APRS?

[W3WN]

OK. I get that APRS can be used by others to track you.

Other than that... what is it good for? I'm not trying to be cute, I honestly just don't see what else it's useful for.

[KC2UGV]

OK. I get that APRS can be used by others to track you.

Other than that... what is it good for? I'm not trying to be cute, I honestly just don't see what else it's useful for.

That's basically what it's for... It can also offer information on local "assets" (Ie repeaters). It does come in handy for things like running checkpoint stations for charity runs and the like.

[K9CCH]

OK. I get that APRS can be used by others to track you.

Other than that... what is it good for? I'm not trying to be cute, I honestly just don't see what else it's useful for.

Let's say you go to a new city where you've never been before, you can tune to 144.390 and it will tell you which frequencies are being used.


at least that's what I understand...

[KG4NEL]

Let's say you go to a new city where you've never been before, you can tune to 144.390 and it will tell you which frequencies are being used.


at least that's what I understand...

Only if it's a digipeater, right?

I looked up my local area on aprs.fi and see the local digis, but co-located analog machines are left off the list.

I get the public service/special event aspect (for balloon launches, it's kind of neat), but I've never had a burning desire to continually transmit that it's such-and-such millibars at my house.

[W3WN]

OK. Good to know.

Don't get me wrong... it's kinda neat to see what potentially can be done with APRS, but sometimes you wonder if it's a solution in search of a problem.

[KC2UGV]

Only if it's a digipeater, right?

I looked up my local area on aprs.fi and see the local digis, but co-located analog machines are left off the list.

I get the public service/special event aspect (for balloon launches, it's kind of neat), but I've never had a burning desire to continually transmit that it's such-and-such millibars at my house.

It's up to the repeater owner if they want to mark their equipment on APRS. It's easy enough to do, and generally inexpensive (When you figure the total cost of a repeater setup).

[K0RGR]

Yes, it depends on the locality. I don't see as many beacons about repeaters as I used to.

And yes, I think it's a technology that's underutilized. Now that I'm playing with Arduinos and Raspberry Pi, I might pursue a project I've had in mind for a long time - building a device that would receive packet bulletins with local repeater info, and use it to reprogram my mobile rig as I go down the highway. If we could get people to send out properly formatted beacons with their local repeaters, it should work well.

[kb2vxa]

"I get the public service/special event aspect (for balloon launches, it's kind of neat)..."

[K9CCH]

I use APRS when travelling, particularly out in the boonies.

I tend to get all excited about something, before I think it through. I'm about to send off a $460 cashiers check for the FTM-350AR that should be delivered on Monday, and I'm trying to decide whether or not I want to purchase the FGPS-1 unit from HRO 1.)while they still have them, and 2.)while they are on sale.

I read about everything that APRS can do (mostly), but if I really think about it, I don't have a true need for it.

-We don't travel much, and if we do its between Houston and Lafayette, LA, or Houston and Dallas. Other than that, I'm not a big road trip person.
-I don't really have an interest in tracking folks in the local Houston area, which is where my radio will be used 97% of the time.
-I don't really have any desire to put my whereabouts out there publicly for the folks in Houston to come violate me or my Jeep.
-Although being able to send messages sounds like a neat feature, the likely hood of me ever sending anything to anyone other than a test message, is slim to none.

There are only two scenarios that I can ever see APRS being used on my radio... if I want to check weather conditions say on the Island before we leave home, or if we ever really do decide to take the Jeep on a camping road trip. However, the likelihood of that is slim to none as well.

I just can't really come up with any justifiable reason for me to spend the $68 for the GPS unit.

Am I severely limiting the performance of the FTM-350 if I DON'T install the GPS unit?

[NQ6U]

Looks like you're beginning to understand this ham radio thing pretty well, Chris. You analyzed all the available information and came to a logical conclusion.