[aprssig] Aeronautical Mobile APRS

[Kriss A Kliegle]

I have run APRS for several years in a MD-82/83 airliner for years, here are some of the pointers:

1 Run QRP (1/2 w or less), you are operating a blind tracker, QRMing others IS going to happen, this will help reduce that issue. 

2 Use an efficient antenna (high gain rubber duck...extended ducky) and place it near/against a window. If flying along a large body of water (ocean or great lakes) then place it on the side facing land.

3 Turn off CD (Carrier detect), once above few hundred feet you will have constant RX packets if east of the Mississippi River. 

4 DO NOT USE WIDE1-1 ANYWHERE in path!  Read: http://www.aprs.org/fix14439.html

5 A simple WIDE2-1 works VERY well and does NOT key up every fill in digipeater for a hundred miles around you. Distance to horizon at 7000' is 102.5 miles!  http://www.ringbell.co.uk/info/hdist.htm

6 If you have a tracker such as Argent Data's Open Tracker, you can program one profile with a  path for at and below some altitude (WIDE2-1) and another profile with a direct path above some specific altitude.
   Note: Choose altitude carefully since you may land/takeoff from a high altitude airport and never change to the low altitude profile....ie DEN, COS, ABQ, JAC, etc....


73 de Kriss  KA1GJU-6
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