[NLRS] Possible VHF rule changes & roving

Fri Nov 14 13:36:35 EST 2014

I use APRSdroid on my Android phone.  I manually send a single packet when
I get into a small town and hope the local tower picks me up.  Automatic
operation sucks down battery life and consumes too much of my cellular data
allocation when roaming.  Sending a few packets, via Wi-Fi, from the hotel
in Faith SD (DN85) would be a huge boost.  Like WØZF said, there really
aren't any fixed APRS stations in South Dakota except +/- 40 miles from
interstates 29 and 90.
The Yaesu FTM-350 and now FTM-400DR have performed well as APRS radios.
WØZF or I end up turning the radio off if we move a 6 meter QSO up to 2
meters.  This is not a big deal because aprs.fi will show your old packets,
on the map, for quite a while.  Its just part of our operating procedure to
turn the FM radio back on when you start up the Jeep.

Self spotting on dxmaps.com will yield far more 6 meter contacts than APRS
will.  I hope this would reduce the zero QSOs per hour rates we often
experience in Western South Dakota.

Back in Minnesota, we have a great APRS network to keep track of the
rovers.  Making that data available to Single operators would be very
helpful to the majority of contest entrants.

I just want to hand out the rare (and not so rare) grids to those who want
them.  If these changes get more hams on the air (and rovers on the road)
I'm all for it.
73 Matt KØBBC

On Fri, Nov 14, 2014 at 8:19 AM, Clare Jarvis <jarvis at jarviscomputer.com>
wrote:

>
>
> I keep hearing a thread.  APRS is too hard.  That it interferes with the
> other bands and modes. There are no digipeaters near where I operate.
>
> Here is my opinion:
>
> If it is too hard for the average operator then the people who use it
> should have an advantage.
>
> If it interferes then that gives people without aprs the advantage.  Why
> wouldn't we let other operators do things that put them at a disadvantage?
>
> If there are no digipeaters near where you operate then you are at a
> disadvantage to people who have digipeaters near.  That is true.  But I am
> in a valley that makes line of sight communication more difficult.   I am
> in an area that does not have many contest operators.   That comes with the
> contest conditions I have chosen to operate under.  Just part of fair
> competition.
>
> As far as I am concerned if APRS essentially destroys the fair competition
> then I do not want it.  If with aprs there is still fair competition and it
> produces more contacts then I am in favor of it.
>
> It is not very interesting for me to work a contest,  get on and in the
> first 30 minutes or so work 5-10 contacts and then spend the next 23 hours
> gaining another 5 contacts.   Its not very exciting.  If I knew where to
> point my antenna's then I would only have to find the right frequency and
> mode and successfully make the contact.
>
> My opinion with no supporting facts is that you might get more activity
> with allowing aprs.
>
> Clare
>
>
>
>
>
> On 11/13/2014 05:58 PM, James Duffey wrote:
>
>>
>> I got some of the stuff for APRS here before I realized that there are no
>> multi-multi op entries from this part of the country. I may have to rethink
>> that now, but in much of the state, we have the same problem that K0BBC
>> has, the density of digipeaters is pretty low away from main highways.
>>
>> To get back to Jon’s question, I have not used a direct app to spot, I
>> think that has not been allowed up to now. But I do have some experience in
>> using the cell phone while roving. In the July CQ contest, we used my
>> iPhone to look at the MUF maps on DXMaps. That helped a lot to spot
>> openings and see which areas would be open next. We would point the beam
>> that way and usually be some of the first to open the band. We didn’t have
>> phone coverage everywhere, but where we did, it worked great. Individual
>> station spots didn’t help much when the band was open, and there was no one
>> to spot when the band wasn’t open.
>>
>> I also used the iPhone during the Route66 event in 2013 where we went
>> mobile along old Rte 66 the width of NM. In that case, I used the iPhone as
>> a hot spot and connected the logging computer to it. We went on e-mail,
>> microsoft outlook, to coordinate with other guys that were putting rte66 on
>> the air so we weren’t on the same band mode at the same time. It worked
>> very well, and with two ops it didm’t take up too much overhead.
>>
>> In both cases, I didn’t notice any particular increase in data usage,
>> certainly less than when my daughter uses her iPhone as a surrogate car
>> radio and when my wife uses it to amuse our grandson by streaming internet
>> video and games.
>>
>> If this comes about, and I must admit to having mixed feelings about self
>> spotting, I would envision that Tom may incorporate it into RoverLog and
>> perhaps even the N1MM team into N1MM+. I would think that someone could
>> write an app that did the spotting automatically.
>>
>> I realize that this is not a direct answer to Jon’s question, but I hope
>> it helps. - Duffey KK6MC
>>
>>
>> On Nov 13, 2014, at 2:25 PM, Glen Overby <gpoverby at gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>
>>> On Thu, Nov 13, 2014 at 1:39 PM, Jon Platt via NLRS <
>>> nlrs at mailman.qth.net>
>>> wrote:
>>>
>>>  Self spotting represents an added degree of complexity for a rover.  Yet
>>>> more stuff to take.  2m APRS?   I have used it on a few occasions.  Does
>>>> anyone have any experience with using their smart phone with an app
>>>> going
>>>> direct (ie, via cell, no 2m) ?  What app have they used and what kind of
>>>> data usage to they see charged against their plan?
>>>>
>>>>  If Paul continues to host an activity spreadsheet, having a row for
>>> "current location" would be an option.
>>>
>>> A quick search found: https://aprsdroid.org/
>>>
>>> It might be easier to use twitter.
>>>
>>> Glen
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>
> --
> Mr. Clare H. Jarvis III
> Consultant
> PO BOX 1264
> WINONA MN 55987-7264
> (507) 454-2575
>
>
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