[aprssig] APRS and goTenna

[vk2tv]

On 20/12/15 02:31, Greg Troxel via aprssig wrote:
> Richard Amirault via aprssig <aprssig at tapr.org> writes:
>
>> On 12/18/2015 7:13 PM, Bill Vodall wrote:
>>> So much publicity and advertising these days for the "new technology"
>>> of the goTenna - when we've been doing the same and much much more for
>>> 20+ years.
>>>
>>>     http://www.wsj.com/articles/no-cell-signal-this-can-help-when-you-wander-off-grid-1450203815
>>>
>> These works on MURS frequencies and, like any radio signal, successful
>> communication varies with location. I suspect that most users will be
>> disappointed in the coverage radius of these units. Besides ... with
>> no cell signals ... that means no power to re-charge your smartphone
>> (needed to use these) Unless you have provided a way to re-charge your
>> phone these will have a *very* limited time of use.
> Power and cell don't seem all that closely linked; I tend to be out of
> cell coverage far more often than there is no electricity.  Plus
> solar/battery isn't that hard, and even normal people carry batteries to
> recharge their phones.
>
> While there are issues, this seems a natural evolution of carrying FRS
> radios, and is accessible to normal people.  Plus it seems one can
> encrypt text messages and location, which you can't do on Amateur
> frequencies.
>
> But I agree that most people will be unhappy with range because they
> have no idea how radio works.
>
> To me the bad part is having to use their app vs an open API.
>
> It was amusing that the WSJ article talked about people taking these to
> foreign countries - where MURS is probably not ok.
>
> So I wonder if this will have a place to link the public to nearby hams
> for longer range communication during infrastructure outages.
>
> 73 de n1dam
>
They would be illegal in Australia, where we have 80 UHF (around 477MHz) 
CB channels with power to 5W and repeaters.

Ray vk2tv