[aprssig] 9600 APRS net experiment in Central NJ

[Bob Bruninga]

Regarding NJ APRS, I have this year for the first time in decades actually driven the NJTP about once a month and I am very disappointed that I can drive the entire length of the NJTP (most of NJ) and not see A single Travelers Voice Repeater object.  Hence, I cannot make any voice QSO's because all the repeaters are PL, and without the PL info -or- a QSO in progress AND a PL scanning radio I may as well not even have ham radio.

But if EVERY digi in NJ did as recommended and output once every 10 minutes its locally receommended FREQ object (which includes he tone) then I could at least call CQ on all those unused repeaters or the ones in use but without any PL info.

With 8 APRS model radios that can now display this REAL-TIME info on the front panel, why is it so hard to get the digi owners to implement this.  See www.aprs.org/localinfo.html

Oh, one more beef!  And somewhere along the southern NJTP is someone running Voice Alert all the time and NEVER Monitoring.  DUring this year I hear it on every trip but NOT ONCE has there been an operator present.  ARGH!

Bob, WB4APR


---- Original message ----
>Date: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 19:04:25 -0500
>From: aprssig-bounces at tapr.org (on behalf of Wayne Sanderson <whsander at gmail.com>)
>Subject: [aprssig] 9600 APRS net experiment in Central NJ  
>To: aprssig at tapr.org
>
>I live in New Jersey, right next to the NJ Turnpike and also right in
>QRM Alley where the APRS collision racket on 144.39 is so bad during
>the day that my D700, D7 and now my D72 are frequently receiving max
>bar signals and are unable to dig any usable packets out of the hash.
>This has been the case for years here, and when all I had to operate
>was a TH-D7A(G) it was so frustrating that the radio spent more time
>in a drawer than in use- sometimes months at a time.
>I now have a D700 mounted in my car, and I have a stash of assorted
>other equipment on hand that I want to use to get a local 9600
>alternate APRS channel up and running, as an experiment and test bed,
>and frankly so that I can actually enjoy APRS without having to drive
>to West Virginia to get anything but a howl on 144.39.
>I have a spare PC, a spare 2 Meter HT with standard speaker and mic
>jacks, a small cigarette packet sized TNC that will do KISS and AX25,
>a spare D700 and a D7AG that is now a backup since I got my D72 the
>other day (Yowiee!- I love the thing!) I propose to do the following:
>1- Connect the pocket TNC to the spart HT and use it to connect to the
>main APRS channel. I expect that the radio will be low powered enough
>on TX and deaf enough on receive with a rubber duck antenna that it
>will hit and hear only the closest digi.
>2- Connect the serial output from the pocket TNC to the PC, which I
>will set up with a DOS or Windows based Digipeater program. I'm
>looking at DigiNed right now.
>3- Connect my spare TH-D7A(G) to the other serial port on the PC,
>configured in KISS Packet mode, set for 9600, on something like 145.10
>or some other likely Packet frequency that is open.
>4- Run my mobile D700 and my D72 on that channel exclusively, in 9600
>mode. I will leave my mobile set to digipeat all 9600 APRS packets so
>I can enjoy my D72 wherever I happen to be and reasonable expect it to
>be able to hit my home digi and 9600 gate.
>
>I wish I were loaded and could set up an honest to goodness 9600 digi
>somewhere up high so there would be a WIDE9600 in Central NJ- Maybe
>someday WB4APR's idea for the ultimate Digi will come about
>everywhere. Until then, I think I will try to cobble something
>together.
>
>If there are any other users who are sick of the 144.39 screech and
>would like to try 9600 ops in my area, drop me a line and we will
>talk. With the good radios now out there and a solid used market with
>D700s and D7s available, I personally think it is about time we
>started to enjoy them on 9600, away from the dumb trackers and
>collisions.
>
>Wayne Sanderson
>KC2EBD
>Hightstown, NJ
>
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