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If you've been worried about remote tracking

kevinh

Well Known Member
So there were some comments wondering how APRS would do away from cities. Well - I did a little test today flying across most of the sierra's to get to Truckee for snowboarding.

Well - it looks like nearly every packet I sent was received - and I crossed 'low' at only about 10K.

http://aprs.fi/?call=ki6gii&mt=m&z=11

Next test - OSH.

PS: When we fly back on Sunday I'll try to fly faster ;-)
 
Kevin,

I didn't look to see what digi's you used, but I'm sure flying right next to I-80 helped.;)

This was a couple of years ago, and only one data point, so take it with a grain of salt: I had issues between Albuquerque and Colorado Springs, and between Rapid City,SD and Dickinson, ND. We were at a relatively low altitude and there is pretty much nothing out there. (I think I got one hit in western Nebraska, so that leg wasn't that great either.) My point was not to trust your life on APRS because it depends on the availability of volunteer ground stations, which aren't going to be present in the middle of nowhere.

Now if there are people on this forum that want to improve APRS coverage, and live in the middle of nowhere with a broadband internet connection, it's possible to setup an i-gate with a scanner and a dedicated computer. The scanner plugs into your sound card, and everything else is just software. No license required because you're just receiving.

YMMV,
Paige
 
Paige,

I'm totally with you on the 'jury is still out' on this as a safety picture. Mostly I find this tracking appealing as some sort of airplane geek fetishism. ;)

Here's the track for the return flight (just got back - the snowboarding yesterday was mushy):

http://www.mail2600.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?call=KI6GII-1&last=1

Had a 10kt headwind most of the way. I used the autopilot just because I wanted to see how many APRS packets would get dropped. Not bad on the whole.

My next remote flight will be the black rock desert for burning man and oshkosh. Probably Catalina a couple of times too - though being just over LA isn't much of a test.
 
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My point was not to trust your life on APRS because it depends on the availability of volunteer ground stations, which aren't going to be present in the middle of nowhere.

I haven't seen any evidence of anyone intending to "trust their life on APRS" and not even sure how you would do that. It's very doubtful a pilot will turn off their transponder, ditch the ELT, or fly in a reckless manner disregarding their survival instinct just because a little electronic gizmo is transmitting position beacons.

If there are gaps in APRS coverage we will find them soon enough, and I suspect our planes will fly just fine through the APRS holes. :)

Here's the track for the return flight (just got back - the snowboarding yesterday was mushy):

http://www.mail2600.com/cgi-bin/track.cgi?call=KI6GII-1&last=1

Had a 10kt headwind most of the way. I used the autopilot just because I wanted to see how many APRS packets would get dropped. Not bad on the whole.

My next remote flight will be the black rock desert for burning man and oshkosh. Probably Catalina a couple of times too - though being just over LA isn't much of a test.

Kevin, I would give your APRS installation an "A"! :)

Tracking looks solid and if you have acquaintances who are interested in knowing the whereabouts of your plane, you certainly have the tools for that now.
 
Tracking looks solid and if you have acquaintances who are interested in knowing the whereabouts of your plane, you certainly have the tools for that now.

Yep - on the way up to Tahoe my friends who were going to pick us up were tracking the plane from the hot-tub. When we got close they got in the car and rolled up to us as we tied down. Super cool!
 
APRS for safety?

APRS is not really intended to be your primary safety device. Your primary safety device is your mind and your judgment. As a Civil Air Patrol Ground Team Leader, I can tell you that many lost aircraft have been found by investigation of seemingly unimportant facts; " I have a hankering for a Buffalo Burger" said to a friend might cause us to think you may have taken a run to Catalina, but lives have been saved with less info than that. Unlike ELT's, the APRS system provides a post facto chain of LKP's. It may not help us find you, but its better than a buffalo burger....

ELT's suffer from the critical problem of not being activated until its just too late. If CAP was honest with you, you would be shocked to hear of the minimal number of lives that have been saved with ELTs. The next generation ELT, with GPS and ID information encoded in a satellite uplink on 406 MHZ, works great.... when you land in control, and remain upright, and don't hit the water, and don't land in thick tree cover, and don't get buried in snow, and don't catch fire, etc. Steve Fosset had just about everything a guy could have ( except a flight plan) including the Brightling ELT wristwatch. Presumably, he lacked the capacity to activate any of his expensive measures. This is hardly the first time we have seen this happen.

Of course as a manufacturer of APRS transmitters, I would be expected to be biased in this regard, so I will go on record as saying the primary reason for APRS in aircraft is for obscene skywriting....Keep up the good work Pete!

Allen
VHS
 
My view is that APRS is one option that may save you if you go down. I don't expect my ELT to work. I have a GPS enabled 406 MHz PLB that may offer the best chance for getting rescued. My plan is to activate it, if possible, while airborne if an emergency develops.

APRS does provide actual position info that may be key to a rescue if someone knows that you are missing. It seems to be similar in concept to the Spot system (using different methods).

The one thing that may make APRS better is a "distress/911" feature. Is that possible? Maybe it is a button you push that adds "HELP" to your transmission.
 
Very easily done

The one thing that may make APRS better is a "distress/911" feature. Is that possible? Maybe it is a button you push that adds "HELP" to your transmission.

The popular trackers from Byonics (Micro-Trak 300 and 8000) have a secondary configuration option that will easily allow you to set up an "emergency" function. Using the secondary config, the flip of one switch will modify the beacons to where an emergency symbol is displayed on maps and a customized text message can be added to the beacon...such as...(flight emergency, NXXXX, dial xxx-xxx-xxxx) or whatever you want to use.
 
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Thanks Sam

I probably should have read the manual first. I have finished going through the questions for the Technician test Saturday. I don't expect to get 100%. 90% or better would be nice.
 
I probably should have read the manual first. I have finished going through the questions for the Technician test Saturday. I don't expect to get 100%. 90% or better would be nice.

All that matters is that you miss no more than nine questions. Your Tech license will be just as valid with a 75% score as the guy who aces the test. ;)

Knock 'em dead at the exam!
 
No ELT watch

......

ELT's suffer from the critical problem of not being activated until its just too late. If CAP was honest with you, you would be shocked to hear of the minimal number of lives that have been saved with ELTs. The next generation ELT, with GPS and ID information encoded in a satellite uplink on 406 MHZ, works great.... when you land in control, and remain upright, and don't hit the water, and don't land in thick tree cover, and don't get buried in snow, and don't catch fire, etc. Steve Fosset had just about everything a guy could have ( except a flight plan) including the Brightling ELT wristwatch. Presumably, he lacked the capacity to activate any of his expensive measures. This is hardly the first time we have seen this happen.
.......
Allen
VHS

Allen... it was later reported in multiple articles that his wife said he was probably not wearing the ELT watch on that day...

One such article is here.... http://www.freenewmexican.com/news/69039.html

I can't envision how big a battery can be put in a "normal" size watch to power a transmitter.....:confused:

gil A
 
ELT watch

I am not sure if his failing to bring his wristwatch makes it better or worse! At any rate, the watch is pretty big, and ELT's don't have tremendous power.
Since neither the pilot, aircraft, or watch have turned up, I guess we can infer that all of these are less then perfect technologies......

The article mentioned CAP's ARCHER system. Its hard to think of any major successes that they have had with the ARCHER system (essentially, a color, and a monochrome video camera, DVR, and computer to analyze the data) They chose not to use thermal imaging in this boondoggle, ostensibly because it could be used to violate the Posse Comitatus Act by looking for indoor pot farms. Nothings to good for our boys when life is at stake....

Allen
 
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