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

[Robert Bruninga]

A Sermon to the Choir:

THis shows how far the popular concept of APRS has strayed
from its original concept.  THese days, the general feeling
is that the only thing that counts, or the only thing that can
be tracked are devices with GPS attached to *things*...

GIven the fact that there simply will never be enough "trackers" 
to properly maintain the full tactical picture at an event, this 
simplistic philosophy will simply dead-end APRS and is
FAR from its original objective.

>Well, our little group had APRS as demo only for a
>Severe Weather Seminar....We had a fox hunt, but no
>one but me ...(no movement) had the trackers...sigh.... 

I may sound like a broken record, but we need to get everyone to
learn to use all the powers of APRS for "the event at hand"
not define "events" by how many trackers show up.  Here
are some things that were in the original APRS that simply
have been overlooked in the quest for GPS toys...

1) Tracking objects, moved by human updates, but then
dead-reckoned on all screens.   APRS should display the
tactical picture of EVERYTHING of significance at an event,
not just trackers.  Operators need to hone their object
update and dead reckoning skills and maintain a good tactical
picture independend of what has GPS and what doesnt.

2) three built-in methods of direction finding and signal
localizing without ANY need for any DF equipment or
beams or specialized antennas.  Everyone with a radio
can provide data and APRS can localize the signal in 
minutes.

Please, exercise all the features of APRS as a commuincations
and tactical display system and do not become too dependent
on "trackers" or we are doomed to fall short of expectations
in many situations.  ALthough some of the most popular
APRS clones have significant shortcomings in these areas,
they can all be worked around, and we  must maintain those
skills. Or APRS just becomes a cute sideshow as it appears
to many current observers...

de WB4APR, Bob