful but the internet is infrastructure dependent whereas radio (for the most
> part) is not in my view. Winlink, Outpost, Packet, APRS, PSK, and who knows how many other data
> based modes can interconnect wirelessly. I see these modes as each a sort of network parallel to but
> not adversely affected by the internet and its weaknesses. If the internet should it fail locally,
> regionally, or globally then I would hope these modes (and others) could be used by amateurs to
> restore some critical communications to the affected area without having to reprogram or reconfigure
> their gear or the automatic messages they send. Seems to me some may need to reprogram or
> reconfigure their APRS message(s) if they include only internet based email addresses vs. say,
> Winlink or Outpost addresses (as an example). Sending info on a local info/emergency (voice) channel
> that is always monitored would seem more useful than an internet email address especially when there
> are limited bytes available in the APRS message. In my area GMRS enthusiasts are still doing this
> but amateurs here seem to have gotten away from forming a group of control ops who rotate the
> monitoring of key freqs and/or repeaters. I don't have the answers but it just doesn't seem right to
> continue building dependence between amateur wireless networks and the internet.
> Gary
> N6LRV