[aprssig] APRS in caves (MARYLAND pre-test?)

[Robert Bruninga]

Scaling back.  How about D72 APRS volunteers for a Maryland, No Va Cave?

Some Saturday or Sunday in December around 3 PM in Boonsboro at Crystal
Grottos?

Bob, WB4APR

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, December 05, 2012 7:43 PM
To: Robert Bruninga; SAR_APRS at yahoogroups.com
Cc: TAPR APRS Mailing List; aprs at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: APRS in caves (2nd call for D72 owners)

Need more D72 owners for our big APRS Mammoth cave test on 2-3 March 2013.

The Park Service will support us if we can get together enough people with
radios to see how far we can communicate using HOP7-7,HOP7-7 paths
underground.  This weekend coinsides with the Cave City Hamfest just 5
miles away.  Let me know if you can make one or both days.  We wont be
crawling.  Just walking a few miles underground.

See background on http://aprs.org/cave-link.html

Let me know if I can count on you. Mostly D72's are needed for their
digipeating function.  Though some with D7's or VX8R's could provide some
support.

Bob, Wb4APR

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu]
Sent: Friday, November 16, 2012 2:35 PM

APRS test in Mammoth Cave:

I got a reply back from the Ranger at Mammoth Cave and he would be happy
to support an APRS communication experiment in the cave.  They have over
400 miles of cave, but only about 1000 feet of WIFI.

I'd be happy to put together a proposal if we thought we could get 8 to 15
people to converge on Mammoth Cave Kentucky some weekend with their
TH-D72s...  Lemme see if there are any nearby BIG hamfests during the
year.  (Nashville or Louisville).

So lets see if we have some volunteers first and then form a plan.

I wonder if Lynn can search for D72's within 150  miles of Mammoth on the
APRS-IS?
(though most are off when not in use)...

Bob

-----Original Message-----
From: Robert Bruninga [mailto:bruninga at usna.edu]
Sent: Monday, November 05, 2012 1:26 PM
To: Robert Bruninga; SAR_APRS at yahoogroups.com
Cc: TAPR APRS Mailing List; aprs at yahoogroups.com
Subject: RE: Need Digi in Kentucky at Mamouth Cave (and APRS in caves!)

> We need an APRS digi at the Mammoth Cave National Park.
> Here is the list of National Parks and APRS coverage:
> http://aprs.org/aprs-parks.html
>
> With the new Kenwood TH-D72 which can digipeat, it would
> be fun to have a few underground at the same time.

Along those lines, and since now we can extend our radio TEXTING range
inside caves by using multiple hops between TH-D72 digipeating HT's, I
have
updated my 1997 APRS Cave Radio web page:
http://aprs.org/cave-link.html

And am floating the idea of maybe having an APRS Communication conference
there...  so we can get enough D72 radios (at least 7) to be able to test
the concept.

Bob, Wb4APR