[aprssig] I-80 Ohio/IN and D710 objects

[Joseph M. Durnal]

There are definitely some ego-frequency objects out there.  I first
heard 443.650PA when I was over 200 miles away from it.  Looks like it
was on a 3 hop path.  Others advertise repeaters that aren't really
the best local repeater for contacts or assistance.

I'm sure glad Bob had is operating frequency in his status text.  When
I saw his position report about 40 miles to the west of my position on
I70, I tuned to the repeater he was listening to, I was able to give
him a call.

I don't operate a digipeater (yet), so I don't know how difficult it
would be to update them to work with today's N-n paths.  Does it
require buying something?  A lot of time and effort?  I understand
these things can take time, but this has been around for years now.

73 de Joseph Durnal NE3R

On Tue, May 27, 2008 at 10:59 AM, Robert Bruninga <bruninga at usna.edu> wrote:
> Lessons learned from a 1300 mile weekend round trip across PA,
> OHIO and Indianna on I80 with the D710:
>
> 1) Too many digis are not New-N compliant.
> 2) Too many W-R-T and no beacon to show what they support
> 3) since they don't identify their "S" overlay or list Wn,SSn-N
> 4) Saw almost NO frequency objects in OH or IN.
> 5) Remember, EVERY digi should have a recommended FREQ object
> for its footprint.
> 6) We do NOT want to see eqo-freqs coming in from 100+ miles
> away
>
> Operating the D710 was fun.  I was scanning all memory channels
> the entire trip, just trying to find some activity.  But when
> you are scanning, then your outgoing D710 beacon contains the
> scan frequency at the instant of your posit which can be
> confusing to others.
>
> The FIX is to load up STATUS-4 with the text "[scanning] &
> V-Alert".  This way, others will see that I am scanning (while
> still listning on voice alert).  Whenever I am not scanning,
> though, I drop back to STATUS-5 which then automoatically
> inserts my operating frequency into my posit beacon.
>
> To alert other drivers, I also loaded up PM #5 with the MYCALL
> of POLICE-9.  This way, whenever I saw a police car, I could
> simply hit the PM button to #5, beacon a few times and then go
> back to PM1.  This would put that police object on the map.  You
> can use any SSID for your police object to make it unique to
> others if you want..  Oh, if you check FINDU, I now realize that
> I forgot to set the POLICE symbol, but the letters POLICE should
> have gotten everyone's attention...
>
> Several others said they could see the objects.  By the way, I
> was on cruise control at exactly 65, so I am not trying to skirt
> the law.  Just provide safety info to other drivers.  There was
> one bad wreck that had a slow down to a crawl.  There, I
> momentarily changed the MYCALL name to WRECK and beaconed a few
> times.  This object then contained my speed at 5 MPH and was
> good info to other drivers as well.
>
> While 400 miles from home, I saw another Maryland local nearby
> in Toledo (N8PK)!  We used APRS and frequency functions to
> repeater-hop all the way home.
>
> So, lets get those old WIDE/RELAY digis updated, and lets get
> ALL digis to output their travelers recommended frquency object
> SIMPLEX in their coverage area.  And lets SQUASH and ELIMINATE
> those ego-frequency objects that are going two hops and covering
> areas where that frqeucny is not usable.
>
> Info on http://www.ew.usna.edu/~bruninga/localinfo.html
>
> Bob, WB4APR
>
>
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