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Frequently on long haul mobile trips, I found that running Both the
TM-D700AG APRS and the Smart Phone U2APRS or APRSdroid apps,
complimented each other very well. The Smart phone provided an
internet link as well as ran the APRS app. As long as it was
possible to make a voice phone call, that same signal was good
enough to provide the internet feed. That phone link also provided
the internet to my laptop that fed data during the trip to a map
site online as well (Geiger Counter Data - do a google of WD8ARZ for
more info)<br>
<br>
When the RF side was not finding other hams aprs relay stations
feeding my APRS stream to the internet, my cell phone app frequently
were. Also when there was no cell phone signal for that side to
function, there was frequently a ham side that was getting my APRS
data out to the internet world.<br>
<br>
NEITHER method was one hundred percent coverage. At times, neither
had a path to function with for the 'internet' ... but dont forget
that there are still local hams that can copy your signal whither
your know it or not.<br>
<br>
Dont forget that we can also do HF APRS operation in North America
on 10.1 MHz with 300 baud 200-hertz-shift with hf packet.<br>
<br>
Then there was good ol hf, vhf and uhf voice. Had many an enjoyable
chat with other hams, and some of those chats were triggered by the
other hams calling me on 146.52 because they copied my APRS
transmission that included my text 'Monitoring 146.52 100HZ PL'. I
would do the same when another APRS mobile station moved with in my
rf line of sight copy as seen on my G5 Navigation system. That G5
provided the GPS signal to the TM-D700AG, and also displayed the
APRS signals heard on the radio to the display of the Avmap Geosat 5
navigation unit.<br>
<br>
Make sure to use and listen with Voice Alert. Read about that
system directly from Bob as copied below.<br>
<br>
Plus there were times that the WX Data fed by so many APRS stations
was so important to me and my family for very Local information.
Even the alerts some provide gave additional situational awareness
while traveling. Have even received text messages from friends in
other states via APRS. The TM-D700AG was configured to read out the
text message in voice using the voice module option. When those came
in, it was some times surprising and my wife and I would be looking
around for 'who was that?" expressions on our faces.... hi hi<br>
<br>
For those that dont do APRS because of concerns about security for
their home when they are not there, they should know that they dont
have to have their home address available to the public when their
call sign is looked up.<br>
<br>
FCC 605 Form Application available at: <a
class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://transition.fcc.gov/Forms/Form605/605.html">http://transition.fcc.gov/Forms/Form605/605.html</a><br>
Notice that Line 15 asks for your address as a post office box
address. Line 16 is the street address location. My last updating I
did have information in both line 15 and 16. If you look at my call
sign on QRZ, you will note that only my post office box number is
listed, not my street address. On my license form, one side has the
pob, the other side has the street address. The FCC provides your
line 15 data to the public side, and uses the line 16 data for its
usage.<br>
<br>
73 from Bill - WD8ARZ<br>
WD8ARZ-7 HT TH-D7AG<br>
WD8ARZ-9 Mobile TM-D700AG<br>
WD8ARZ-10 Android Smart Phone - APRSdroid and U2APRS<br>
APRS Viewer on Android for displaying APRS stations only, no beacon
/ transmitting.<br>
<br>
-------- Original Message --------
<table class="moz-email-headers-table" border="0" cellpadding="0"
cellspacing="0">
<tbody>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Subject: </th>
<td>[aprssig] Voice Alert while traveling!</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Date: </th>
<td>Tue, 26 Nov 2013 18:09:40 -0500</td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">From: </th>
<td>Robert Bruninga <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:bruninga@usna.edu"><bruninga@usna.edu></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">Reply-To:
</th>
<td>TAPR APRS Mailing List <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="mailto:aprssig@tapr.org"><aprssig@tapr.org></a></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<th nowrap="nowrap" valign="BASELINE" align="RIGHT">To: </th>
<td><a class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:aprssig@tapr.org">aprssig@tapr.org</a>, <a
class="moz-txt-link-abbreviated"
href="mailto:aprs@yahoogroups.com">aprs@yahoogroups.com</a></td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Dont forget to use and listen with Voice Alert.<br>
<br>
This simply means running CTCSS100 on your APRS radios band (144.39
in USA). You will hear any other APRS station in simplex range and
he will hear you if you make a quick Voice Call on 144.39 and
suggest QSY to 52. But with CTCSS you wont hear anything else.<br>
<br>
Its like a free radar detector for nearby APRS mobiles in simplex
range. Why waste a perfectly good always-on-channel by having the
volume turned down! Set CTCSS100 and be available for a local call.<br>
<br>
The best way to operate APRS is to program several APRS channels in
your radio:<br>
<br>
1) APRS raw 144.39 simplex no tone squelch<br>
<br>
2) APRS VA - 144.39 simplex CTCSS 100 normal operations with
Voice Alert<br>
<br>
3) APRS mute 144.39 simplex CTCSS xxx when you want quiet &
another VA is nearby<br>
<br>
4) APRS event 144.99TX, 144.39RX for special events with an
ALT-DIGI<br>
<br>
5) APRS ALT -144.39TX, 144.99RX when acting as an ALT digi<br>
<br>
This way you can change between all of these modes without ever
having to touch a menu. Just change channels on the APRS band of
the radio.<br>
<br>
The point is to never turn the volume down on the APRSband. Why
waste a perfectly good radio channel that you are monitoring 100% of
the time anyway.<br>
<br>
APRS Voice Alert is an order of magnitude better than monitoring
52 while mobile, because unless you are calling CQ on 52 every
minute, and so is everyone else, you wont even hear each other in a
crossing situation. In contrast, APRS Voice Alert is calling CQ
every minute for you.<br>
<br>
Thats why I like proportional pathing. Im calling CQ on Voice
Alert every minute, but only beaconing via the local digi once every
2 minutes and only via 2 hops once every 4 minutes. But at the 1
minute local rate, crossing drivers get good warning of the others
presence.<br>
<br>
See: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://aprs.org/VoiceAlert3.html">http://aprs.org/VoiceAlert3.html</a><br>
<br>
Bob, WB4APR<br>
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