[VHFcontesting] APRS in ARRL Contests [was: Fw: APRS while roving]

[Ev Tupis]

I'm again responding with the standard disclaimer of not being an ARRL adjudicator.  However...I am the author of the HamIM strategy so...here goes...

----- Original Message ----
From: Mike McCarty <kb8yhv at amsat.org>

"Ok, some people have already made the assumption that rovers can use
 "full blown APRS",  i.e. the network on 144.39 with all of its glorious features
 such as digipeaters and internet gateways.  So how do you tell a contest rover from a few
 thousand other mobiles?  They are only allowed callsign and position.  Unless they use
 an SSID of -R, for rover, you can't pick them out."

*** In the early days of APRS, I lobbied Bob B. for a rover symbol.  He agreed and we now have a "Little Puppy"...a Rover!  Launch your APRS frames with a "to-call" of GPSLP and you will show up on everyone's maps as a Rover (puppy).

"The rovers are still running APRS and cannot use HamIM to it's full extent.
  They are only allowed callsign and position, nor can they use digipeaters or internet gatways
 because the premise of no digipeats and no gateways is what got HamIM past the ARRL contest
 desk to begin with..."

*** There's the rub.  The rules say that APRS is now approved.  APRS uses digipeaters and Internet.  Use digipeaters, if you are a Rover or the Internet as a Multi-op (the only two classes that are approved for APRS in ARRL contests)!  However...you are right about not having HamIM functionality (ability to keyboard message) because the rules are specific to say that Rovers may TX only their call sign and position and Multi-ops may only RX (including Internet).  No other operator use of APRS is approved.


Regards,
Ev, W2EV

 



      ____________________________________________________________________________________
Looking for last minute shopping deals?  
Find them fast with Yahoo! Search.  http://tools.search.yahoo.com/newsearch/category.php?category=shopping