[aprssig] What sort of events have you been using APRS with?

[Brian Webster]

We have used APRS for a local Triathlon race for 4 years now. This race has
three events, a bicycle race, canoe race and a run. We use trackers in the
lead and tail vehicles for the bicycle race and others if they were
available. For the canoe and running portions we manually place the lead and
last units on the map based on voice reports from the different checkpoints.
The race officials like the fact that they can anticipate the first arrivals
from each leg of the relay race. They were really impressed when we could
tell them the speed of the lead bike any time they wanted to know. We prefer
to use WinAPRS for the fact that we can have multiple map windows open. We
usually have one for each tracker and have the track option turned on for
each unit in each separate window. Using the F6 key you can jump from window
to window with each one having a course and speed displayed on the map while
the map automatically pans as the unit moves. From a tactical perspective it
is very informative. We also operate communications with the Fire, Police
and EMS. This race runs through the Village of Cooperstown NY and the local
Police really appreciate the heads up when the bikes come through with all
the tourists around. Some years we run a second display only station where
the general public and Race officials hang out so they can see things for
themselves. We prefer to use trackers with smart beaconing. This gives you
position reports when you need them and not always at timed intervals. If
you make a sharp turn it sends out a packet. On a tight race course on
winding roads it looks much more impressive when our tracking units actually
stay on the road on the map. We do this on the existing APRS channel, we
have excellent results especially with the new WideN paradigm being
implemented.



Thank You,
Brian N2KGC


-----Original Message-----
From: Anders Green [mailto:anders at pobox.com]
Sent: Thursday, June 22, 2006 9:44 AM
To: TAPR APRS Mailing List
Subject: Re: [aprssig] What sort of events have you been using APRS
with?


At 09:03 AM 6/22/2006, William McKeehan wrote:
>We provided communications for the Knoxville Marathon and APRS was used in
>that. I had a Kenwood TH-D7 on my motorcycle and one APRS display at the
>Start/Finish line. I stayed with the lead runner until he crossed the
finish
>line at which point I went back and trailed the last runner.

Wow, that's a cool example of what you can do with just
ONE tracker.

>a bicycle ride called the Tour de Blount. ... At this event, we
>had 3 event coordinators come talk to us about providing communications for
>their event.

People who do things well are doomed to doing lots
of work! *grin*

>Do you guys have plans to use APRS for Rally TN this year? I worked that
event
>last year @ the net control station with Tony; you may remember me.

Oh! Hey! Small world. :)

I don't know what the plans are for Rally Tennessee this
year. (http://www.rallytennessee.com/ ) I'm sure Tony
will be in charge of communications. I know that he has
_wanted_ to implement APRS for the last five years or so.
I would guess that there's not a digipeater up there, but
you would probably know better than I. We were all running
around like silly chickens at that event... we sure could
have used some resource tracking.

Cheers,
Anders


+==========================================================
| Anders Green
| ki4iwx
+==========================================================


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