| |
ZL3AI > APRDIG 21.03.07 09:04l 250 Lines 9656 Bytes #999 (0) @ WW
BID : 9910-ZL3AI
Read: GUEST
Subj: [APRSSIG] Vol 33 #17, 1/2
Path: DB0FHN<DB0MRW<DK0WUE<7M3TJZ<ZL2BAU
Sent: 070321/0334Z @:ZL2BAU.#79.NZL.OC #:38776 [Waimate] $:9910-ZL3AI
From: ZL3AI@ZL2BAU.#79.NZL.OC
To : APRDIG@WW
Today's Topics:
1. APRS in 8 bullets (Robert Bruninga)
2. Re: APRS in 8 bullets (Stephen H. Smith)
3. Re: APRSPOINT (Victor Fraenckel)
4. RE: APRS in 8 bullets (Robert Bruninga)
5. RE: APRS in 8 bullets (Frank Keeney)
6. Re: Re: APRSPOINT (Stephen H. Smith)
7. AIS Live Online (Mark Fellhauer)
8. Re: D7's,D700's and TinyTrak (Brian B. Riley)
9. Re: AIS Live Online (Keith VE7GDH)
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Message: 1
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 14:29:55 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga_at_usna.edu>
Subject: [aprssig] APRS in 8 bullets
I was asked for a very brief summary of APRS today, and here is what I came
up with, from the top down. For what it is worth, this is how I see the
objectives of APRS:
1) Realtime local data exchange/display of all surrounding HAM radio
activities
2) Positions, objects, mobiles, weather, Nets, Bulletins, messages, Dfing
and other assets
3) Active objects: Voice repeaters, Hamfests, Echo/IRLP/Winlink nodes,
Traffic, Satellites in view,etc
4) Local Area coverage 2 hops via digipeaters
5) Global coverage via Igates and FINDU and web services
6) Stations: Home, Mobile Displays, Mobile trackers, telemetry
7) Messaging: Worldwide, Email, QRZ lookup, etc
8) Summary: APRS - Your window on Ham radio around you.
If I left anythign out, lemme know...
I am often disappointed that people do not put out objects, and bulletins
WHEN something in ham radio is going on in the local area. I want to see
that on my mobile APRS radio. I want to see LIVE objects when there is any
gathering of hams for any interesting purpose. I want to see bulletins on
the day of local meetings and nets.
Conversly, I am quite disappointed when I see some of the above coming in
from 100 miles away, 24/7 years on end. What I want to see on my radio
front panel is what is happening right now, not SPAM.
I fear too many people view APRS as watching the grass grow, so they never
look closely for real time, because they don't expect to see it. And they
don't put it out, because no one is watching in real time.
APRS is not an end in itself. It was supposed to be live action in real
time about everythign going on in ham radio in the local area with live
updates. *Not just APRS itself*.
Lets get those local-direct Voice Freqnecy objects on the air, lets all
make an object whenever we go to a meeting (you can put that in your D700
when you arrive in the parking lot as a beacon for others to find the
meeting place)... Lets see HAMfest announcements. Lets see NETS in
progress bulletins. Etc..
Bob, WB4APR
------------------------------
Message: 2
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 12:05:05 -0700
From: "Stephen H. Smith" <wa8lmf2_at_aol.com>
Subject: Re: [aprssig] APRS in 8 bullets
Well, here in L.A., the Southern Cal Wireless User's Group (SoCalWUG - a
wi-fi interest group) used to routinely beacon a restaurant fork/spoon
symbol at the location of their monthly meeting in the back of an
International House of Pancakes for a day before the meeting. More than
once it reminded me that this was the night for the meeting.
I beaconed objects from the Amateur Radio Expo held last October at the
L.A. County Fair. I actually had a local ham call me on 146.52 after
seeing the object on his map.
Recently, during a fire in the Riverside area about 50 miles east of L.A.,
the frequency and PL of a voice repeater in the area of the fire was
beaconed as an object. It caught my attention because they (erroneously)
used the Mic-E symbol on it, but it turned out to NOT have any APRS
capability.
About two months ago, I was at a Wal-Mart one evening when suddenly
everyone was evacuated from the store. From my laptop mobile in the parking
lot, I started transmitting an object with the bullseye symbol and the text
"WalMart Evacuated -Bomb Scare" for an hour or so.
Once when I was heading north on I-5, I came across a wild fire in the
"Grapevine" pass area about 50 miles north of L.A. From my mobile laptop,
I actually originated a fire symbol object for about an hour. I also used
my SSTV mobile LiveCAM to send some live shots of the fire on 20 meters as
I drove by. I was able to then refer the stations I was sending the pics
to, in Colorado and Michigan, to findu to see the exact location I was
sending from.
Another time when I was heading east into the Sierra Nevada foothills, I
got stuck in a traffic jam on Cal Rt 88 caused by an 18-wheeler on it's
side blocking all lanes. Again, I originated an object from the mobile
laptop while waiting.
In all of these incidents, the ability to click an object down on top of my
current location on the map in UIview or APRSpoint, automatically picking
up the coordinates from the map, was very useful.
Anyone have any thoughts about what symbols would be appropriate for these
incidents? (The fire was obvious, the others are ambiguous. I usually use
the circled-zero to create a target-like effect for traffic accidents.)
Do we need a new smashed-car symbol, similar to the crashed plane, for road
accidents?
--
Stephen H. Smith wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node: 14400 [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Home Page: http://wa8lmf.com --OR-- http://wa8lmf.net
NEW! World Digipeater Map
http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps
JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm
"APRS 101" Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths
Updated "Rev H" APRS http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
UIpoint and APRSplus:
------------------------------
Message: 3
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 15:23:38 -0400
From: Victor Fraenckel <victorf_at_windreader.com>
Subject: [aprssig] Re: APRSPOINT
This was posted on the NG sci.geo.satellite-nav this week. It is from the
author of APRSPoint. I suggest that you check his web site:
>If you have Microsoft Streets or AutoRoute, you have all you need for
>live APRS tracking. Now you can take advantage of the superior maps
>that comes with it and use it with APRSPoint. We have update the
>installation process of APRSPoint so that it now supports Streets or
>AutoRoute. You can visit http://www.aprspoint.com for a free download
>and trial.
I have used APRSPoint to track manned gas balloons flying in competition
from ABQ, NM for the past several years (in October) and found it gets the
job done. With S&T it is a usable and inexpensive solution for my tracking
needs. Note that I have used it with MapPoint as I am a registered user. I
am also a registered user of APRSPoint. I will be switching to S&T for this
year's event however.
HTH
Vic
--
*Victor Fraenckel
KC2GUI
victorf ATSIGN windreader DOT com**
*
------------------------------
Message: 4
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 18:54:28 -0400
From: "Robert Bruninga" <bruninga_at_usna.edu>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] APRS in 8 bullets
>Having primarily used APRS only for balloons, I'm not
>sure that I know how to actually enter an object.
Actually, an "object" is no different from any other position report in
APRS, though it does have a particluar format that allows station XXXXX to
send the positon for "thing" named YYYYY. But other than that, I consider
an OBJECT and any other poition report to be identical. It is simply
something that someone put on the map.
>Would I need a fully-functional, RF-capable APRS program
>to do this, or is there an easier way (e.g., a web-based way)?
Yes, any client software that interfaces to the WEB can originate an object
and everyone else on the web can see it, though it will not go to RF
anywhere without special arrangements at those locations.
>Can the Kenwood radios do this?... I just might pick one up.
YES! See my first paragraph. I put "objects" on the map frequently with
my D7 or D700. All you do is bring up the MENU for MYCALL. Change the
entry to the name of the object (though it must be only 6 bytes long (must
meet the limits of a callsign)... Then send out your position a few times,
and everyone around you and the global APRS system will capture it. Then
change your call back to your callsign and move on.
Everyone else will still see the object where you transmitted it. If you
want to send an object at a different location, then bring up the POSIT
MENU and enter the coordinates there. So yes, anyone with a D7 or D700
can enter a 6 character named object as described.
The advantage of using client software is that the object name then does
not need to fit into a 6 character callsign field. But things like WRECK,
TRAFFC, FIRE, TREE, POLICE, COP, FLOOD, NET, MEETNG, HAMFST, EYEBLL,
LAUNCH, DEMO, etc can easily be entered on a D7 or D700 to inform others
around you where something is happening. And likewise they FLASH on the
front panel of all surrounding mobiles with these radios...
>I would love to show our balloon launches, for example, as
>they are happening - so that if someone wants to come out and
>join us, they can.
EXACTLY! Yes, that is the idea of APRS. Inform everyone around you that
something is HAPPENING now in HAM radio. "Come on down!" As they say...
Bob, Wb4APR
------------------------------
Message: 5
Date: Fri, 16 Mar 2007 16:28:48 -0700
From: "Frank Keeney" <kg6jve_at_gmail.com>
Subject: RE: [aprssig] APRS in 8 bullets
Also, here in the L.A. area (Stephen is my neighbor). I've put up objects
when roads are closed due to snow, fire etc. In fact, I've messaged APRS
equipped mobiles that they should divert.
Frank Keeney, KG6JVE
Blog: http://www.unwiredadventures.com
Photos: http://snurl.com/unwirephotos
------------------------------
Read previous mail | Read next mail
| |
