[amsat-bb] APRS FD method

[Greg D]

Hi Patrick,

What I think you (and I) could do would be to not use the internal
Kenwood APRS processing, but instead run the radio in KISS mode and use
an external software client.  APRSIS32, for example, lets one do
messaging without requiring the ACK, and I have it conveniently
connected to my Netbook via Bluetooth (so no cabling / USB Serial port
issues). 

But, I haven't tried it via satellite as yet...  Should probably do that
this week :).  Not sure what would happen if the other station still had
Acks enabled.  At worst I think you'd see several retries, depending on
who started the conversation.  Haven't diagrammed that out.

Good luck on Field Day! 

Greg  KO6TH


Patrick STODDARD (WD9EWK/VA7EWK) wrote:
> Hi Bob!
>
> I will be looking to work the packet digipeaters during
> Field Day, as that has been the easier way for me to
> get a completed satellite QSO - even when the ISS had its
> digipeater working. I like the basic premise you outline
> for a QSO, but it seems like something is missing to call
> it a QSO. It certainly seems to stop short of what we would
> consider a QSO if we are working SSB or CW, or for that
> matter a QSO on an FM satellite.
>
> Assuming NO-84's digipeater stays on, I see some NO-84
> passes late Saturday afternoon during Field Day. The
> FalconSat-3 passes come late in Saturday evening and
> early Sunday morning; I might not be out for those.
>
> Based on the AMSAT Field Day rules:
>
> https://www.amsat.org/field-day/
>
> I am not sure your approach would meet the definition of a
> complete QSO. Station A makes a general CQ call, and station
> B would simply list your call as a QSL in the status text.
> Then how does station A acknowledge station B's QSL - adding
> B's call sign to the status text from A? Add in the time of
> having to edit the status text on the APRS-ready radios,
> and it gets messy fast.
>
> When using messages, at least on the Kenwood radios, you
> can clear the retry counter once you know the other station
> received your message. That cuts down on the clutter. It is
> unfortunate that Kenwood and Yaesu don't provide an option
> to send messages without requesting an ACK from the other
> station, but that's the hand we have been dealt. Based on
> my experience over the past few Field Days on the 145.825
> MHz digipeaters, very few ACKs ever get through anyway to
> clog the frequency. The 145.825 MHz frequency will probably
> have its assortment of unattended stations squawking away,
> and FalconSat-3 adds in the traffic from mailbox users.
>
> Other than the requirement for ACKs built into the Kenwood
> and Yaesu APRS-ready radios, APRS messages are really the
> ideal way to go about completing a QSO. The APRS message
> format contains the two call signs, and the message text
> can carry the Field Day exchange, maybe a grid locator, or
> the "TNX" or "QSL" to wrap up the QSO. It comes closest to
> how the exchange is laid out in the AMSAT Field Day rules,
> and it would look more like a QSO for anyone monitoring the
> traffic on the frequency (or looking on pcsat.aprs.org in
> the case of NO-84 traffic picked up by APRS gateways).
>
> 73!
>
>
>
>
> Patrick WD9EWK/VA7EWK
> http://www.wd9ewk.net/
> Twitter: @WD9EWK or http://twitter.com/WD9EWK
>
>
>
>
>
> Place your CATEGORY and SECTION in your STATUS text and set beacon time to
>> once a minute.  You don't need GRID since all APRS radios display that on
>> receipt based on the position.  SO here is your STATUS at the start:
>>
>> CQFD 3AMDC  (category and section)
>>
>> Then every time you see someone else's info, QSL them by pressing the F key
>> and SEL button 5 times and it will go directly to place the cursor at the
>> end of your status text for you to add the first contact call:
>>
>> CQFD 3AMDC QSL WB4APR
>>
>> And then when you see the next one, add the next call:
>>
>> CQFD 3AMDC QSL WB4APR,W3ADO
>>
>> And so on.  You can be acking up to 4 calls at a time.  And your CQ and
>> acks are all in a single packet.
>>
>> You can only count the calls as 2-way if you also see your call in the QSL
>> list of the other station.
>>
>> When you get to 4 calls, then ERASE the first one, and add the next one at
>> the end. and so on.
>>
>> This method keeps the channel load low, automatically captures and records
>> other stations in your  STATION LIST and automatically sends your QSL's in
>> your next automatic beacon.  This lets you spend your time reviewing the
>> lists, deciding who you have received QSL's from and entering the next
>> calls in your STATUS text.
>>
>> PRACTICE.  Yes, pressing F key and SEL key 4 times will get you there since
>> it will go to APRS, then STATUS TEXT, then SELECT the existing one, then
>> SELECT it for editing, and then the cursor goes to the end so you can edit
>> it.
>>
>> You should WRITE down any packets that have your callsign QSLed in them,
>> since once that station has entered 4 more calls, yours drops off his
>> beacon and so your STATION list will no longer have a copy of your call,
>> just his latest 4.
>>
>> In my mind, this is a legal 2-way.  You both exchanged grids, and category
>> and section and QSLed and saw your call acknowledged.
>>
>> Again, NEVER us APRS "MESSGE" format via a satellite.  It is tremendously
>> inefficient and clogs the channel with retries because the ACKs just dont
>> get through.  That's why we invented APRS in the first place.  TO get away
>> from the abysimal success of ACKS on a crowded channel.
>>
>> Bob, WB4APR
>>
>>
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