The annual Operation ON-TARGET consist of scouts and hams all over the country going to mountain tops and attempting to communicate by signal mirror (assisted by HAM contact to know where to point). This is Saturday July 21st, 1100 to 1400 LOCAL TIME.
See www.ldsfacts.net/ontarget.htm
Take along an APRS HT or radio, since then everyone can see on their attached GPS where everyone else is and can globally text message in real time for coordination. In addition, everyone back home can watch it all LIVE and see on maps where everyone is and what links are successful on http://aprs.fi
Operation on target has hundreds of participants out west because of the accessible mountains and clarity of distance. The goal is mountain top connectivity across the entire US north to south.
Similarly, APRS has had an annual event (Golden Packet attempt) on the 3rd weekend in July to do the same thing but with APRS and packet. We have been successful in linking 15 mountain tops from Georgia to Maine with APRS and will do it again this year. But by joining with Operation On Target, at least out-west, the APRS folks out west get to leverage the many more hams that are involved already. See all about the Golden Packet event:
http://aprs.org/at-golden-packet.html
At this time, we WILL plan on operating the APRS Golden Packet event out west on the 21st with the Operation on Target. We are still trying to decide for the Appalachian trail group, originally planning on the 22nd, Sunday, to move to the 21st Saturday to match up our efforts with East coast Scouts that might be doing Operation On Target along the Appalachians.
So far, we have not found any east-coast OT plans. So if anyone knows of any, please let us know. We will carry mirrors if there are scouts watching...
Oh, and the CQ Worldwide VHF contest is that same weekend! That starts at 1800z on Saturday (1400 EDT on the east coast). The mountains will be crawling with hams! (and QRM)...
For the 4 hour event, APRS will use 144.34 MHz. Please join the at-golden-packet@yahoogroups.com if you will participate so we can coordinate. And review APRS Details on the web page above. We will all use the EYEBALL symbol to make it easy to identify participants.
Bob, Wb4APR
https://www.tapr.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/aprssig
Thursday, July 5, 2012
Wednesday, May 30, 2012
APRS to SOTA gateway
Stewart G0LGS has set up an excellent APRS2SOTA gateway to send your spots to sotawatch.org via aprs.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
PNW Amateur Activities
PNW Amateur Radio Events
Comprehensive List by N7CFO - http://www.n7cfo.com/amradio/hf/hf.htm
- July 13-16 - Salmoncon PQRP gathering at Valley Camp
- July 20-22 - Glacier Waterton Hamfest - http://www.gwhamfest.org
- Aug - Pacific Northwest DX Convention - http://www.wwdxc.org/
- Sept 7-9 - NWAPRS Summer Gathering - http://blog.nwaprs.info/summergathering
- Sept - Gallatin County Hamfest in Bozeman, MT
- Oct - Pacific Northwest VHF Society Conference - http://www.pnwvhfs.org
- May 2013 - Dayton, Ohio - http://www.hamvention.org
- June 2013 - Seapac at Seaside - http://www.seapac.org
- June 2013 - Field Day
Moving from wikidot.com to blog pages
Some NWAPRS notes have been gathered at the nwaprs.wikidot.com site. That's not real convenient to edit and is extra trouble when we can put everything we need here on the blog. So today we'll move the data and archive the old wiki pages.
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Data Flow...
We're moving the static data from the nwaprs.info website to the 'pages' here... The transistion has just started and much cleanup is still needed. Stay tuned - and make packets.
Bill
Bill
Thursday, October 13, 2011
New ISS object flying
Greetings APRS users,
There's a new ISS object flying in APRS-IS, but this object is different than others that have flown. It is flying with a MultiLine (http://www.aprs-is.net/WX/MultilineProtocol.aspx ) description of the approximate reception footprint. It moves every two minutes, so if you're using an APRS client that displays MultiLine information (APRSISCE/32 and xastir at a minimum), you'll be able to see the footprint coming and know to anticipate a pass (or realize that you just missed one).
The ISS object has a comment that says "Msg4Pass". That means to send an APRS message to "ISS" (without the quotes) from any message-capable APRS platform. This can be APRS radios (if you're in range of a message-gating IGate), any of the PC-based APRS messaging clients (like UI-View), or any of the new mobile APRS-IS clients, provided that they do messaging.
When "ISS" (not the real space station, but the APRS satellite server) will calculate the current or next pass of the ISS for an observer at your station's last beaconed position (it will say "Please Beacon Position" if it doesn't know where you are). The response will be one of the following:
Az: aaa El: lll LOS:xx:yyz - If you are in a pass
AOS: xx:yyz+aa:bbc - If you are not in a pass
AOS: NONE - If there are no passes for your location in the next two days.
aaa and lll are the azimuth and elevation for an observer at your location at the time the message was processed. LOS is Loss of Signal and xx:yyz is the time remaining in the pass and will vary to show sufficient time periods (hh:mmh, mm:ssm, sss).
AOS is Acquisition of Signal with xx:yyz being the delta time until the pass begins and +aa:bbc is the expected duration of the upcoming pass. The longer the pass, the higher you can expect the max elevation to be and the more chance of working it as it flies by.
But Wait! There's MORE! If the text you send to ISS is a known station identifier (say KJ4ERJ-12), the returned pass information will not be for your location, but for that station's last known location. To be clear, "@ call-SSID" is appended to the end of the response so you know which observer it is for. Of course, if the satellite server doesn't know where your specified station is locate, you will receive "Please Beacon Position" as a response.
And that's not all! This doesn't only work for the ISS, but for any of the other satellites found in the TLE set fromhttp://www.celestrak.com/NORAD/elements/amateur.txt You can send an APRS message to "AO-51" to find out when that satellite will pass within range. If you have any trouble figuring out which satellite name a message can be sent to, send an APRS message to KJ4ERJ-12 (or an e-mail to here) and I'll see if I can map the TLE entry to the responder station ID. And of course, you can also send any other known station ID to any of the satellites to get the current or next pass information for that station's location.
Give the service a try, and let me know how it works out. There's nothing to remember except the satellite name (including the dash in most cases) and the fact that you send a message to the satellite. Nothing like ANSRVR or CQSRVR or SATSRV, just send the message to the satellite by name and it will return the pass information.
Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32
PS. Don't look for ISS at aprs.fi as it flies too fast and is currently rejected by the speed limit filter. If you want to track the ISS object, add o/ISS* to your APRS-IS filter string. If you don't want to see it when it goes by, add -o/ISS* to your filter.
Here's a pair of chat transcripts with ISS and AO-51 (times are Eastern US):
21:35:39 New Chat Between KJ4ERJ-AP and ISS on 2011-10-13
21:35:41> foo (*2-21:35:41)
21:35:41< Az:325 El:12 LOS:4:19m
21:42:57> bar (*2-21:42:57)
21:42:57< AOS:4:44h+3:21m
21:48:41> WB4APR-15 (*2-21:48:41)
21:48:41< AOS:1:19h+8:23m @ WB4APR-15
21:43:09 New Chat Between KJ4ERJ-AP and AO-51 on 2011-10-13
21:43:11> FOO (*2-21:43:11)
21:43:11< AOS:5:45h+3:10m
21:43:26> ISS (*2-21:43:26)
21:43:26< AOS:5:45h+3:09m
21:43:37> N0GPS-3 (*2-21:43:37)
21:43:38< AOS:8:59h+12:24m @ N0GPS-3
21:48:58> WB4APR-15 (*2-21:48:58)
21:48:58< AOS:7:12h+13:23m @ WB4APR-15
There's a new ISS object flying in APRS-IS, but this object is different than others that have flown. It is flying with a MultiLine (http://www.aprs-is.net/WX/Mul
The ISS object has a comment that says "Msg4Pass". That means to send an APRS message to "ISS" (without the quotes) from any message-capable APRS platform. This can be APRS radios (if you're in range of a message-gating IGate), any of the PC-based APRS messaging clients (like UI-View), or any of the new mobile APRS-IS clients, provided that they do messaging.
When "ISS" (not the real space station, but the APRS satellite server) will calculate the current or next pass of the ISS for an observer at your station's last beaconed position (it will say "Please Beacon Position" if it doesn't know where you are). The response will be one of the following:
Az: aaa El: lll LOS:xx:yyz - If you are in a pass
AOS: xx:yyz+aa:bbc - If you are not in a pass
AOS: NONE - If there are no passes for your location in the next two days.
aaa and lll are the azimuth and elevation for an observer at your location at the time the message was processed. LOS is Loss of Signal and xx:yyz is the time remaining in the pass and will vary to show sufficient time periods (hh:mmh, mm:ssm, sss).
AOS is Acquisition of Signal with xx:yyz being the delta time until the pass begins and +aa:bbc is the expected duration of the upcoming pass. The longer the pass, the higher you can expect the max elevation to be and the more chance of working it as it flies by.
But Wait! There's MORE! If the text you send to ISS is a known station identifier (say KJ4ERJ-12), the returned pass information will not be for your location, but for that station's last known location. To be clear, "@ call-SSID" is appended to the end of the response so you know which observer it is for. Of course, if the satellite server doesn't know where your specified station is locate, you will receive "Please Beacon Position" as a response.
And that's not all! This doesn't only work for the ISS, but for any of the other satellites found in the TLE set fromhttp://www.celestrak.com/NORAD
Give the service a try, and let me know how it works out. There's nothing to remember except the satellite name (including the dash in most cases) and the fact that you send a message to the satellite. Nothing like ANSRVR or CQSRVR or SATSRV, just send the message to the satellite by name and it will return the pass information.
Lynn (D) - KJ4ERJ - Author of APRSISCE for Windows Mobile and Win32
PS. Don't look for ISS at aprs.fi as it flies too fast and is currently rejected by the speed limit filter. If you want to track the ISS object, add o/ISS* to your APRS-IS filter string. If you don't want to see it when it goes by, add -o/ISS* to your filter.
Here's a pair of chat transcripts with ISS and AO-51 (times are Eastern US):
21:35:39 New Chat Between KJ4ERJ-AP and ISS on 2011-10-13
21:35:41> foo (*2-21:35:41)
21:35:41< Az:325 El:12 LOS:4:19m
21:42:57> bar (*2-21:42:57)
21:42:57< AOS:4:44h+3:21m
21:48:41> WB4APR-15 (*2-21:48:41)
21:48:41< AOS:1:19h+8:23m @ WB4APR-15
21:43:09 New Chat Between KJ4ERJ-AP and AO-51 on 2011-10-13
21:43:11> FOO (*2-21:43:11)
21:43:11< AOS:5:45h+3:10m
21:43:26> ISS (*2-21:43:26)
21:43:26< AOS:5:45h+3:09m
21:43:37> N0GPS-3 (*2-21:43:37)
21:43:38< AOS:8:59h+12:24m @ N0GPS-3
21:48:58> WB4APR-15 (*2-21:48:58)
21:48:58< AOS:7:12h+13:23m @ WB4APR-15
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
14th Annual NWAPRS Summer Gathering
Invitation: Summer Gathering - Washington's Digital Ham Radio Event Sept 9-11, 2011
Please join us for the 14th Annual NWAPRS Summer Gathering.
This is a very social and very educational event right here in the Pacific Northwest in North Bend, WA. It is always the weekend after Labor Day.
The Summer Gathering is lots of fun and a great opportunity to learn and practice just about anything you can do with a computer and your ham radio.
We are expanding the event from the specific focus of APRS (the Automatic Packet/Position Reporting System) to a more general "Ham Radio's Digital Side". We continue to include much of APRS and developments in APRS and messaging as well as many other digital modes and software such as RMSExpress, NBEMS/FLDIGI, JT65 or WSPR or EasyPal, APRSMessenger, APRSISCE32. Sorry if that is all alphabet soup. We will make it all make sense at the event. Lots to learn and lots to try out.
Why would you want to do such a thing? Because there are modes out there that can allow you to operate less than a watt and be heard all around the world. Because you can do moonbounce with a modest station. Because you can work 28 dB below the noise and communicate all around the world. Or for the next emergency you can be ready with a modest station or compromised antennas and still communicate.
The sponsor for this event for the last 14 years has been the Northwest APRS Group
Review of the 13th Gathering in 2010
Please join us for the 14th Annual NWAPRS Summer Gathering.
This is a very social and very educational event right here in the Pacific Northwest in North Bend, WA. It is always the weekend after Labor Day.
The Summer Gathering is lots of fun and a great opportunity to learn and practice just about anything you can do with a computer and your ham radio.
We are expanding the event from the specific focus of APRS (the Automatic Packet/Position Reporting System) to a more general "Ham Radio's Digital Side". We continue to include much of APRS and developments in APRS and messaging as well as many other digital modes and software such as RMSExpress, NBEMS/FLDIGI, JT65 or WSPR or EasyPal, APRSMessenger, APRSISCE32. Sorry if that is all alphabet soup. We will make it all make sense at the event. Lots to learn and lots to try out.
Why would you want to do such a thing? Because there are modes out there that can allow you to operate less than a watt and be heard all around the world. Because you can do moonbounce with a modest station. Because you can work 28 dB below the noise and communicate all around the world. Or for the next emergency you can be ready with a modest station or compromised antennas and still communicate.
The sponsor for this event for the last 14 years has been the Northwest APRS Group
Review of the 13th Gathering in 2010
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