[OZAPRS] APRS VOICE ALERT

Richard Hoskin vk3jfk at amsat.org
Mon Jul 26 18:30:18 EST 2004 

That's not a bad idea gents.

We could abbreviate it to VA 123 to allow for other info such as a QSY
channel.

Eg VA123 QSY 439.000Mhz or VA100 Listening VK3REC

Cheers
Richard

> -----Original Message-----
> From: ozaprs-bounces at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au [mailto:ozaprs-
> bounces at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au] On Behalf Of Andrew McDade
> Sent: Sunday, 25 July 2004 8:11 PM
> To: ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au
> Subject: Re: [OZAPRS] APRS VOICE ALERT
> 
> We've been sticking something like "VOICE ALERT 100 HZ" in our status
> texts
> on the d700 , d7 etc. Seems to work really well around Adelaide.
> 
> 73 .. Andrew
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "David Tilson" <dave at daves-portal.com>
> To: <ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au>
> Sent: Sunday, July 25, 2004 6:21 PM
> Subject: RE: [OZAPRS] APRS VOICE ALERT
> 
> 
> Interesting concept Richard / Bob... I've set VK3UR-9 up for it using
> 123Hz and will see how it goes.
> 
> 
> 
> A couple of things to note / consider, particularly for the Kenwood
> boxes.
> 
> 
> 
> Make sure you set your mute correctly before activating the CTCSS.  If
> it is set too low and the busy indicator is lit, then it will prevent
> your radio from sending beacons.
> 
> 
> 
> Should we consider some sort of common beacon or status text message
> indicating that stations are active with the APRS Voice Alert?
> 
> 
> 
> I must admit I had to find the manuals to test it on my D7.  To save
> others having to find their manuals... F-4 is used to select tone freq
> and F-3 is used to activate the CTCSS option...
> 
> 
> 
> Seeya,
> 
> 
> 
> davidt
> 
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Richard Hoskin (VK3JFK) [mailto:vk3jfk at amsat.org]
> Sent: Sunday, 25 July 2004 6:09 PM
> To: ozaprs at marconi.ics.mq.edu.au
> Subject: [OZAPRS] APRS VOICE ALERT
> 
> 
> 
> Hi All,
> 
> 
> 
> I would like to introduce APRS VOICE-ALERT into the VK APRS network. I
> believe it would be useful and great fun.
> 
> VOICE ALERT: This simply means that you do not turn the audio down on
> 144.9/145.175, but instead leave it at high volume and then simply set
> CTCSS tone 123 to mute the speaker. This way, you dont hear any packets,
> but ANYONE can call you with VOICE on 144.9/145.175 to alert you by
> using PL 123. You will rarely use this, and only use it to tell someone
> to QSY to another voice channel, or read their status text on your
> Kenwood Radio and QSY to the repeater they advertise they listen too,
> but it is one way of assuring that ANYONE running APRS in simplex range
> of you can be contacted with a voice call...
> 
> You won't hear any packets except maybe one or two when another VOICE-
> ALERT mobile is in range (about 8Km or so). But even then, he is only
> beaconing once every 2 minutes (This is the recommended rate for VK3)
> and so it is not bothersome at all.. In fact, it is nice to hear when
> someone is nearby!
> 
> Note: This is NOT for QSO on 144.39.  Only as a calling means. then
> QSY...
> 
> A tone of 123hz has been chosen as this is the standard tone used in a
> lot of VK repeaters and most people with home made tone boards will have
> this tone set in their radio.
> 
> 
> 
> Here is Bob Brunnings description of Voice Alert.
> 
> ------------------------------------------------------------------------
> ----
> 
> APRS VOICE-ALERT:
> 
> Voice Alert", Most APRS mobiles are not aware of this very powerful
> feature:.
> 
> Having a 144.39 radio in a vehicle with the audio turned down or the
> speaker disconnected is a waste of a perfectly good radio, ESPECIALLY
> since everyone KNOWS you have a radio tuned to 144.39!  Thus, anytime,
> anywhere, anyone can key up on 144.39 and call you by voice and know
> that
> you will hear it.... if.....
> 
> Of course, no one wants to listen to packets, so, instead of turning
> down
> your volume or disconnecting the speaker, just set CTCSS to "100"...
> Bingo, no packets.  The only thing you will ever hear will be someone
> calling you on voice with a PL of 100... (and of course, the occassional
> packet of anyone else within range that is also running Voice Alert.)
> But this is not bad. In my county, there are about 5 of us running Voice
> alert.  But 99% of the time we are not in simplex range and so we never
> hear any PL100 packets.  But when we do, then we ALSO know that one of
> us
> IS nearby and on the air, and so we usually strike up a QSO on the local
> repeater.
> 
> The one place that I thought that Voice Alert would be a real nuisance
> and cause me to turn my volume down too was at Dayton.  I expected to
> hear
> dozens and dozens of other PL100 packets...  but I only heard TWO!..
> Out
> of the 50 to 100 APRS mobiles in Dayton, I remember only hearing 3 or
> four
> packets in the morning when I drove into the HAMVENTION and only a few
> more in the afterhnoon driving away...
> 
> So, only hearing one or two packets every few mnuntes I did not find to
> be
> a problem at all.  In fact, when I pulled over to the side of the road
> with an overheated engine, someone saw me (not even running APRS) and he
> dialed in PL100 on 144.39 and asked if I needed help.  No way would he
> have ever found me on the oddball repeater I was tuned to at the time.
> 
> THere is another GREAT advantage of running voice alert on the Handheld
> D7
> too.  that is that by setting CTCSS 100 on 144.39, you dont have to mess
> with the BALANCE setting.  How many times have you totally missed voice
> operations because you forgot that your balance was set to ZERO for band
> A?  Avoid the problem by setting CTCSS 100 and leaving the volume set to
> normal...
> 
> Of course, only the Kenwoods can do Voice Alert easily because their
> TNC's
> are internal and they hear all packets BEFORE the CTCSS squelch, but
> other
> mobiles can do it too, if the owner is willing to tap his TNC off of the
> discriminator before the normal audio squelch circuit...
> 
> Anyway, even if you cannnot use it in your situation, EVERY APRS person
> should be aware of VOICE ALERT (CTCSS of 100 on 144.39).
> 
> And finally, this is NOT for QSO on 144.39.  Only as a calling means....
> then QSY...
> 
> de WB4APR, Bob
> 
> 
> 
> Cheers
> 
> Richard
> 
> VK3JFK
> 
> 
> 
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