[aprssig] Text Messaging Radios now

[Bob Bruninga]

I just realized that we can be using these dozens of thousands of text messaging radios now even without waiting for someone to write APRStt (DTMF).  These are the FT51 family and the TH78 radios that I mention on the
www.aprs.org/aprs-messaging.html web page about 35% down.  The full page on these radios is www.aprs.org/FT51-TH78.html

Almost every ham radio that exists can send text messages to these radios for display from their DTMF memories!  This means you can use them at events, and situations right now to facilitate communications. 

The web page www.aprs.org/aprsevent.html shows how we already use Text Messaging from APRS HT's at boy scout events for reporting station and troop status and scores at a camporee.

SO, why don't we use these radios as well!  Just ONE of these DTMF paging HT's at the HQ or SCORE table and then ANY HT at the event can report a troop and a score!  This means 100% text based reporting instead of just the 5% of club members with APRS radios...  And you can do it NOW!!!

Anyone can type in "995 14" to report the score of 14 for troop 995.  And this can include your STATION ID too.  See the spec.

In adition to simple NUMRIC data, Lets think of some DTMF strings we can all store in our own DTMF memories that can convey some useful meaning to the paging radios.  Though multiple 6 byte strings can be used, lets limit this first throughts to all the 6 byte messages we can think of.

CALLME
GO 52
GO 805   <= your local repeater
GOHOME
CALLHQ
REPORT
RETURN
147.51
GOBACK
GO EOC
CHCKIN
NET 94
995 14  <= troop 995 with score of 14 points

Any more ideas?  I will then convert all of these to their DTMF codes and add them to the FT51/TH78 DTMF Paging spec found on this page: 

www.aprs.org/messages/DTMF-paging.txt

Bob, WB4APR