[NLRS] Possible VHF rule changes & roving

[James Duffey]

Well, I didn’t mean to say that APRS was too hard, but rather, that, for me, it hasn’t been worth the effort to implement as there has never been a multi-multi station on the air in NM since I started roving. And there are considerations for a rover that one would not envision as a fixed operation, so the cost/benefit has not been favorable up until now, but may be if the new rules go into place. 

I think that there are several issues with the new rules, one is that allowing self spotting will probably not attract HF contesters, two, interactive use of the internet, such as allowing chat room use will probably lead to lot of abuse, and three portable/rover stations that are out of range of cell phone/internet coverage will be at a disadvantage to those that are not. It may serve as a disincentive to go to rare grids far from cell phone coverage.

One of the big concerns I have is that one should not use the internet to pass contest QSO information, but I think it not possible to do so. If you post your location, you probably will do so by grid, and with your call, you have all the QSO information except the rogers. It sure makes pulling the call and grid out of the noise a lot easier as the mind’s matched filter has the parameters preloaded. 

On the other hand, anything to get people to turn their beams to the less populated areas where we rove has to help. 

I have mixed feelings about the proposed new rules. I think allowing everyone to use assistance is good, use of self spotting and chatrooms probably are not. The use of APRS by anyone, not just multi op stations, would be good. Need to get my thoughts together for input. - Duffey KK6MC/r 




On Nov 14, 2014, at 5:24 PM, Cactus Jacideally k <kd1pe.1 at gmail.com> wrote:

> It would seem to me as a real lightweight as a rover that rules changes, as suggested would be great... It would take some of the luck factor out and let skills play a bigger part. Ya can't work them if you don't know where they are...
> 
> Those who decry the need for added skills, sorry this is not a static hobby, elsewise we would still be in the sparkgap mode...
> 
> A free man does not need permission to carry a gun
> 
> 
> 
>> On Nov 13, 2014, at 17:58, James Duffey <jamesduffey at comcast.net> 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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