[aprssig] APRS Coverage in Key West

[Steve Dimse]

On Apr 29, 2007, at 4:28 PM, Richard Sharp, KQ4KX wrote:

>
> So, for the overall good of APRS in general it would be nice to see  
> all APRS
> sysops keep up to date on the current standard. This isn't "dictating"
> anything but generally most sysops, repeater owners, etc. are doing  
> what
> they do for the good of Amateur radio in general.

It seems like dictating to me if people are using the threat of FCC  
rules to advocate taking a system that has worked for many years,  
through several major hurricanes, and done its job well, and destroy  
it just so that you can say the system works like the others. The  
"New Paradigm" was designed for, and works well in, high density  
areas. It is counterproductive in the situation in the Keys with a  
small, very long, flat coverage area and few if any users.

> Bottom line here is just as Bob mentioned - it would be *nice* if the
> stations were updated to the latest standard.  If they're not it's  
> not a
> major deal it's just they won't be as user friendly to visitors  
> along US 1.

And once more, it isn't there to be nice to visitors. It is there to  
provide EOC managers with accurate weather information during  
hurricanes. If it is useful to the NWS and hams during hurricanes and  
the rest of the time, so much the better, but the county is not going  
to compromise the primary purpose to match the settings of other  
places, nor should they.

Steve K4HG