[aprssig] APRStt and SAR... Yeesss!

[Robert Bruninga]

Two things from Dayton.

I demonstrated the APRStt (Touch Tone) transponder for the upcoming
QIKCOM-2 satellite payload to be launched later this year and Byonics
demonstrated an all-in-one APRStt engine, the size of a deck of cards.

Imagine placing this battery powered APRStt engine in a high location at a
SAR search.  Then EVERYONE in the SAR event can be tracked and all grids
electronically reported.  Either by those with Kenwood and Yaesu APRS
radios or by people with nothing but an old IC2AT or a nw Baoefang $40
radio.

As teams move thorough the SAR area, the ones without APRS radios can
simply report their YYYXXX grid location by DTMF followed by their radio's
ANI report placing them on the APRS map automatically.

Here is how it works.  The Byonics APRStt device listens on the DTMF
frequency and ACK's the reports by VOICE.  Then it QSY's for 1 second over
to the APRS channel and sends the report in APRS format.  Done

What used to take a DTMF card, a TT4 2-way-Tracker and then TWO radios now
is a single device in a box the size of a deck of cards only needing an
antenna and a battery.

Now. What we need from you is how best to use it.  Here are some
assumptions and questions:

1) We have heard that 3x3 UTM grid reporting is common for SAR teams.  This
is ideal for 6 key DTMF reporting

2) Question.  After an initial report of YYYXXX to place the station on the
map, would subsequent YYXX reports be adequate to then update positions and
automatically assume the initial most significant bytes Y and X and then
keep track and only roll them over when a 9 transitions to a 0 or vice
versa?

3) Besides Position, WHAT common messages are reported during a SAR
search.  Can we condense it down to just 9 standard situations?  Give me a
list of the top ten "status"?

0 - off duty
1 - enroute (meaing to assigned start point)
2 - returning (after search)
3 - searching
4 - searching with dog team
5 - ???
6 - ???
7 - something found, checking
8 - evidence likely
9 - send additional assist

Lets figure this out.  What is the best design for using the least number
of DTMF digits to provide the most useful report.

Bob, WB4APR
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