[aprssig] Field Day 2011 and APRS

[Bob Bruninga]

With 20,000 APRS operators in the USA and 2600 field Day sites, it is amazing that only 10 people appear to have operated APRS from their FD site or know how to call CQ.

The CQSRVR is not something you just log into once (for 12 h ours)... Doing that is like arriving at FD, picking a random frequency on 10 m and then making one transmission calling CQ FD and then sitting back for the next 12 hours to see who calls you.

Remember, if everyone is listening and no one is transmitting, then the band is DEAD.

Stations come and go.  Any new station to come on since you sent CQ will never have seen your CQ.  They dont know you are there.  You have to send a CQ FD message every 30 minutes to an  hour for people to see you... AFTER they happen to log on.

ANyway, we had a great time.  But I dont understand why only 0.005% of APRS operators are into Field Day.

Bob, Wb4APR