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<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Little late...was out at Oshkosh for the airshow
all week.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Heads up on what to expect:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> At altitude in a suburban area, the RXR will
be continuously pounded by packets. I routinely fly KA1GJU-6 from sea-level to
FL370 using a Yaesu VX-1R and can watch the RXR's S-meter.Once aloft and east of
the Mississippi river, it's usually constantly busy. I actually turn the radio's
sleep feature to 2 sec (it's max) and turn the volume off to save the little one
cell, Li-ion battery. No need to run the battery down listening to all the
packets.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Therefore it may never TX a peep until
you reach a lower altitude, especially if the DWait time is anything other than
0. I suppose you could use a -dB antenna such as a 2" stubby duck to reduce the
incoming packets( i.e. act as an attenuator) but then you'll be seen only
the folks directly below you and those further away will only be digi'ed
unreliably as you bank and move about at altitude. The "Golden Rule applies
here:</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT color=#ff0000><FONT size=4><STRONG>"SUCCESSFUL APRS:</STRONG>
</FONT></FONT><FONT color=#000000 size=4>The success of your local APRS is
<I><B>not</B></I> how many stations you see on your maps, nor how far away, but
<I><B>how reliably</B></I> your mobile or handheld or portable station can
communicate with others in the local area. . There is a big difference and they
are mutually exclusive. . This fundamental principal should drive everything we
do with APRS in our local areas"</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Might be more fun to use the setup as
a tracker, beaconing that you are available on UHF (no desense every time
your tracker fires off on 144.39 if you are on 146.52) or in the high end
of VHF simplex frequencies such as 147.570 and work folks on voice. I think
you will find very few QSO's generated by someone <STRONG><EM>actually
observing</EM></STRONG> their screens/radio faceplates and actually QSY'ing to
the discrete frequency you were beaconing. My own experience tells me that after
a 3 or 4 day trip, (15 to 20 hours of actual flight time), I
<STRONG><EM>may</EM> </STRONG>get one or two responses. These will consist of
either somebody attempting to send me a msg via APRS (RF) or an actual email
asking about more info on my setup. Unfortunately many users are beaconing away
endlessly, but few are receiving and actually looking at the data presented and
using APRS as it was intended... for local communication.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2> Anyway, we will probably see the SIG get lit
up with folks arguing about what the proper thing to do. (Would be a nice change
from all the banter about WXSVR eh?)</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Kriss</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>KA1GJU -3, -6, -7, -8, -9</FONT></DIV>
<DIV> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2></FONT> </DIV>
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