[aprssig] What is APRS, really? USA Coverage?

[Brady Small]

I'm proud to say I just put a new igate/digi up in the mountains. Love doing APRS stuff.
KI4NBYBrady 
-------- Original message --------From: spam8mybrain via aprssig <aprssig at lists.tapr.org> Date: 10/23/20  3:27 PM  (GMT-05:00) To: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>, R Kirk <isobar at verizon.net> Cc: aprssig at lists.tapr.org Subject: Re: [aprssig] What is APRS, really? USA Coverage? Looking around a feed of all digis from APRS-IS, it is sad how few digipeaters report their expected range.
    
Andrew, KA2DDO-------- Original message --------From: spam8mybrain via aprssig <aprssig at lists.tapr.org> Date: 10/23/20  15:09  (GMT-05:00) To: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu>, R Kirk <isobar at verizon.net> Cc: aprssig at lists.tapr.org Subject: Re: [aprssig] What is APRS, really? USA Coverage? YAAC can do it too (View->Layers...->Show Range Circles), although I'm improving it to display more obviously.
    
Andrew, KA2DDOauthor of YAAC-------- Original message --------From: Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> Date: 10/23/20  13:04  (GMT-05:00) To: R Kirk <isobar at verizon.net> Cc: aprssig at lists.tapr.org Subject: Re: [aprssig] What is APRS, really? USA Coverage? Apples and oranges sorta.  The APRS (thin line) map is just a plot of actual position reports actually on the highways, not of "coverage",.  Just widening each dot by 30 miles would still not be a "coverage" map?   We need the overlapping plot of the PHG circles of all digipeaters.I bet Lynn could do that. Bob  

   [Go to Google Images and try "cell phone coverage maps" to get an idea of just how much cell coverage has blossomed,... Then contrast that with the thinner APRS coverage map at Bob's aprs.org site. That map was 2008 and I can't help but think it's even skimpier now that APRS has shrunk.]



This is not to say APRS is not underutilized along with most other forms of amateur radio, but I'd rather leave the discussion of the reasons that is to others. The concept of APRS is a very, very powerful system. As Bob has been saying for how many years, it just needs to be thought of as something more than just location tracking.




   [Really, it is just location tracking despite the many other uses that Bob has thought of that aren't really used. Think Voice Alert, roadside traffic counting etc ...]



I loved it but its time has passed. Look at the traffic volume trend on this group, for instance.










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