[aprssig] APRS and goTenna

[Steve Noskowicz]

They use VHF:

"The GoTenna operates on some of the lowest frequencies (151 to 154 MHz) available without a radio license. Those frequencies allow digital signals to travel longer distances. But due to limited bandwidth, GoTenna’s technology doesn’t send voice or photos. "

-- 
 Regards, Steve Noskowicz
 Science & Technical Advisor
 http://www.challengerillinois.org/

--------------------------------------------
On Sat, 12/19/15, vk2tv via aprssig <aprssig at tapr.org> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [aprssig] APRS and goTenna
 To: aprssig at tapr.org
 Date: Saturday, December 19, 2015, 12:50 PM
 
 
 
 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
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