[aprssig] APRS RAIN Report

[Robert Bruninga]

I prepared a WEB page to help those Newslink, RAIN and ARRL
audio volunteers to get their objects on the air:
http://www.aprs.org/On-Air-beacons.html

Are there any other typical such applications I should include
on that web page?  Did I spell them right?   Bob, WB4APR 

> -----Original Message-----
> Starting this coming Friday, the RAIN (Radio Amateur 
> Information Network) audio program will carry a 15 minue 
> segment on APRS for the next week.
> 
> In the Interview, I mention how, APRS is an information 
> resource, just like the RAIN report, but it is real-time.  So 
> while this "interview" is being replayed on amateur radio 
> repeaters all over the place, maybe only 10% of the actual 
> mobile operators on the air at that time, will hear it 
> because only 10% of them remember the FREQUENCY and TIME that 
> the RAIN report is being played in their area.
> 
> So while the RAIN report is on the air, some APRS operator in 
> that area should be putting out an APRS FREQUENCY object LIVE 
> at the time of the event, that shows up on the front panel of 
> every APRS mobile, showing him:
> 
> 1) The FREQUECNY to listen to
> 2) (the D710 radio can auto tune it with one button)
> 3) The direction and Distance to the repeater
> 4) The TOPIC
> 
> THAT is what the APRS channel is for... alerting the local 
> area to something going on NOW by sending that info on the 
> single national APRS info channel to alert everyone in range.
> 
> Its like the dead band conundrum...  We rarely see these 
> beacons, because no one is transmitting them. I cannot stress 
> enough that APRS operators are -not- there to just watch what 
> others are doing.  Your first job is to INPUT to APRS 
> everything you know that IS happening, then watch what others 
> are doing.
> 
> Conversly, we do NOT want to see OLD/STALE info or SPAM 
> coming in from the next county that we cannot use or
participate in.
> 
> The SUCCESS of APRS is dependent on sharing relevant 
> real-time information!  And unless someone takes the effort 
> to TRANSMIT it, then there is nothing for anyone to RECEIVE.
> 
> So, I challenge APRS operators to find out when the RAIN 
> report is played in their local area, and make sure there is 
> a pre-event APRS bulletin, and during the event, a FREQUENCY 
> object showing people where to tune.
> 
> Doing that, the other 90% of mobiles out there on the road at 
> the time can be alerted to the RAIN report on the air...  
> (ah, but only if they are receiving APRS in their cars.. and 
> what is that?  5% of all hams?)
> 
> So, yes, an effort on one person's part to improve the 
> audience by 5%, but if we do this enough, sooner or later the 
> other 95% of ham radio will learn that the place to monitor 
> for local activity is the APRS channel!  THen the chicken-egg 
> problem is solved because more people -with- useful 
> information will post it on APRS to help out his fellow 
> neighboring hams.
> 
> Bob, Wb4APR
> 
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