[aprssig] APRS Event Bulletin Board

[Robert Bruninga]

> Is there an APRS special events calender ?

I have ALWAYS wanted one of these online!  It would be TRIVIAL
to write.  And then anyone in the world could POST to it from RF
using nothing but their own APRS rig, D7, D700, or whatever they
have.  Don't need internet service.  This means you can UPDATE
it from the launch site as immediate conditions are changing...
Here is how.

An APRS WEB page is written that works just like the original
"community BULLETIN board" works in the original APRS.  That is,
all postings appear for everyone to see.  It monitors the
APRS-IS for postings.  The format for a post to this special WEB
page is as follows:

:BLN1EVENT:SS 27 Jun Balloon http://putWEBlinkHere

The APRS EVENT WEB page will do these simple things:
1) Look for all BULLETINS to the BLN#EVENT bulletin group
2) SORT these messages by originator callsign
3) SORT by the line number #
4) REPLACE duplicate BLN#'s (this is how you edit bulletins)

That is how the original APRS BULLETIN BOARD works (not
implemented in any follow on client (though I think there is now
an add-on for Uiview).  Now for this special web page, however,
I would add these additonal features.  First, it naturally comes
up with that normal bulletin list (the right way).  But then
there is a BUTTON to ask for a sort by CONTENT.  As long as
people put in their STATES and DATES in the above format, then
it could be written to SORT correctly.  Notice that the first
two bytes (or 3) are STATE or ARRL section.  The sort by DATE
only applies to the first line of a bulletin, not additional
lines from the same sender.

Please, someone write this.  It would be so valuable...

Here is what the web page might look like:
-------------------------------------------------
*  APRS Special EVENT web page. Blah blah blah...
-------------------------------------------------
*
* AA2JY    :BLN1EVENT:NJ 13 Apr Sports car ralley etc...
*
* AA4XYZ   :BLN1EVENT:VA 27 Jun Field Day etc... (duh)...
*
* WB4APR-13:BLN1EVENT:MD 09 Apr Football run (web page etc)
* WB4APR-13:BLN2EVENT:this is a second line if needed
*
* WD4XYZ   :BLN1EVENT:FL 10 Apr hamfest
*
* etc...
*
**** PRESS HERE to sort by STATE ****
**** PRESS HERE to SORT by DATE  ****

Notice that lines are sorted by callsign, and then by BLN#.  All
lines of the same bulletin are singlespaced.  Bulletins from
different callsigns are separated by a blank line.

All such postings are maintainted ONLY 3 days (72 hours) unless
updated.
Its automatic, hands-free, can be updated from the field,
self-clensing, only usable by licensed hams, etc...

Please someone write this.  We have needed if for years.  I
cannot keep up with all the postings on the emails, but this
would be one place where anyone could go.  If it gets too big,
we can separate the EVENTS bulletins by REGION or by STATE if we
have to.

ALSO, people on RF can send in a MESSAGE to QUERY the page and
get a response.  A QUERY might look like this:

:EVENTS   :?SS     (would QUERY for next 3 events in state SS)
:EVENTS   :?27 Jun (Would query for nearest 3 events on 27 Jun)
:EVENTS   :?Next   (would respond with the next event)
:EVENTS   :?Near   (would respond with the nearest event)
Etc

The response to these queries would be a message from the EVENTS
engine to the individual making the QUERY.

This is what APRS was intended for....
PPPPlllllleeeeeeeaaaaasssssssseeeeeeeeeeeeee........... Someone?

Bob, WB4APR