[aprssig] kayaking and APRS

[jimlux]

Richard Amirault wrote:
> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Jim Lux"
> 
> 
>> The idea is that there may not be reliable coverage from a little 5W 
>> tracker on the kayak to the overall APRS infrastructure, but that you 
>> can probably get back to the car with it, and then, the car can 
>> digipeat the packets with a)a bigger antenna and b) more power.
> 
> Hmmmm... I'm no expert .. but I wonder just how far away from the car 
> you can be and still reliably hit it?  You did say "ocean". Yes, it will 
> be "line of sight" but, remember, the power and antenna on the kayak are 
> small .. plus .. it doesn't take very far for the curvature of the earth 
> to hide the kayak from view of the car.
> 

That's true..  The radio horizon for the antenna on the kayak is pretty 
small ( a mile or two) However, one could put the antenna up high on the 
car, which would make the radio horizon a bit further away.  (maybe 4-5 
miles) and, there's some propagation beyond the horizon as well.

It's not like I'm going to be paddling (or, more properly pedalling, 
it's a Hobie Mirage drive) to Hawaii, so it should work (and, it's an 
experiment, after all...)

Jim