[aprssig] Balloons abusing our network...sigh

Sun May 1 19:34:27 EDT 2016

>From the "Correct me if I'm wrong" department...

I think what is needed instead of lots of words on this sig is an easily searched document on or two or three or more sites (Copmcast killed web hosting or I'd still have a presence) that respond to "APRS Balloon tracking" and many variations someone may try searching for, so that anyone trying to figure out how to set things up can find it easily.  Or perhaps a periodic article in QST, or some such other ehicle. 

Somethiong sent to various balloon sites already in existence so others looking for balloon info will accidentally find some APRS info...

 It's 2016

This phenomenon will continue to produce these periodic bursts of "Problem Balloon destroying the universe" posts until information is easy to find by random hams.

I started doing some APRS with a used D700 back in the late 90's.  _ALL_   repeat _ALL_ the stuff on the net back then assumed the ham was very experienced in packet -- which is completely unnecessary.  It took me years of reading this sig (and only understanding pieces of what was posted) and plodding through mounds of outdated Packet information, packet-turned-APRS information, Packet-sort-of-turned-APRS information, out-dated APRS information, old PDFs and PowerPoints ROTTING on the Web to get to the point where I decided I knew enough that I felt it time to write something for newbies, so I wrote my own Beginner Guide in terms a beginner could understand.  It was well received by comments I received.

And if someone does, do not give a long drawn out history of Packet., APRS, or your travels through Ham radio.  Get to the point so folks will actually read it.

Put something together and get it on just about every site that shows up in the first 20-30 hits on Google...

IN FACT.  These last few messages have everything this one paragraph document needs...

If I wasn't busy right now with finishing a delayed garage (and everything else the wife has added on) and geting started on my older sister's Probate case, I'd consider pasting these messages together to get the ball rolling...

There has  already been enough time wasted on these very postings to do it several times over.

/Rant flag cleared/

SO...?

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

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On Sun, 5/1/16, Bob Burns W9BU via aprssig <aprssig at tapr.org> wrote:

 Subject: Re: [aprssig] Balloons abusing our network
 To: "'TAPR APRS Mailing List'" <aprssig at tapr.org>
 Date: Sunday, May 1, 2016, 1:54 PM

 #yiv9889509495
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 #yiv9889509495 I think we all agree that HABs
 should not use abusive paths or beacon
 rates.  However, the reality is that many
 of these balloon launch teams are populated with
 inexperienced hams who simply are not aware of how the APRS
 network works or how their HABs impact the network. Those of
 who do have considerable experience have a responsibility to
 educate the balloon teams. Discussion of abusive balloon
 launches occasionally pops up in online APRS communities.
 But, we have to keep in mind that we are preaching to the
 choir. Typically, these balloon teams don’t hang out in
 APRS groups or reflectors.  Jason is quite correct. While the
 balloon launch may seriously impact the APRS network for the
 time the balloon is in the air, that time is short and the
 network will get back to normal after the balloon is down.
 Meanwhile, we should take note of the callsign being used by
 the launch and attempt to reach the holder of the callsign
 to politely educate them about APRS
 networks.  BTW, in my experience, Jason does,
 in fact, have a clue. Berating him really doesn’t
 accomplish anything.  Bob…    From:
 aprssig [mailto:aprssig-bounces at tapr.org] On Behalf Of Ron via
 aprssig
 Sent: Sunday, May 01,
 2016 12:21 PM
 To: Jason KG4WSV
 <kg4wsv at gmail.com>; TAPR APRS Mailing List
 <aprssig at tapr.org>
 Subject: Re: [aprssig]
 Balloons abusing our network
  You have
 no clue.A device
 at 25,000 ft hits every digi within 300 MILES or more.
 Every
 one of those digis has to re-transmit that  packet because
 of the path used.At a
 rate of every 30-40 seconds its abusive. (EVEN APRS.FI says
 so)
  Anyone
 who has done ballooning with APRS should have known this if
 they bothered to research.
  NO Hops
 are required above a few thousand feet and transmit rates
 should be set by speed, just like everyone else does in
 their cars.
  YOU
 should be glad that some people still care to maintain APRS
 Nodes and networks so EVERYONE can SHARE
 it.
  de
 VE1AIC.

  On Sunday, May
 1, 2016 11:53 AM, Jason KG4WSV <kg4wsv at gmail.com>
 wrote:  

 > On May 1, 2016, at 9:34
 AM, Ron via aprssig <aprssig at tapr.org>
 wrote:
 > 
 > Today 2
 balloons at the same time out of Maine are pounding our
 network with abusive settings that are unacceptable.

 Please explain how this is
 significantly different from the perspective of the LOCAL
 network than a terrestrial station with the same settings?
 (Hint: practically not at all assuming your network is built
 correctly.)

 If a single
 station with these settings can cause your local network
 significant problems you should spend some effort on fixing
 your local network. 

 >
 Why would a balloon at 26,000ft moving at 15kmh need to
 beacon every 40 seconds and use WIDE hops across our
 network?

 To track it and
 get the payload back?

 > At this rate they'll
 be blasting our network all day
 long.

 A typical HAB flight lasts
 approximately 2 hours. 

 Be
 glad someone is doing something more useful/interesting than
 letting the wife track you on your way to the grocery store.

 -Jason
 kg4wsv

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