[OZAPRS] VK HF APRS Works well.

[Richard Hoskin]

I've been asked by Brian to post informative email to the list.

Cheers
Richard
VK3JFK

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

Hi

Couple of days ago we returned from a long overdue break during which time
we travelled over 3000kms from Brisbane touching in at Tamworth, Sydney,
Nowra, Goulburn, Dubbo, Conanabran, Narrabri, Texas and back to Brisbane.

During the trip we ran HF APRS on 10.149 LSB (300 baud) the entire time
with
outstanding success the reports we have received since our return had such
comments as "Every bit as good a VHF" and last night after looking at the
logs kept by Des VK4DMI I was myself amazed as just how well it went the
only spots missing were where either Des may not have had his log running
at
that particular time or I may have forgotten to turn the gear on when
leaving in the morning.

This trip was a forerunner to the trip to Perth we are expecting to make
next year if not the year after. VK4DMI along with the VK3SB and other
VK3s
covered the area extremely well for when the skip did not suit one the
other
took over, looking at the logs it was amazing to say the least. I can only
hope that by the time the Perth trip comes around we will have VK6 and VK5
HF Gateways up and running as well.

For anyone interested I do have UI-View Maps and logs covering the trip
which can  be sent on request.
The logs only include the HF VK4BBS-11 station as other stations have been
edited out by Des to reduce the size.

The equipment used was an Icom 706mk1, Icom AH-3 auto tuner its companion
antenna, Magellan 315 GPS and the Tigertronics 1200/300 baud TM-1 APRS
Compatible Tracking Module details of which can be found on their web
site.
http://www.tigertronics.com/

Both Des VK4DMI and myself use the TM-1 and also the SignalLink SL-1
module
for SSTV whilst we can speak very highly of each product the big
disappointment for us is that whilst the TM-1 will run on either 1200 or
300
baud it will only do one or the other only in other words using
transceivers
like Yaesu FT-100D, Icom IC-706 or similar it is not possible, although
the
TM-1 has 10 settings, to set it up to allow it to swap from 1200 baud when
close to VHF digipeaters and back again to 300 baud HF when away from
them.
The only way one can achieve this is to carry a laptop program the TM-1 to
1200 baud and reprogrammed again back to 300 baud and no one lucky enough
to
have a laptop is going to do this on the move.

I am unsure of other frequencies currently in use in VK for HF APRS but I
cannot speak highly enough of the 10.149LSB one that I personally have put
to virtually full time use over the past two weeks and congratulate those
SysOps who have taken their time, and money, to run these HF Gateway for
us,
please do use them they are there for you to do so. Use them or Loose
them.

I hope that you found the above of interest and will give HF APRS a go
especially when away from the VHF digipeaters. Those living in country
areas
I have now proved can also via HF use APRS if they wish.

B C N U
Brian VK4BBS

PS: I had several family members along with Non Amateurs log into Internet
via FINDU to see where we were at the time if only the maps had more
detail,
we can all dream eh?



_______________________________________________
ozaprs mailing list
ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au
http://marconi.ics.mq.edu.au/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/ozaprs