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<p><b><font size="5">30 & 60M APRS Test During Eclipse </font></b><br>
</p>
<p>I will be experimenting with 30 and 60 meters APRS during the
solar eclipse on Monday 8 Apr. I will be operating from
Yorkshire, Ohio (directly on the center line of totality),
arriving around 8:30 AM EDT. </p>
<p>This will be a continuation of my testing of APRS over both
standard AX.25 300-baud HF packet, and APRS over the new VARA
high-performance HF modem. Details are on my website at:</p>
<p> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="http://WA8LMF.net/APRSoverVARA/index.htm"><http://WA8LMF.net/APRSoverVARA/index.htm></a></p>
<p>My experiments over the last year and a half have shown VARA to
be spectacularly more effective than traditional packet APRS on HF
-- sometimes yielding over TEN TIMES as many successful position
reports than classic 300-baud packet. </p>
<p>Further, I have been testing VARA-vs-packet on 60-meters as well
as 30meters. 30-meters has a 200-250 mile "skip zone" most of
the time -- you won't normally hear stations closer to you than
this distance. (Typically, my 30M APRS mobile will not be heard
or igated by my home station in East Lansing (central MI) until I
get to Chicago going west, or Dayton/Cincinnati going south.)</p>
<p>On the other hand, 60-meters has excellent close-in NVIS (Near
Vertical Incidence Skywave) propagation that produces nearly
constant coverage 0-300 miles. The coverage of the two bands
complement each other perfectly! <br>
</p>
<p>Here is a comparative plot of the 60M APRS performance on a trip
from my home in East Lansing to a swapmeet in Traverse City in
February of this year:</p>
<p> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="http://WA8LMF.net/APRS-FX.25-vs-VARA-10feb-2024/index.htm"><http://WA8LMF.net/APRS-FX.25-vs-VARA-10feb-2024/index.htm></a></p>
<p>Note A) how consistent the coverage was over the entire 200 miles
drive, and B) how many more points were received on VARA. (I had
the two modes beaconing alternately from the same mobile laptop,
radio and antenna.) <br>
</p>
<hr width="100%" size="2">
<p>I will be operating both bands simultaneously. Two FT-857s will
be used: One on 60M "Channel 5" (5.403.50 USB), and one on
10.147.60 USB (standard "dial frequency" for 30M APRS). The 30M
transmissions will use an MFJ magloop. The 60M operation will be
from an NVIS mini-dipole made from two Quicksilver Radio
"Quickstick" 60M mobile whips and the MFJ mini-dipole mount about
10 feet off the ground for best NVIS propagation. On each band I
will be alternately beaconing AX.25 packet and VARA. <br>
</p>
<p>Of course, 30M is non-voice-only. 60M is unique in the HF
spectrum in that one can operate voice AND data on the same
frequencies. If anyone hears me, give WA8LMF a call on 60M USB
"Channel 5". <br>
</p>
<p>All this will be operated from "Studio B", my 12-foot Aliner
folding camper, outfitted as my combination Mobile Ham Shack,
micro-EOC, Radio Test Lab, and QRP AM-Stereo/FM-Stereo broadcast
station.</p>
<p> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner"><http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner></a>
<br>
</p>
<p>This setup appears at numerous ham fests in Michigan during the
summer season, and will be in the "Emergency Comms Vehicles Expo"
at Dayton again this year.<br>
</p>
<p>If the cellular network doesn't collapse under the flood of
eclipse tourists, I will be using a "Remote Rig" control setup to
operate my Kenwood TS-2000 back home to listen to (and read the
signal strength) of my transmissions from the trailer. I hope to
be doing this starting at about 11 AM. At this location, eclipse
"first contact" (where the moon first starts touching the sun's
disk) will happen at about 2 PM EDT. Second contact (totality)
will start a little after 3:00 PM EDT. </p>
<p>The Remote Rig control system in the trailer is connected to a
mini-router tethered to my iPhone 6s+ running on T-Mobile data.
The mini router gives me a home-style Internet setup with
dual-band 2.4 & 5 WiFi and hard-wire Ethernet connections for
the Remote Rig and three laptops in the trailer. <br>
</p>
<hr width="100%" size="2">Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com <br>
Skype: WA8LMF<br>
EchoLink: Node # 14400 [Think bottom of the 2-meter band]<br>
Home Page: <a class="moz-txt-link-freetext"
href="http://wa8lmf.net">http://wa8lmf.net</a><br>
<br>
<b><font size="4">30 & 60 meter APRS-over-VARA test coming
during 8 April Solar Eclipse</font></b><br>
<br>
APRS-over-VARA igates now operating on 30 & 60 meters<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/map"><http://WA8LMF.net/map></a><br>
<br>
-- APRS over VARA --<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E"
href="http://wa8lmf.net/APRSoverVARA."><http://wa8lmf.net/APRSoverVARA.></a><br>
<br>
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