[aprssig] Emcomm Activation.

[John Ronan]

Morning,
Thanks for the replies


On 2 Mar 2008, at 13:22, Bob Bruninga wrote:

>> Are there any groups using APRS as part of an
>> Emcomm group call-out/ activation process?
>> I was just wondering if anyone has developed a
>> mechanism.
>
> That was fundamentaol to the original conecpt.  I'm not sure how  
> well it works in all clones, but here are all the methods that were  
> designed into the original APRS to assure all operators got the  
> call-up.
>
> 1) If someone posted a call-up bulletin, it would be placed on the  
> COMMON BULLETIN board.
>
> 2) On receipt, that COMMONO BULLETIN BOARD SCREEN would be forced  
> on ALL users until read.  Only immediate, relevant latest bulletin  
> is on that screen.
>
> 3) A BEEP  "B" (== * * * in CW) would occur once a minute until the  
> operator read the bulletin.  THus alerting his attention if he was  
> not watching.  Here is the web page about the COMMON BULLETIN BOARD:
> http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/aprs/bulletinBoard.txt
>
> There were additional POSITION alert mechanisms:
>
I need to check with the D710, as I'm not sure how that behaves on a  
bulletin being sent.  Xastir pops up a screen, but I tend to always  
have sound down, so I must check that as well.

I was thinking of adding a command to Digined to either send out a  
bulletin to on command AND to send messages  (which you mention  
below) to a specific list of operators known to have APRS.

> 4) If anyone sent an emergency posit, the map screen would be  
> forced on all users.  It would be centered and zoomed into that  
> stations symbol.  That symbol would be displayed in bright red.
>
This seems to work ok (and is very effective on the Kenwood radios),  
but unless sent with NOGATE as part of the path, I guess it would  
start to annoy folks after a time.  "Crying Wolf" syndrome I guess.

> 5) The PC would beep (SOS in CW) repeatedly until the operator  
> attended.
>
> 6) If anyone sent a PRIORITY posit, the same thing would happen but  
> without the BEEP.
I must test that.
>
> MESSAGE ALERTING:
>
[snip]

> 9) In APRStt (APRS Touchtone) any APRS message that was sent to  
> APRStt would be SPOKEN onto the APRStt channel.  Remember, APRStt  
> was an DTMF-to-APRS-to-VOICE system so that anyone with just any  
> mobile radio or HT, could fully participate in all aspects of  
> APRS.  That is, their data could be input from their DTMF keypads  
> including messages, and they could get voice response that verbally  
> "painted" the APRS picture (all of this on the separate local  
> APRStt channel).
>
Very cool, but does it not require remembering quite a lot extra  
information.  I think anyone 'that' interested in the first place,  
would already have a TH-D7.

Just my 2 cent (0.02 Euro).

I'm going to try out the different scenario's above, see what I can  
come up with.

Thanks
John


--
John Ronan <jronan at tssg.org>, +353-51-302938
Telecommunications Software &  Systems Group,  http://www.tssg.org