[aprssig] APRS in 8 bullets

[Robert Bruninga]

I was asked for a very brief summary of APRS today, and here is
what I came up with, from the top down.  For what it is worth,
this is how I see the objectives of APRS:

1) Realtime local data exchange/display of all surrounding HAM
radio activities
2) Positions, objects, mobiles, weather, Nets, Bulletins,
messages, Dfing and other assets
3) Active objects: Voice repeaters, Hamfests, Echo/IRLP/Winlink
nodes, Traffic, Satellites in view,etc
4) Local Area coverage 2 hops via digipeaters
5) Global coverage via Igates and FINDU and web services
6) Stations: Home, Mobile Displays, Mobile trackers, telemetry
7) Messaging: Worldwide, Email, QRZ lookup, etc
8) Summary: APRS - Your window on Ham radio around you.

If I left anythign out, lemme know...

I am often disappointed that people do not put out objects, and
bulletins WHEN something in ham radio is going on in the local
area.  I want to see that on my mobile APRS radio.  I want to
see LIVE objects when there is any gathering of hams for any
interesting purpose.  I want to see bulletins on the day of
local meetings and nets.

Conversly, I am quite disappointed when I see some of the above
coming in from 100 miles away, 24/7 years on end.  What I want
to see on my radio front panel is what is happening right now,
not SPAM.

I fear too many people view APRS as watching the grass grow, so
they never look closely for real time, because they don't expect
to see it.  And they don't put it out, because no one is
watching in real time.
APRS is not an end in itself.  It was supposed to be live action
in real time about everythign going on in ham radio in the local
area with live updates.  *Not just APRS itself*.

Lets get those local-direct Voice Freqnecy objects on the air,
lets all make an object whenever we go to a meeting (you can put
that in your D700 when you arrive in the parking lot as a beacon
for others to find the meeting place)...  Lets see HAMfest
announcements.  Lets see NETS in progress bulletins. Etc..


Bob, WB4APR