[aprssig] APRS experiment along I-40, mapping vs. voice alert vs. local info

[Alex Carver]

> Message: 3
> Date: Tue, 13 Jul 2010 16:06:31 -0600
> From: "J. Gary Bender, WS5N"
> Subject: Re: [aprssig] APRS experiment along
> I-40,    mapping vs. voice
>     alert vs. local info
> To: TAPR APRS Mailing List <aprssig at tapr.org>

> An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
> URL: <http://www.tapr.org/pipermail/aprssig/attachments/20100713/7d23e180/attachment-0001.htm>

Speaking of broken interfaces, the way the list scrubs HTML formatted email makes it very difficult to recover the text for quoting in a reply.  That should be fixed, too.  At least strip the HTML code and have the raw text posted to the list instead of the attachment method.


I've recovered the text as plain text:

---begin recovered text---

Close, but no cigar Alex!  We missed by a day.
I returned home to NM from Las Vegas, NV,  on July 6 and went thorough Kingman AZ about a day and a half after you.  I run Voice Alert with a D700.  
 
My experience has been similar to yours.  Running VAlert for 3 or 4 years I have only had one QSO due to it.  I've done better than that just catching someone talking on .52.  Hill-topping works at times, too.  I do the drive between western NM and LV, NV a couple times a year with no hits yet.  I also run a 3 minute beacon.  Occasionally I hear a data burst when in Albuquerque, but not lately.  Unfortunately the times I have heard it, I was not inclined to pick up the mic and call.  City driving,  I'd have answered a call, but didn't initiate one.
 
Your coverage through NM and AZ was pretty good considering your power and antenna.  I usually run W1-1, W2-1, medium power, with a gain antenna.  I had a few more locations post, but not that many.  Coverage in western AZ on I40 is pretty thin between Flagstaff and Kingman.
 
Still hoping to have a cup of coffee with someone I meet on Voice Alert!  Having Voice Alert running doesn't cost me anything, so I'll keep it on.
 --  73  --
 J. Gary Bender, WS5N
 Fence Lake, New Mexico USA

---end recovered text---



I'm just a little surprised given how many populated places I went through that I didn't hear anything.  Granted the setup wasn't great but it should have worked at least once.


I'm just glad I made it to an Igate a few times in those areas.  I guess there's at least one or two mountain top digipeaters that I was able to hit even with the bad antenna.  Then again, with no one else transmitting I had the whole band to myself. :)