[aprssig] APRS Day Out!

[Bob Bruninga]

APRS Day Out!

This idea of an "APRS Day Out" on 10 September is evolving and so has the name.  This separates us from the goals and objectives of the rules-driven ARRL QSO party overlaping the same timeframe, to an activity not quite so restrictive.

Also, a full 24 hour cycle for APRS seemed overkill and beyond the length of my usual kitchen pass (and attention span).  So, to help focus the event I'm suggesting the "APRS Day Out" begins at 2PM local time and concludes at  11PM local time on 147.525 MHz, the HamIM frequency.  THis is an AD-HOC APRS event using the temporary path of TEMPn-N.

And EVERYONE can participate, (no unattended stations please) even if you do not leave your shack.  Those guys that do go to the mountain tops are going to need to have someone to talk to, so all those shack potatoes will be great additions to the event.

Shucks!  Lets make it a contest!

Every Station captured (that has a GRID in his beacon) counts as 1 point.  Every MESSAGE (BLN) captured from another station counts 2 points.  Every "exchange" coutns 3 points.

Notice that since APRS recognizes the EFFICIENCY of bulletins and the BURDEN of Messages-with-acks, then that callsign-to callsign messaegs are STRONGLY DISCOURAGED.  These heavily burden the ad-hoc network.

So, what does an "exchange mean"?  It means that someone elses outgoing BLN# lists YOUR callsign in it.

PLEASE do not send a BLN# until you have collected 8 callsigns.  Then send a BLN# that says, QSL XYZ,ABC,FGH,DEF, etc.

This is a far, far more efficient way to QSL an exchange of 8 stations among those 8 stations than it does to send 64 individual messages and 64 acks.  Which could add up to over 300 message retries and 300 acks, compared to just one BLN each from the 8 stations acknowledging the other 8 all in one packet.

I will add these techniques to my APRS Day Out web page when I get back to my PC on monday.

http://aprs.org/rovers.html

Bob, wb4apr
.>
>For this coming Sept VHF QSO party(10-11 Sept), 
> a cadre of APRS mobiles and portables is going 
> to man 15 mountain tops along the Appalachians
> from Maine to Georgia (and anywhere else in the
> country where contesting is popular).
>
> Their APRS radio will be on the HamIM frequency 
> of 147.585 and will be enabled for APRS digipeating.  
> Not only will they be able to see all the contest
> rovers out there, but they will also digipeat any 
> such beacons to others so that everyone can see where
> everyone is.  These packets have nothing to do with 
> the contest or scoring, but they just support the 
> mobile rovers and portable operators in seeing where
>  everyone is located.
>
> This kind of ad-hoc system works if all mobiles 
> and portable stations use the same settings in 
> their APRS radios and TNC's as follows:
>
> FREQUENCY: 147.585 (the HamIM frequency)
> PATH:      TEMP7-7 (reduce to TEMP3-3 if load too high)
> SYMBOL:    Rover or Portable (tent)
> RATE:      Every 5 minutes
>
> Now then, to make the ad-hoc network self-
> supporting, every well situated station (mountaintop 
> or mobile and ROVERS) with a D700 or KPC-3 should 
> also enable their own station for digipeating.  
> To enable your station as a TEMPn-N digipeater 
> also, use these settings:
>
> UITRACE TEMP
> DIGI ON
>
> These need to be permanently set in the Radio TNC
> via the serial port prior to the event.  In fact, 
> these settings are now factory defaults in all
> D710's and subsequent radios so that any radio, 
> any time, can serve as an ad-hoc digi for others 
> on demand, by simply using the TEMPn-N path.
>
> For details and background please see:
> http://aprs.org/rovers.html
>
> Make sure you test your station before the event!
>
> Good luck in the Contest!
>
> Bob, WB4APR