On Thu, Aug 20, 2009 at 11:31 AM, spencerhamons<[email protected]> wrote:
> The TV antenna is at the same location in town as the IRLP > node is that is showing on the aprs.fi site Aha, got it... a self-supporting lattice style tower. > Just to clarify, the D710 we are intending to use is going to > ONLY be utilized for APRS transmissions. Okay, that puts some issues to bed... Still an awful lot of radio to waste just playing digipeater. I'll trade you straight across for a Motorola SM-50 with an OT2m fully configured as a digipeater. I can set it up with scripts that will announce local nets on the APRS channel, send an email alert if the backup batteries get low, send repeater objects, report current weather conditions (with a weather station attached), and much, much more! Have a look at http://aprs.fi/SPLSTD that's an SM-50 with an OT2m on a 200 foot tower (just the antenna, the radio is in the shack). Specifically have a look at http://aprs.fi/heard/SPLSTD, which will show you stations heard in the last 48 hours. Zoom out a bit to see the local area. You can click on terrain to see that our local area is pretty much flat, and also click on the PGH circles icon twice to get the big PHG circle (upper right, red and blue ovals) I have the PHG tailored so that this pretty much describes the area covered. There's not a lot of activity because our local i-gate is also on a 200 foot tower, and picks up most stations direct. Those that it misses are picked up by the main digi located at about 350 feet up on an office building. If both of them miss the packet, then SPLSTD gets a chance. I also have the unit sending telemetry out... I'm monitoring shack temperatures, and power supply voltage just for a demo. http://aprs.fi/telemetry/SPLSTD/month Here's some more coverage area plots from our local infrastructure to give you an idea of what to expect to be able to hear from about 200 feet up... http://aprs.fi/heard/VA6KRM-10 http://aprs.fi/heard/EDMNTN > I like your idea of the OT2M for Search and Rescue. Will probably > have to wait a few months for the clubs revenue to come back up > since we just purchased a ton of cable and antennas for the > increased tower height...but that sounds like the way to go to > give us the capabilties we are looking for. Yup, let's get your toes wet, and let you get a feel for how things work. Put the D710 on as a digipeater, and get it up on the air. I'll still pester you to change it out for something more reasonable, but let's get things running with what you have. > I will go find that Northwest APRS group and start asking questions > over there. Thanks for putting up with me being off topic here. >I appreciate you guys letting me get off topic here...but I will > try to find a better venue for this discussion in the future. The NWAPRS group reflector is all about APRS. This kind of discussion is a bullseye over there, and you'll be welcomed into the fold... of course there is the initiation/yearly fee, the usual will do, a donation to your local food bank. You'll get lots of opinions, but that will give you lots of information from different perspectives, which will allow you to make informed decisions. BTW, you're already getting some of that, since a couple of the people who have chimed in are also on the NWAPRS sig! James VE6SRV
