[aprssig] Appalachian Trail Golden Packet Event update

[Robert Bruninga]

The date of the Golden Packet event on the Appalachian Trail has
moved to the weekend of the 25/26 July to avoid QRM at the
mountain tops with our teams and the CQ World Wide VHF contest
on the original 18/19 proposed date.  Those guys try for 50,000W
ERP to make DX contacts... See updated web page:

http://www.aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html

An interesting wrinkle is that the rules of the Baxter State
park, prohibit any electronics (from radios, to walkmans, to
cell phones) from Mt Katahdin in Maine, and so we may have to
use a human eyeball and flashing light for that final leg.
Woultn't that be a hoot.  Trying to close the 91 mile path from
Sugarloaf to Katahdin with a CW keyed laser at 5 WPM to an
eyeball receiver.  Actually, that would be quite easy to build.

But the only allowed TX capability will have to be a flashing
mirror and hope for sunshine.  A small relay mechanically
coupled to a 1 foot mirror would do it, though the combination
would have to be on a motoroized polar mount to maintain basic
alignment with the movement of the sun.  I guess smoke signals
could also be used, if anyone has any ideas how to generate big
ones without using any electronics.

So, pass this to any OPTICAL crazies out there..  We wouldn't
want to cheat with a D7 now would we.

FOUR of the 14 sites so far now have good photos and images of
the mountain peaks and the parking lots.  The goal is to do this
with drive-up D700 mobiles to keep it simple and repeatable...

Still need volunteers along the way...

http://www.aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html

Bob, WB4APR