Amateur (Ham) Radio BS and Callsign Thread!

Trying to operate a HT mobile may not be in your best interest, comms are fine but trying to adjust or tinker with functions while driving is kind of like cell phone texting while driving. Been a ham for close to 30 years never once have I wished my radio had APRS I really don't want everyone to know where I am!

 

For who?

 

If history is an indicator I don't think it'll be what we want but an external data port like the FTM-350/400 would be my guess. So you'll only be able to get waypoint packets out but the TNC itself won't be fully exposed.

The one feature they need to do on their dual band radios is give them the ability to auto switch TX sides when the external PTT is enabled. That way an external TNC could operate APRS on the secondary side like the TM-V71 and TM-D710. It would just completely bypass the internal TNC in this case.

 

Yup. 100% why it'd be the game changer and 100% why I didn't go with the ftm400.

 

I had an FTM-350 and the FTM-400 is better with the touchscreen for composing messages and so as a stand-alone APRS client it's OK. Just lacks flexibility if you want to interface with something externally and not be forced into making it a dedicated data radio. It's too bad, the FTM-350 was a neat radio and just being able to auto switch sides with PTT would have been huge.

 

Trying to understand how you not wanting anyone to know where you are, somehow translates into APRS not being useful for anyone else.

Since this is a Truck forum, and folks love to offroad, camp, explore and do I dare say, overland, this feature could be an awesome.
Say you have an issue, but have zero cell coverage and your sat phone is dead.....


Meeting up with buddies on a trail or campsites.


Don't discount a feature you have no use for as useless for the rest of ham radio world.

 

It's also pretty cool when you go on a trip, you can tell your friends and family to go the the APRS website and search your call sign and they can see where you are and where you have been. Helps to keep them from worrying. Also if you haven't moved in a while and they know you should have they can get help

 

100% what I use it for all the time.


Group splits to fast vs near stock. I now have live telemetry on where they're going to break camp.

 

Hey guys. I have my license. I have my equipment. But I’m just too damn scared to transmit and talk. Anyone in the Vegas area wanna hop on sometime and chat so rookie can get comfortable?

 

@Lateralus?

 

If you can hit the Las Vegas repeater of the intermountain intertie (easily google-able), and call for KD7TRD, I can help you out. It is def an odd feeling to broadcast into the void, but gets easier with time.

 

146.520 and just yell your callsign, followed by Boogaloo!!!



Kidding.

 

Snorted coffee all over my desk on this one

 

Only because you know there's a higher chance of people coming back by this method than a standard cq call out. Haha


I'm also a fan of folks who think they're slick by doing their 10th "mic check" for the day. Haha

 

I'll give that a shot possibly tonight or tomorrow. Hope to hear back from ya!

 

My packets were hitting outside of Vegas on day two of my Mojave Road trip over the weekend.

 

Been wanting to do that trip! Good to know I won't be without contact if I need help

 

It's a good trip if you plan to visit all of the cool stuff that's off of the trail. I did it solo just by myself in the Joshua Tree Preserve, so having APRS for the SMS texting in case of an emergency was a piece of mind. And it was also a piece of mind for my friends and fam who were watching my progress live on the website was a bonus

 

148.880 is the Mt Potosi repeater that is on the network. I'm generally surprised how quiet it is around vegas. 146.520 sometimes has a little traffic and usually can find some other offroaders on 146.460. The Plaza and Westgate repeaters usually have the most traffic.

Go by the las vegas ham meeting on the third wed. of the month at the redrock search and rescue building 6:00pm.

I always want to do more with my ham but end up just using for truck to truck when we are running around and a little bit of aprs.

 

When I get better at this remind me to ask you how sms through aprs works. I've got aprs down, at least. It's the principle reason I needed a HAM license