[VHFcontesting] A Twitter Spotting Proposal

[Les Rayburn]

I'm wondering if any VHF Men would be interested in trying to incorporate the use of Twitter for band openings, Grid Expedition updates, setting up schedules, etc. Similar to the E Skip alerts that I know receive on my cell phone, but Twitter would allow for a variety of real time information to be exchanged between VHF stations and might be less prone to "false alarms" than the reflectors. 

Setting up an account is easy and free. http://www.twitter.com

You can then search for the Twitter name of anyone you're interested. Most hams on the service simply use their call signs. After someone is "following" you, you can select if you want to turn on "mobile updates". If you turn this feature on for that person, then you get all their messages directly on your cell phone. Unfortunately, some hams are "Chatty Cathy's" and post a lot of nonsense. For those, you simple turn off the mobile updates. You still get their messages, but only on the web when you log into your Twitter account. 

I can imagine postings like, "Good tropo to folks down South. Anyone want to try a contact on 2 Meters? DE N0IRS". 

"E Skip on 2! Make some noise! DE K5QE EM51" 

"K5N is now active on 50.245 using FSK441 Meteor Scatter. Calling CQ now". 

Collectively, we're a pretty small group. This could be a great tool for us to make more contacts and miss fewer band openings. It's the advantage of the 144mhz Logger but it's real time and mobile. I don't know about you guys, but I'd take an afternoon off from work if I knew that 2 Meter E-Skip was open. 
Anyone interested? 

If so, you can start by "following" me. My Twitter User ID is "ALSEC". 

Now if the ARRL would add an "Assisted Category" to their VHF Contests, this would make a great tool for an assisted rover to inform others of his position, receive notifications about band openings, etc. Too bad I don't see that on the horizon anytime soon. 

73,

Les Rayburn, N1LF
EM63nf
121 Mayfair Park
Maylene, AL 35114