[aprssig] APRS Hardware Survey (Humans)

Andrew Rich vk4tec at tech-software.net
Fri Oct 21 19:39:12 EDT 2011


Rig up a script of how many targets move 

Most things that move need humans to make them move

Ignore all the fixed sites


Sent from my iPhone
Andrew Rich

On 22/10/2011, at 6:57, "Bob Bruninga" <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:

>> Really interesting graphs, Curt.  
>>> Years worth of data...
>>>  http://wetnet.net/~we7u/usage.html
> 
> But, What is completely lost in this data is to me the MOST meaningful data,
> and that is WHAT is the USAGE of APRS by LIVE HUMANS???
> 
> And back when Steve Dimse did it (2004 time frame?), the statistic was
> something like:
> 
> "85% of all mobiles that receive and display APRS data are using Kenwoods"
> (and now Yaesus).
> 
> In other words, yes, there are thousands of internet and PC clients running
> 24/7 with the lights on but nobody home.  Try interacting with a human
> there.  But on the other hand EVERY MOBILE has a DRIVER who is a LIVE human
> who is interacting with his local tactical situation in real time and is an
> asset to the local community as a mobile ham radio operator.  That is why to
> me, the #1 concern of ANY APRS function, is how does it display to the
> mobile operator???
> 
> I could care less about the number of shacks being warmed with mostly
> ignored APRS clients.  Or dumb-trackers driving around with no means to
> communicate with other APRS participants).  To me, APRS is out there on RF
> where the rubber meets the road and you can interact with ham radio around
> you and have a live activity.
> 
> Lets look at the big items in the data again from this same perspective:
> 
> 5376 Mic-E's (Kenwoods and yaesu's)* LIVE HUMANS
> 5838 digis, igates and generic
> 4432 PC clients (maybe 10% live?)
> 2125 dumb trackers*
> 1807 generic
> 
> Assuming that the Mic-E's are almost 100% live and the clients are typically
> attended say 2 out of every 24 hours (8%) and all the other devices are
> unattended or deaf, I conclude that more than 90% of all human operators
> that are on APRS live are using Kenwood or Yaesu, or HAMhud, or 2-way
> Display Trackers in their mobiles.
> 
> I hope this explains my rather intense focus on the APRS Mobile and live RF
> environment.  Oh, and remember this 24 hour snapshot does not count all the
> APRS HT's that were not used that day and are only brought out for special
> events or hiking?
> 
> Bob, Wb4APR
> 
> 
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