[aprssig] ATV Tracker Frequencies

[Robert Bruninga]

I have seen references to some of the pocket trackers using
144.34 MHz.

I want to make sure that eveyrone knows that 144.34 in the USA
is "the national ATV voice calling frequency" which it has been
since the 1970's.  It is only used for APRS packet when an ATV
Balloon payload is aloft.  In this way, it alerts all ATV
monitoring stations that a balloon event is in progress and to
turn on their Amateur Television ATV systems to see it.  Then
they can track it using APRS.

This 144.34 frequency should not be used anywhere terrestrially,
or routinely, by APRS for any other purpose...

Again, I am trying to make sure that all APRS operators in the
USA are aware of what the 144.34 frequency is so that we do not
create a nightmare of frequency missuse...

In this case, we are talking AMATEUR TELE-VISION ATV, not
all-terrain-vehicles...

Thanks
Bob, Wb4APR