[CC-ARES-RACES] APRS Presentation

[JD Delancy]

Ladies and Gentlemen -

Mr. Bob Bruninga, WB4APR, better known as the "Father of APRS," will be the guest
speaker at CCARC's 01Feb02 meeting.  

Automatic Position Reporting System (APRS -- is a registered trademark of APRS
Software and Bob Bruninga, WB4APR) was developed by Bob Bruninga, (WB4APR,
Commander, USN, retired), to track mobile GPS stations with two-way radio. The Naval
Academy (where Bob currently is the Operations Officer/Engineer of the Naval Academy
Satellite Ground Station) uses APRS in a number of applications for data,
communications and telemetry.  APRS is also used with packet radio by Hams and
allows the monitoring of real time geographical information such as the position,
distance, direction of travel, and height of a tracked object.  It also provides
interfaces to home weather stations for tracking of weather statistics and a myriad
of other uses.  Bob and the USNA Midshipmen of the Small Satellite Program developed
the first satellite designed and constructed for APRS, called PCSat.  PCsat serves
as a worldwide position/status reporting and message communications satellite for
APRS users.  It was launched at the Kodiak, Alaska Launch Complex in the fall of
2001.

The meeting starts at 1930 hours in the SMECO community room (38.35.487N,
76.56.508W), White Plains, MD. Bob's presentation will be the first on the agenda.  

Surrounding area club members are more than welcomed to attend the presentation. 

    jd