[aprssig] Hamfest and Local info

[Robert Bruninga]

Are you doing your job for APRS in your area?

I was driving up I-81 in VA, and it was midnight.  But I noticed
on the front panel of the radio, HFEST-13 pop up.  I was going
right past it in about 30 minutes, and tomorrow was the 13th and
I had to stop for the night anyway, so I stopped and next
morning got to do a hamfest!

Without APRS, I would have missed that opportunity.  And I did
not even have to bother the talk-in, because I could see exactly
where it was on my GPS and just tell my GPS to go there!

That is why we ask that EVERY hamfest organization (YOU!) to do
These things for APRS!

1) Begin posting an HFEST.... object IN ADVANCE showing the
hamfest.
2) Use the standard format HFEST-ddx 
3) Where "dd" is the day of the month, 
4) and "x" is a unique identifier if there are others on your
same day
5) Inlcude FFF.FFFMHz as the first 10 bytes of text for the
talk-in freq.

THen also

6) Make sure that the TALK in operators have an APRS map in
front of them so that they  can SEE at least the APRS mobiles.
This benefits the mobiles, and lets the operator learn about
APRS, and as he finds out how valuable it is to him, he tells
others.  Then the club learns the value of APRS...

YOU need to make sure YOUR group is doing this.

To see all the hamgest obejects, just do a wildcard search on
HFEST* if someone else has the same date, then change your final
"x" byte to be unique.

For example map.findu.com/hfest* curently shows about...
Hummh... Exactly one, and it is in Puerto Rico.  SURELY THERE
ARE MORE HAMFESTS THIS MONTH IN THE USA AND WORLD!

This just shows us how many APRS operators are not doing their
job of making APRS useful and practical to other users. Come on
guys.. Sheesh...

IF YOU DON'T DO IT, WHO WILL?

If we do not put out USEFUL INFROMATION ON APRS, then there is
NOTHING TO DO!

See www.aprs.org/localinfo.html

While I am ranting, is YOUR DIGI in your area putting out the
receommended frequency objects for travelers?  What about the
Echolink or IRLP object.???  Your digi will NEVER do it unless
YOU take some initiative and make sure it is getting done or get
things going.

Frustrated..
Bob, Wb4APR