[aprssig] TAC-5

[Randy Love]

On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 8:16 AM, Andrew Rich <vk4tec at tech-software.net> wrote:
> What happens if I run TAC-5 in Australia.
>
> And you try and message him
>

The assumption there is that we have to reach him via Internet.
If he's local to me on RF, he will get the message and ACK it, no
matter where APRS-IS routes it. Most of these situations are local,
but the data is ported to APRS-IS for awareness by others via
internet, usually those that don't need to communicate directly with
the units, but need situational awareness of what's happening. In most
cases, these people are NOT hams and don't understand that WF5X is the
second med unit, but are completely clear that that is the case when I
use MED-2 as a tactical call.

Now, if you know that there is another TAC-5, and you really don't
need to be running TAC-5, and you send messages as TAC-5, that's
intentional interference, which is a whole other matter.

Anyway, yes, tactical calls are a free for all. But good amateur
practice would say to not use a tactical that is being used elsewhere
when you have no need for one.

So, stick to BATMAN and you will be fine. :)

Oh, and so you know, SAG-# and MED-# tend to be the most used tactical
calls, primarily for bike/foot races, marathons, etc. Most times, the
unit is either taken off air once the event is over, or changes back
to either a callsign or different tactically. However, with regard to
US and Canadian regulations ( only because those are the one's with
which I'm familiar, not because we are the only countries in the world
) as long as the station sends his call somewhere in the packet within
a 10 minute time frame, the op is legal to run that tactical call.

73,
Randy
WF5X