Outdoor Adventure USA

OLLIE wrote:I was sitting down and thinking... (Now we're in trouble) ...that it would be nice to have APRS set up at the camp site sending out a beacon of KI6ZQL-12.

This can also be accomplished by creating an object, so you may not need to dedicate a station to the camp site. Also running a full computer based setup of APRS is very power intensive. It is fine if you have a power connection but more problematic if you are relying on an inverter or vehicle based computer.

What I used while camping and what I had on 24/7 was a Kenwood D700 and a GPS with map display. I had the beacon rate set at 30 minutes,and it will display nearby stations and have messaging capability.

Again this is great for M&G type activities but has logistical problems for camping. Power, equipment, and most of all security.

sdnative wrote:Ollie,

is this just a novelty thing, or is there a actual need to have an APRS station at camp? Not trying to discourage you nor am I saying it is not a legitimate idea, I am just not sure of the purpose. If it is just to keep in touch with camp, we can do that over the radio.

I do like the geek factor though..

Aside from the geek factor, it might be nice to have a rig's position immediately available in case of emergency, instead of waiting for the back and forth of voice communications; of course the chances of this being critical is very "remote" (pun intended )...

Don't forget the messaging capabilities of APRS, which go well beyond the range of any VHF/UHF radio. This ability for 2 way communication, as well as letting those staying at home know where we are and that all is well, takes it out of the geek factor, at least a little bit.

It is also a great way for run leaders and the base station to make sure that groups stay together. In the event of a separation, it can be useful in getting the run back on track. Week-end trips are certainly not as critical as longer duration trips, but the value is still there.

hmfigueroa wrote:

OLLIE wrote:I was sitting down and thinking... (Now we're in trouble) ...that it would be nice to have APRS set up at the camp site sending out a beacon of KI6ZQL-12.

This can also be accomplished by creating an object, so you may not need to dedicate a station to the camp site. Also running a full computer based setup of APRS is very power intensive. It is fine if you have a power connection but more problematic if you are relying on an inverter or vehicle based computer.

What I used while camping and what I had on 24/7 was a Kenwood D700 and a GPS with map display. I had the beacon rate set at 30 minutes,and it will display nearby stations and have messaging capability.

Again this is great for M&G type activities but has logistical problems for camping. Power, equipment, and most of all security.

This makes complete sense. I forgot about the ability to create an object. That is done through something like OpenAPRS correct? One thing nice about our campground is that there will be electrical available. I will probably only run the system when we are in camp. I'm not expecting someone to monitor it all day. Again, it will be a good source for a demonstration. If people see it they might get interested and we might draw more people into amateur radio.

That sounds like a perfectly good system to use. If you have access to reliable power it makes a lot of sense to use the enhanced capabilities of a computer based APRS system.

It has a very good visual appeal that is conducive to drawing a crowd. Especially if they know the folks they are tracking. Now the issue is the radio the 857 is way too much radio for the application. I would much rather see it put to use as an HF display station, but I guess you gotta run what you brung...

We can discuss this more in detail when we get together for the APRS School. You have a very very good base to grow on. I appreciate your enthusiasm for all the various modes, as they all have tremendous applications for what we do.

hmfigueroa wrote:That sounds like a perfectly good system to use. If you have access to reliable power it makes a lot of sense to use the enhanced capabilities of a computer based APRS system.

It has a very good visual appeal that is conducive to drawing a crowd. Especially if they know the folks they are tracking. Now the issue is the radio the 857 is way too much radio for the application. I would much rather see it put to use as an HF display station, but I guess you gotta run what you brung...

We can discuss this more in detail when we get together for the APRS School. You have a very very good base to grow on. I appreciate your enthusiasm for all the various modes, as they all have tremendous applications for what we do.

Actually you are reading my mind. The FT-8800 is mounted into the lid of the box. We could set one side of that up to do APRS like DaveK does then use the FT-897 for HF demonstrations.