[aprssig] 1-way trackers and APRStt

[Stephen H. Smith]

Robert Bruninga wrote:
>> Bob, I would say that allowing the 
>> 1 way trackers on the network was 
>> the downfall and caused #2.  Now that 
>> the door is open how to stop the cattle?
>>     
>
> Easy,
>
> 1) Get on the air.  Talk to your fellow APRS ops.  Let APRS show
> you when they are available.  Keyboard.  Chat...  Re-discover
> ham radio.
>   

Around here (greater metro Los Angeles area) the overwhelming amount of 
APRS operation is mobile.  They are simply not going to be exchanging 
text messages, even if they DO have a two-way station.   

[Indeed mobile text messaging in CA is now explicitly illegal as of Jan  
2009, after the hand-held  voice cellphone ban  of a year or two ago 
resulted in an upsurge of text messaging as an alternative.]


> 2) Put really good and useful LOCAL information out on the local
> APRS channel for all those 2-way users and mobiles and visitors
> so that the tracker owner will feel he is missing out on all
> this real-time info, and will at least add ab audio receiver so
> he can hear a call or APRStt announcements and messages.
>
>   

Since he can't receive, how is the tracker owner supposed to know what 
he is missing?

Once again, let me point out that I have been beaconing my Echolink node 
in Pasadena as an APRS object in one of the busiest  APRS "markets" in 
the country (greater Los Angeles, CA area).  I have had exactly ONE user 
access it as a result of APRS  announcements.    

(The others found it through the Echolink website "currrently active" 
listings, or from my talking  it up at  local ham club meetings.)

Further, I have been using UI-Events to announce the monthly meetings of 
four different local ham club meetings in the San Gabriel Valley  (the 
20 miles or so east of downtown Los Angeles)  for about 8 months now.  
(I beacon each bulletin once every 29 minutes, starting at 3:00 PM the 
day before the meeting until about half-way through the meeting the next 
evening  . The idea is to get two shots at the afternoon "drive time" 
rush hour "audience" before a given meeting.)

So far, not one person has appeared at any of these meetings as a result.  

Note that this is in an area where a population of at least *4 million* 
is within the footprint of the N6EX-3 digipeater I use to send these 
announcements.

------------------------------------------------------------------------


I think one has to face the fact that, like it or not,  everyday APRS 
operation *HAS*  been "hijacked" into  primarily an AVL (Automatic 
Vehicle Location) system........ 


------------------------------------------------------------------------


--

Stephen H. Smith    wa8lmf (at) aol.com
EchoLink Node:      WA8LMF  or 14400    [Think bottom of the 2M band]
Skype:     WA8LMF
Home Page:          http://wa8lmf.com  --OR--   http://wa8lmf.net

World Digipeater Map
  http://wa8lmf.net/APRSmaps

JavAPRS Filter Port 14580 Guide
  http://wa8lmf.net/aprs/JAVaprsFilters.htm

"APRS 101"  Explanation of APRS Path Selection & Digipeating
  http://wa8lmf.net/DigiPaths

Updated "Rev H" APRS            http://wa8lmf.net/aprs
Symbols Set for UI-View,
UIpoint and APRSplus:


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