[aprssig] APRS Messages and Operating Codes (Q & Z)

Robert Carleton rbc at rbcarleton.com
Tue Apr 26 00:38:43 EDT 2011


I figured I'd go ahead and expand on how I see APRS messages being used for my particular situation.  I mostly see them as an alert mechanism right now.  I found my way here from thinking about how we might use APRS in my ARES group.  A little background may be in order.

In a recent email exchange with some of my fellow amateur radio operators, the topic of using APRS to send text messages came up. A group in the UK made good use of it during a triathlon. The APRS messages were used to augment voice communications. After reading the email, it set me off thinking about how often I use text messages on my cell phone, but only rarely use text messages on APRS. Mostly the APRS messages I send and receive are test messages. This led me along to thinking about how they could be used for ARES/RACES communications. One of the conundrums about using APRS text messages is the limited size for messages when dealing with stock APRS enabled radios. Like text messages on cell phones, it encourages you to be brief. Using short cuts is necessary.

For the most part, amateur radio in the United States follows International Telecommunications Union (ITU) Q-Code assignments. The American Radio Relay League has published some key operating codes in FSD-218 including some unique to the Amateur radio service. Most of these codes are in support of third party message handling.

I've been thinking about using the Q-codes for an extremely terse alert roundtable, using a message group .  The exchange could go something like this.  NALCO is what we call our local ARES/RACES team so that's the message group name:

KI6UKZ -> NALCO: QSX ARES Net 440.9 K
K6GSE -> NALCO: QSX
KG6UAE -> NALCO: QSX
KI6UKZ -> NALCO: R GSE UAE K
---silence---
KI6UKZ -> NALCO: N SK

The key:

K - Go ahead
N - No more
R - Roger
QSX - Will you listen to...(call sign(s)) on...kHz (or MHz)?/I am listening to...(call sign(s)) on...kHz (or MHz).
SK - Out or Clear

The message basically means, "Hey we're starting an ARES net on 440.9 MHz", a voice channel in our case.  The responding stations then signal when they are listening on the frequency.  Though ITU Q-codes certainly apply for tactical operations, there are some gaps that can be filled from other sources.

One such source is the Allied Communications Instructions Operating Signals publication, more commonly referred to as ACP 131. Despite it's military origin, there is some shared ground with more civil command and control. Search and rescue is a key part of military operations. Civil systems such as the Incident Command System also put more emphasis on top-down control, due to the pressing requirements of saving lives and property.

Here are some of the Z-Codes that I think might be useful, when conducting emergency communications support with APRS messages:

 -ZUB - At (A location)...
 -ZUC - From...to...
 -ZUD - Until...
 -ZUE - Affirmative (Yes).
 -ZUG - Negative (No).
 -ZUH - Unable to comply.
 -ZUI - Your attention is invited to...
 -ZUJ - Stand by.

Some of them functionally overlap with other operating codes.  So to replay the alert roundtable, it could go something like this:

KI6UKZ -> NALCO: ZUI ARES Net 440.9
K6GSE -> NALCO: ZUE
KG6UAE -> NALCO: ZUH
KI6UKZ -> NALCO: R GSE UAE K
---silence---
KI6UKZ -> NALCO: N SK

Here's the key for the z-codes:

ZUI - Attention
ZUE - Affirmative
ZUH - Unable to comply

Those are a couple of examples that I'm going to try out with my ARES group.  That's kind of how I see using them.

Best,

			--Bruce



On Apr 25, 2011, at 6:55 AM, Bob Bruninga wrote:

>> I'm an ARES/RACES amateur radio operator in Berkeley California.  
>> I've been advocating for the use of APRS messages...
>> I'd like to use it as a form of "two-way" paging and also 
>> for a fire patrol that we do three times a year.
> 
> You betcha.  The problem is getting old fuds to consider using a keypad to
> do text messaging.  Kids eat it up and have no problem with it.  But many of
> our best old fud volunteer hams just can't get over the hump of using their
> fingers to communicate... (on a keypad)...
> 
>> One of the things I've kind a backed into is ACP-131.  
>> There are some parallels between military missions and RACES.
>> I've been thinking about how to use those.  I was curious 
>> if you have seen this done elsewhere in the APRS community.  
>> If there are some lessons learned, I'd be curious to hear about them.
> 
> Wow, I just looked at ACP-131 and am amazed that there are nearly 200 pages
> of Qxx and Zxx codes.  Lots more than the QRZ,QRM,QSY and QTH we hear
> often...  Such a means of encoding would certainly work well if the tables
> are built into APRS, but otherwise I cant imagine getting a QXP signal and
> without a book, knowing what to do with it.
> 
> I'm posting this on the APRSSIG to see what experience others have with the
> ACP-131 Q and Z codes.
> 
> Bob, WB4APR
> 
> 
> 73,
> 
> 			--Bruce (KI6UKZ)
> 
> 
> Robert "Bruce" Carleton
> rbc at rbcarleton.com
> 510-764-9427 (Home)
> 510-207-2592 (Cell)
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 





More information about the aprssig mailing list