[aprssig] Displaying Operating Frequency

[Robert Bruninga]

> You mentioned "EVERY ham would monitor APRS to see 
> what was going on locally, and EVERY ham's station 
> would beacon on the APRS channel a STATUS packet 
> about what he was doing on any other frequency or 
> band or activity so everyone would know."  
>
> The $6 word for that is "Presence", and it's a shame 
> we DON'T have something like that for hams now.  

Actually, after Katrina, the ARRL made it an initiative to come
up with a mechanism for determining and distributing the
OPERATING frequency of all stations on the air, so that they
could easily be found when needed.  It is called WOTA for "Who
is On the Air".  Since we have always encouraged the addition of
Operating FREQUENCY as a standard field, we tried to make APRS a
big part of that initiative.  But I got little support.  But we
have now formalized a standard for including FREQUENCY in APRS
packets to improve this situation down the road...

What I want to see are PIC processors connected up to Home
stations that will MONITOR the operating frequency of the main
RIG in the hamshack and automatically insert that frequency in
that station's APRS *local* beacon.
I do not want to see these beacons all over the state, but
simply locally, so that if the need arises, that person can be
contacted.

In fact, I think it would make a nice set of Add-on's to many
client software so that that software could monitor the stations
other radios and include their operating frequencies in that
stations beacon.

IN fact, a TinyTracker or OT tracker or any PIC device could be
made for the major CAT interfaces for Kenwood, Icom and Yeasu.
Plug this device into the shack radios and plug it into an
unused HT on the APRS channel, and there you go...

Bob, WB4APR

> -----Original Message-----
> From: aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org 
> [mailto:aprssig-bounces at lists.tapr.org]
> On Behalf Of Robert Bruninga
> Sent: Tuesday, July 31, 2007 3:14 PM
> To: 'TAPR APRS Mailing List'
> Subject: RE: [aprssig] D700 Tip. Reading Mail
> 
> > > > How do we call CQ locally on APRS?
> > >
> > > [ANSWER]... Voice Alert....
> > 
> > Ah but here we're on (at least) 4 different frequencies.  
> > The local CQ has to be per "APRS" level, not local RF
level..
> 
> If I could amplify on that, it should be noted from my 
> perspective, APRS was
> always supposed to be the SINGLE clearing house channel for 
> everything going
> on in ham radio in a local area (not just APRS itself).  
> EVERY ham would
> monitor APRS to see what was going on locally, and EVERY 
> ham's station would
> beacon on the APRS channel a STATUS packet about what he was 
> doing on any
> other frequency or band or activity so everyone would know.
> 
> APRS was not supposed to be an end-in-itself, but to be just
the DATA
> channel for informing everyone about everything happening
locally.
> 
> So much of what casual observers see of APRS, are simply the
maps and
> vehicle tracking that too many people have lots sight of the
original
> inspiration.  Its like the proverbial dead-band problem.  If 
> everyone is
> listening and no one is calling CQ, then the band appears 
> dead even though
> lots of interested parties are  out there.
> 
> People say, but Bob, we don't see any of this activity being 
> beaconed on
> APRS.... And I say, its because no one is transmitting what 
> they are doing
> (besides APRS) onto APRS.
> 
> Anyway, just some thoughts.
> 
> Bob, WB4APR
> 
> 
> 
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