[FARC] APRS Software Info

[Kirk Talbott]

I think the decision has already been made to go with APRS and Winlink 2000 
so it is a done deal.  I'm not saying it is necessarily a bad decision.  I 
mean somebody with the technical know-how (Bruninga ?) obviously has this 
all figured out such that APRS and Winlink 2000 will work fine for ecomm. 
They have, right?

It's just that other ecomm methods are around too and I know how the 
bureaucratic mind works, everything is procedure.  I can imagine the 
conversation in an emergency situation when the sky has opened up and 
unleashed its fury and some of the ecomm systems are down.

"Do we have a procedure for Outpost software with 1200 baud Packet for use 
at the EOC to communicate with outlying Packet stations?"

"Nope."

"Then we can't use it?"

"Nope."

Bureaucracies, even the local groups like ARES/RACES following NIMS, run on 
written procedures and if it ain't on the page, it ain't on the stage.

I've been talking with KR4MA Earl down in Linden Virginia and they use 
Airmail and old 1200 baud Packet for ecomm messaging.  In fact he told me 
they've been running ecomm Packet nets down there for about 10 years, says 
it is an integral component of their ecomm system and he invited me to check 
in sometime.    They seem to be stuck on Airmail though, probably what they 
used first and don't want to give it up.    Rolan W3FDK and I have been 
testing Outpost with their LINDBB and PAGEBB full-service BBS's.

I put a bulletin on the LINDBB BBS about our Saturday night Packet net in 
Frederick and that's when Earl sent me a Packet message about their own 
Packet nets.  They really have their ecomm Packet ducks in a row down there 
and evidently have for many years.   They certainly are light years ahead of 
us.

Virginia Packet Nets if you're curious:

Tuesday nights 8:15 145.73 node VDEM using TALK mode.
Wednesday nights 8:15 145.73 node VAEOC in CONFERENCE mode.   (Note this is 
a BBS and it may ask you to register, ignore if you don't want to.)

If you can't hit these nodes direct you may have to connect with the VIA 
command:   C VDEM v LINDND or C VAEOC v LINDND.
LINDND is the node for Linden VA., LINDBB is Linden's BBS.   Rolan can get 
to LINDND from Adamstown so you should be ok from where you are Joe.  There 
is no way to get to them via FDK.



--------------------------------------------------
From: "Joseph M. Durnal" <joseph.durnal at gmail.com>
Sent: Monday, May 04, 2009 12:13 PM
To: "Frederick, Maryland ARC" <farc at mailman.qth.net>
Subject: Re: [FARC] APRS Software Info

> On Fri, May 1, 2009 at 9:43 AM, Kirk Talbott <kirktal7237 at msn.com> wrote:
>
>> ... My
>> particular rub is when bureaucratic entities determine, often 
>> arbitrarily,
>> that one system or method of emergency communication is so much more
>> beneficial than any other,  that other methods of emergency communication
>> are deemed antiquated and thus excluded.    This is not good....
>
>
> There seems to be a movement to force hams to adopt winlink for
> emergency communications.  Not that winlink is all that bad, and is
> probably the best ham radio e-mail implementation out there, its HF
> implementation is often abused at the expense of other digital modes,
> with one side or the other not listening befor transmitting.  Pactor
> is a relentless digital mode that will hammer the band until it gets
> its way.  So your PSK31 QSO may just have to wait for someone to send
> their e-mail.
>
> The airmail program itself is limited.  On HF it requires a
> proprietary pactor modem and there are only a couple of TNCs it works
> with on VHF with the biggest problem being that it doesn't work with
> software packet engines.  You are also limited to Windows, so Mac &
> Linux users are left out.
>
>
> ... On another subject in the thread, some folks don't like to be
> tracked, even some that use APRS.  Most APRS clients have position
> ambiguity, which basically puts you within the nearest 10th of a
> minute or the nearest minute, etc, configurable.  The Xastir client
> displays this in a great way, your station with a dotted box around it
> indicating that you could be anywhere within that box!
>
> 73 de Joseph Durnal NE3R
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