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<p><font face="Arial">In October 2024, I made a major road trip from
my home QTH in central Michigan to Los Angeles and back. On
this trip, I made the most extensive test yet comparing the
performance of classic 300-baud HF AX.25 packet vs the VARA
high-performance software modem for 30-meters HF APRS. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">I beaconed every 10 minutes, alternately on
classic packet and on VARA, on the 30M APRS channel during the
entire </font><font face="Verdana">6125 miles (9850 Km) of the
round</font><font face="Arial"> trip. My home station in
Haslett (near East Lansing) Michigan received and igated both
modes. In addition, several other stations around the US also
served as igates for the VARA mode. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The trip again confirmed again the
overwhelming superiority of VARA, with it's built-in multiple
levels of forward error correction, over classic HF packet.
There were many days on the trip where I heard NOTHING in the
car on classic packet APRS (lots of solar storms &
disturbances), but copied multiple stations (including my own
home station) on VARA. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Full details on the trip, the setup and the
results here on my website:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/RoadTrip/"><http://WA8LMF.net/RoadTrip/></a></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">and click on the link for</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> <a
href="http://wa8lmf.net/RoadTrip/RoadTrip-Oct-2024/index.htm">RoadTrip-Oct-2024/index.htm</a>
<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> <img
src="cid:part1.eNhwlZw5.WfYmmFfW@aol.com" alt=""> </font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">P.S My proselytizing for APRS-over-VARA seems
to be catching on -- I am now seeing igates on both coasts and
the midwest beaconing regularly on the APRS-over-VARA mode on
30M since the trip! <br>
</font></p>
<hr width="100%" size="2">
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com </font></p>
<font face="Arial">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>
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>
"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner"><http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner></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>
</font>
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">In October 2024, I made a major road trip from
my home QTH in central Michigan to Los Angeles and back. On
this trip, I made the most extensive test yet comparing the
performance of classic 300-baud HF AX.25 packet vs the VARA
high-performance software modem for 30-meters HF APRS. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">I beaconed every 10 minutes, alternately on
classic packet and on VARA, on the 30M APRS channel during the
entire </font><font face="Verdana">6125 miles (9850 Km) of the
round</font><font face="Arial"> trip. My home station in
Haslett (near East Lansing) Michigan received and igated both
modes. In addition, several other stations around the US also
served as igates for the VARA mode. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">The trip again confirmed again the
overwhelming superiority of VARA, with it's built-in multiple
levels of forward error correction, over classic HF packet.
There were many days on the trip where I heard NOTHING in the
car on classic packet APRS (lots of solar storms &
disturbances), but copied multiple stations (including my own
home station) on VARA. <br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Full details on the trip, the setup and the
results here on my website:</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> <a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/RoadTrip/"><http://WA8LMF.net/RoadTrip/></a></font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">and click on the link for</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"> <a
href="http://wa8lmf.net/RoadTrip/RoadTrip-Oct-2024/index.htm">RoadTrip-Oct-2024/index.htm</a>
<br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">P.S My proselytizing for APRS-over-VARA seems
to be catching on -- I am now seeing igates on both coasts and
the midwest beaconing regularly on the APRS-over-VARA mode on
30M since the trip! <br>
</font></p>
<hr width="100%" size="2">
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p><font face="Arial">Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com </font></p>
<font face="Arial">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>
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>
"Studio B" Ham Shack on Wheels<br>
<a class="moz-txt-link-rfc2396E" href="http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner"><http://WA8LMF.net/Aliner></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>
</font>
<p><font face="Arial"><br>
</font></p>
<p></p>
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