[aprssig] APRS for a motorcycle - radios?

[Curt, WE7U]

On Tue, 14 Feb 2006 apratt at bestbits.org wrote:

> Thank you, everybody, for the leads. It sounds like the TinyTrak
> solution isn't "bad," it's just limited. If my proposed application
> falls within those limits (and I think it does), then I can use
> TinyTrak successfully.

Yes.  Or you can use a TinyTrak or OpenTracker along with an
AntiTracker.


> I asked elsewhere and was advised that a 5W-7W HT is not likely to be
> adequate for the areas where I want to be tracked. Obviously 2m is LOS
> but in mountainous, remote Northern California, or the eastern and
> western Sierras, or the Central Coast, or the vast desert areas,
> wouldn't the extra punch of a 25W mobile make a big difference?

Yes.  I have a 50W mobile in my Jeep with a couple of
permanent-mount antennas.  Don't recall which I'm using for APRS
right now but I think it's the 1/4 wave on top.  I run the radio at
medium power most of the time off an OpenTracker, so that's like 20
or 25W.  When I go into the mountains (which ain't far) I sometimes
bump it up to 50W.  For the most part in the hills/canyons 20W works
out just fine for me.  My commute goes from sea-level to hilly
terrain/river canyons and I do pretty well.  The 1/4 wave gives me a
higher radiation angle than the 5/8 wave, so I seem to get out of
the canyons better with it.

--
Curt, WE7U.   APRS Client Comparisons: http://www.eskimo.com/~archer
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