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Sponsored By: SYV.COM Web master: Anne Bixler |
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APRS stands for Automatic Position Reporting System. It is a packet radio program using an unconnected protocol to transmit your exact position, a symbol denoting the type of station you're running and a brief comment about it. It also has direct keyboard-to-keyboard "chatting", direction finding, and other features.
You transmit a single packet which contains your Call Sign, exact latitude and longitude, and other information. This information can be your transmitter's power, your antenna's height, a brief comment, and weather data. Since this is an "unconnected" protocol, on-air packets can be kept to a minimum.
This packet is received by one of four types of digi-peaters which use the aliases RELAY, WIDE, ECHO, and GATE. RELAY stations (the default) are base stations used to digi-peat low-power portable and mobile stations. WIDE stations will digi-peat packets addressed either to their specific Call Sign or the generic WIDE to other VHF stations and WIDEs. An ECHO is similar to a WIDE but works with HF. A GATE digi-peats either from VHF to HF, HF to VHF, or HF to HF.
A station receiving information from the digi-peater can have a computer connected running APRS software that allows your station to appear graphically on a map on the monitor as would other stations that the digi-peater knows about.
The APRS program can interface with popular weather stations such as those made by Davis and Peet Brothers, thus allowing for real-time weather data such as like wind speed, wind direction, temperature, rainfall amounts by the hour and 24-hour period, barometric readings.
The SKYWARN system in Indiana uses this ability to provide the county with regular weather information to provide storm spotting, especially during tornado season.
A GPS, Global Positioning System, receiver with NMEA-0183 output can be used with an H-T and TNC to provide a mobile or portable station that updates its latitude and longitude as it moves. The main station (with the computer display) will be able to watch the mobile station change positions!
This feature can be extremely useful during special events (like bike rides where you need to track the support vehicles), Search & Rescue, Fire and USFS aids, and shadowing important officials.
The Santa Ynez Valley Hams found this ability very useful during one of major bike rides where we needed to let the rest stops know where the support vehicles were for those people needing assistance.
There are two APRS digi-peaters servicing the Santa Ynez Valley, Lompoc, Santa Maria, Santa Barbara, and points South. K6SYV-10 is located on Figueroa Mountain and K6TZ-10 is located on La Vigia Hill in Santa Barbara. Both have an input frequency of 144.390 MHz.
Currently, the MS Streets and Trips are being used for the maps for APRS.
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Sponsored By: SYV.COM Web master: Anne Bixler |
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