[aprssig] emergency beacon called wide1-1 today

[Keith VE7GDH]

Chuck W3YNI wrote...

Subject: Re: [aprssig] emergency beacon called wide1-1 today

> Actually spoke to some folks from CAP.  Gave them what I believed
> was the tailnumber at the time (now confirmed) along with last known
> coordinates from the beacon.
>
> Guy I spoke to is a ham and knew what APRS is - he sent it up the
> chain.

and posted by Rusty (K1GGS?)...

> WIDE1-1>N789PH,WIDE2-1,qAR,W9DRR-10:`tR7+{A'/"S)}KD0CVN-1 RV-9A

The odd thing is that the "callsign" is WIDE1-1 and N789PH (presumably
the tail number) is the destination instead of the "callsign". The
owners callsign appears to be KD0CVN as indicated in the status text.
Don't know why he would include an SSID there! Also according to the
status text, it's an RV-9A.

I know the above doesn't show a path of WIDE1-1, but looking at the
tracker that IS using a "callsign" of N789PH...

http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&call=N789PH&limit=1000

it is using a path of WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1. Surely if it really is a plane
wouldn't use a path of WIDE1-1,WIDE2-1 - hi!

Also, looking at http://aprs.fi/?c=raw&call=WIDE1-1&limit=50
it is possible that there is more than one station with a misconfigured
"callsign" of WIDE1-1.

2009-03-14 14:36:43 UTC:
WIDE1-1>N789PH,WIDE2-1,qAR,W9DRR-10
:`tR7+{A'/"S)}KD0CVN-1 RV-9A [Invalid characters in mic-e packet]

There's that "KD0CVN-1 RV-9A" again... or possibly it's one and the same
beacon. What a tangled web it is!

The callsign of WIDE1-1 must have been programmed in accidentally. While 
it is possible that a mangled MIC-E packet may be involved for the 
"emergency" beacon, perhaps it would be a good recommendation for planes 
to not use MIC-E to lessen the chance of a mangled MIC-E packet making 
it look like an emergency beacon. Just a thought.

73 es cul - Keith VE7GDH
--
"I may be lost, but I know exactly where I am!"